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Traci Fenton is the founder and CEO of WorldBlu, a global leadership education company teaching top CEO, leaders, and their organizations how to lead with the proven Freedom at Work™ leadership model. Traci is also a globally-recognized keynote speaker, author, and coach to CEOs and top leaders worldwide. Traci is a "Thinkers50 Radar" award winner, received the Game Changer award for "Outstanding Results in Shaping the World," was named a "World-Changing Woman in Conscious Business," has been recognized in Inc. magazine as a "Top 50 Leadership Thinker," and as a Marshall Goldsmith "Top 100 Coach" in the world. Traci founded WorldBlu in 1997 and has helped spark and lead the global conversation around leading and reinventing workplaces using freedom and organizational democracy rather than fear and control. Traci and her team have helped hundreds of top companies and leaders at world-class organizations such as The WD-40 Company, DaVita, HCL Technologies, Mindvalley, Pandora, Podio, RevAsia, GE Aviation, Zappos, and more in over 100 countries worldwide. Traci developed the groundbreaking Freedom at Work™ leadership model based in part on the WorldBlu 10 Principles of Organizational Democracy as well as numerous mindset, leadership, and organizational design courses, all of which are delivered on BluSpark™, the cutting-edge gamification learning technology she developed. Traci frequently speaks to top leaders, and has spoken at numerous organizations such as Harvard, Yale, Yahoo! and the US Naval Academy, and at worldwide events such as South by Southwest and TEDx. Her work has been featured in Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, the Wall Street Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, the New York Times, Inc., BusinessWeek, NPR, the BBC, and dozens of other media outlets around the world as well as in over three dozen books. She is the author of the book Freedom at Work: The Leadership Strategy for Transforming Your Life, Your Organization, and Our World. Learn more at: worldblu.com worldblu.com/freedomatworkbook www.marlanasemenza.com Audio : Ariza Music Productions Transcription : Vision In Word Marlana: Tracy Fenton is the founder and CEO of World Blu, a globally recognized keynote speaker, author and coach to CEOs and top leaders Worldwide. Welcome, Tracy. Traci: Great to be with you. Thanks for having me. Marlana: So today we're going to talk about a fearless mindset. And first let me ask you what you really mean by fearless? Is it just fearing less? Is it absence of fear? Is it talk to us a little bit about that? So, we have a basis? Traci: That's a great question. There's a lot of ways to look at what fear is. A lot of people when they think of fear, they think of the acronym False Evidence Appearing Real which I love. It's a way of describing fear. I like to think of fear as a limited point of view of what we're capable of and what we're not capable of doing. Why I say this is because the brain research tells us that the average person thinks 60,000 thoughts a day, and 80% of those thoughts are the exact same thoughts we had the day before and have those exact same thoughts. 95% of those thoughts are negative and fear based. Marlana: Oh! Wow! Traci: And so, most of the time, we're thinking fear based thoughts. And we might not even realize it, you know, we tend to use words like, I feel stressed, or I feel rushed, or I feel anxious, or I'm limiting myself, or I want to up level and I can't get there or excuses or lack of personal accountability, all of that when you dial it down, it comes back to fear, it's at the root of it. And another thing that's very interesting about fear is that when we're in a state of fear, the peripheries of our brain shut down, and we become myopic. So, we literally have a limited point of view. And so that's why I like to think of fear as a limited point of view, it is an imposition on our unlimited ability that each one of us has. So, when we're ready to up level or ready to go and start our own business and begin a new career, or whatever it is that we feel called to do. What you have to know how to deal with is, how to handle the fear that comes up over and over and over again as you progress and go forward. Marlana: Because each time we do that, each time we step into something bigger or something new fear usually packs its bag and comes right along. Traci: Oh, yeah, those grounds. I call them the Gremlin voices, the Gremlin voice has come in and they want to give it a Yep, up in your ears. And that's why we developed a five step practice for how to overcome fear. We call it The Power Question Practice. We teach it at World Blu to all of our members who are part of World Blu, and it's a lifelong tool that you can have to literally handle any fear you may have in your life, whether it's a personal fear, a professional fear, a relationship fear, a business fear or health fear, whatever it may be, you can put it through this five step power question practice, and literally hav

Michael Fabber is the Founder and CEO of UnleashU Now! He created a 6+ figure business in 4 months with no ad spending, no email lists, and all organic lead generation. Michael and his fearless team host conferences internationally in addition to courses, programs, groups, retreats, and the UnleashU Now mastermind group. In addition to UnleashU Now, Michael is also the Executive Director of a nonprofit that focuses on suicide prevention and owns several other businesses. He is known in the entrepreneurial space for the impactful movement he has created while focusing on business and personal growth! Promote: https://www.unleashunowretreat.com/ www.marlanasemenza.com Audio: Ariza Music Productions Transcription : Vision In Word Marlana: Founder and CEO of unleash you now an executive director of a nonprofit and owner of several other businesses, Michael Fabber, is known in the entrepreneurial space for the impactful movement he has created while focusing on business and personal growth. Welcome, Michael. Michael: Hi, how are you? Marlana: Good! You know, if anybody doesn't know who you are, and they were to look you up, there are a ton of things, it is obvious that we could glean from you from a business perspective. But instead of that, today, we're going to talk about something bigger, and creating a legacy. So first of all, tell me what does that mean to you, legacy? Michael: To me, your legacy is a story you wrote by your actions and being here. And that's everything. Marlana: You know, it was interesting, because this morning, it just so happened that something came across my Instagram feed, and it said, legacy is a story you leave behind for others to tell the impression you make on the next generation. And I thought, yeah, that's a pretty big thing. And it's also a pretty weighty responsibility. So, when did you decide that it needed to be bigger than business for you? Michael: By 2011, was really when the realization that how I was living and what I was doing was pointless, was meaningless. And that if I continued that way, the only thing at the end would be a number in a bank account. And anybody ever lost somebody you never were like, hold on, What number is that not backing out again. Alright, that's never happened for all the people I've lost. So, at that point, I realized I lived life in a way that I never want to live again. Marlana: So, what did you start to change? Michael: Everything started with me; my mindset, I believe, my focus, and then started working outwards. I believe everything comes in out. So, if it's real, true, and sustainable to be here first, and then it's going to work this way. But I changed everything about what I believed when I looked for who I wanted to be, what I was about. So, it was a lot of interiors to start, and then start working on the process of how does this come out? Like, how do I show it's always this funny story the first time. So, I told my buddy, we were going to change the world, right in 2011. And his response was, Are you high? And I was like, no! All right! But that also tells me where we've been right? So, I'm like, No! But seriously, like, we're gonna change the world. He said, That's impossible. And like, nobody changed his world. I was like, how does the world change? Right? Like, people change world. And he goes, Well, how are you gonna do it? I said one person at a time. And I'm very like, I'm, I look ragged, and I played sports a lot. But I'm really a nerd. I love to learn. So, I love to go to places and learn different things. So, when like, coaching space, a lot of people were like, *** me! I didn't eat the brownie this morning, my health coach. Like, I did not want that to be my life. Right? So, I was like, I'm gonna learn everything about this coaching space. And I came from human behavior, neuroscience, mental health space, sorry, knew some of it. And I was just like, let me dive in and see what they're doing and saying, and what resonates with me and what doesn't, what aligns with me and what doesn't, or who I want to be. Sometimes really say, Who am I now? Does that align with me? And sometimes we have to ask who I want to be? Does that align with me? Right? Because some of the things serving us now won't serve us where we want to be. And I went and got like, a million certificates, right? That says, I'm a coach. Alright, so whatever that means, but I take my buddy on, like, watch, I can help people like we can do this, I can help you. So, we went to a diner in local town. And I walked in, and I'm just looking around to see who I'm going to help. Right. Like talking about like, crazy people have diner. I didn't think this through beforehand, clearly. And there's a guy that counter and he's sitting there and he's eating and I'm like, This is my guy. Right? So, I walk up to him. I'm like, sir, how are you? looks over at me. I'm like, my name is Michael Fabbre. And tell me what your biggest problem is. I'm going to help you to I mean, guid

Michael Stein Abadak Inc. Stein Media Michael Stein was diagnosed with a "learning disability" when he was a child. He is now the founder & CEO of Abadak Inc. Michael started the company while he was a broke filmmaker and nearly homeless. Since then the company has made over 100 million dollars. He has been a writer, director, producer, actor, comedian, worked with academy award winners and some of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry. He continues to build his company Abadak which is the leading tarps supplier in the USA and has donated over a one hundred thousand tarps to the homeless. Michael is the host of the podcast Long Shot Leaders. The podcast features the stories of high achievers that have overcome high odds and reached success. https://longshotleaders.com www.marlanasemenza.com Audio : Ariza Music Productions Transcription : Vision In Word Marlana: Michael Stein is a long shot, who went on to work with some of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry and built his company Abadak to over $100 million. He is also the host of the podcast Long Shot Leaders. Welcome, Michael. Michael: Glad to be here. Thank you so much. Marlana: So first of all, tell us why would you consider yourself a long shot? Michael: I come from a long line of long shots. My grandmother escaped the Russian concentration camps on the way to America. My dad was in New York homeless street kid, became a multimillionaire, only to become homeless again. And he never finished eighth grade and I was born premature, all kinds of health issues. I had ADHD; they didn't know what it was back then. I was sent to the hospital a couple of times; I couldn't figure out what's wrong with me. I was put in a school … for special needs kids. I just really had a lot of issues, and you grow up with that, my mom who has an interesting sense of humor who was struggling with a crazy marriage with my dad always, I was the youngest in the family. She joke around say, "my son, he's the youngest. He's, my dessert. I drank, I ran up and down the stairs, I smoked, I..., but he survived." So, Mom, you don't have to tell everybody, just tell me…ranch or blue cheese with the meal, but that's what I grew up with. Hearing like you're lucky to be alive. I had to sleep in the same room with my grandmother until I was nine years old because my dad made all that money and lost it, but we grew up in Encino. It was a big house, but I was the youngest. So…I'd hear that story about her being a Holocaust survivor, and waking up in the morning, that's what I used to hear as my bedtime story and waking up alarm clock. So, you grew up with this appreciation of like you're lucky to be alive. This is what how it is for other people, and I really didn't find any success until I got two people laughing at me as a kid, I'd laugh, I'd make fun of things, and I was a hyper kid. So other than that, I was just a basket case. I never felt like there was anything like I was when I wasn't winning. So then one day, I see the movie Rocky, like most American kids, and I was 11 years old. I said, "here's a guy like me, he doesn't succeed a lot. He keeps on trying, he's not smart, or people think he's not smart." But the one difference between Rocky and myself is that he was physically fit, and I was not. So, I said, "I'm gonna make fitness my thing" And five years later, I just went hyper focused on that, like the person does. I became a physical fitness trainer when I was 16, and I said, "this *** can work. if I really do something, I see the ebb and flow of failure and success at an early age." Then I became president in a school leadership program and I said, "I'm going to be an entrepreneur like my dad was, I'm going to graduate high school, and I'm going to become successful." So, I said, I'm gonna be an entrepreneur, actor, and comedian. And my High School tutor says, you should maybe work with your hands, because not everybody's meant to do what they want to do. I said, Screw you! So, I started a business the day after I graduated high school, I failed miserably. Two weeks later, it didn't work out. But then I decided, Okay, I'll go to City College for six months, practice psychology, acting, entrepreneurship and business. And within six months, I did standup comedy when I was 19, my first, and I brought a lot of people there. I said, if I could do this, I could do this …which is really big in the late 80s. And then six months after that, I became the number one nightclub promoter in my age bracket in Los Angeles. That was when I stepped into AWS and my story where I open the floodgates. I became an actor, my first role was playing Dirk Diggler in the Dirk Diggler story, which became Boogie Nights, which I appear in as well, I became a filmmaker, did a lot of documentaries, that some of the biggest promotional events in Hollywood for movies like the Batman movie 89, which is a 4000 person event, and I left my nightclub business, then I said, I'm gonna

Matthew Hunt - Automation Wolf Matthew Hunt is a Serial Entrepreneur, B2B sales and marketing expert, and coach to company CEOs, marketing directors, and entrepreneurs. His extensive experience of over a decade of helping B2B companies succeed in sales and marketing has driven him to create several 7-figure businesses and he's just getting started! His company, Automation Wolf, is known for helping clients generate a full month of LinkedIn content in just one hour per week. automationwolf.com www.marlanasemenza.com Audio : Ariza Music Productions Transcript : Vision In Word Marlana: Matthew Hunt is a serial entrepreneur, business to business sales and marketing expert coach. As the creator of several seven figure businesses, he's just getting started. His company Automation Wolf is known for helping clients generate a full month of LinkedIn content in just one hour per week. Welcome, Matthew. Matthew: Hey! Thanks for having me. Marlana: So, you know that I create images for clients to use in their branding. But you're gonna talk to us a little bit today about what to do with them. Matthew: Great! Marlana: So first of all, let me ask you this, because I know LinkedIn is your thing. Why do you think LinkedIn is so overlooked? Matthew: I don't wanna say that this is probably a terrible essay, but I guess at a social media, it's probably the ugly, redheaded stepchild that nobody wants to pay attention to. However, if you're in b2b, it's really the greatest opportunity. In fact, anything that you care about, if you care about your career in any way, I think LinkedIn is a great opportunity. And it's even a greater opportunity due to timing. So, a lot of times when you're in social media network solver catching the wave at the right time. For example, my first agency, I caught the wave around search engine optimization and search advertising in general. So, I started way back, I started learning how to do in 2007, and started the agency in 2010, and I got to ride that wave for a good four or five years before it got a little more sophisticated. Then in 2014, I caught the Facebook one, so, there's organic, free traffic, and then there's the paid advertising, it was early, and people are still figuring out the ads, and cheaper, got the ride that wave. Then in 2017 I discovered the LinkedIn one and we're still going with the LinkedIn one. So, what's so great about LinkedIn is that it is a social media network, just like any other social network, so it has a focus of being for professionals. But what's so magical about it right now is that they have 700, 800 engaged users logging in, but only 1% of people post. So, what that means organically is there's a huge amount of eyeballs there, but not enough content inventory, and so if you just post on LinkedIn, you get a lot of reach, the challenge is with all the other social networks are so noisy. Now, it's very hard to get recognized organically, unless you already are a celebrity or a micro celebrity, or an influencer in some way already, have a following for people to pay attention to without having to pay to play. And so, in the sense of free earned organic attention and eyeballs on what you do, LinkedIn is a great place to be right now. Marlana: And you know, one of the things that I've learned about LinkedIn is that a lot of people may see your content, but not many people necessarily. You may not know that they've seen it. And I only say that because I have had people come to me, weeks, months, whatever, after the fact and say, yes, I've been following you and love what you're posting in this net, I would have never known because they don't like it. They don't comment on it. They don't do any of these things. But they're seeing it. Matthew: Yeah, they're secretly creeping it, and you got to remember that the algorithms like they're not only looking at liking, commenting, or resharing, the very obvious, explicit ways of showing that people are engaging with your content, they can also tell when someone has stopped them scroll, and they're sitting there based on dwell rate, how long they read your text post, or how they looked at your images, or how the PDF carousel worked, or videos. And this is why carousels are so effective. Is because it forces the dwell rate to be longer, someone has to swipe to the left to see all the different images. So, for example, yourself, someone is focused on producing headshots, a really good strategy for you on LinkedIn would to be to create these image carousels, where there's many examples of work that you've done. Or even it could be up before and after-effect of Photoshop. It could be all kinds of different stuff that you could do, but the point is, it keeps them there longer, which then the algorithm rewards to show more of your content. But you're exactly right that people do not always tell you what they engage, and this is why when you're in b2b sales, what's so important because the buying cycle so long, it's very, very hard

Whether he's producing a tour, assembling an All-Starr band with Ringo Starr, or writing a best-selling book, there's one thing David Fishof is always doing: dreaming. Hailed as one of the most creative and innovative entertainment producers in the world, David has been responsible for some of the most original, successful, and exciting live shows ever brought to the stage. But of all the shows he's put on over his 40-plus year career, there's one production that stands out from all the rest: Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp. A!er years of good fortune working with veteran rockers like Roger Daltrey, Ringo Starr, The Monkees, Levon Helm, Joe Walsh, Jack Bruce and Peter Frampton, David decided it was time to share his experiences with rock fans around the world. And so, in 1997, he debuted the rock camp—a place where people from all walks of life can reconnect with their passion for music alongside the most famous names in the business. Click Here to View the Rock Camp: The Movie Trailer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5TO_UJoq8w&ab_channel=RockCampTheMovie) Click Here to Check Out My Top Selling Book - "Rock Your Business: What You and Your Company Can Learn from the Business of Rock and Roll" (https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Your-Business-Company-Learn/dp/1936661454) http://rockcampmasterclasses.com (http://rockcampmasterclasses.com) Website http://rockcamp.com (http://rockcamp.com) Website #2 http://rockcampthemovie.com (http://rockcampthemovie.com) Website #3 http://rockcampmasterclasses.com (http://rockcampmasterclasses.com) LinkedIn URL https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfishof (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfishof) Facebook URL https://www.facebook.com/RockFantasyCamp (https://www.facebook.com/RockFantasyCamp) Twitter URL https://twitter.com/dfishof?lang=en (https://twitter.com/dfishof?lang=en) YouTube URL https://www.youtube.com/c/rockfantasycamp/videos (https://www.youtube.com/c/rockfantasycamp/videos) Instagram https://www.instagram.com/rockfantasycamp (https://www.instagram.com/rockfantasycamp) www.marlanasemenza.com Audio : Ariza Music Productions Transcription : Vision In Word Marlana: Whether he's producing a tour, assembling an all-star band with Ringo Starr, or writing a bestselling book, there's one thing David Fishof is always doing dreaming. Hailed as one of the most creative and innovative entertainment producers in the world, David has been responsible for some of the most original successful and exciting live shows ever brought to the stage. But of all the shows he's produced over his 40 years plus career, there's one production that stands out from all the rest, Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp. Welcome, David! David: Thank you. Thanks so much for having me. You know, I think we were talking in the beginning about bucket list. That's all I do all day is I get people their bucket lists. Go to Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp. It's the ultimate bucket list. You can jam with, Slash, Roger Daltrey, you name it…so I'm giving everyone their bucket list. And I'm trying to think in the last two seconds, what would be my bucket list? The irony is that people think they know what's on my bucket list. So, guy invited me to, he was so thankful to go to Rock Roll fantasy camp. He's been a friend for many years, I want to take you to Michael Jordan fantasy camp. Wouldn't that be cool David and give me your fantasy? They know I love basketball. And I said, I'm not going on Michael Jordan fantasy basketball camp, and they said why? I'm not going to look like an idiot. Try to beat him one on one or with these two other guys. And I realized that as much as people have their bucket list, people are scared for the bucket list. Because yeah, I have that a rock and roll events, again, people, initially, the wife buys it for the husband. And then the husband gets really nervous. She knows that his whole life, he's a guitarist, like, he wants to play with Joe Perry. He's dreaming of it. Now all of a sudden actually gets the opportunity to do it. And she calls up a week before for him. His mother has cancer, his father has cancer. His guitar has cancer, you know. I mean, they throw that word around, it's terrible…let me talk to him. And then you talk them off the ledge, and they come through this rock camp. And they get more than their bucket list…a bucket list is something you do once, and The Rock Roll fans can come again. So, it's more of a, you do it once but then now you're addicted, you want to start playing in a band, you start writing music, you want to start doing this and you're able to climb that mountain. So, it's just interesting for our opening conversation in the light that you explained to me. And I guess we'll save it to the end. But yeah, that'll give me a good half hour to think about what my bucket list would be. Because I have bucket lists. I do. I don't stop. I do them. Marlana: And here's the thing. When I was first starting in my photography career, there are only two places that I wanted to work. One of

Christine Johnson has worked as an Associate Professor with a specialty in TV Production for The State University of New York for fourteen years and at Western Kentucky University for two years. Before her academic work, Christine was a Producer/Director in the TV industry for over fifteen years, producing live sports entertainment programming worldwide, first for WWE and then for AOL/Time Warner. In addition, Christine had several other opportunities, producing packages for: The Jay Leno Show, Extra, and the feature film "Ready to Rumble: starring David Arquette and Oliver Platt. During her tenure at The State University of New York, she produced two video projects in conjunction with the Geology Department that was recognized and distributed to conservatories nationwide. In addition, she ran the University Television Station for 12 years. In the summer of 2015, she had the privilege of working as a Field Producer with the Les Paul Foundation for their red carpet event, "The Les Paul 100th Anniversary Celebration," at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square. The project and Christine were awarded a Bronze Telly. (https://vimeo.com/133774005) She has served as an advisor to the National Broadcasting Society Chapter for nine years, and during that period, her students won over 80 Regional and National Awards. In addition, Christine served as Marketing Director for the National Office of NBS and, in 2014 and 2018, was awarded "Professional of the Year." Christine has established and continues a trusted relationship with various recruiters/department heads of different national television companies throughout the years. As a result, many of her students have benefited and secured positions with these production companies as full-time employees or interns. Education MFA​Reinhardt University​​In progress ​ (Creative Writing) MA​Texas Christian University​2003 ​ (Media Arts) BS​Texas Christian University​1988 ​ (Radio/TV/Film) Teaching and Research Area Basic and Advanced TV Production​​Field Production Television Station Management​​Television Station Operations Producing​​​​​Directing @thechristinejohnson @ihaveathingforshoes www.marlanasemenza.com Audio: Ariza Music Productions Transcription: Vision In Word Marlana: Christine Johnson has an impressive resume and TV production, producing live sporting events, packages for the Jay Leno Show extra and a feature film. She was also a field producer for the Les Paul 100th anniversary celebration, serves on the National Broadcasting society chapter board, among other things, and has helped many students go on to have careers in the industry. Welcome, Christine! Christine: Thank you, Marlana. Marlana: So, here's the thing, a lot of people think TV production, movies, all that kind of stuff, it's got to be a glamorous world, is it? Are you going to burst our bubble? Christine: I'm going to burst your bubble, it's glamorous that you get to travel. But unfortunately, my travel kind of was hotel, arena, airport. There were occasionally, we got to go in early, I would go into like San Francisco early so I can visit my friend Allison, and my brother lives there at the time. So, there were like some perks to it, but two productions very hard, very long hours. We're talking 12 to 15 hour days, and you know, you're crawling around on the floor. Well, in my case, if you're at an arena, like you're crawling around trying to find places to shoot. So, it's definitely not glamorous, I can kind of sum it up the way my mom used to say to me, why don't you ever buy nice clothes? Because I crawl around on the floor and get dirty while I'm not. So, I'm not getting nice clothes. Marlana: When you first started out, what about the industry surprised you? And were there stuff that you weren't really prepared for? Christine: I would say the majority of it, I wasn't prepared. I mean, I absolutely love my alma mater, I have two degrees from there, but they did not prepare me for what this industry was like at all. You know, it was like, Okay, we know it's a lot of work, but they didn't really get into what happens, like if you're not agreeing with people, you're working with people you don't care for. You'll work three weeks without a day off, and you'll get treated not well sometimes. Gosh! I started in the late 80s in production, and I basically became a first woman that produced professional wrestling. So, for me, it was kind of different because nobody prepares you for being around all men. Not that I was like, oh my god! I'm the only woman around all these men, but they don't really prepare you for what kind of an environment that would be, let's put it that way. Marlana: Was it difficult to establish , you know, as a producer, this is kind of your domain with all these men that you're working with? Christine: Difficult to establish? Um! yes and no. I mean, I think you always have people that you work with that, you know, are very nice and professional, then you have people that you work with

Recently featured in the fun Auto Insurance Commercial for Geico the 90s classic Reel School HIP HOP due TAG TEAM is back on TOP. Bursting onto the scene with their TOP OF THE POPS hit and automatically became one of those songs that stick in your head. "Whoomp! (There It Is)." The track quickly climbed to #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B charts in just 14 days. The song continues to appeal to admirers who were raised in the '90s and appeals to new enthusiasts of every era as it is recognised as a true symbol of the time. "Whoomp! (There It Is)" has been showcased in world-class nationwide ad campaigns as well as in Hollywood hit motion pictures and television series Other top songs from their hit album Whoomp! (There It Is) includes "Freestyle" and "U Go Girl". Spanning the spectrum from TV and Radio Adverts, programmes, films and sporting events TAG TEAM's music has risen to be the defining 90's Hip Hop Melodic Voice. The big hit "Whoomp!" remains highly relevant and those ranging in age from 8 to 108 continue to groove and boogie down to the exceptional tune. Listen to their top hit and more https://open.spotify.com/artist/3NfJ6VPVz0lf3jWy5F1N7g?si=YBrfk_WfSuiDLAOX6aSxzg With '90s hip-hop more recognisable than ever, venues all over the world are energized to watch Tag Team live and in action. Social media has also supplied a new avenue for converting music enthusiasts into "Whoomp!" fans. DC Glenn and Steve thrive on hooking up with brand new fans who have discovered them via viral Facebook posts and appreciate seeing their blissful faces when they listen to the song performed live. Tag Team pioneers DC The Brain Supreme and Steve Rolln stay dedicated to entertaining fans and delivering an old-school hip-hop blowout to hotspots around the world. Audiences for Tag Team events vary in age from the very young to the 'old fools from the old school' and "Whoomp!" delivers the '90s experience like no other. DC Glenn and Steve love the powerful experience of looking over a jam-packed arena and comprehending how much their simple song has inspired the lives of countless millions throughout the world. The legendary tune and dynamic high school friends captivate those of every generation as their style speaks to folks who remember when hip-hop was truly hip-hop. The degree of anticipation at a Tag Team concert is almost palpable as fans wait in delight for the high-energy party that's to come. In addition to their consistent old school performing schedule, both DC Glenn and Steve Rolln are also sought-after international speakers. A professional voice artist and actor, DC Glenn is represented by the People Store Agency in Atlanta and frequently talks on the challenges of the music industry. Steve Rolln, a talented music producer who regularly looks for fresh talent, addresses sophisticated ways of getting into the industry. Both DC Glenn and Steve are sought-after presenters at music training seminars, law colleges and universities, and entertainment industry events. Follow them on social media for updates and exclusive behind the scenes looks https://www.tagteambackagain.com/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/dcglennatl FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/dcglennatl TWITTER: https://twitter.com/dcglennatl PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/dcgottaeat/ www.marlanasemenza.com Audio: Ariza Music Productions Sprinkles! It is all relevant and it is all relative. Everything goes with everything else and that is where I think my mastery lies. I was embarrassed at first…I love being incognito. I love being below the radar….I was a the pharmacy…no, you gotta put the chip in Sprinkles…and I was like 'no you didn't' and she was like 'I don't care if you're mad. My daughter loves you!'…you just made my day. That is the thing that brings everybody joy and it has essentially turned into the new party people. My father forced me to play trumpet and my mother forced me to take piano lessons. I got to the 11th grade and I met Steve…Steve was in a band that played in the quad during lunchtime sometimes…I gotta be in that band….I gotta be in that choir…I went to my first high school dance and I saw a DJ use two turn tables and a mixer…THAT is what I want to do…I honed my skills and wound up doing every fraternity party…and I became a force to reckon with. I started DJing in Atlanta….I never looked back. I kept making music. I realized I was in the wrong place to do the type of hip hop I was doing. Do it your way, but go back to the essence of hip hop. Whoomp! There it is…it was a party saying…It was just a song about guys chasing women on a Friday night. I took it to work that night and played it…and to this day it's the biggest response to any record Ive ever played. Back in the day, there were only two big hubs of music. NY and LA. One of my reps from Columbia records was in the house…and he was like 'What is THAT?'…I'm taking this to NY. I almost gave up. 'Brother, I don't have to hear the record. I hear it in your spirit. Let's

Wes Harper LightWire, Inc. Wes Harper is the owner and President of LightWire, Inc. LightWire is an IT services company commonly referred to as a MSP (managed Service Provider). They provide IT support to small and medium size businesses across the Triangle and throughout the US. Wes started the company in 1996 and has grown it to employ 14 engineers and a small admin/sales staff. Wes is married and has 5 grown children. He has a passion for all things outdoors and is also a recurring cast member on The Discovery Channel's show, Naked and Afraid. https://lightwireinc.com/ FB @LightwireRaleigh FB @wesnakedandafraid www.marlanasemenza.com Audio : Ariza Music Productions Transcript : Vision in Word Marlana: Wes Harper is the owner and president of the IT services company (Lightwire, Inc,) but you may know him from his other gig as recurring cast member on the Discovery Channel show Naked and Afraid. Welcome, Wes! So, on the show, you have earned the nickname The Assassin. What I want to do is ask you, how do you make that mind shift? You're a recurring cast member, how do you make the mental shift from mild mannered Wes Harper, which indeed you are to the Assassin? Also, how do you make the shift back after the show's over? Wes: It's tough. It takes a couple of days to kind of weed the professionalism out of your system. When you go on a challenge, it takes a couple days before you get that wild streak back in you. And then all sudden, you just kind of get in with the environment and you're feeling it. Then the whole different persona takes place. But I mean, it's a transition and then coming back, it's not two days, it's two weeks, maybe a month before you really get back into a corporate, you know, business owner working in a professional setting. It's a tough return. Marlana: Why do you think it's tougher on the way back? Wes: Because things seem so trivial. When you're out there trying to survive, you can concentrate on food every day, and you're starving every day, and just staying warm and staying dry. I mean, those are just core things that you need, and so when you get back and you have to check email, you just really don't care, that just doesn't mean the same thing. And even worse, when your kids want to tell you about their day, you have to really take them and listen to them. And you know, at first, it's kind of boring, for everything that you went through, you know, just three days before and listen to somebody talk about their homework. It's hard. Marlana: Was it more difficult on the longer challenge? Because I know you did an Excel, was it more difficult then? Or it doesn't really matter whether it's 21 days or 40 days? Wes: the longer you're there, the harder it is. I mean, you just keep getting Wilder, the longer you're there. I mean, you're really like the wild animals, and you just keep morphing every day, for better or worse into the environment. So, the longer you're there, the longer the recovery processes. Marlana: And with that, what about the dynamic between you and your partner or in the group, perhaps that you're in? Does that dynamic seem to change and become wilder and more primal, the longer you're there as well? Wes: That part becomes a little bit more of a close knit family. Actually, a mess! That's probably the part that's actually keeping you a little grounded as opposed to everything else you're going through. You still tell stories about when you're not in a survival mode, you share things about your family, and so it's a nice diversion from just trying to find something to eat. Marlana: Each time does it get a little easier or no? Wes: You know what to expect, that you're going to be pretty miserable. And so that parts easier. It's not such a surprise that you're starving to death, but no, it's very difficult. It's tough, and that part really doesn't get any easier. I've done three of them now, and the third one was by far the absolute worst. So now it doesn't get easier. It really depends on where you're located, I think as well, so it makes the third one the worst. It rains constantly. I mean, every day, it rains almost all day, every night during almost all night and mosquitoes and bugs were biting me to death. It was depressing and there really wasn't much to do. So, you just were alone with your thoughts, and that's sometimes a tough place to be. Marlana: And with that one too, you wound up alone in the end. So, did that make it more difficult? Wes: Yeah! I'm not someone who really likes to be alone. I'll do it, and for a weekend it's fine. But for a long term, I'm a people person, I like being around people. And so yeah, I mean, I had a lot of time to think. I was there for, oh goodness! 14 days by myself. And you know, a lot of introspection during that time for sure. Marlana: Would you learn about yourself, other than you're not a people person? I mean that you are a people person. Wes: A lot of things, you know, you start having regrets about how you live some par

My name is Karsta. My business is Karsta Marie Karsta spent years creating a life that was "fine"- and it cost her EVERY ounce of energy. After a divorce, fifteen years as a single mom, a second failed relationship, some serious introspection, healing and bravery she's using the lessons she's learned to help others start living the extraordinary life they deserve. website: https://karstamarie.com instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karsta_marie/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karstamarie LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karihurd/ www.marlanasemenza.com Audio : Ariza Music Productions Transcription: Vision In Word Marlana: My next guest spent years creating life that was fine. And it cost her every ounce of energy after a divorce 15 years as a single mom, a second failed relationship, some serious introspection healing and bravery. She's using the lessons she learned to help others live the extraordinary life they deserve. Welcome, Karsta. Karsta: Thank you so much for having me! Marlana: So, let's talk about fine. What does fine get us? Karsta: Fine gets us frustrated. Fine leaves us feeling stuck. I've recently come to…discover that fine really left me… it was the biggest puzzle piece in my lack of confidence. Marlana: Which is when? When you say sorry? W Karsta: Well, just recently on a different podcast, actually, we were talking about confidence. And I realized that once I started stepping away from fine, once I got a little bit brave and took that first step, I realized that we end up in fine, because we're subscribing to so many other stories of what is supposed to bring us happiness. And that part I knew, but what I realized is the; more I started trusting my own intuition, listening to what really was lighting me up inside, that fire in my belly and following that my confidence started to skyrocket because I started trusting myself more. It was like I had started to build and nurture that relationship with myself just like you would with somebody else. Marlana: But the longer you're in a relationship with somebody, the more you trust them, the more confidence you have in that relationship. And it's the same thing with yourself? Karsta: That's been just a really fun new piece that I've been, journaling on and exploring, and it's just kind of opened things up for me even more. Marlana: So, at what point did you realize that you were living a life that was fine, and not extraordinary? Karsta: I think we all sort of know it always. It's that nagging feeling of something, or everything sucks all the time. Just kind of that you're worn down, you're tired, but really, it happened in retrospect, when I looked back, and I just got to my breaking point, quite honestly, I had been in, like you said, in the intro, so I was married for 10 years, when we were together, at first, he was like my best friend, and it was wonderful. But there was just always this knowing that I had that for as wonderful as a human as he was and as much fun as we had together, I just wasn't supposed to be married to him. I think it's bad, right? That constant sort of nagging of like, I'll do this, but just something inside me, I know, it's just not right. But we ignore it because, for me, building sort of what I call that picket fence life. That's what I saw everybody around me doing, Nd that's what made sense. The things that were burning in my belly that excited me didn't really make sense with what I saw happening. So, it was a matter of stuffing those down and subscribing to what made sense around me and adapting to all of that. I think looking back, like I said, there was always this knowing. It's those intuitive hits that you get. For me, on my day after my wedding, we were driving to our tiny little apartment, and we happen to be in separate cars, and I was like bawling. Part of it was like the exhaustion and stuff, but it was just sort of this. In that moment I thought, this is not good. Like I kind of knew, but I wouldn't say it out loud. It's those kinds of moments where but you won't admit it to yourself. Marlana: And in this particular case, it applied to a situation, (your relationship that you were in), but it can apply to jobs, calls and all those kinds of things. How often would you say that we play to the level of people around us? Karsta: Oh! I couldn't even give it a percentage, but it's absolutely true. I did do it with my career. I became a teacher because I didn't know what else to do and I think that's a lot of it. We don't trust and this is where that confidence piece circles back, we don't trust ourselves. And for whatever reason, sometimes it's some sort of childhood. When I say trauma, I don't mean like the big traumas, those are kind of obvious, but for me it was growing up in an environment and it wasn't just my parents, it was a lot of the adults around me kind of telling me that they knew best. And so if I would get a little imagine… That's silly. "What do you know", those kinds of things, where

My name is Kacia Fitzgerald, and I am the host of EmpowerHER Podcast & Founder and CEO of SheGoes Co. Kacia is a multi-passionate entrepreneur, speaker and podcaster who's on a mission to help women unapologetically share their voice & message with the world. She is the host of the top rated podcast EmpowerHER with over 3 million downloads the first 2 years! She's also the Founder & CEO of She Goes company, which is focused on cultivating a global community of personal growth obsessed women, and helping women who want to launch or grow their podcasts! She's found that what's often holding women back is the thoughts that they think about who they are & what they are capable of so she takes her knowledge from working with hundreds of entrepreneurs over the years, paired with her high energy bubbly personality and a "Come with me, let's figure this out together" approach to light a fire under their booty to get out of their own way and go. Depending on what would be the best fit, some ways people can connect with me are through: My IG Handles: @kacia.fitzgerald & @shegoes.company My Website: https://www.kaciafitzgerald.com/ My Podcast: www.empowerherpodcast.com My Free Pump Up Text List: Text ICONIC to 5125482728 www.marlanasemenza.com Audio : Ariza Music Productions Transcription : Vision in Word Marlana: Kacia Fitzgerald is a multi-passionate entrepreneur, speaker, and podcaster, who's on a mission to help women unapologetically share their voice and message with the world. Welcome Kecia! Kacia: I'm so excited to be here. Thank you for having me. Marlana: So, today we're gonna talk about playing too small. And which really serves no one. Kacia: Yeah. Marlana: Why do you think we do it? Kacia: I think we're socialized, especially as women to take up less space and to have these people pleasing tendencies because we're told we're good if we fit into certain standards of other people's expectations of us. And then I think we're constantly bombarded with a lot of stimulus that saying, you should be this, at this age, at this stage of life, you should be going down this career path, you should want this, you should wanna look like this, you should act like this. And that constant stimulus has us looking for external validation, rather than going internal and asking ourselves, like, what's true to me? And what do I actually want and what feels aligned, and what's gonna make me feel fulfilled, and what's gonna make me get to the end of my TBD amount of days here, and be like, Yeah, I showed up, and I did it my way. And it's scary. It's a slippery slope when we play too small, because I truly do believe that every single one of us as individuals, is gifted a vision for our life, that's not going to look like anybody else's. And that's like, our gift back to the world is to give our gifts to the world. I think it's really important that when we catch ourselves playing small, wanting to just even water ourselves down, I got a really big personality. So, I've had to work on that, like, I'm not gonna water myself down, in order to fit somebody else's expectations of what I should be like, or what a woman should be like. And so, it's really important that we catch ourselves on that. I love just going straight to the juice because that's good. Marlana: Yeah. And I tell clients that all the time too because if you don't share what, who you are and what you do, first of all, somebody needs to hear it the way you're going to say it. Kacia: Yep! Marlana: And needs it the way you're going to do it. And if you don't do that, that's actually selfish, because you're not them with the gift you have. Kacia: Yeah! Yep! Well, and it's like, your life to your point, you know, is a testimony of what's possible for other people. So, it's the person who's like, but I struggle with anxiety, or I'm an introvert, or I'm struggling with this certain thing. Well, somebody needs to see you and your exact situation do that, because they need to see what's proof of pot, you know, proof of what's possible for them. And so often we forget about who else is going to benefit as a byproduct of us, you know, going for our dreams, not just in terms of, in the entrepreneurial space, like sales or income or, or even impact, but really just, we don't know who's watching us, who doesn't want to do the same thing that we want to do. But they need to see someone who's unapologetic about owning who they are, taking up space and chasing whatever those dreams are. I'm so with you on that. Marlana: Yeah. And you know, it's funny because I am that person by having anxiety. And I'm an introvert. Kacia: Yep! And there are people that are like, yes, I need to see you show up, because that is showing me that I could do it. If she could do it, why can't I do it? Right? It's so important. Marlana: Can you recognize by looking at somebody if they are playing too small? Kacia: I can recognize it by body language, often, if they feel as if they're unsure of themselves. An

Mike "C-Roc" Ciorrocco. Co-Founder of blooprinted (new tech product), CEO of People Building Inc. Mike "C-Roc" Ciorrocco is the Co-Founder of Blooprinted, best-selling Author of ROCKET FUEL Convert Setbacks. Become Unstoppable and the powerhouse behind the "What Are You Made Of?" podcast. He has been featured by Yahoo! Finance as one of the Top Business Leaders to Follow in 2020 and is on a mission to build people. He is driven to inspire others and he measures his success on how he is able to help others achieve greatness. C-Roc had a fire lit in him at an early age. That fire has ignited him with a fierce desire to compel people to see the greatness inside themselves using past life events to fuel their fire. www.mikecroc.com www.blooprinted.com/vip https://www.facebook.com/mikeciorrocco https://www.instagram.com/mikeycroc/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-ciorrocco/ https://www.youtube.com/c/MikeCRocCiorrocco www.marlanasemenza.com Audio : Ariza Music Productions Transcript : Vision in Word Marlana: Mike's C-Roc Scirocco is the co-founder of Blooprinted, bestselling author of Rocket Fuel and the powerhouse behind the What Are You Made Of podcast. C-Roc has a fierce desire to compel people to see the greatness inside themselves using past life events to fuel their fire. Welcome C-Roc! C-Roc: Hey! Marlana. Thanks for having me. I always start every interview with gratitude. Because it means the world to me, first of all, that people want to have me on the show and also to your audience. Thank you for showing up and listening or watching. Marlana: Well! I think what you're going to share is going to be very valuable. So, in the way I look at it is I think there's two parts to this because I think part of it is bouncing back from setbacks and disappointments, and the other part of it is using it as fuel. So, talk to us first a little bit about the first half of it. How do we bounce back? C-Roc: Well, first of all, I don't like bouncing back - I like bouncing through. So, I don't want to go through something negative, setbacks, discouragement, my own screw ups unless I'm going to be better off than where I was when I started. And so, like the word resilience, is not even powerful enough for me because I don't want to go back. The definition of resilience is to come back, I don't want to come back, I want to go through further. So, everything pretty much that I do Marlana is thinking about going beyond what most people would talk about, because most people talk about what makes them comfortable. And they don't want to get out of this zone where they feel safe. I want to be dangerous. And with the things that I'm trying to do not run out in front of a bus dangerous, but you know, thinking big to get out of the comfort zone type thing. So that's, you know, as far as doing that, I think it's a proactive approach, understanding that when you know, something like you're going for something or even just living your life, that you're going to run into things that aren't going to go the way you expect them to. And let's face it, that's really what a setback is, it's not really a bad thing. It's just something that happens that you're not expecting to happen. So, if you start to expect those things, and realize those things are to kind of guide you, maybe make you switch course, slow down, speed up. Then once you realize that proactively when they come, it's not that feeling in your chest, like, oh, I can't believe this happen. You're expecting these things that happen at some point and understanding that they are for you, not against you. Marlana: When you go after things, when you make goals, do you look at the goal and then think okay, how can I push this farther? C-Roc: Yeah, I mean, one of the things that I do is I do set a goal. And I think Is it big enough, because you know what people don't realize in life and that there's a secret to happiness, the secret to happiness is really having something to look forward to, that you're going after, or going towards. And it has to be big and like audacious because otherwise it's not exciting. So that's what makes you happy. Like one of the things that I want to do. I'm looking forward to taking my family to a Caribbean Island, with all inclusive, we haven't done that in a little while. And we're fortunate to be able to do it when we do it. But I want to be able to do that, well, I don't want to use the money that I have. Now I want to figure out a way to do it with Gilgit. How can I get that money? So, that gets me excited, and makes me happy to think about, okay, we're gonna go to that. So, I think what I'm really talking about is putting things out in your future causing and creating your future, and then moving towards that, and that makes you happy when you do that makes you excited. Just think about when you don't have something to look forward to, how that feels. Marlana: That's true. And you know, once I heard somebody say that, in order to be happy, people nee

Deana Jean, Intentional Excellence Consulting LLC Deana Jean is a Success Coach, Business Consultant & the Founder of Intentional Excellence Consulting LLC. She is also proud Breast Cancer Survivor & Brooklyn native. Through her work with IE, Deana empowers women executive leaders and women entrepreneurs to get out of their heads and into action so that they can reap the abundance and success that they are destined for! https://www.instagram.com/intentionalsuccesstribe/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/637217950162409 www.marlanasemenza.com Audio: Ariza Music Productions Transcript : Vision in Word Marlana: As founder of Intentional Excellence Consulting, Deanna Jean empowers Women, executive leaders, and entrepreneurs to get out of their heads and into action so that they can reap the abundance and success they're destined for. Welcome Deanna. Deanna: Hello! How are you? Marlana: I'm well, you know! Fear is an interesting topic to me. Because I feel that every time we go into unchartered territory for us or level up, or anything like that, fear kind of packs its own bag and wants to tag along for the trip. So, are there fears that you see that reoccur with people? Deanna: I do. So, the interesting part for me is that I really work specifically with kind of one group, and I work really, really closely with women who are very high achieving, right? So, these are the women who are always raising their hand for the extracurriculars, always the class mom, always the one volunteering for the extra thing. Always the one that everyone else goes to for help, for support, for encouragement, for advice. But when it comes to their own thing, my experience has been that these type of women kind of freeze and they get into this analysis paralysis. What I work with a lot of my clients on is, getting under kind of what creates that analysis, what's under that layer of, "I can't do this until it's completely perfect", and what I found most often is that fear is the most consistent thing, is different types of fear. But it's always some type of fear. So, a lot of times what I'll see is that the fear comes from always feeling like everything has to be perfect and feeling like in many instances, there's imposter syndrome, and there are limiting beliefs, and the feeling that they may be found out that all of these ideas that all these people have on them, the way that they may be on a pedestal, that one day somebody is going to realize that they are not as great as they think that they are. So that's a big part of what I see with a lot of the clients that I work with. Marlana: Interesting! And it seems that these types of fears occur in women, but not so much in men. Deanna: Hm! Very, very true. I've done a lot of research on this and kind of investigation and a lot of market research on this. What I found is that as a society, in the society that we live in, right? I'll use our Western culture. Men are conditioned to do it right, it's like their birth right to ask more questions, to assume that the only reason that they don't have it, is because they haven't taken it, not even asked for it, but taking it right, and that everything is always up for negotiation. As women, we are not, even in your strongest household, right? There can be a lot of excitement around women's empowerment, still, there are cues that we get that tell us that we should ask instead of taking, that we have to make room, that we have to be considering when we're thinking, "how is this going to make someone else feel? If we have more, does that mean someone else has less, and is that okay?" It becomes a selfish thing. So oftentimes, it's almost like a reprogramming, and I speak to these experiences. So candidly, and in such a transparent way, just because these have been my experiences as well, I found that as women, there's so many differences that we can look at, and that we can figure out and ways that we can isolate ourselves. But I find that that is a common thread across women, that a lot of times we're battling with that. So, yeah, I see it a lot. Marlana: How much of it do you think is imposed by society, and how much of it is self-imposed? Deanna: It's a great question. I think that the societal norms create kind of the self-imposition, I think that the societal norms are where it starts, but those societal norms for us always, also, tell us how we should be thinking about things. I think it also comes back to just some of the subconscious things, subconscious marketing. All those things create the type of thoughts In the thought process that we participate in, right? So, as an example, in high school, I had a single sex education, I went to an all-girls school. That was very, very strong on women's empowerment (girls), women can do anything, right? Going into that school and going into that situation, I found myself to be a confident young woman. I had very good grades, I was able to speak well, I was able to make very strong and intentional conne

Natasha Bowles Professional Services Natasha Bowles is a naturally insightful powerhouse of a woman with perception and vision that looks to make the impossible, possible. As an entrepreneur, writer, mother, speaker, executive assistant, consultant, and digital nomad, she has provided freedom and exceptional support to her clients since 2016. Often referred to as "Wonder Woman" by her peers, tempt her with your hopes and dreams, and you'll often be met with a smile and the words "That's crazy! Let's do it!" This attitude led to the creation of Natasha Bowles Professional Services, a remote staffing agency that supports the growth of your business and dream. Natasha's staff supports everyone from C-Level executives to creative types such as podcasters, authors, and coaches. http://linkedin.com/in/natashabeingww On this episode of Your Iconic Image, Natasha talks to us about what we need to have in place for our brand to be a business. www.marlanasemenza.com Audio : Ariza Music Productions Marlana: Natasha Bowles is a woman that makes the impossible, possible. She's an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, executive assistant consultant, and the powerhouse behind Natasha Bowles Professional Services. No wonder she's referred to as wonder woman! Welcome, Natasha. Natasha: Thank you! Marlana: So, you are deep in all things business, and you make the lives of some very busy and very successful entrepreneurs seen. Natasha: I do. Marlana: Recently you and I had a conversation and you had mentioned in there that just because you have a brand doesn't mean you have a business. So, first tell us what you mean by that. Natasha: I love what you do and people that create brands. So many people have an idea, then they spend all this money getting their brand created, they get an email, they get logo, they do all of the stuff and you're like now what? Just because you have a brand doesn't mean you have a business, because having a business is actually more than just having a name, connections, where people can reach you. You have to figure out how this people gonna reach you. What am I gonna do once they reach me? Who's gonna help them out? Those standard operating procedures are so important and it's a step that so many people skip. What is in my mind is how many people skip this step, and also the step of getting additional help. Most companies that fell in the first three years, fell because they don't have standard operating procedures, they don't have back-office help, and they don't know what to do. Marlana: So, at the very list, what should we have in place? Natasha: At the very list you need to have your plan of action (your business plan). That needs to go, actually that needs to happen before your brand even happens, you need to have a business plan. So I suggest, there are tuns of resources online to get a business plan together if you don't know how, or you can hire a business attorney – they can help you get a business plan, and there are also business coaches. That's actually something my team and I pitch to people. We've come to situations like; "okay guys, what are you doing here?" and we've actually helped them do step by step business plan and we charged them a fee. It's a one-time fee, so definitely put that in your budget if you don't know how to set up a business plan. Marlana: Okay then, Let's say we have a basic business plan, how many things can we tackle on our own and how many things should we be handing off? Natasha: So, I always recommend, and I actually give credit to Michael Hyer because it was his idea. I think the best way to do this personally, is just like, take a week of being you and have a book with you everywhere you go. Everything you do, everything you do, even the tiniest small stuff, jot it down, and you can go make a little diagram where you put the stuff that you do, that you love – the stuff that you have to do, the stuff that you don't love. This makes you figure out the stuff you don't know how to do, that's the important thing. So, as soon as you figure out those things, like what you're all day every day, how you're spending your time, what you're doing to make your business work or even not work, cause sometimes you figure out this's what's not working for us, then that's the time to hand off stuff. Often, it's at the very beginning, especially if you're working at stuff, you don't know how to do. You don't know how to do accounting? Hire it out, even if you just hire it out like; I don't like them, but I have Path Works services, is not that I don't like them… Marlana: Hm! There is not such a thing Natasha: Right! And I will contact them to say I do. The thing about them is that they really are helpful, but also at another level you really have to know what you are sending them and stuff like that, so they are not always the best if you don't know what you are doing, or you need to be sending them, but there are a lot of accountants that do. I think a lot of people don't understa

Lisa Kipps-Brown - Glerin Business Resources, Inc. Author of the books Disrupt Your Now and Boomer Cashout, Lisa is a refreshing change in a world full of self-proclaimed experts who throw jargon around like candy. She helps entrepreneurs solve big picture problems with disruptive strategic thinking and no gobbledygook. A pioneer in business use of the web, she started her web & marketing strategy company in 1996. When few people knew what Amazon was and two years before Google existed, she was already reimagining businesses and even sold an online business right before the dot-com bubble burst. Other achievements include saving companies from bankruptcy and tripling CARES Act funds for rural communities via innovative campaigns. Lisa's straight talk combined with a natural talent for transforming basic ideas into disruptive strategy & valuable collaborations has people like Forbes 30 Under 30-listed blind PhD chemist Dr. Hoby Wedler calling her a "cognitive powerhouse." Steve Sims, author of Bluefishing, says she's a unicorn who bridges the gap between digital natives and digital immigrants. https://lisakippsbrown.com/ https://disruptyournow.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakippsbrown/ My latest book, Disrupt Your Now: The Successful Entrepreneur's Guide to Reimagining Your Business & Life www.marlanasemenza.com Audio: Ariza Music Productions Transription : Vision In Word On this episode, we discuss how to get out of your own way! Marlana: Lisa Kipps Brown helps entrepreneurs solve big picture problems with disruptive strategic thinking and no gobbledygook. She's also the author of the book Disrupt Your Now. Welcome Lisa! Lisa: Hello, Marlana! It's so good to see you. Thanks for having me. Marlana: So today we're going to talk about getting out of your own way. Because I think that's a problem that most of us have at some point or another, sometimes multiple times. Why do you think we do that to ourselves? Lisa: I think a big part of it is that we just overthink everything. And not just entrepreneurs, but everybody. You know, if you think about it, you can usually give other people better advice than they can give themselves. And then at the same time, you're screwing up your own life, or you're making poor decisions. I just think that we're so close to our own problems, that we can't see the forest for the trees. Marlana: Do you think that it's even possible for us to recognize that we're putting these roadblocks up for ourselves or not? Lisa: I'm sure that some people do. And I know that I do. But even when I know I'm doing it, a lot of times, I still am totally lost in what I should be doing. Because once again, it's just like, we're just so close to it. You know how like a painting, if you stand really close, and you only see a small part, you're not seeing the whole thing, and then you back up and you see the entire vision. And you're like, "oh!" I really think that's what it is. Last weekend at Brandon Straza, (his three C coaching event), we talked about this topic a lot. And every single person there has the problem. I mean, I've been an entrepreneur for 31 years, and I've owned my current business for 26. And there are other people there had been in business for decades. We're all the same. So, if anybody out there is feeling like a weirdo or loser, don't, you're just normal. Marlana: Is it better for us to have somebody kind of, give us that bird's eye view, so to speak? Lisa: Yeah, I think one of the biggest mistakes that I made in my own entrepreneurial career is not having a coach earlier. I kind of always looked at a coach as rah rah, you know, you can do this. And I'm like, I understand business. And I don't need any motivation. I don't need all that. But what I didn't understand is, in pro sports, even Tiger Woods has a coach. Hello! He knows how to play golf, he still needs a coach to help them dial in on the very small points. That's what I realized, that's why I started working with Steve Sims at the end of 2018. Oh my god! It's been three years. But yeah, Steve is the first coach I ever had, and I would highly recommend a coach or coaches, and masterminds to listeners. Marlana: So, in your opinion, what will a good coach do? Lisa: A good coach is not… it's kind of like a therapist, they're not going to tell you what to do. They will give you advice and so forth. But more than that, they'll kind of help you discover yourself and they'll ask the right questions to help draw out of You what you may know about yourself, but you may not be consciously aware of and sometimes they will help you advice-wise. Actually, help you formulate steps and so forth. I really do look at them more as a therapist and more of somebody to force you to take that step back. Also, for accountability, because hey! Let's face it, it's really easy to go to have a to do list and at the end of the list half the stuff hasn't gotten done. And so having a coach who's gonna sit there and go, "did you do what you're s

Ani Agrawal, NK Patent Law Ani is an intellectual property attorney with a diverse background in patent prosecution, patent litigation, and related IP advising. His current practice focuses on patent and trademark prosecution before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and in foreign countries. Before obtaining his law degree, Mr. Agrawal worked in cryogenics research and taught organic chemistry for over 6 years at the University of Illinois Chemistry Department. Previously, Mr. Agrawal spent 6 years involved in intellectual property litigation work for numerous corporations and universities across a wide spectrum of technologies, managing several attorneys in IP litigation matters. He regularly volunteers time with local entrepreneurial groups in both the Triangle and Charlotte. https://nkpatentlaw.com/professionals/ani-agrawal/ https://nkpatentlaw.com/ NK Patent Law, for all your intellectual property needs. This should not be misconstrued as legal advice, for that, please speak directly to an attorney. www.marlanasemenza.com On this episode, we talk about your photos and the law. What can you do with them? Who owns them? And more! Ani-Agrawal Marlana: Ani Agrawal is an intellectual property attorney with a background in patent prosecution, patent litigation, and related IP advising. His current practice focuses on patent and trademark prosecution before United States patent trademark office and in foreign countries. Welcome, Ani! Ani: Hi, Marlana! Marlana: I am really excited to have this conversation with you because nobody talks about the legal aspect of using images and the ramifications of over stepping and crossing over the line. While this conversation is going to be based on the law and what things are from the legal standpoint, we do have to let people know that they should not be construed as legal advice, for that they will need to speak to a legal attorney. Ani: Yeah! That's right. Marlana: So, let's start with the very basics. I see an image online, whether be on Facebook or wherever and I decide "you know what! I really like this image and I want to use it." So, I take a screenshot and I use it. Legal or illegal? Ani: You should always presume that that is illegal. Copyright is really established as soon as an image or a song, anything is created. There is a copyright associated with that image and that is true whether they federally registered them or they've simply published it on their website. The creator has copyrights in that media they have created and that extends to them whether they have federally registered them or not. So, anytime you see an image you should always operate under the assumption that there is copyright associated with it. Marlana: So, even if it's something that's non descriptive like flowers or a sunset, I should make that assumption? Ani: Absolutely! So, the subject matter is not important in this case. It can be a person, it can be a sunset, an animal, an ornament. It makes no difference. The photographer or the creator of the image has rights in that and that's true regardless of the subject. Marlana: What about photos of me? If a photographer sends me proofs or I see my images being used on the photographer's website or in a social media, can I take a screenshot and use them myself? Ani: Actually you cannot! That is a common point of confusion. People think; "well! The photo is of me, obviously I will have full rights. It is the same image I see on the mirror every morning, so there should be no restrictions, it's my face, it's my property." That is not the case. What happens is, when a photographer takes a photo of you, they own a copyright in that photo. So, absent some sort of work for hire agreement where ownership is transferred to the subject of the photo, absent any agreement like that, the copyright is presumed to be held by the photographer. You have to have the permission from the photographer, some sort of a license to be able to use the photo and it could be that you could use it for personal use or commercial use but that is the permission you have to be given by the photographer and provided a license by them because they are the copyright holder even though it's your face on the picture. Marlana: I think that's a mental shift for a lot of people because even if the image is of you, we're not talking of you. We are talking about something thats created by someone else and that entity. You did mentioned that all images are copyrighted upon creation, correct? Ani: That is correct! Whether they are federally registered or not. Marlana: Okay then, what is the difference between a copyright and a license? Ani: The copyright is (and I keep mentioning this) the absence of some sort of work for higher agreement. A copyright is owned by the creator of the artwork, photograph, music. They own a copyright and if you have any license to use any copyrighted material, that is a right for you to use this image personally on your own personal website,

Raquel Borras True To You Branding Raq The Boat RAQVISION Founder of True To You Branding Founder of Raq The Boat YouTube channel where I have candid conversations with our youth. Founder of RAQVISION. A youth social network for kids ages 17 and under. www.raqvision.tv https://www.youtube.com/c/RaqTheBoat I wouldn't be where I am right now…if it wasn't for the fact that I was so vulnerable. I shared my story of having struggled with depression when I was in college. I attempted suicide while I was at UCLA… There was a point that I told people I didn't graduate for medical reasons and that was that. I knew I had to expose myself…and that was probably the best thing I could have done. It was really spontaneous….we had just been at a conference where we were discussing our mental health…and we were talking about how it's important to share those stories…then it was mental health awareness month… As leaders we need to do what we can to change the narrative. I just grabbed my phone, hit record and just shared my story. I went ahead and posted it and I almost had a mini panic attack in that moment… It was amazing…how many people were calling me, texting me, messaging me saying Thank You… There was no going back in that moment, that's for sure, because of the feedback I got. (The scariest part was) The judgement….I was actually…pleasantly surprised how supportive everybody was. I'm not that person anymore. I share my story…in a way that's not heavy…it's just a story. An experience that I had that's helped me and gotten me where I am today. I feel that there needs to be more of us suicide attempt survivors that are in a really good place so that we can share the skills and the tools and…how we were able to get over that hump… Too many kids think it's the end of the world if something happens…you can overcomes it. And once you're on the other side, beautiful things can happen. Your struggle can turn into your superpower. You have to respect where you're at and if you're not ready, you're not ready. You might be missing out on your purpose by not sharing. If your share, people out there are going to respond in a way that you just don't know where it will take you. I have a 20 year old and 17 year old and they will share with me, but its' because I've been so open and share with them. I feel that as adults, if we share more then maybe our kids will know that it's okay to be open and share more. There is a fine line of sharing too much in the moment. I feel that there's a respect level as well. The only reason I was able to share…was because I had build a community that I really trusted and there was respect there….I felt I had a community that was going to embrace me. You will have people that don't support you and that's ok. A lot of them are the parents. I started RaqtheBoat…and it started out with the parents that I knew…and it steamrolled. Because I'm on Instagram and I'll repurpose a little bit…I have 16/17 year olds reaching out to me on their own to be on the show. RaqTheBoat is…I thought, no one is having conversations with our kids…with adults, there's more of a structure and I didn't want structure. I will…hit the..record button and just start asking questions and have the conversation go where it may. RaqVision came about because my friend had a…community…and we need to do the same for our youth…17 and under. We facilitate rooms…Justin Guarini from American Idol, Rob House…Michael Ray…and they facilitate these room with these kids… I want any kid who comes onto this platform to walk away a better human. We need to get away from the vanity metrics and a lot of these kids are basing their worth around how many people are liking their posts or if a video goes viral. To have these adults come in who have had struggles. For example, there's Kyle Green. He had a kid at age 16, a mother on drugs, a father that was non-existent…he talks about adversity…here he's written tow books and is a motivational speaker… I think kids get in that space of 'nobody understands' I see a huge shift because it then gives them permission to be able to be vulnerable. We need to change the narrative…and a lot has to do with adults. I feel that a lot of us are doing this disservice to our youth by putting ourselves out there in this perfect way. Saturday….Pepper…was in town…on Saturday, I got to pick her up…we had never met…to be able to have that experience that I've only met through zoom…I don't want to just be lip service…I really want to be able to build a friendship…that's when it feels really right…to have them open up and talk to me… I love that I have no idea of what's going to come of this next week. I thought vulnerability was a weakness…now I realize it takes a lot of courage to be vulnerable…so I understand why a lot of people don't do it. But, once you do it, there is something so empowering and liberating about it. Your inner circle and people you trust….maybe start opening up more to those people. If you start sharing li

Stephen Scoggins The Journey Principles Institute (7 Companies in all) Stephen Scoggins is an award-winning, successful, multi-million-dollar serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, and creator of Transform U, a proprietary Life Mastery System dedicated to guiding others toward lasting breakthroughs in any area of life. Stephen has helped Fortune 500 leaders, professional athletes, entertainers, hardworking individuals, and everyone in between to exceed their wildest expectations in their life, business, and career. https://transformuevent.com/ https://stephenscoggins.com/ Part of my story is…being homeless and overcoming a lot of childhood adversity….and I had an interesting mentor that poured into me at about the age of 13/14. He said 'What's the difference between a rich man and a poor man?' And I was like (at 16) 'Money, of course.' He said 'Absolutely not. It's the way they think.' He followed up with 'Do you want to learn to think like me? Or do you want to continue thinking like your father?' My father was a hard working individual..he was not good with money..he wasn't necessarily good with relationships. Steve was incredibly wealthy..he employed a few hundred team members across states…and one of the things he helped me become aware of was the way in which I was thinking about myself…opportunities…my future… As you go through life…you begin having experiences…that get you starting to believe you are 'less than' because someone in front of you is 'more than.' The number one thing that holds most people back…is the way they think. If you take that a level deeper, what I'm really saying is their ultimate level of self awareness. How aware are you of your strengths, your struggles and your blind spots? In almost every case they all but ignore their blind spots. If the secret is in how I think, how do I better understand how I can think and then how can I reprogram myself? What has to change in me? That's the simple question most people forget to ask themselves. We have a tool that we use to identify things that are kind of hidden under the surface….there's a number of tools you can use to at least take the first step in better understanding yourself. the tricky part is, when you're reading through the results…it's maybe better to walk over to your spouse or your friend and say 'what do you think about this sentence?' There's trust in wise council with people that you admire and trust. I would not go out and try and get a third party opinion from someone who's consistently trying to take life from you. In my journey, the person that I thought I was, was the person I was allowing myself to be. If I believe that I'll always be a construction guy and that I'll never be an author and I'll never be a speaker, and as a result I should never try, then nothing's gonna change. If someone who believed in me…said I see you and you're dynamic…passionate, bold…you might have a skill set at speaking. Now I've got a decision in that moment…to say 'what if?' I believe that it's 80% change and 20% foundation. I'm a high DI…in that high drive, that immaturity side…I was pretty aggressive…had I left that unchecked…that limitation determines the level of motivation and also the level of maturation that you actually have. The awareness starts 'this is the limitation', 'this is what has to change', this is what I've identified' and then it comes down to putting in the work. I believe you can change about 80% of your DNA. If nothing else, taking it from immaturity to maturity. The other 20% is…the way God made you. You have to go on a self awareness journey…without condemning yourself When I first dropped out of high school, no one asked me why I was dropping out….they proceeded to condemn me…they didn't know if I didn't do that, we weren't gonna eat or have shelter. …I got cocky and arrogant and boastful…and as a result, I proceeded to lose everything. Ultimately leading to me being homeless….I was chasing the affirmation of others in general. In order to beat imposter phenomenon …you have to acknowledge it exists…and then you have to ask yourself why? Why do I feel inadequate at times? For a lot of us, it's because we are trying to measure up to someone else's expectations. And as a result, as you being to remove those expectations of others and just see yourself as a work in progress, then you're able to give yourself credit for the little bit of confident wins you get along the way. …there's one major difference in those two Stephens. It's the way in which they perceive the world. All of those things are a level of awareness that may be bridging the gap between the person you are now and the person you ultimately want to be. In order to become that person, you have to lay out a strategical plan to become that person. If you can focus on the steps and not the expectations, then a lot of times what will happen is, you'll build self confidence along the way and you'll realize…this is simply a journey. Be at peace with the

Amanda Hall - I am the co-founder of Girls With Goals Who Give and I also have my own confidence mentoring business under my umbrella company The Hall Group. Amanda Hall is a business mentor, speaker, and entrepreneur who helps women grow their network and industry influence. Her 3 B's framework on Belief, Boundaries, and Balance, empowers those facing self-doubt to step into their uniqueness with confidence. Amanda is in the top 1% of a direct-to-consumer business as an entrepreneur and business leader. She has coached hundreds of women on her team to grow their business and increase their revenue. Her coaching and training results have led her team to be one of the top 10% teams in the company. Amanda is also the co-founder of Girls with Goals Who Give. This community organization teaches ambitious female entrepreneurs how to build deep and authentic relationships to attract more opportunities to their lives and businesses effortlessly. In partnership with VaynerMedia, Amanda and the Girls With Goals Who Give team facilitated a networking experience for a select group of employees to provide an opportunity for collaboration, connection, and inspiration. Amanda speaks to women on discovering their core values and building confidence around what matters most to them. She educates her audience about standing firm in their beliefs and creating boundaries to live a more balanced and fulfilling life. https://girlswithgoalswhogive.com bit.ly/byamandahall3bs There are things that you can do initially, because it is a big, overwhelming feat…and so many people feel overwhelmed when they get started…but you've gotta start somewhere. It starts with really figuring out what your personal brand is. You're not your business. You're not your children. You're not your husband. You're not your family. You are you. And what most people overlook is that we all have unique gifts that we can tap into….and people are attracted to those unique gifts. It's figuring out 'what makes me unique? What are my stances, my opinions? What makes me really passionate? What makes me really angry? What makes me feel alive? Energetic?…' Figuring out what you want your brand to represent…and getting started there. I call myself the extroverted introvert…we didn't really share a lot. It took a lot for me to get over the hump… What I realized is…it's not really about being an introvert, it's more about saying to yourself, 'why am I even doing this in the first place?'…there must be a reason. Is it because you're trying to be the go-to in your market?… Then saying to yourself, if it's this important to me, then I'm going to step out of my comfort zone little by little and share some pieces of me that I know are going to help that person. My brand is all about…shedding the armor, shedding the self doubt and just being you. Say what you want to say…while adding value to the world. …I can't say those things and not put myself out there. So, little by little I started to share stories. It's more about letting go of the ego and knowing that you're just there to serve. I hate to break it to you, but not everyone is going to like you and you have to be ok with it. A lot of people are people-pleasers, they want everyone to like them…and that's no way to live. It's an exhausting way to live. Finding your people…your personal brand…allows you to discover who you want to spend your time with. Who you want to spend your time on. What you want to say 'yes' to. What you want to say 'no' to. It makes your life a lot less complicated. In order for you to be of value and service to others, you need to take care of yourself first. For the purpose of serving your audience…it's important to think about what that end goal is. Write to that one person. Every single thing you write is dedicated to that one person. You see what's clicking and what's falling flat by the engagement. I'm an interesting human when it comes to the way I set goals. I'm more of an intuitive….when I sense my business or my brand is ready for the next level, that's when I set the next benchmark. I tend to write 6 emails or 6 posts at a time. Every personal brand will evolve. Some will pivot completely…other times it really does remain the same it's just that other elements are potentially added in. It's really just stories…and many times we are talking to our previous selves….which is why we can speak so confidently about it. Because we went through it. As we're going on our own journey and evolving, so does our content. In my personal experience, people know like and trust you already on your account….they follow you for a reason…so I think people really appreciate watching a brand evolve and grow or pivot…stick with the same account and show other people what can be done. There have been times when I've gotten a batch of photos back and said..this one speaks to…but for the most part, it will align with…the messages that I'm sending through my emails..and I'm choosing photos for it. I started ou

Elyse Archer, She Sells Elyse Archer is the founder of She Sells, a coaching program for women in sales who are revolutionizing the way sales are done. A thought leader whose insights have been featured in major media including Forbes and Inc, Elyse is passionate about empowering women to sell in a way that leverages their natural gifts and helps them build wealth along the way. She is an international keynote speaker and host of She Sells Radio, where she shares best practices from female entrepreneurs and sales professionals who have accomplished extraordinary goals. Prior to founding She Sells, Elyse served as a Partner in an 8-figure international sales coaching organization, where she helped sales professionals achieve their goals. Outside of She Sells, Elyse is also a founding team member of Brand Builders Group, a personal branding strategy firm. Her client list includes New York Times bestselling authors, top 100 podcast hosts, and 8-figure entrepreneurs as well as leaders who are earlier in their journey and committed to scaling their influence, impact and income. Learn more about Elyse at www.ElyseArcher.com Instagram: @elysearcher FB: https://www.facebook.com/elysearcherpersonalbranding LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/elysearcher/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ElyseArcher Listen to She Sells Radio: www.Elysearcher.com/podcast It's the biggest challenge most people bump up against…you're always selling yourself. One of the biggest challenges…is a lack of confidence in yourself. Other people's view of you will just be a mirror of your view of yourself. For so many years, I would look for validation from the outside….my sale's manager…men…you name it. I looked to clients to validate what I had was good. I woke up one day and realized that no one's going to validate me until I validate myself….What am I waiting for? I'm giving my power away to other people….That was a big mindset shift for me. Things that may seem small and unrelated, like complimenting yourself. How often do we look in the mirror and focus on the one thing we don't like? I would get off a call…and if they didn't buy, I would beat myself up over it. And I didn't realize how much I was degrading my confidence and my self worth. Complimenting yourself. Speaking to yourself as someone who has the sales that you desire, who has the type of clients you desire, who brings in the amount of money you desire…because what you describe you prescribe. When you say anything that follows the words 'I am…' it is a direct command to your subconscious mind to make that more of your reality. So, whatever you want to be a reality about yourself, then say it. Say it out loud and say it to yourself. She Sells has kind of taken on a life of its own and now I get to teach things I never thought I would teach. What I found was, so much of what's taught is 'use this script', 'use this process', 'say these words', 'do this thing' and you must get this result. When I tried that…I would get incremental gains…but I still felt stuck. So many make it look like they have it all together on the outside, but on the inside, they are struggling… I didn't realize how important the inner game was to the sales game until I started doing a lot of my own inner work. I have a client in financial services….you would look at this woman and think she is the most confident person in the world…she's also a spin instructor…in her class, there is a leader board in the front of the room…if she notices that she is rising to the top and she finds herself in that #2 spot, her automatic reflex is to slow down. Because what would it mean if she was #1? ….this stuff goes deep….she realized that same phenomenon that's happening in my spin class is happening in my company. We have to learn to become the person who has the sales that we desire, who has the clients we desire, who has the opportunities that we desire and that starts from the inside out. What thoughts would that person think? How worthy would they feel? What actions would they take? I was stuck…for 10 years….when I learned how to create the thoughts of a woman who has a 7 figure business, how to feel worthy of the money I desired and take those actions…in 6 weeks I went from having $10K months to $100K months. It's that they actually learned to feel worthy of what they want and practice that feeling and release the limiting beliefs that are holding them back from what they want. I have yet to find anyone who doesn't have some sort of limiting belief… One of the biggest things I see for women specifically is a challenge with receiving…you have to feel comfortable receiving money. You have to feel comfortable receiving that acknowledgment…and for a lot of women, there have been a lot of contingencies with receiving. You can have the money if I can backhand you… We so often learn that if we receive something, there's conditions, or it comes with punishment. So many women….beautiful, vivacious…learned that there was a target on

Deborah Driggs From her start as a Playboy Centerfold and Covergirl to her life as a Screen Actors' Guild member and later, achieving the Top 5% in her industry as a member of the Million Dollar Roundtable, Deborah Driggs has had to clear many hurdles in life. While it may seem like Deborah's success came easy to her, nothing could be further from the truth. Rather, she has had to overcome a number of challenges in life to get to where she is today. What is true - and a part of her character - is her willingness to take risks, maintain a positive attitude, and never take 'No' for an answer. www.deborahdriggs.com I started out as a performer at a very young age. I learned discipline and coaching really early on. My goal was to go to the Olympics as a figure skater…I got most of my life lessons early on from the coaches in my life. I had sport figures as my mentors and who I looked up to…I was obsessed with the athletic mind. If they can do it, I can do it! That was the mentality. Those lessons and that discipline…kind of carried me out throughout my life. The way I got into the entertainment industry was no accident because my first addiction as a kid was attention….I was seeking that so desperately. When skating went away, the next step was dance then cheerleading…so I landed a spot on a professional cheerleading squad which propelled me into morning shows, radio shows, talk shows, interviews, promotions… There was a lot of pushback….I got all the reasons why I shouldn't pursue that. One in a million people are successful…well that will be me. And that was how my mind worked. Because of my age, I had no fear…The older I got the more fear I got. The minute somebody would tell me 'no' or 'that's impossible' I'd go 'Well, there's gotta be a way.' I just never took 'no as the final answer. I had three agents…all of them wanted to sign me…I went on an audition for a commercial and I booked it…and I thought 'there is no stopping me now' I thought I could do anything. I'd beg…see if I can get my S.A.G. card. Just give me one line. I was relentless…that's the kind of mentality I had. I went on an audition for a show…called Charles In Charge…to play his girlfriend…okay are you ready to read?…I start to read for the part and he just stopped me in my tracks….and he's like 'You know, when you walked in this office, I would have hired you on the spot..but you don't know how to act.' And I took that very seriously and said 'What do you suggest I do?'… I enrolled myself immediately into a two year Meisner technique… While I was doing that, I get a call form my agent that I should go and audition for this new book that Playboy was coming out with…they gave me a robe and told me to take everything off…I said 'I'm not here for that.'… Back then, they were looking for scars, tattoos, birth marks, piercings…back then it was a big deal… I'm gonna leave my undergarments on…it doesn't go well at all…that afternoon I got a call that they were interested in shooting me for a centerfold and I thought 'I think they are confusing me with another girl…' We all decided it was a good thing for me to do because at that time, Playboy was the number one magazine in the world and everybody wanted to be in the magazine. They got over a thousand submissions a day. It changed everything….everybody wanted to meet with me. I got on the Oprah Winfrey show, the Bob Hope special…while I'm doing this, I'm in this two year Meisner acting program… So I'm trying to be taken seriously as an actress and all this Playboy stuff is starting to happen… The thing that was cool about it was, I booked my first film and it was all cause I was studying and trying to be better as an actress…and here was another opportunity for me to have a coach in my life. I would just keep going. Even if things got really bad…I had that mindset….She would say if you really take this seriously and do the work, you could have a really good career. I met my husband in acting class…I slid away form the seriousness of what I was doing…then we decided we were going to move to Park City, Utah…a year later I was going through a divorce….I'm 40 years old, broke, 3 young kids…now what do I do? So I had to reinvent myself several times. …they would want to look at property, so I decided I was going to get my real estate license so if someone bought a piece of property, I would be in on that deal… I interviewed the top 3 realtors…and chose to be an assistant to them rather than me trying to build a business and trying to compete… I've never worked in an office. I don't think I know how to work a fax machine. I barely know how to do email…he said 'are you good with people?' and I said 'Yeah!'…if you could manage the people…and manage the listings…I'll teach you how to do everything else….and I was really organized… I want you to list my house…and I'd walk back to the office with a $3 Million listing… Here I had this $3Million listing and I didn't know how to use the scanner… If someone says '

Radon Stancil - Peace Of Mind Wealth Management Radon Stancil, CFP, is a best-selling author and The Founder of Peace of Mind Wealth Management, a firm committed to helping individuals retire with excellence. As the Co-host of the 'Secure Your Retirement' show his insights have been featured in Forbes, Newsweek, Fox, ABC, NBC, and the Wall St Journal. With over 25 years of experience, Radon is an award-winning advisor who is highly sought after to work with executives, business owners, engineers, pharmaceutical professionals and more. www.pomwealth.net/podcast First of all…we get so focused on saying 'I'm just going to reinvest in the company…'…in addition to that, you've gotta make sure you're setting aside something for yourself. Down the road…all you have is a big company…and unless you can sell it and get something back out of it, it's really not gonna help you for retirement. You need to have a cash reserve…6 months at the bare minimum…than…Roth IRA… With a Roth, I can pull the money back out. I just can't touch the growth… You can also build your own…401K In my head I thought, I'm a small business. I might need capital. If I put money into my 401K and I need that capital, I'm gonna pay a penalty to get that back out. So I did my order the way I just described to you. From a finance standpoint, there's no advantage (LLC, DBA). There is one on that S Corp because you can pay yourself an income…and not pay some of that tax. I never wanted to have to put money back into the company….I don't think you should take distributions…leave enough of operating capital in your corporation…so that you don't have to pull from savings. I always make sure I've got at least 3 months of operating capital in my corporate account… I have 3 months of operating capital to run the company. Now, part of that might be paying me. But then I've got my personal…there I need 6 months. …If push comes to shove, typically a small business owner will pay everybody but themselves…so what if you had to go two months…and I can't pay myself. But I've got my personal savings that say's I can survive… That's the juggling act…but you've got the big picture in your head… I think everybody needs an advisor. What I mean by that is, I'm a financial advisor, but I still need advisors. I have business coaches. Every single year I make it a rule that I have to have somebody in my life that's telling me what I need to do to do better…mastemind groups, coaching programs. Every year I have to be in two or three… A financial advisor can help you work along with your CPA to set things up…you then need to have the money managed. And if that's not what you do then I don't think you need to be doing it. I think you have an advisor so you can concentrate on what you know how to do best. If you're starting to hit your goals…how do I structure that…I'd say sooner than later (hire an advisor)….As soon as you can do it. Do it. Small business owners…don't have as much of a retirement goal. They've got more of a time goal…I want to get to a point where I don't have to come into the office everyday. I want to get down to a two day work week…whatever that is….and I want to hit that much earlier than 65…and it's the easiest part of my business career because I have all the things that I've built…So unless I sell…I don't really have a retirement goal. Whatever your goal is, think that way….because it may be different. Just think about time and compound effect. If a person is starts at 20 and they go to 65, they can save $1M with just some growth and a very small amount of money. I'm talking $100 or so dollars a month….The longer we wait…we have to save a much larger amount of money in order to catch up. The earlier you can save, the better. There's lots of online calculators. You just have to be careful about how you're calculating it… Our average client today…lives on between $5-$8 thousand dollars a month net. First, determine what you think your needs are going be in retirement….what would I dream out that I would want?…If everything was paid off, what do I want coming in the door in today's dollars? The big thing is, try to save as much as you can save and try to have goals there. There's a blunt answer to this. It's usually…comes down to overspending vs wether or not you can afford it. Whatever your story is, don't use the excuse I don't make enough money. I've got clients that are millionaires and they are teachers…I actually have one client that had 3 children, a wife who did not work, he was a schoolteacher. I think at the time he made about $42K a year and they saved money every single month…It all came down to their choices… To me life insurance is a personal choice, but an easy way to take care of the 'unknown' scenario. We think about a business plan for our business. I think you need to have a personal plan for yourself…Don't fool yourself saying I'm gonna put everything back into the business. Operate the business with the mentality of it needs to pay yo

Steve Sims SteveDSims.com Do you know anyone that's worked with Sir Elton John or Elon Musk, sent people down to see the wreck of the Titanic on the sea bed or closed museums in Florence for a private dinner party and then had Andrea Bocelli serenade them while they eat their pasta – you do now Quoted as "The Real Life Wizard of Oz" by Forbes and Entrepreneur Magazine, Steve Sims is a best selling Author with "BLUEFISHING - the art of making things happen", sought-after coach and a speaker at a variety of networks, groups and associations as well as the Pentagon and Harvard – twice! FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stevedsims/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevedsims IG: https://www.instagram.com/stevedsims Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdsims/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/stevedsims Website: http://stevedsims.com Join my inner circle – The Sims Distillery - https://simsdistillery.com I started off trying to find how rich people interacted…in the end I wound up being the doorman of a nightclub…it gave me a great viewpoint of people..and the psychology of a human being. What it did teach me is that if I was slightly dubious about someone and I let them in the club, it was only a matter of time before I was kicking them out. So I learned at a very, very early age to protect the front door. If you guard that with your life, you removed 99.9% of the problems. Now, if I've got clients coming to me…if they're not the right fit, that's your front door. It ain't gonna get any better just cause they paid you. It's my gut. I believe we become dumber by what we see. It's very easy for me to look professional…something like that would impress you…but I decided your gut is far more intelligent. How many times have we had a conversation with someone…they've got an expensive watch, the story sounds good, but something's just not right. And then we go back to our eyesight and go 'oh, but he's got a nice watch…' Stop believing what I see and trust my gut. We were incredibly smart when we were 3 years old….most of us became dumber because of peer pressure, schools, parents…you drop your kids off at school and you see someone sitting in the corner…of that's Tommy…why don't you go play with Tommy? Tommy smells….Tommy pokes people. I don't like Tommy…we go 'Don't be like that. You go play with Tommy.' And we force them into a relationship they didn't want to have. It's rude, it's harsh, but the bottom like of it is, imagine if everyone was honest tomorrow….and went 'Hey, this relationship with me and you, it ain't working. All the best. Bye!' …We would lose a lot of relationships but what would happen to the relationships we retain? I remember years ago, and it was a big turning point for me, there was a guy that I really looked up to…we were in this networking event…and this guy was trying to get Tony's attention…Tony took him over one side and said 'Look, it doesn't matter how long we take, me and you are never gonna get on. It's not good or bad, it's just a fact. You're wasting all your time trying to generate a relationship with me and I'm letting you know now, it's not gonna work…Out of respect for our time, I wish you al the best.'…The guy went off and the people were very receptive to him. He walked into the bouquet that worked for him. He actually came over to Tony and said 'Thank you so much for saving me the time.'…There was no hostility, no anger, but it was very clear it wasn't gonna work. We itemize through our eyeballs and we approve through our eyeballs where we should be focusing on what we learned as a kid. Our gut. If it smells off, move away from it. Anyone that's been appointed as as gatekeeper has to be 100% synchronized with the person who's gate their keeping. I have gatekeepers and I constantly tweak and refine because constantly things change in my life….You're constantly tweaking with your gatekeepers how receptive you are to new contact and more contact. A gatekeeper should be nothing more, should! be nothing more than a continuation of you. We all know this…gatekeepers…get an ego….so you've got to get around that. The beautiful thing about today…is that we can get in touch with anybody…The trick today is not being able to reach out to people…the talent is showing up with so much of a solution and an engagement that the person goes 'Ah! This is someone I want to talk to.' How have I leveraged my relationships? …I walk into a bar and you're in that bar and you're there with your mate. I walk up to you and go 'Hey! How are you doing? My name's Steve Sims. I've worked with Elton John, Elon Musk and the Pope. I'm a big deal.' and I go to shake your hand. Move along. Let's change it. I walk into a bar. I don't come over to you because I don't know you and I walk to the end of the bar and order my old fashioned. And your best mate is next to you, elbows you in the ribs and goes 'See that guy over there? That's Steve Sims. He's worked with Elon Musk, Sir Elton John and the Pope. That guy'

Tracy Cherpeski - Tracy Cherpeski International Tracy L. Cherpeski - MBA, MA, CPSC, is a leading executive coach and leadership development expert with over 15 years experience. Her expertise, professional experience and "coach tool kit" guide her clients to success in many areas of business and life. Her coaching and training programs offer integrated leadership, executive development, operations consulting and mindset mastery. Tracy has shared her coaching and workshops with corporations, government and non-profit organizations, small businesses and medical practices. Tracy is also host of the Entrepreneur Mindset-Reset podcast where she interviews guests around the world from various industries and walks of life. Together, she and her guests explore success mindset, lessons learned, and wisdom gained through their entrepreneurial journey. Tracy's biggest "WHY" is her two beautiful teenaged children, who inspire her to reach higher and further every day. She lives in Chapel Hill, NC, with her husband, children and a menagerie of adopted furry family members, and serves clients from all over the U.S., to Norway, the UK, Brazil, China, Spain and Australia. Tracy's professional and personal philosophy: Survival is not enough; life is meant to be celebrated. Website: https://www.tracycherpeski.com Entrepreneur Mindest-Reset Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ entrepreneur-mindset-reset-with-tracy-cherpeski/id1550000285 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entrepreneur_mindset_podcast/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracycherpeski/ Complimentary consultation to discover your own "super power" www.TalkWithTracy.com Everybody has one. Probably more than one. What am I great at? What do I love doing? When I'm at my best, what am I doing?…let that marinate….hear it out loud… When I am at my best and when I'm doing that, I'm doing precisely what? Some clients say 'I'm at my best when I'm solving problems'..a riddle, a puzzle…we just kept picking it apart and kept asking the questions and one lady said 'I do it everywhere in my life' and I was like 'Great! How can you capitalize on that? How can you turn that into something that really helps you shine?'…how does that support you? How does that support the people in your life?…How can you turn that into a marketable skill… We still need to get curious and keep asking ourselves questions… …What I'm great at is asking people what they really want, where they thrive. What is it they love about what they do? What motivates them? Motivation is not an innate thing. We have to manufacture it a lot of times….motivation often doesn't even kick in until we're about 5 minutes into something. What is the thing that we could do with our eyes closed that lights us up? And how do we apply that? Focus in on what we would do if money were no object. If we have a challenge…if I'm great at solving that, maybe I'm also great at solving that for other people. So, how can I turn that into something? I'm a huge fan of figuring out what drains your energy and outsourcing or bartering… I think there's a way to be more effective…by taking our strengths and applying them when it's time to hustle. And maybe during glide times…I despise admin. It drains my energy. But, if those things don't get done, I don't get paid. So I block them as 'I get to do this today so that…' I block it during a time when I don't have umpteen things going. For me if it's off the plate, it's off my head. Say you're new…sometimes it's important to really be in it. There's a taping point…when you're waking up…at 3 o'clock in the morning and that's on your mind…I think it's amazing what a leap of faith can do. I hired an assistant during the heat of the pandemic when my business was slow…and when we recover our time and energy, we are able to be in our superpower and our zone of genius, doing the thing that lights us up and most of the time in business is what monetizes. Especially now…we've been thrust into a totally different way of doing every single thing…We don't give ourselves credit for what we've managed to do…Acknowledging that we can have gratitude and a whole pile of garbage that feels heavy at the same time..is important. And it helps take the heaviness off having to be a certain way…I think the personal devotement world has done a bit of a disservice with this toxic positivity. We can simultaneously be ok and not ok. That's something that has shown up in our household… It's ok to say 'I'm in it right now and I don't like it.' Sometimes just speaking that clears it out. Or it opens the door for us to take a different path… I'm a huge fan of journaling. I feel like it's a great way to brain dump….we just need to clear and let it all out….I had no idea how much negative junk I was holding onto in my head… I cleared out all the negativity…all the stuff that was holding me back…then I started getting more creative… Kind of clear the decks in some way…go for a walk, get outside, get in nature…mov

Carrie Veatch - Set Yourself Free Carrie Veatch is a coach who helps ambitious female entrepreneurs bust through self-doubt and false narratives to create 6 figure and multiple 6 figure online businesses. Carrie combines neuroscience, teaching clients to rewire their brains through mindset work, and a safe container for clients to create the lives that truly want. She is a nomad living and traveling abroad (currently in Vietnam), morning routine enthusiast, CrossFitter, community minded, gluten free foodie that is obsessed with helping others create lives of freedom. https://setyourselffreellc.com/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/setyourselffreecommunity Have a free journal that has tons of juicy prompts I used to book over 40 calls and do over $14k in sales in less than a month - you can grab it for free on my website! And my group program will be kicking off soon so that you can hit those $10k months online with ease! It's the conditioning that we've been fed…the harder you work, the more money you make..and yet we all know examples of people where that is not true. I'm such a believer in un-learning and re-learning so we can easily get what we want. It's the narratives, it's the thoughts that say 'You can't have what you want', 'You have to work hard to get what you want', and pretty much anything that reminds you or tells you you're not good enough..not deserving… We're born worthy. Men just don't take things as personally. They have a clear way of separating out 'Well, it's just business'… We as women often takes things on. We take things personally….we're big feeling people..so often times we are conditioned to think that men are the ones that make the money… Our narratives, whatever they may be, are the biggest driver of whether or not we go after the things we want. This is why I work with so many women on beliefs first… It's so essential that we change the dialog between our ears. The Roger Bannister example. No one ran a four minute mile until he did and everyone else believed it was possible. Up until that point, we had no basis for believing… This is where we have those limitation in our mind. Sometimes it's…based on past experience or things we've tried that haven't worked out…so then we start to create these stories and have these beliefs that say 'I'm not worthy of that', 'I can't do that', 'I'm afraid of that', 'It's possible for her, not me'… Fear and excitement are two sides of the same coin…When we can flip that and we understand that our body has the same response to them, it's just how we're choosing to view it. That's how we can flip the experience… First up…getting really clear on what you want. Most people actually do know what they want, they just think they can't have it. The process is quite simple, but the work around it can be really challenging. Deciding what we want…our work is to clean up our thoughts..behind everything that says you can't have it. It's proving to yourself those thoughts are wrong. Record all of the thoughts that are coming up…and look at them. Sometimes we're afraid to really look at them because we think 'if I name them, then they must be true.' You can't shift and change anything if you're not acknowledging it. The work is to disprove it..so you have the new thoughts and narratives…then detach from every single detail of 'how.' Get into that place of trust and faith..having that belief that it's already done. You have to act out of that higher version of yourself. Tap into your imagination. What do you imagine that would feel like…tap into that place and make decisions and actions out of there. We never have an exact blueprint….we all bring our unique experience I believe in the power of our minds and our imagination. Kids are magical at this. They do not have the same limitations or the same conditioning that we as adults have. The work is to go back to being like that where you believed anything was possible. I love so much of the masculine vs. feminine energy. It's so much easier for us to earn when we are in that receiving state. I never think that having emotions or being a deeply feeling person are negatives…but you have to know how to use them…recognize patterns…where you're getting in your way and where it's really helping you… Identify any of the thoughts and feelings that are in the way (about money)… If you believe that everyone that has more than you is selfish and greedy…your subconscious is going to say 'No. We're not going to do that. It's not safe.' So much of it is a choice. Actively going and cheering on that person that is triggering you…the feelings dissipate…and the reason I'm triggered is because I actually want what she has. Mostly it's around 'enoughness' The two questions I like to ask that have been so helpful for me…What do I need? …and What does my business need? and separating those out…and having some type of mindfulness practice to remind yourself that you are worthy…regardless. The truth is…if you never did another thing in

Martin Brossman, business - Martin Brossman & Associates LLC Martin Brossman is a leading authority on Linkedin, Reputation Management, and building a positive digital presence. He has collectively over 10,000 followers. Just Google his name! Brossman is a Success Coach, consultant, and dynamic trainer known for his insight and humor. A member of the National Speakers Association, Martin is a popular speaker on effective and safe online reputation enhancement and professional development topics. He regularly teaches statewide for towns, communities, and schools in North Carolina. He also provides customized coaching and training for individuals and groups, integrating digital media, professional networking, and reputation management. Integrating success on the ground and on the web. Martin Brossman Success Coach - https://CoachingSupport.com Martin Brossman Speaks - https://MartinBrossmanSpeaks.com/ Martin Brossman on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinbrossman/ Access to all Martin Brossman's web presence: https://www.martinbrossmanandassociates.com/ Everything had to be perfect…and in having your own business that became a problem because you have to know the difference between making it very accurate and good enough to get out the door. If you were a graphic designer, you probably should spend quite a bit of time on your first impression of images for graphic design…then learning to let some of the other things go is critical. Our time really is money. It's the aim, aim, aim, aim, aim consider firing someday approach. It can also be used as a tool not to face failure. One of the most important muscles to develop is…the ability to fail and recover quickly. Fail fast. Fail often. Take small calculated risks where you can afford the consequences. It doesn't mean in those experiences of failure you don't have a moment of 'oh no'…it just means moving through them quicker. Perfectionism is often a tool for hiding out. Don't deny yourself the fact that it might not feel good. It's ok….that you're getting some data in…the you got knocked off the horse. Biologically we can only perceive so much data. We're gonna leave stuff out and we're affected by it. Start identifying with something greater and a commitment instead of perfection. What does real win-win look like? I think the challenge of who we identify as ourselves is one of the biggest problems….most of us built our identity to the most part, under 10 years old. Be anything but yourself, you'll be an upgrade. This thing that we think is our identity is build before we are mature enough to know what it is and it's running us like a program. What am I identifying with? What is sustainable over time is what we are going to be committed to identifying with. I was blessed with the challenge in life that in 4th grade, there was something wrong…at the time, the only tutor that the school had was the one working with the special needs kids…I was moved out of my class to work with that woman and I made a very big decision there was something critically wrong with me…that was a pivotal decision in how I identified with myself…I believed I was intrinsically broken and there was no way out. I finally had to identify with something other than the concept in my head of 'I'm too stupid to be alive.' Unless I build something else to identify out of, there was no way out. 'Who are you going to identify as you?' Moving forward can give you a level of consistency over time. And that's how you can get some room from that conversation in your head. Denying our children wounds, denies the potential of their growth. Some of the most amazing people I've met in my life, when you learn about their childhood, you want to just say 'how did you survive it?' Perfectionism is a manifestation of probably a decision made by a 7 or 9 year old, you're still living out that's running you like a routine out of control. Coaching is NOT therapy. It's like trying to catch something in the shadows and asking 'where is this coming from?' If you come from a perspective of compassionate observer…what if I made up that i'm smart enough?…What if I picked a commitment to live out of 'even if I failed at it, that would be a noble life for me?' Be a catalyst for others…on their death bed they'd be moved to tears by their own life. I'm going to give up judging. In the end, I'll look back and I'll either succeed or fail. And if I failed, how would I feel? Well, you made the effort… The beginning is to be suspicious of your own kind of shadow… We're over obsessed with this concept of 'be yourself'….what the heck is that? Why don't you pick as an adult what you want your life to be committed to and then in grounded ways, start collecting evidence on it? The Beautiful Mind…in the end the hallucinations weren't running his life, but they didn't leave. That's the gold. I'm not listening to you anymore….It's not about eliminating…it's like having a great opponent…and knowing their not going away…you will

Nicky Billou -- eCircle Academy Nicky Billou aka the Millionaire Maker, has a proven method that has helped dozens of people add 6 -to- 8 figures a year to their annual income. He is the #1 International Best Selling Author of the book: Finish Line ThinkingTM: How to Think and Win Like a Champion, and The Thought Leader's Journey: A Fable of Life. He is an in-demand and highly inspirational speaker to corporate audiences such as RBC, Lululemon, Royal LePage, and TorStar Media. He is an advisor and confidante to some of the most successful and dynamic entrepreneurs in Canada. He is the founder of eCircle Academy (www.eCircleAcademy.com) where he runs a yearlong Mastermind & Educational program working with Coaches, Consultants, Corporate Trainers, Clinic Owners, Realtors, Mortgage Brokers and other service-based Entrepreneurs, positioning them as authorities in their niche, and helping them add $250,000 -- $2.5 million to their annual income. He is the creator of the Thought Leader/Heart LeaderTM Designation. As the host of the #1 podcast in the world on Thought Leadership, The Thought Leader Revolution (www.TheThoughtLeaderRevolution.com) Nicky has interviewed over 270 of the world's top Thought Leaders, such as: • Astronaut Chris Hadfield • George Ross of the Hit TV Series The Apprentice • Barbara Corcoran from Shark Tank • Supermodel & Business Mogul Kathy Ireland • Ivan Misner — Founder Of BNI • Graham Weihmiller — CEO of BNI • John Maxwell — World's #1 Leadership Author • NYT #1 Bestselling Author Seth Godin • Marie Forleo — Oprah's Coach • Jack Canfield: Author Of Chicken Soup For The Soul • Scott Adams: Creator of Dilbert Free Visioning Session: www.eCircleAcademy.com/appointment Free Kindle Copy of my latest book: www.eCircleAcademy.com/TLJBook Finish Line Thinking Scorecard: https://form.jotform.com/90206417017145 The link between our income and being sought after is very real and immediate….It allows you to take your income from a level that you barely scrape by to a level that you have more money than you know what to do with. Step 1 is you've got to commit. Amateur vs. Pro. Most people play at business…you have a friend…an amateur…who does it in his spare time, has a regular job and if the regular job interferes, he's not going to show up..if he gets sick, he's not going to show up…you can't count on him. The pro…he's studied…he has built thousands…he shows up no matter what…this is a fellow who always completes the job. If you had a choice on which one to hire…would you choose the amateur or would you choose the pro? If you want to be in business, if you want to be a tough leader, if you want to be sought after? You've got to make the decision to go pro. You're in it to win it. You're here to learn the craft, how to deliver a result repeatably, count-on-ably, for everybody that can use the type of help that you are all about delivering. People will see that you have a reputation for being that gal…who every time. Every time! Delivers the result no matter what. You've gotta be the one holding yourself to that standard. Amateurs don't hold themselves to any kind of standard. Professionals hold themselves to the highest…standards. You know when someone is the kind of person who always keeps their word….You're going to be drawn to them. 75 Hard….if you mess up even once, you go back to day one. The level of mental toughness that gets developed by sticking to this is what turns you into a bit of a pro when it comes to keeping your word. The next step is you have to get clear on what it is you're going pro for. What is your expertise? A lot of people think 'my expertise is what I've been doing' but, it really isn't….there's a process we take people through…if you start to understand what you're expertise is truly about, you can create for yourself areas of authority….you can create a whole body of intellectual property for yourself. I'm in the business of personal branding/coaching. But one of the things that has gotten me here is this obsession with winning…So this is a whole folder of intellectual property that I've created around winning. This is the basis of a commercial PhD. It was created by Matt Church. I've created 53 of these….this is how intellectual property really helps you in becoming sought after. It starts off with a statement….then we go into explaining it deeper…step 3 is the stories, the case studies…Teresa Dudwell…Robyn Sharma…Mark McCoy…Donovan Bailey…Mark Ferris…Then the literature review…Dr. Angela Lee Duckworth…Malcolm Gladwell…Dr Andres Erickson…Finish Line Thinking. After that…focus, action, consistency. Where the three intersect is what I call the Winning Zone. Then there's a metaphor. How a champion thinks is like how the best operating system runs a computer. Both are designed to generate top notch performance. Finally we've got..variations of that original statement. The formal palette…a casual palette…a simple palette…inspiring palette…pragmatic palette…wise palette Why i

Meredith Liepelt Rising Star Publicity Since 2007, Meredith Liepelt, CEO of Rising Star Publicity, has guided experts to become recognized authorities in the media, online, and in person. When clients master the strategies she teaches, they make a name for themselves in their industries by securing media spots, speaking engagements, and through other opportunities to showcase their expertise in front of potential clients and influencers, so they can make more money. http://www.RisingStarPublicity.com Free gift: https://www.risingstarpublicity.com/mediakitchecklist Free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thevisibilitycollaborative Courage plays a really big part. When we as personal brands are putting ourselves out there, it is very vulnerable. There's risk to that. We're showing up…who likes me?..And somebody will. You have to be yourself as you go out there because when you try to be somebody else, that just doesn't work. Being secure in who you are and knowing who you are so that you can put yourself out there in a real genuine way, that's how you will resonate with your people. Become clear on 'what are your intentions?' Everything with marketing starts with Who do you want to help? What are their issues? What are they struggling with? And then you criss-cross that with Who are you? How can you help them? What's my message?…Then How do I want to show up? All these things tell a story about who you are and being courageous in staking your claim and saying 'This is who I am. This is what I believe…This is my message and This is who I can help. Are you ready?' Show up the same on every platform. Show up the same in person as you do online. Make sure that you're being real in everything…Don't ever strive to be perfect….And help people in the way that you are uniquely positioned to help. The truth is, you have to look at your own innate strengths. What do you naturally gravitate toward?…Maybe that's something that you need to pursue. Writing can take all kinds of forms…How do you want to show up in writing? What's natural to you? If you're a talker? How can that show up?…And how are you going to do it in your way? I'm being courageous….trying something new…and working on it. You can stay in your comfort zone. And there are times to stay in our comfort zone and there are times to go out into our courage zone. When we are on a growth path and we know it's time to up-level…growth is not comfortable…you stretch…and you operate in your courage zone. And you learn..along the way. We don't try for perfection. We just try for better than yesterday. Some people really want to go on television because that is a fast way to become known as an expert. Being quoted in articles in your industry… Certainly media helps with that third party credibility….It's there for you forever. TV…is available from the get-go….if you are truly an expert and you have some value to bring to the audience…they do want to see on camera…do a video of you talking…they want see your energy…then…how can you bring value….what can you demonstrate…what kind of actionable tips can you bring… Start local!….Ellen or Steve Harvey are not your first steps… Your path to going on national television, is to go on local television….because media begets media….here's my sizzle reel…. A media kit…you can just have this on your website…it's important to be ready for media…your url.com/media...bio, headshot, lifestyle photos, sample interview questions, video..when they see you're ready, they are going to remember you. Most people are not ready. The headshot has to look like you. And lifestyle photos? Make sure that they reflect who you are currently. Same with videos. As you morph and change, go in and update. Stay current. Television right now looks a lot like what we are doing right now….people are in their homes…you can go on television from the comfort of your own home. I think that will stick around for a while. You can put your branding around you. You can show people where you are and where you work and there's something intimate about that and there's opportunities there for your personal brand to be showcased on television. The fact that we can be our own media channels… There's the media you go out there and earn…and there's the media you own… Getting the media coverage is step one…leveraging it is where the juice comes in…start before you even get it…post…put links on your site…ask friends and colleagues to share…update your bio….update your sizzle reel…I have a whole article on how to leverage your publicity. A trailblazer is someone who has a path to pave. They have a vision. They know what they're in business for….my esthetician with a dream….this unleveling idea and the idea that 'I'm going to make it happen…' When the bumps come, you can get back to your foundation of Why is this important to me? What is my vision? What is my path? …and you can keep going. There's not a lot out there that's brand new. So, how do you want to show up?

Lauren V. Davis Lauren Davis Creative Lauren Davis will help you create memorable personal branding messages that convert to engagement and life-long clients. Originally (and still) a record store owner since 2006, Lauren learned early on how to transform one-hit tactics into a personalized brand that drives legendary visibility. The leadership and drive Lauren found building an iconic staple in her community and nationwide inspired the creation of Lauren Davis Creative in 2010, a marketing and branding consultancy that works closely with entrepreneurs on aligning, developing, and encouraging the Real Personal Brand inside them, making them highly visible, to become the authority in their industry. Lauren has received senate recognition for her support of small-businesses through her non-for-profit that helps educate Local Businesses and is a featured marketing expert in Reader's Digest, HuffPost, and on global top-rated podcasts. Finally, Lauren host's her own show, The Real Personal Branding Podcast, where she uncovers the secrets of personal brand building online from some of the top thought-leaders, speakers, authors, and coaches in the world. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ldaviscreative/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/understandsocialmedia Lead Magnet: https://lauren-davis-creative.ck.page/aca6b3a010 Podcast: https://laurendaviscreative.com/show/ I work with people building a personal brand…as well as small brick and mortar businesses… What I always truly believe is that businesses should try and take as much control over their online brand as possible….in the most minuscule way, building your social media platforms on the ones where you're serving your customer… If you have the ability to take ownership over your name..on a certain platform, you should probably do it. That doesn't mean you should let accounts sit there and die and not have any movement…there are simple ways to keep them active… I would recommend…Googling yourself…ask yourself, 'How am I showing up to other people online?'…I put all the different ways my name could be spelled or listed..and I also set up Goggle alerts. That way when my name gets mentioned…Google is going to send me an email. We have a lot of control honestly. You can take advantage of all of the free social media platforms, you can build your website and it takes a little bit of effort to really dive in to what will bring people to your website first. You can control the narrative of how your presence shows up online and you might as well do it because it's going to help your particular unique audience find you better. The one thing you always have control over, the one thing you can constantly do is create more content. So continue to create good content. If you find something you don't necessarily like, maybe do some deep digging into what you don't like about that article and see how you can truly correct it from the inside out. ..Show up as the real person that you are. As the genuine person that you are…there's gonna be no ability to be fake or be disingenuous anymore. No hacks, no bought growth. That kind of stuff is out and conversations and real genuine relationships with your audience are in in a big, big way. If you're not taking advantage of that, if you're not holding that dear to your heart, then my recommendation would be to start getting serious about that. It boils down to knowing who your audience is….and let me tell you how I would recommend getting to know your audience. If you think of a networking event…you show up…maybe a person comes up to you and shoves their business card in your face and they do their elevator pitch at you and your eyes kind of glaze over…we've all been there where this person is just pitching you right off the bat…who is this person? I'm never gonna do business with them. This is so off-putting and so annoying. Situation 2…they come up and ask you a very directed question…and as your answering, they're looking over the top of your head…and looking for the next best person to talk to and not even listening…at the end of that interaction, you don't feel good. Situation #3..you spend time connecting with someone..this has been so great getting to know you. You both ask questions back and forth. And you feel…this is someone I want to get to know. Then you set up a coffee date…and then you decide maybe we can do business together. That feel much more real and aligned. If social media is feeling strained and forced to you…it might be because it's not aligned with how you get to know people in real life. You can use social media just as you would be yourself in real life. Start with those 15 people that always come and watch your posts or like your posts…there's a reason why those people always like your posts..Don't ignore them. Pay attention to the people that are already at your party. Thinking about our audience, many time we just thing about the demographics. (what gender, where they live) But there's al

Chukky Okobi Basic Instructions Mind Mastery An 8 year veteran of the National Football League and a Super Bowl winner with his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers, today he's an emotional intelligence and integrative psychology professional, using his psychology expertise not only as a Keynote & Motivational speaker, but mainly as a mental performance coach for startup founders and entrepreneurs. Through his own professional journey through business, college and professional sports, Chukky Okobi has the personal experience to guide other ambitious corporate leaders to recognize that Success is Simple...if you know the Basic Instructions of Mind Mastery BasicInstructions.com http://linkedin.com/in/chukky-okobi-a4596417 What would that feel like for me to win the Super Bowl?…it's a feeling you're already intimately familiar with. Think back on those memories that gave you those butterflies, that feeling of excitement in your stomach and they made your pulse race…the things that felt so right, it almost feels wrong. And if you can just envision that feeling right there. That's what it feels like to win the Super Bowl. If you can see that in your mind, then you can be it. Imagine feeling that type of satisfaction…in your marriage…in your business or your career…in your relationships…that's what we're talking about. We're talking about Super Bowl level success. Everyone's got their own version of success….for me, mine just happened to be the Super Bowl…if you're a physicist, then winning a Nobel Prize might be your Super Bowl victory. For each and every person it's about determining…what is the best possible experience I can imagine for myself? That's your Super Bowl. When I talk about Basic Instructions, it's more than just a title or an LLC…that's actually Basic Instruction #2…and that is decide on your specific desired outcome. One of the big things I run into is…I can't tell you how many times I've heard this verbatim…"I know exactly what I don't want. But, I have no clue what I do want." It tells me there are some things going on at a deeper level that are leading them to stay focused on what they don't want. To the point where they haven't even considered what they want. They are just focused on avoiding that pain. Zig Ziglar..said..'If you don't know where you're going. You'll probably end up somewhere else.' So, yeah, it's that important to know exactly what you want. So what exactly do you want? Some people might say "I just want to make more money." Basic Instruction #2 : decide on your SPECIFIC desire outcome. So, if you want more money, alright, I've got a quarter right here….you said you wanted more money, I got you a quarter. Is that not more money? My first specific desired outcome was to play for the Pirates. But, that's something I didn't quite make and I had this football thing to fall back on, so I was ok. I found sports and I found my male role models in my coaches…the men who told me what it was like to be a successful human being. For me, it was more of an emotional and spiritual journey…playing sports…that was the place that I felt the most self-worth. I had this vision in my mind and the value I was going to being to the world as an athlete. So because I stayed focused on that desired outcome of becoming a professional athlete and going home to Pittsburg from age 7 all the way to age 22 when I was drafted, I got the specific desired outcome I wanted. There's 4 Basic Instructions…you have to do them in order….and you can't leave any of them out in order for this to work the way it did for me. Basic Instruction #1 : Let go of the past…without a shadow of a doubt, leaving that behind. It's all about the way out human minds work. We have two types of thinking as human beings…it's about a 10%/90% split. You have a conscious mind and you have the unconscious mind. Imagine a picture of a little girl. Maybe she's 3 or 4 years old…and imagine she has a dog…beautiful, beautiful Great Dane….she's a 3 year old girl and this is 160 lb Great Dane..but it's like Scooby Doo…just loves her and would never hurt her in a million years. That little girl…is your conscious mind. She's got the leash. She's in control. She makes the decisions…This dog is a lot bigger and stronger than her, but it's a dog. It doesn't think in complex ways…that dog is your unconscious mind. The conscious mind is your everyday thinking. The complex thinking… Your unconscious mind, the dog, think about that as the animal mind…that mind is in charge of all of your instincts, your feelings and has the most important job to your existence and that is to keep you alive… This dog is so big and strong..that mind is so powerful, it remembers everything that ever happened to you…since you were conceived. Every experience that has any type of emotion attached to it? It's still in there. And that can be an issue depending on what it is. I like to illustrate how we hold onto those emotions…this way…envision a long hallway…with all these doors on eit

ED Dudley We Are Connect-ED ED is a collaborative connector, servant leader, community builder, social entrepreneur and public speaker. With over 20 years in financial services arena in various positions such a Senior Vice President, he left the corporate world and founded We Are Connect-ED, a business consulting and professional networking firm with a mission to be a bridge to form strategic alliances, partnerships and collaboration for all humanity. ED is very active in the community and serves on several nonprofit boards such as Board Vice President of SwingPals, Intermin Board Chair for United Against Slavery, Co-Founder/Steering Committee member of 100 Men Who Give A Damn, Director of Diversity & Inclusion for the Financial Planners Association of the Triangle and Co-founder of Shining Light In Darkness www.weareconnect-ed.com https://www.facebook.com/weareconnected1 https://www.instagram.com/weareconnect_ed/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/weareconnect-ed I spent so many years in financial services and I loved it…had a good career….but I was so busy chasing the dollar and chasing the title….but when I formed Connect-ED, I found my passion. I live my life by a very simple phrase…Give and it shall be given unto you. So my part of giving is 'let me know how I can serve you or your network.' It's all about uplifting people. It's not about the money for me. Money will eventually come. Money comes and money goes. But…getting a message that says 'Ed, that was an amazing connection.' I'm all about connecting people to other people, opportunities or resources. Or what I call PROs. And…if I can do that, I feel great. I was part of a networking group…Nate Brown, Networking with Nate…I want to go somewhere and make it a little more diverse….I completely shifted from the way I was going to do it to the way you see it now. My spark…was…David Baum….a light went off in me…I've been doing this all my life but I haven't been intentional with it. Now I'm intentional when I connect someone together. It's always the fear of the unknown. We don't know what's around the corner. That's the problem. I got real comfortable. We are all about helping people build strategic alliances. And I don't care if that's in your professional life or you personal life. It started off as connecting business leaders and entrepreneurs together in a safe space. It was about bringing the quality people together…but slowly…there was a shift in my mindset…what I noticed was…people need to be connected to each other. So we opened it up… We do it across several cities in several states….and I'm hoping we will be on another continent by the end of the year. I was having one of those rough days…this entrepreneur called me…I just gotta thank you because you introduced me to this resource that I never knew about and this is going to change the way I do business…what I thought was something small, was huge to her. And that just gave me so much joy. I get pure joy being able to serve someone else. I believe the universe will give you what you need when you need it. I know some people that are very strategic and everything has to be A,B,C & D. Me? I just jumped in and figured it out. And I'm still figuring it out. If you have an idea or something that you want to do? Just jump in it. There's so many free resources for anything you want to do….you can go to YouTube, you can Google it, and you can create a business, a side hustle, a hobby, whatever you want to do it's at your fingertips. Don't worry about trying to plan so much that you miss the boat. I know people that have been planning for years and never done anything. FEAR: false evidence appearing real. We've had some of the best meetings with only a handful of people because we were able to dive deep. I don't let fear stop me from doing anything anymore and I try and tell people, don't let it stop you….fear will paralyze a lot of people and then you'll look a year, three years, five years, ten years have passed and you've been stuck in the same place because you were scared. I divide my network into 3 categories…my ABC's My A's are my Advocates… Next are my Builders… My Consumers… I've disconnected from a lot of people simply because they were what I consider 'users'. You don't have to do something for me? I'm ok with that….but if I see that you're not trying to do something for someone else or all you're trying to do is about self-gain… People will actually put themselves in that group…so I in turn try to be advocates for certain people. In financial services, it's all about the numbers. The bottom line and the revenue. And I got tired..what about people? Not from a monetary standpoint, but in life as a whole? I'm not a numbers guy any more. I wake up in the morning….who can I serve today? I'm on a mission this year to serve 1,000 people…it might be just an introduction, it might be buying somebody a cup of coffee… At the end of the day, we all have to put a roof over our head and food in our stomac

Beth Strange Beth Strange Strategy As an Elite Performance Strategist, Certified High Performance Coach, speaker, and writer, I help extraordinary top performers and entrepreneurs to BE, DO, and HAVE what they want and need in their professional and personal lives. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate with distinction from Penn State University with a degree in Linguistics, and Harvard Neuroscience Certification, I spent my early career as an educator, administrator, and business owner in the branding and reputation management industry. My guiding principle is to always do the right thing, a principle I believe is a professional's most valuable asset. My bottom line is measured by the satisfaction and success of my clients. Prior to my full-time strategist role, I spent 25 years assisting high-profile and emerging corporations, academic institutions, groups, and individuals in defining and refining their presence and becoming influential by applying proven principles in reputation, brand, public relations, and image management. I've obtained certification as an internationally Certified Image Professional and Brand Analyst with extensive certifications, education, and experience in Presence Management industries. Native Pennsylvanians, my husband, Michael, and I and our seven children have also lived in Hawaii, Georgia, and Maryland. Now that I've been a North Carolina resident for the past nine years, I never want to leave. I enjoy playing as a concert flautist, cherishing my children and grandchildren, serving in my church, training at the gym, appreciating performance cars, renovating our yacht, and regaining my perspective by the ocean. https://BethStrange.com https://www.facebook.com/beth.y.strange/ https://www.instagram.com/beth.strange/ It's numerable small, almost imperceptible elements that weave into a tapestry. They've arrived by strategy and by default….Some built their brand brick by brick…others just kind of fell into it. I don't think Kim Kardashian has a brick by brick strategy….Warren Buffett…a lot more strategic. There is kind of a magic potion and mix…Coco Chanel, professional athletes… The Branding Pyramid….the bottom is Purpose. What is the brand's purpose? That spills into what are the values, what's the mission?…Your purpose will be wide spread. What is the Personality of your brand? What are the characteristics? What is the visual identity of your brand? What's the Promise of the brand? What problem do you solve? What are you giving with your brand? A lot of brands aren't really providing much value and they are usually a flash and burn. At the very top…this is where we really need to strategize and constantly be evaluating and controlling the Point of difference. …What makes you one-of-a-kind? Unique is not the best word…what is the distinction? You cannot build and iconic brand without any of these steps in the pyramid. It will fall over. I will submit that we can and must control all of it. We talk about image, brand, reputation, PR, presence…they all dovetail. Not one of them is an island. This will be the pre-K version of the distinction between those: every individual has an image, but not every individual has a brand….a person's image is essentially how they seem….generally this is the physical manifestation of a human being. Brand is an individual's representation in the marketplace. As soon as a person appears in a market, they now have a brand….how do they appear…behave…communicate. Reputation are the long standing beliefs of others about your image and your brand. Image and brand are self focused, self defined..reputation is other defined. What is the definition of an iconic brand? …a very broad definition is…a person or product that inspires unbreakable loyalty in its people. Apple….Disney…the most powerful brand in the world by all the metrics…was Lego. …Unbreakable loyalty…is #1. #2…iconic brands polarize their people. Nike. That's not a negative thing. We should all be polarizing. We should have people that are with us or not so much. Polarizing is one of the smartest brand strategies for up and coming iconic brands. Think about Coke and Pepsi. Almond Joy and Mounds. To build unshakable loyalty….in no particular order… Be Distinct - then protecting that distinction Appeal Emotionally to Our Community - Google's emotional appeal to people is…we're going to be easy for you to use You Must Innovate. You must be able to pivot…realign. Netflix vs. Blockbuster Generate Affinity For a Life/Lifestyle That Your People Want - Harley Davidson Remain True and Committed To Your Purpose and Your Values - Coca Cola changed its formula and nobody liked it Be The One and Only - Amazon…their one click checkout…even if its very small, what is the one and only Concentrate on Your People, Not Your Product - Starbucks kills it with that…coffee was the product, but…it was all about the people Become a Master Storyteller - Girl Scouts of America and their cookie sales…NorthFace is another one Become Eli

Manuel Astruc is an experienced psychiatrist. His own struggles with burnout, addiction and depression inspired him to start Your Next Act, his coaching program for high performing entrepreneurs. Manuel takes what he's learned working in the field, his work as an entrepreneur and his own life experiences and brings it to entrepreneurs to help them with "the other side of success." The outside world sees one side of a successful entrepreneur, but there is another side to success. From stressed out to burnt out to numbed out, high-achievers pay a price for their success that they keep to themselves. Dr. Astruc helps others recognize how focusing on their mental fitness translates into greater success, both in life and in business. https://manuelastruc.com/free/ There are 3 components to burnout. One is the sense of emotional exhaustion. Second is the cynicism that starts to seep into your life…and third is a feeling like you're no longer effective at what you do. The factors that contribute are…not feeling like you have much autonomy of efficacy, demands that exceed your abilities to produce, and life becomes a bit of a treadmill. One day looks just like the next…. The mental exhaustion is certainly is a fatigue component. Burnout is not…a medical condition that needs to be treated with medication, but left unchecked, you can certainly move into depression. Whenever we studied the disease, we all had the disease because everything is a continuum. With burnout, the leading edge indicators are smaller components…no longer feeling satisfied with work, starting to get tired and no longer looking forward to going into work… Not doing work where we have a sense of purpose (is a big component of it) or that are aligned with our interests. One of the things I talk about in Your Next Act is life by design. Most of us follow life by default. We get on this treadmill of expectation that when we get to wherever we are supposed to get, now we are there and there's something good that's supposed to happen. ….on the weekends that same person is the captain of the company's baseball team and that person really loves baseball. That little bit of satisfaction that really is purposeful for them and meaningful to them can mitigate the 4 hours a week that are a bit of a grind. By intentionally being able to look for and add parts of our life that we find rewarding…and it can be just 10% of your day…you can do a lot to move the needle with burnout. I was burnt out for a long time…It was right after my twin sister passed away from a brain tumor… I said something's gotta change. I immediately started to make change with things I could control. I focused on one meal a day that I could eat better…I exercised 5 minutes a day…I turned off the news…I put on podcasts…I involved myself in thinking about a bigger future for myself. The idea of how to be happy…is not something that we're taught. I've come up with a way…and teach folks how to do that. The first part of happiness is starting to ramp up your energy. Move more. Eat better. Focus on your sleep. Gratitude practice. 4 Pillars: We are never finished products. Learning and growing is part of what keeps us alive and engaged. Connect. Our human relationships, our community, our tribe is so important. Blazing your own trail. …we want to make sure we are intentionally…following our curiosity, figuring out what we're good at, our purpose. It can be daunting but it can also be really simple….give yourself the grace of time to figure it out. The commitment to enjoying the ride no matter what. …from Victor Frankel Man's Search for Meaning, we always have the ability to choose our attitude no matter what the circumstances. What I have found is the more focused I become on 'it's up to me to create the environment that sustains me and that let's me enjoy the ride, the less tolerance I have for toxicity. Finding connection, finding the community and the tribe that sustain us and that are like minded is really important. I've got a group of people that say they've been in training for the shutdown their entire lives… I've got some people who are really suffering… The language shapes so much of the meaning and the story in our head. There was a really big discussion around that term social distancing and that we are really talking about it wrong. We should be saying physical distancing. The language that we use is going to shape the experience. If we don't address burnout…you get sick. At the very best, you're miserable…in the long run people get depressed, people suffer, people are lonely and…ultimately the impact on our physical health and mental health is huge. We look for that 10% often that's something that comes in with a neon sign….but there are so many things that are awe inspiring…that can just bring delight to us. Driving into work, the sun, the clouds, things turning green…these are things that are everyday sources of joy and inspiration that when I'm looking for them, is much easier to

Travis Chappell is the founder and CEO of Guestio, a new software that connects high level guests with high level content creators, and he is the host of the top rated show, Build Your Network. In addition to being featured in Entrepreneur, NASDAQ, Yahoo Finance, and ReadWrite, Travis has also been featured in Forbes as a top ten podcast that will change your life alongside Joe Rogan, Gary Vaynerchuck, Tim Ferriss, and others. Most people never took the time out to realize how important it is. So, they don't have any systems…it's very much on accident…they leave it up to chance. For me, it's everything. For everything that I've been able to do, it's all reliant on my network. I can now shave or months or potentially years off a learning curve or save myself a lot of money. Like when we were building this new software company called Guestio. I had no idea how to run a software company. I still don't….but because I had people in my network…that advice is always better than a quick Google search. You are the people that you hang out with the most. So, choose them wisely. Start a podcast and interview those people. It's the best way to get your foot in the door. It's the best way to have a conversation with somebody that normally doesn't have time. I'd love to connect with everyone that reaches out to me…but if there's no reason for the call, it's hard for me to find time in my schedule to make that happen. But, if it's a podcast interview then it's easier for me to find time to make that happen. I would ask myself, what would be a content channel I could start that would allow me to connect with these people? Whether it's a podcast, a Meet Up group, a live event, a virtual event, a YouTube channel, IGTV show, whatever it is you want to do. Build some sort of content platform that allows you to be able to connect with those people a little bit easier. At first I was open to anybody…which I think there's merit to that when you're first getting started. Be willing and open to having a conversation with everybody. I think people when they start something don't know what to do so they choose to do nothing instead of choosing to do something and I was always in the boat of 'better do something' 'fill up my schedule with something…I don't know what it is, but I'll fill up my schedule..' Then I started getting to where my schedule was full all the time..and now I just have to be a little bit more picky…because I literally don't have the time. You have to become a more valuable person. Your network will increase in direct proportion to the amount of value you can add to other people. With me it's a little more exaggerated because the asset I've been able to build is a public facing asset….that's not always the case… If you are that low key person…it may take longer, but it will happen…to me it's thinking about it in simple supply and demand economics. If you want your time to be worth more then you have to make it more in demand. Why would somebody else want my time? That's really the question you need to answer. Because I have some sort of knowledge to offer? Because I have some sort of content to offer? Do I have some sort of connection to offer? Do I have finances or money I can offer? Your time is the only thing that's completely scarce…It's the only real asset that we have in life. Money can be replenished. Time can never be replenished. So it's by definition in low supply. So if you make it in high demand…it's worth more. If you're talking about adding value to a specific person, then you can't just do a blanket statement of what could bring value….people with a lot of money? They really don't care that you're going to pay them $100 to jump on a phone call, they're still going to say 'no.'…but I guarantee you that something is valuable to them. You just have to figure out what that thing could be. If you can master adding value…you can master networking….because that's all it is. Adding value to people at scale. It's going to vary from person to person because people value different things. The only way I would know is if I followed your stuff meticulously or if I asked you a ton of questions or if I knew somebody in your circle…you're probably going to have to do a bit of investigative work to figure out what's valuable to some people. A continuous relationship is based on continual value exchanges. Every relationship is based on mutual reciprocation of value in some way. In general, no matter who you're trying to connect with, if you're always focusing on making yourself a better person, then you're probably going to be more valuable to just about everybody you connect with because you have more things to offer more people. The Apostle Paul…Paul was one of the best sales people of all time…said 'I'm all things to all people so that I might by some means win some' or something like that. It's the best networking advice I could give to anybody which is learn how to be able to be valuable in multiple circles and n

Jane Tabachnick is a content and PR strategist who works with mission-driven authors, coaches and consultants who are frustrated they're not better known. She helps them become highly visible and seen as the authority in their industry so they attract more pre-sold clients and can grow their business more and easily. Founder of Simply Good Press, a book publishing and PR company, Jane has helped over 200 authors achieve bestseller status. Named one of the top 100 people online by Fast Company, Jane is often quoted in the media. PR in the textbook definition is communicating with your stakeholders…but the way most of us use it is public relations or the result of it which is publicity. In a model called PESO (paid, earned, shared owned) it's the highest form of content. Owned content would be your website, social media profiles…you control the content. With earned media, you earn the right to be featured….when they invite you to be in front of their audience, they're saying you've reached this level and they've basically vetted you. And it gives the impression…of being an endorsement from the media. No one cares what you say about you. What matters is what other people say about you. Start right away. Every day you can do something simple. Follow or like and share the content of certain writers and editors so you get on their radar. It feels good to help support someone in this way. Show that you are listening, reading, watching. Their content being seen is important on a lot of levels to them….it can help them get their work seen so that they get more work. Understand your audience…and know where they spend time. Know what media outlets they're interested in. You want to be strategic about it….build relationships on platforms where your audience already spends time…and try and understand what kind of content they like. There are really 3 ways you can get publicity. 1.Doing it yourself. There are a lot of great free tools. 2. You can hire a firm, which can be expensive or 3. The hybrid method. You can do your own PR and then outsource pieces of it. You can't hope. If you want something to happen, you need to proactive about it. It's when preparation meets opportunity….you have to create those opportunities. Find out who the right people are….staffers will often have in their bio exactly what topics they cover. Don't pitch them off-topic. Create your pitch in a way that you let the media know that you have something that their audience will value….because of 'this'. Sometimes you have to connect the dots. Don't be afraid to spell it out…but focus on the value of what's in it for the audience…what's in it for them. When you pitch a traditional media outlet, they would be writing about you. There is a form of content marketing….where you could pitch..on contributing an article. Writing the articles, even if you don't consider yourself to be a writer, can be valuable. You have to check out the outlet and see what their requirements are. Again. you're getting that perceived endorsement…and it's third party credibility…and it can show up in the search engines. You can use social media to build those relationships…I call it hugging an influencer. Just by doing this and building this relationship, she got invited onto one of the top podcasts that there is. Share the press that you get. I call it re-promoting. We want to make sure everybody sees and knows that we've got that press. Mostly all press is good press. Their job is to write things as they see them. Create some really good press…to push that down. You can't hide it…but you can create a lot of good things that will show up so that's less visible. It hits hard when we get negative press. 1. Set up a media room on your website….and link it from the top navigation so it's easy to find…it's often read as much as your 'about' page. 2. Repurpose it. Tag the media outlet and tag the writer. 3. Share it. You can break it into smaller pieces. The easiest are probably local media outlets. There's a lot of syndication amongst newspapers. I know people who's stories got picked up because they were featured in the local paper and the anchor saw it. Unless an outlet doesn't align with your values…I would say don't poo-poo an outlet and think that it's too small. Mistakes : pitching off topic…focus on you You want to custom tailor your pitch. A few targeted, automized pitches are more effective than just blasting out a lot of generic ones. Visibility Assessment : Online Visibility Assessment https://janetabachnick.com/assessment Hire it out when….your company has some news that's a pivot point…or when the company hits a growth point…it's not just about the money, you have have the internal resources to work with a PR consultant or team to get the best results. Mark Cuban has said he believes we are the best person to pitch ourselves….a PR professional will know how to pitch and they won't feel as personal about it…and have some of the relationships already. It's 50/50 Ther

Michelle Griffin is a certified personal brand strategist, StoryBrand Certified Guide and marketing/PR mentor for experts and entrepreneurs who want to become the face of their business with authentic, memorable and in-demand personal brands. She is the Founder BRANDThority, a personal branding consultancy that helps entrepreneurs present their best selves online. Michelle is also the host of the upcoming Personal Brand Matters podcast and a frequent podcast guest, LinkedIn content creator and weekly Clubhouse moderator. When she's not helping people stand out online, you can find Michelle enjoying the outdoors of sunny Florida, discovering the latest gluten/dairy-free offerings or planning her next home renovation project. Learn more about Michelle at MichelleBGriffin.com and follow her on LinkedIn for daily personal brand building tips or with her drop by her weekly Personal Brand Building Room on Clubhouse. [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellebgriffin/ Clubhouse: @MichelleGrififn MichelleGriffinMedia.com It starts with us on the inside….define their values, mission, purpose…all of that…we have to know who we are on the inside before we go to the external, which is all about your customer. That's one of the biggest misconceptions. I have something called Own Your Message, which is a 7-8 step process that I take people through all the way from their power to their purpose. Everyone has something unique…we either have a story that you went through, a perspective, a belief..and so when you marry your uniqueness, your beliefs, your perspective, the people you're serving, the industry…it is unique. It's just because we haven't dug deep to realize what it is yet. First we have to know who we are, but in context it's going to be about (who we are talking to) Show up as yourself to help some One. No everyone. Someone. It's psychographics. You have to know who they are, their pain point…it should be about a problem, not so much a niche…their challenges, needs, interests, desires..and start speaking to them in their language, that's exactly how you're going to break through and be un-copyable and have a competitive advantage. …and then we bring it into your messaging. So it's branding, messaging, then the marketing because you have to get out there and build awareness and then, my last stage is visibility. That's a constant thing. We can't just show up once. We have to show up consistently. The visibility is also about listening to your customers and keep serving them with amazing content, whatever you are comfortable with. The story is always going to be about them. But as as personal brand, you're showing up as your story so there's a connection. You're going to be the guide. We're talking about their problem and…most often, we've experienced this problem…your story is how you've had this same problem that they are trying to overcome… Lead with the story in their heads. Show up as that person that understand them….80% of the time, you are talking about them….you can show that personal side, which then makes it like a friend to friend situation. To a certain degree that you've overcome something that they are trying to solve…you're a helpful guide who's been there, done that…you show your humanness and your realness, which is relatable. No one wants perfect. There's a fine line. If you show up as 'I get you', 'I've had first-hand experience',…'I've overcome this', 'I have a way. Let me how you how'..then that's the way to do it. You balance the realness with the reality. As a personal brand, first you need to identify…why am I showing up? I need to know your why, what you're all about, you mission…there's usually some backstory. Well, who do you want to help?…there's different ways to position them…we will craft the branding and messaging around the problems. Then we will show up as the guide….and then tie it into their personal story. Trust is everything. Lead with the problem and alleviate that problem. Always look for the thing that makes you stand out. Branding is what other people think of you. Marketing is what you tell people. Branding is what other people think of you. Branding is your stamp of who you are, what you stand for, your how….it's the perception you're creating around yourself. A mother with a dog, a senior with a dog….they all love their dogs but they have different problems surrounding that dog…connect your why to their problem. You always want to be in control of your narrative. People are going to mis-assume…unless you control the narrative. It's not about how you want to be. It's about how you want to be to serve others. Personal branding isn't about 'Me', it's just about me as the product….show up as the real you to help others. Some people show up and don't really know who they are, then their fail in their marketing or in connecting to the right clients…because they haven't really aligned with who they want to serve and how they want to show up. If

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 Black Enterprise, 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. jerome myers Myers Methods https://www.jeromemyers.co #coaching They're taught to be practical. Typically the people around them want to protect them from having disappointment…so they keep them from stretching and growing and potentially 'failing'. The mindset we adopt usually comes from what's given to us. Until we make a deliberate decision to set our reality, our reality is programmed for us. Unless they've had a tough moment in their life where they started to question everything…they haven't done the reflection to know what they really feel and believe and hold to be true. We break that by starting to ask some really tough questions. I think that what happens very often is we just adopt the things that were done around us. And we never question them. What happens when somebody sneezes? Most people say 'Bless You.' Well, why..? I personally don't bless people when they sneeze because…. When you get ready to make the transformation, the first piece is awareness. Being aware that there is something different. Is this it? Is this really what I'm supposed to be doing? Do I really believe that? And there is a disconnect…and we traditionally ignore that. If you go down the rabbit hole…and start pulling on the wires and see what's really hard wired and what's loosely connected, you'll find a lot of the things that appear to be locked in and hardwired are really loose. People wrap a chain around a gate, but won't put a lock on the end. People will assume it's locked…But there are people who will go up and see that we can just unravel the chain and go in. And that right there is the secret to those who achieve crazy success and those who wind up living a pretty mediocre life. They just assume something is locked and don't even try to figure out if they can get in. We don't ever really understand our power until we choose to explore it. The elephant…has already made up its mind that it won't be successful at that, so it doesn't even try. Self worth is level one of The Red Pill….it really just goes back to your ability to keep promises to yourself….it's like a deposit in the bank….there's nothing left to pull from. So when they're counting on themselves to do something and there's nothing left to pull from, they decide that they can't or won't do it. Keep stacking that up? And it will make you feel like you're worthless. You wind up building this prison for yourself that you can't get out of without a little bit of help. Set up your day where you can have a win as soon as possible. You build momentum and that momentum keeps going. When you're accountable to yourself, your ability to hold other people accountable is really easy. Other people will be more accountable to you when they know that you're an accountable person because they don't want to let you down. The thing with forgiveness for ourself is we actually know how hard we tried and what our true intention was. There is no ability to lie to yourself because you are the decision maker in the process. With other people, we can give them the benefit of the doubt. The forgiveness is for you. It's not for them. People like being the victim because they feel that it puts them in a position of power against the other person. "Well, you owe me because you did X." But at the end of the day, you're giving your power away to everybody else. The second layer of the Red Pill is relationships. You fix the way you relate with yourself and that changes the way you relate with others. You want mutually beneficial relationships. People with low self esteem are giving everything away in the hopes that people will find them worthy. In a mutually beneficial relationship…you wind up in a place of abundance. Liz Gilbert…wrote a book…a lot of the creatives had these tough situations..because the weight…was so heavy that they couldn't handle it…channeling the creative through them….so not responsible for the work. Jacko Willink talks about extreme ownership I think the truth is somewhere in between. In order for something to have value, there has to be an exchange. Sit in t

Noa Ronen is your out of the box coach. She is also an author, vlogger, disruptor, and coffee lover. She brings more than 20 years of experience in Change Management, Human Resources, Project Management, and coaching. She encourages progressive and social business leaders and their teams to challenge the norms so they can create the change they desire. Noa's personal relocation experience resulted in a refreshing view of the world that invites you rather than looking for others' differences to open your mind and heart to see people and situations differently. This is what Noa calls BEyond Leadership where your new way of being inspires and influences others. If you would like to go to BEyond: Leadership check her book: BEyond: Leadership from AwareLess to AwareNess. I moved to the US from Israel…and before the move, I worked in human resources, change management consulting and was in executive roles…I knew it would take some time but I thought things would be easy and I would find a job and everything will be fine. A big chunk of it was that speaking was my forte. I knew at a very early age that when I open my mouth and I speak, I can influence people. And suddenly when I open my mouth, people see that I'm not from here. And they can see the gap in language skills and most important, in my head, I felt like my English was not good enough. And that voice in my head….telling me I'm not good enough and I'll never be able to close the gap? That was not helpful. Most of us walk with that voice that we're not good enough….or why bother? And when we are…aware less…we keep self sabotaging ourselves without even knowing. The saboteur voice, the inner critic. The role of that voice is to tell you stay where you are…here you will not fail. "Yet"….. I went for a lot of little failures. I failed trying to replicate the life I had in the US. I was too much in my 'doing'. I started blogging. Blogging then was like podcasting today. It was for me playing and having fun. I am going through grief. I had to let go of the Noa I had in Israel and find myself. How come that woman that was always able to bring results cannot bring results? That was the part that brought me to coaching. From reading my blog. I still had that inner voice. I went to Toastmasters I started speaking and then people said 'Where is the book?' That was the first time I was able to conquer that voice and say I'm done with you. I wrote the book in English…so we are done! Because of the way you speak…when we need to listen to you…we need to listen to you differently. And that's what makes it so special about you. I represent different. I speak different. I always had a different voice. I was raised to have a different voice. I believe the pivot started was I was able to deal and people were able to connect with me. Sharing my experience and perspective brought connection. The connection reminds us that we are resourceful and that's when things start to happen. When we look at grief, we always look at it from the perspective of someone who passed away, but if we look at the emotional process…the main experience we are having is who am I going to be without that person? How am I going to redefine myself without that person? If you look at any transition in your life…in all those situations, the questions are the same. How do I redefine myself in this new situation? It's that ability to trust. We have two energies. The doing energy and the being energy. The doing is the focus on action. The being is the thoughts, emotions, fears and hopes.. When we focus on the action….we make the process longer. We stay longer in that tunnel… When you learn to process, there is not a lot of action but you are doing that work… There are some weaknesses that maybe we don't need to pay attention to. Those little holes don't make the boat sink. Part of the burden we walk with is that we need to fix everything. And sometimes giving ourselves that permission to say "no, this is okay"…I don't want to… Give ourselves the permission not to touch it at all or not to touch it now. It can be 'yes, but not now.' There are some areas that we need to struggle with ourselves. If I make other people miserable, I need to do that work. Find the purpose behind. When you own a value like authenticity…I was not able to say I'm going to show up as someone different just to make others feel that I need to look like them….it's part of my uniqueness and who I am. Find peace. Have those open conversations with that part in us….what's the resistance about? What makes me not willing to have you as part of me? Peace within comes from 'I'm welcoming everything inside me.' Always questions the professionals, the smart people. If they something, always go and check it out. Just because they have the title, doesn't mean that they know everything. We are not stuck with the problem. We are stuck with the solution. What if we can see a different solution? What would be possible? Social media links @NoaRCoach htt

Rafat Fields is an international executive leader brand strategist and values-based sales performance coach for Fortune 100 companies. Leveraging her branding expertise, and almost two decades of experience generating 7-figure sales revenue, Rafat connects C-Suite executives to their consumers to generate long-term loyalty. Founder of Powered to Rise Consulting, Rafat helps management align company, customer, and employee core values to grow sustainable results. A National Academy of Sports Medicine CPT and USA Olympic Weightlifter, she applies her athletic discipline to coaching emerging leaders. Through personalized coaching, workshops, and immersive strategy sessions, Rafat empowers corporate professionals to convert their relationships to revenue. Your personal brand is who you are. It is a physical representation of the values and the things you believe in. The day to day of your life represented outwardly to the world. A corporate brand is far more about the company or the product. Just like every company has a mission statement, a vision statement, a set of core values…so should every human being. You really want to have clear definition between the two and where they overlap. When we are in alignment with our values, we do our best work. When you are out of alignment…you are going to have to work much harder at having…productive relationships. At the core root of it all, I think it's about living a shared story. The best thing to do is to figure out what is the separation of each person's unique mission and how can you blend it together to tell a cohesive story. I think that every person should be building their own brand and here's why…influence is really the new currency…to the degree that you have your own platform is the degree that you will be able to generate and create your own influence. Influence is a two way currency. It helps advance your initiatives and purposes but it's also a valuable asset to the company you work for when you find a way to share a story together. In the case of a solopreneur, it's so much simpler. You are the brand. Live your brand. So many people think personal brand strategy is about creating something that doesn't exist when really its about getting to the root of what makes you, you, what makes you go and bringing that to the surface for the world to see. Until you break through that wall and become known, you should be the face of the brand. People connect best with people. Not products. Not things. If you lead with…the person you serve and start with the why, that's going to be the simplest entry point. 99% of the time, it's a human connection point that really advances the relationship. I would not be looking to flip and switch and make the cut in 60 days. A year…two…might be best case when look at leadership transition models. The question is….how much preparation does your audience need? Champion the customer. Get deep into the details of what does it take to affect change and transformation in your customer's life? The thing that you do or the product that you sell is a small component of the process. When it comes to points of vulnerability it's how closely connected do you want your customer to be with you? You can build customer relationships without vulnerability, but…you are not doing your customer the best service because you're limiting the depth of your relationship. We can leverage it by….what are the unique challenges in your business that you are well positioned to serve? A hip pocket skill. It starts with deeply understanding what that problem is going to be and then it's about cultivating the relationships and building that wealth of knowledge and getting it out into the industry in your own voice so that that build a sphere of influence around you. When you are sharing information out into the industry, also remember…what is the lens of your company. Your personal brand is not about you. It's what you can do for them. It's facilitating relationships that are two way. Customers have done roughly 60% of their research online before they ever reach out…when a customer is entering a consideration period, what are they going to find? People are moving away from investing in a company brand. They connect so much better with a person. So CEOs that have active and robust social media profiles, you can see a correlation in the data between their sales revenue and growth. Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Sir Richard Branson Once you start looking intentionally, you'll start finding clues. The things people come to you for over and over again are one of your areas of strength. Where are the places in your day where the work doesn't feel like work? Where can you be an aspirin in their day? Please show your flaws! Gary V…unapologetically him at all times. If you're looking to sell a product good or service, it's a commerce driven business model… Speak to the one….I'm going to bring you on the journey…still speaking to the One but far broader context…more building a

Justin Breen is CEO of the PR firm BrEpic Communications and author of the No. 1 International Best-Selling Book, Epic Business. 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. He is an extremely active member of Entrepreneurs' Organization, Strategic Coach and Abundance 360, and he has an incredible global network of visionaries and exceptional businesses. Bill Gross at the end of his presentation, one of the most successful entrepreneurs on the planet, said "You know, just on a side note, I just really want to add that entrepreneurs really need to do a better job of telling their own story."…so here is one of the most successful people on the planet saying how important storytelling is because it attracts investors, it gets you in front of the right people, it enhances your brand, it helps your core messaging when you're talking to people. There are two things that never change, ever, since humans have existed. 1. is the power of storytelling 2. is the power of relationships. So we've been storytellers since we've been doing paintings on cave walls…we're just a world of storytelling…all this other stuff is just landing the plane. Things that a trained monkey can do…I'm useless at those…but in terms of connecting people on a global level and getting people news at a highest level and immediately knowing what someone's story is? There are very few people in the world that are better at it than I am. So that's a gift that you're born with. So most people don't think that they have a story because most people don't think like that. I hear blah, blah, blah, blah, blah and can immediately turn that into a 300 word story that media really wants to do and the general public cares about. And everyone has that story. Everyone. Everyone. I don't get excited about anything unless there is something to get excited about….if something is interesting…ding, ding, ding, ding and I just put all those dings together. So media needs two things. One is a good story…and then two is a news peg. A news peg is why is it a story now?…The people with the right mindset will hire the right person to do that because why would you try to do something yourself that you're not good at or you don't like to do? That makes no sense to me. I was a journalist for 20 years, created my entire business model based on how PR firms annoyed me for 20 years. So I just saw a problem, created a solution…my company's entire process is literally on the website. No hidden tricks. 4 step process. We come up with the story ideas, my firm writes the story, it becomes a link on the client's website…take that link, pitch it to media all over the world. Media's interested? Put them in touch with the client. All my company does is solve the problem. Nobody cares about what you do. They care about who you are. But if they do care about who you are they will care about what you do. What I hear over and over…is it's a very simple formula to creating a very successful global company. Here's the formula…you see a problem. You create solution to problem. Problem solved. Successful global company. My entire purpose in life is to be a connecting superhero for every visionary, abundance investment mindset entrepreneur and share their stories with the world. So I am so clear on who my audience is. All that does is attract my audience. A lot of …entrepreneurs try to be everything for everyone, my company and me and everything I stand for it's the exact opposite. When I started my company…I reached out to 5000 people to get my first 5 clients. I was reaching out to everybody because I didn't know what I was doing. I was yelling in a crowded room hoping someone would hear me….but eventually you realize who you are, but more importantly who you are not. Companies hire my firm for two reasons 1. My team and me, we know what a story is that's actually newsworthy, not a dumb press release 2. I'm not sending my media contacts around the world a bad story. People at the highest level don't want BS fluff discussion, they just want results. Directness weeds out nonsense and attracts greatness. Headlines should be clear and provocative and direct. I was born with a story. My father was 61 and my mom was 27…you combine genius writer, battlefield, president of company, Nuremberg trial attorney with endless hustle… I'm just listening for a story. That's an incredible story. Really? That's just my life….most people don't understand that they have a story and some, they are so close to it they don't think it's that big of a deal but in fact it's a huge deal. My gallup strength finders…my top two activator, maximizer….my brain is a CRM of connectivity. I tre

Andy Greider ; McOmber Insurance Partners Born in Palmyra, PA and full circled back to Central PA at 51, with one long stay in Atlanta and many other locations in shorter spurts, with fave area of the country being Central California. Love to hike with and hang out with my lovely wife, Linda, am a big fan of craft beer, live music and helping others in whatever ways possible. Professionally, been marketing or selling since I was 14, started with vcr's for people who didn't know what they were - or why they would want one! So learned educational/consultative sales early on. These last 20 years, have become a serial entrepreneur, through business consulting for companies from Fortune 50 to Mom and Pop America, and growing a few companies of my own. Been lucky to have great mentors and partners and love to give back knowledge and kindness I was gifted. I've made networking and giving to others a focus for me - and it is a large part of what I do - I love putting people together with other people, tools or resources that can help them. That's my story – and I'm sticking to it. I used to be tremendously about being altruistic and giving without any expectation of what would come back. And I still think that has to be at the core…I do think you need to lead with a lot of intent though. If you want to make connections that actually have an impact, it's letting people understand in that introduction why you're putting them together. Adding the personality in is really key these days. Explain what you see. Connecting is a part of networking, but networking doesn't always include connecting. Get to know the people you're talking to. Get to know them on a personal level. When we see all the different people in the workplace now…authenticity matters are than ever. They expect authenticity, they expect transparency, they expect reality of who you are. There are a lot of people out there that would say don't put yourself out there that far. Don't take that chance. And I would say 'hogwash.' You don't have to connect with more than 3-5% of the people you meet. Let your brain go into popcorn mode…learn what they do and then start looking for similarities.. It's always surprising to me when you go at it from that angle and you go at it from that mindset…a lot of times what winds up happening is that person you did not start out..being able to help…sooner or later on down the line, they become that person. While there is altruism, I do think there is enlightened self interest in what you do in the fact that you wind up connecting good people and eventually good things wind up coming back to you. I think a lot of people look at it as needing to be a financial return…and I'm never against that happening. That's a good thing…but when that's the intent, that's the only reason you're doing it? You kind of wind up being a business pimp and that's no good. It's a fine line. But, it's a line. If you send simple introductions….the chances are really good that you're not going to engender what you were expecting. If you are going to take the time to make the introduction, make it a good one. Mention that you'd like to know how the meeting goes. I also offer 'if there's anything else I can do..' And if I don't hear back from them, I will often follow up myself. Because the fortune is in the follow up in everything you do. Unrealized potential is the worst potential. Before you make an introduction, make sure you are listening to the other people and asking a lot of questions to understand their pain. When you start becoming a good connector, you will see people start respecting that about you and when they get an introduction from you, they take it seriously. I also try to connect by personality. There's the no jerk rule. You've gotta respect your network. It's asking the qualifying questions. Where you spend your time comes back to you in good and bad ways. If you're not happy where you're at, you start changing the 5 people you're spending the most time around…I've seen quantum changes in people…not by their own mindset, but by the people they had around them. Migrate uphill. You're always looking to make the next connection up the ladder or up the hill. And I don't mean that as far as job position title…I mean the next step i the evolution of the dot connecting….where you are trying to bring more of a net worth to your network. Networthing…taking networking, connecting and intention and running them all together. The first part is enriching the people around you by educating them, by bringing them resources, by bringing them better people… A spirit of giving is really important to get yourself up that ladder because people want to give back to people that give. LinkedIn has changed so much…there's been a huge uptick in how people use LinkedIn…it's probably my A #1 go to… You can reach people where they're at. Find a platform that fits your business… There's a lot of good intention…it really depends on whose running that particular c

Henry Sims is a digital marketing nerd. Having started his career path in Mechanical Engineering and Kinesiology, he got frustrated with the boundaries of the traditional system. He left wanting more and not knowing what to do, which landed him in the world of entrepreneurship. He dove into the family businesses, where he found a deep interest in digital marketing. His passion and implementation of digital systems and strategies lead to further success of the family businesses. Since, he has worked with high level business coaches and consultants, politicians, local businesses, and more under his growing digital marketing agency, Zesty Owl. Use it because there are so many eyeballs there…and it's free Content changes a lot, but currently we see that a lot of educational content is very good as well as user content. We know subconsciously what an ad looks like….we skip by them. People want to know what's in it for them. If you can find the right content and the right…there often isn't a limit to how much you can post. But sometimes it can overwhelm people. They don't want to see the same kind of content over and over again. It's a balancing act and it depends on the platform Twitter…you need to put out a lot of content. YouTube you could be ok with putting out one video a week A lot of…businesses put out too many asks. one of the general basic rules is the 3:1 ratio…put out 2-3 pieces of content and then an ask. You don't want to keep asking all the time because there's no value in that When people don't really want to define their message and they'd rather just try and reach a lot of people, then you're diluting your message which means for those people that do matter to your business, you're giving them diluted content. So instead of trying to reach the masses…it's better to really define your message and create that content that is geared towards those people that are right for your business because they will see that and it will impact them far more than your diluted content meant for everyone. Likes is that little button we push…the engagement can be anything…see more, sharing it, commenting on it, it could be clicking the user name to see your profile. Those are all engagements. Don't care too much if they like it….if they are engaging with it, that's a good sign that it's grabbing someone's attention. It's more of a back end advertising metric that we can see Not everyone likes posts. The percentage of people that actually do like posts is low….knowing that people are clicking around on it on the back end is really valuable to know. And you can see that with your ads. If you're playing a strictly organic game, then you definitely want to drive up the comments and the shares…those are strong. A like is a very easy thing to do, putting a comment takes more time….the platforms want to make sure that gets seen by more people. Find what kind of content your audience resonates with and that's just a constant testing process. Buzzsumo Social media is a long term game. They build this trust over time and that gets them to reach out and get involved more. You want to be able to show who you are as well as what you do and that gives the viewers this kind of connection, some way that they can relate and connect with you and build trust with you. I like posts with photos. Photos are engaging and they help tell more than just text and they help portray an emotion differently than text does. It also, from just a pure advertising standpoint, it takes up more space i the feed so as you're scrolling through you have more chance of grabbing someone's attention by having a photo there instead of just text. I like to see new content (images) frequently but it depends on budgets and audience sizes. If your audience is very small…its going to be a lot easier and quicker to get that ad seen by everyone. …so if you're getting people to see your ads sooner and quicker, you'll get ad fatigue and you need to refresh them. I find that it's not that much more work to be on most of them because you can repurpose the content all around. sproutsocial.com and other websites will give you the demographic data of who's on these platforms…to direct the majority of your efforts. This is doing better than other posts….boost it…not always true. Looking at comments, DMs, profile visits….in pro accounts…use those metrics. Giveaways has been one of the most effective strategies for growing social media accounts. In advertising….they don't really like you demanding action and they will warn you of it or they will surprise the reach that you will get. There should always be a goal….why am I putting out this kind of post, why am I putting out this kind of video? Is it to inform people, is it to build trust, is it to show some personality. The spider web strategy…anywhere someone finds you, you're directing them to a certain zone….focus all your outreach to one zone and it's a lot easier to manage. Facebook…pages are great because you can put mon

Alice Fuller, Sheer Social. TV Producer turned social media marketer and consultant The advantage of video is some semblance of transparency. If you are trying to do video for business, you have to have an end goal in mind. What does your audience want to hear from you? Do not get into that mindset of creating content that you want see. Do a little research hand find out that pain points. There's different types of videos to fit different goals. First you have to figure out 'what is your brand?' It's the experience that people have with you. Along the journey you will do different types of videos. First be realistic with yourself…you have to figure out what you can do in your own schedule. If you're doing it for business, you want to put some thought into it. Consistency is important. We used to say….keep it short…if you're doing 5 minutes, it's too long. And then Netflix came along and proved that we will binge watch something as long as it's something we find interesting. What would make somebody watch your video? Because keep in mind, your video is in competition with everything else that's going on in the world. So, as a producer, what can you create that would inspire that kind of give and take of attention? The platforms now like you to create engaging content. Right now in social media, we are getting away from telling you it has to be short, short, short. If you can put enough of those short pieces together that pull people through…almost like a filmmaker…no scene is there just to be there unless it's providing something crucial to the story. We watch it because we like that person and we want some insight into their lives, their behind the scenes. Where you put it depends on the audience you're desiring to reach. The challenge with pre-recorded videos is it's passive engagement…You have no way of knowing if the goal of your video was even met. Test. And keep testing…The types of video that get the engagement you want that's the type of video you want to continue doing. But it's still good to mix up the content so people don't create an appetite for one type because after a while they'll get full and then it just becomes wallpaper. You still have to be the producer and promoter. TubeBuddy Craft your video around what people are searching for, not vice versa. Tell people in emails, use other social media platforms, call people, text messaging Facebook and YouTube do not like each other. They are not playing in the same sandbox. Collaborate with somebody. Get out of your own backyard and start networking with other content creators. Every platform is different in what kind of engagement they give priority to. 'Subscribe now', 'click this'…on FB? No. YouTube? Fine. No problem. On Instagram? No problem. Each platform wants the viewer to stay on that platform as long as possible. YouTube: SEO….Google owns YouTube. Google is the #1 search engine in the world. YouTube is #2. You have to get out of your comfort zone and promote it. Too many of us look at YouTube as a place where I just put my videos…but YouTube is a stand alone social media platform. It wants to become the CBS…the ABCs. Now they want you to develop audiences. Study the platform first. Not only that…study your competition. Figure out who your target audience is going to be. What's your messaging going to be? What type of video are you going to create? Test. If you are doing personal types of services, I want to hear your story. How can you help me? Don't get into this headspace of I have to tell my story in two minutes or less. It's not a job interview. I'm scared of what people are going to say. We have to be realistic about the social part of the social media platform….expect for comments to come and they may not always be postivite. Trolls do exist….once you build a community, your community will come and shut that person down more often than not. You hope they say something. You have to get comfortable with that feedback. But every platform has tools in place to combat abusive behavior. We get really caught up in the vanity metrics….But the reality of that is growth, process….they didn't to build that overnight….For you, you have to trust the process and promote what you're doing and create content that people want. Start doing more listening than talking. Start doing more researching than posting….now you have a formula to say this is what's missing from this conversation. You don't sacrifice that 100 in pursuit of that 1000 who don't care. Live video is going to become the default. The minute you put yourself in front of that camera, the stakes do change. The more you do them, the better you get at them. [email protected] Trust the process. sheersocial.com LI Social Media Scene: https://sheersocial.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicerfuller/ https://fb.com/sheersocial https://twitter.com/sheersocial www.marlanasemenza.com music and audio production by Ariza Music Productions

Dr. Yishai is a Psychologist, Business Consultant, and Executive Coach who helps leaders of multi-million dollar companies handle the human side of business to react powerfully, increase performance, and create win-win solutions. The first time imposter syndrome was described, it was actually called imposter phenomena which I like better…because rather than it being a 'disease' you have that's now stuck to you, it's something that we experience as a phenomena. They found that especially among really high achievers…certain people would really struggle to internalize and really accept their own success and view themselves as being able to be successful. They'd be looking at themselves kind of backwards through a telescope…and you know if you've ever done that, whatever you look at looks really small…and that's kind of how people can view themselves. Whether its we're starting something new or in something, what we keep looking at is something that is 2 or 3 dreams or goals or levels higher than where we're currently at, then it's easy to kind of turn that telescope and view myself as who am I? There are a lot of emotions that come with that and I think we tend to make meaning of a lot of those emotions. I'm not able to do the thing I dream or want or desire….I'm not already there. Fake it til you make it…that thought really drives the narrative or the story that I'm an imposter. Mindset by Carol Dweck Fixed vs growth mindset A fixed mindset views people as having a capability or they don't have it…there isn't really space to grow. The concept of fake it til you make it puts you in that view of either you've got it or you don't and you just keep faking it and faking it and one day you'll magically have it. That doesn't compute for me….because if I don't believe people can change over time, what would I be doing all day? If we couldn't change over time, we would all either be born walking and talking or we'd never be able to walk and talk. The growth mindset is the view that we are all constantly in growth. Which means if today I'm not able to do something, does that mean I will never be able to do it? No. I can grow my way into things. It takes the view that effort and time and energy are more important and that will help you get there. Imposter syndrome is a lot more common among the students than among the professionals. For professionals it will show up in moments, not neccesarily all the time. If it's showing up all the time, that's something that's worth paying closer attention to. Slow down and take a reality check….are you there yet? Maybe not. Do you have to be? Maybe not. Learn your way into it. Imagine those thoughts or feelings are trying to help you…what do they want for you? What is the end result they would hope for you? ….perhaps they want you to get better. Okay brain….if you really want me to be competent…help me get there. Once or twice a day…Ask yourself what you've accomplished. There is a use case for comparison. There is a difference between upward and downward comparison. It's like watching the Olympics and comparing yourself to the gold medal winner in in every different sport and then looking at yourself. How are we going to look at ourselves? If any one of those gold medal winners did the same thing, they'd feel terrible. They'd say…look at what all of these other people are capable of and all I did was this one thing. The comparison wants me to reach for something higher….look at that person and see what they did and take something away…that if I learn from these people…then I can choose to do those things. We don't do these things automatically. Triple A Treatment: Awareness Analysis Action When you're feeling stuck in the imposter syndrome, at least that's a place to start and it's also perhaps helpful to direct you to move forward. Sometimes imposter syndrome can show up with depression or anxiety. If you are experiencing some of that, it's very important to consider if not explore the idea of seeing a therapist. And while I may be a psychologist, I'm not your psychologist, so do your own research and speak with a professional. You don't need to rush. Whatever it is that's your goal, it's a journey with obstacles and growth along the way. Website: https://www.DrYishai.com Email: [email protected] Instagram: @DrYishai or https://www.instagram.com/dryishai/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dryishai/ dryishai.com podcast : The Business Couch with Dr. Yishai https://www.dryishai.com/podcast www.marlanasemenza.com

Megan MacNeill is a Scottish lass, living the dream in Western Australia, teaching people across the world how to position themselves and get noticed. Usually found on LinkedIn but I am partial to a good old scroll on Instagram too. She's also the host of Personal Branding Exposed podcast where she gets awesome people from around the world to tell us how their particular skill or niche feeds into personal branding. She also likes debunking myths - like Personal branding is all about ego (wrong - you'll need to listen to find out why)! Megan started Relevant in 2019 because she wanted to use all the skills she had learned over the years working for not-for-profits and show people that not only not-for-profits do great things, companies and individuals do too. Everyone has a story worth sharing! If you're attracting high level execs, then LinkedIn is where you want to be, but always choose your platform for your audience. It's got this amazing organic reach. A week later I can still be getting engagement on my post. Stop thinking of your profile as your resume. It's a really amazing high end converting landing page if you use it properly. Make sure it's filled out properly. Don't make it about you. Nobody cares about you, only about what you can do for them, so base it on that. If you've got a name that someone is googling then your LinkedIn is far more likely to pop up at the top than any other website. When you're on the platform, engage. Even if you don't make a single piece of content, engage. Survival of the friendliest. If someone puts out content that resonates with you, engage with it. If other people in the comments start engaging heavily on it, start engaging not just on the original content but in the comments as well. It's like if you're at a networking event, you're just attending someone else's event whereas when you're ready to start creating content, that's when people start coming to your events. Every platform prefers video at the moment. We're really visual, we're really lazy and we're really time poor. So the easier you can make it for someone, the longer they may actually stay on your post because our attention span is really ridiculous. I think we're down to the same as a fish? 6 or 7 seconds? So you've got to really grab them. LinkedIn doesn't give priority to articles any more. It won't get much reach but it will have an amazing shelf life, especially if it has great key words in it. If you've written a blog for your website, repurpose it. Put it on there. You've written it already anyway. You need to have a business page because it finishes your profile and link it up to your personal page. Your website is still key. I love LinkedIn, but it's still rented space. When you're putting out content, your biz page will never get the traction your personal page will. My personal page will stay with me forever, no matter what biz I have or what biz I work for. Comment or like, shares have no value whatsoever. You want engagement. Don't worry about likes and comments to start out with, people on LinkedIn are very passive. If you're putting out quality content, you will get the cut through. Do I want to see what you had for breakfast? No. Do I want to see your Ferrari? No. There's an unfollow button for a reason. Don't connect with the wrong people. You are what you consume. I love going on LinkedIn, I always learn something. Just because you connect with people, doesn't mean you have to keep them there or if they slip straight into the DMs going 'Hey! I've got This. Wanna buy? Wanna Buy? Wanna buy?' You wouldn't do that in real life, so don't do that online. Never be afraid to give away everything because someone just wants to know that you can do it and they want to understand that you can do it. So give them enough to be able to comprehend that. Write and speak for an 11 year old because things that we think are really easy do not mean that they're easy for someone else…and the reason they're coming to you is because you've identified a problem and you've explained it to them and you've helped them understand that it's solvable and that you're the best person to solve it. Dumb it down…not because your audience is stupid but because we're lazy, we're time poor and we just want to get straight to the point. So take away all the barriers and never be afraid to just share everything because it's already out there somewhere. So if someone wants to find it, they will. So get it all out there, tell them what you know and then people will pay you to help them with that. Start looking at the hashtags you can use, start geotagging. Your network is your net worth so make sure your network knows what you do. Make sure your profile picture is really schmick. I want your face in there. I don't want any props, I don't want any other people, I want at least 40% of that circle to be your face I want to see your eyes. I want you looking directly at me and I want a smile. I want you to look really friendly. It

Dr. Michael Barbera, chief behavioral officer at Clicksuasion Labs, is an award-winning consumer psychologist and business strategist. His clients include Fortune 500 companies, and have appeared on ABC's Shark Tank, Bravo's Million Dollar Listing, and Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. Michael's business psychology practice includes consumer behavior, emotions, and experiences, as well as social psychology, decision-making, behavioral economics, and behavioral finance. He shares his evidence-based insights on the Clicksuasion podcast and as a dynamic TEDx presenter. Michael is a celebrated keynote speaker, and has addressed more than 200,000 people on four continents, earning more than 350,000 views online. Trust is complicated. There is real trust and perceived trust. There are 7 variables that we like to look at in building trust being remarkable experiential transparency reciprocity utility social status timeliness We always want to be the person who is known, liked and trusted. Of the 7, the one that we as humans usually go for first is social status. If we asked people if things should be inclusive or exclusive, most would say things should be inclusive. But if we were to measure that same metric anonymously, we can find that people prefer to be in exclusive clubs and groups….so if we can put a bit of exclusivity to those who we work with and network with, it gives social status or perceived social status to the other person. It's hard to niche down, but I like to look at this in an academic model….you get an undergrad degree...you're a subject matter expert in a large broad field. You get a masters degree, it's a little more niche. And then as you earn that PhD, you know that you're specialized in that little corner of that field. As you get more niche, you may exclude a larger audience, but you can command a higher fee and a higher brand equity from those who are willing to work with you. At the bottom of the funnel is trust. You've narrowed it down to two applicants. Person A knows everything about the position, the organization, absolute rock star, they can start tomorrow with no training needed. But person A is a jerk. Then person B knows a little bit about the organization, a little bit about the job, needs some training, needs some hand holding, probably going make a few mistakes along the way. But person B is a really nice person. 1. Which person would you prefer to sit next to on a flight for 5 hours? 2. Which person would you prefer to hire? There is no right or wrong answer but most people would choose person B because we want to work with those that we know, like and trust. Be relateable, be authentic, be transparent, show that you're not perfect. Show us behind the scenes Reach into that 'normal' thing, the 5 things that you do every day that your clients or customers may not be aware of and share that. Show your B roll. It improves your brand equity. One of the most persuasive things is to show other people are doing it too Be remarkable : a pink painted or tie dye painted van pulls into your neighbors driveway. 5 people jump out dressed in pink or tie dye overalls…. The average person in North America sees about 30,000 brand impressions every day. As consumers, we don't have the financial resources to give every one of these brands a dollar, so what makes you stand out? What makes you memorable above the noise? Find little ways that make yourself memorable. The outfit you wear, the way you communicate, the story you tell, the way you engage with other people. One way I do it is by video communication. Mistakes are actively going for the sale. As soon as the conversation goes to a sale or a perceived sale or a place where I believe you are looking for nothing other than a sale, at that point the relationship goes to a place of transaction. Does this benefit me whatsoever and do I want to continue this friendship? I believe ask for it or the answer is always 'no' but I believe reversing it. Let the other person ask you for those services. Once they know you, like you, trust you, they'll want to work with you. If you're looking for a 'speaker' you're looking for somebody to fill a slot. But if they say 'you're the subject matter expert in X and you've been here and there. Can you tell your story?' They are hiring you because you have something to share. If you can show the value in what you've done, or experiences, it makes people want to work with you because of what you've done. Not because of what you can do. If you mis-step: be transparent, own your mistake. don't use the word 'sorry' that word goes in one ear and out the other. It holds no value. Say 'I apologize' or 'my apologies.' Same thing with Thank You. Say 'I'm grateful' or 'I appreciate.' Time, patience and relevancy. You can engage with your audience every single day, once a month or once a year as long as the content and the value you are providing them is relevant to them. If you're trying to engage with someone just for t

Since 2001, Bye-Bye Boring Bio 2020 Workbook Author and Get Known Get Paid Mentor Nancy Juetten has applied her publicity and speaking skills to guide speakers, experts, and authors who once struggled to broadcast their brilliance on paper or online to show up like experts at "hello." With her workbook, Broadcast Your Brilliance Boot Camp and Get Known Get Paid Mentoring Programs, she created a multiple six figure business that serves clients around the world, while earning loyal fans and followers who value her "all of the help and none of the hype" advice. When you have something timely, newsworthy, trendworthy, provocative or compelling to share that an audience bigger than you wants to know about, you can issue a press release so that you can share that point of view. And when you use keywords properly, when people around the world are searching for someone with your expertise, those press releases live indefinitely online and they speak for you before you ever get on the phone or a call with a client. In terms of branding….if someone does a google search for you and finds you on page one, that is a huge win for you. Usually there is a call to action in the boiler plate of a press release that says 'to learn more go here', so now you have pre-qualified leads that are excited about what you do and primed to have a conversation. People are going from screen to screen to screen to help them make…decisions. Reporters are looking for experts…and if you happen to be that person, your phone just might ring…and as you share your perspective…you become an icon of influence as you do it. Elements of a good press release: who, what, where, when, why, how are the key elements, leading with the most important piece first. I recommend between 500-700 words in AP style (Associated Press style). Avoid 'you' references. Written in the 3rd person in plain spoken language. More like writing a paper for school 'this is the news as it happened'. Always proofread your press release! What good is it if people try to contact you and come up with an error message? Repurpose your good news. You usually get a report that shows all of the media outlets that ran your news and those logos are very visually compelling. Repurpose those to show your credibility on your website. Begin with the end in mind. The momentum that builds is palpable. prunderground.com 1. Enter your headline 2. Write your lead 3. Write the body of the news release 4. Hit enter 5. Review what you've prepared checking for typos, misspellings, punctuation, all the phone numbers and contact information is accurate 6. Upload an image - when the news crosses the wire, not only are there the words, there are images that reinforce your iconic brand and that just looks cool and serves you well 7. Submit for editorial review 8. 24 hrs later you google the headline and you'll find that your news shows up very quickly Just like anything in marketing, you have to have repetition in your effort and make a commitment to building your brand and reputation. There angles and hooks you can attach your own expertise to to be timely, relevant and worth talking about and talking to. You'll never regret being easily found. Sometimes people get into trouble with bad news and reviews and one of the things you can do is issue press releases regularly that shift the perspective so that when the google search is done, that bad news is not as easily found. If I want to get known, I better get out there in the media so people can see, hear and know what I have to say and know that I've got the goods. You get to choose the geography, the category, the business niche…there is a dashboard that allows you to choose the appropriate distribution. Do research to find keywords that people use to find somebody like you and embed them logically into your press release, not key word stuffing, but so the words flow appropriately. You know it's a success if you are easily found, get phone calls…that's an indicator. I get excited about publicity because it's the tool that I used to get known and ultimately get paid when I was starting out. The intoxication that goes with being seen, heard and celebrated is still very fresh and exciting. It helps people's stars to rise. Title is the most important thing : headline analyzer is a free tool. It allows you to test and measure the emotional marketing value of your headline. https://coschedule.com/headline-analyzer People tend to buy with emotion and rationalize their purchase afterwards. So to the extent that you can hit on the emotional marketing value of your message, it will help write headlines that will help you turns heads no matter where you use them. Through your own filters, your eyes are going to glaze over if it's boring to you. If you can't get them at hello, they're not going to get the rest of the way. Is it something I would read, is it something I would understand, is it on brand for you? Not all media coverage is good media coverage. Aim high

Jamey Rootes has been an impact player in the sports industry for over two decades. He has led the start-up of not one, but two professional sports teams that are both still thriving enterprises today….the Columbus Crew Major League Soccer franchise and, currently, the Houston Texans NFL franchise. Rootes serves as the President of the Texans and under his leadership, the Texans have consistently been recognized as one of the most valuable professional sports franchises both in the NFL and globally. Also, the Texans extended their sellout game streak to 185 consecutive home games – a Houston NFL record. Rootes maintains an active role in the community by serving on the Board of Directors of the Greater Houston Partnership and the United Way of Greater Houston, both of which he previously served as Chairman of the Board. Jamey is pleased to announce that he recently became an #1 International Best Selling Author! The Winning Game Plan: A Proven Leadership Playbook for Continuous Business Success, released on November 10, has become an International Bestseller on Amazon, the WSJ and USA Today. The first thing is to understand what a brand really is. When you have outstanding packaging but a bad product, nothing kills it quicker. The same thing with advertising. Nothing kills a bad product faster than great advertising. The brand is a promise of delivery of performance at a good value for a consumer Howard Schultz "Brands are built from the inside out." Think about the word customer. It's about a customized experience. This is for ME. So to the extent that you understand what your consumer is looking for and you provide it better than anybody else in the world, your brand will be great. Apple has great products, but their packaging is spectacular. When you put those two things together…it's that little something extra that really makes you feel special. First thing is understand what your consumer is looking for…what are the things that they seek from you. In terms of brand strength you want two things differentiation and relevance. Be different in a way that matters to people…if you can be different and relevant, you own a unique place in the consumers mind. John Paul DiGioria "I never want to be in the sales business. I want to be in the reorder business." You want your product to be pulled toward your consumer because you've done it in a way that matters, you're different than the other things that are out there..you own that unique position that is so incredibly valuable. It's all about creating the basis of competition. The Houston Texans…are we in the football business? Maybe in some ways we are…but we're really in the connection business. Tailgating was never allowed here in Houston…We have to build the greatest tailgating culture on the planet…from day 1 this 30,000 best in-person festival atmosphere was created. This is my Sunday vacation and that's the way it's turned out for the last 20 years. We've sold out every game we've ever played. We have a wait list of 30,000 and Houston was never like that before. You're built for the fans. You're built for your customers. So to the extent you can own the voice of the customer and understand and track over time what they're looking for whether that's making improvements to what you're providing to them or the real magic is when you're providing something in addition…they trust you for this so they try you for something else. The 3 R's. Retention. Referrals. Related sales. My wife's name's Melissa. We've been married for 21 years and so if my goal was to satisfy her, then she would stay with me as long as there's not a better option. That's what satisfaction gets you. Loyalty, people fight to stay with you. It's about Raving Fans…the fans that will go out and tell other people about how exceptional the experience is. It doesn't just happen. It takes intentional effort. We did tons of focus groups…nobody has an identity with their state like Texans. The challenge was, how do you represent it. The 5 points in the star in the bull head represent what people said over and over about what it meant to be a Texan..pride, courage, strength, tradition, independence. And that's the core of our brand…how can we operate in a manner day to day that is consistent with Texas? Every game is going to have a different feel, a different celebration. Each year we would throw in a few new traditions. …it's so rich. Why would anybody walk away from that? People look forward all year to Battle Red Day. How easy is it to say thank you, but how often do people actually say it and mean it? We've tried to make it more than just coming to a football game. We're a big deal, but we are home town humble friendly. It's like Houston. Just because you are a major sports brand, you don't have to act like it….we want anybody who wants to be part of what we're doing...you're welcome…we're always welcoming people onto the bandwagon. Over communicate anything that's important. There's so much whe

James Rosebush has a passion for growing companies and growing people. His company and wealth management advisory practice is focused on crafting the architecture of growth and deploying these strategies to drive growth in earnings, revenue. sales, equity value, and goodwill. He has been engaged as he outsourced Chief Strategy officer by over 400 companies worldwide. He is also an executive and public speaking coach to any seeking to master opportunities to excel at leadership and public speaking. He is the author of three bestselling books and a frequent public speaker and media commentator. His years in the Reagan White House also equipped him with political management skills and relationships around the world. You have to build a bridge to your audience with storytelling. Break down the fourth wall. That bridge needs to be a two way street. Love people and they will love you back. Bill Clinton was giving the state of the union address and the teleprompter misfired…. Be personally engaged in your subject. Great speakers are not necessarily born. The ability to speak and to communicate is directly linked to other aspects of personal security. getting past fear and insecurity Margaret Thatcher: I talk to myself and she pivots from thinking about myself to thinking about her content. Soak in your message. You can't be immersed in your message and thinking about yourself. You have multi tracks going on in your head, recognize it and the fear of its intrusion will go away. Martin Luther King got rid of fear through faith. There are a lot of different tactics that we can use to get rid of fear. Look under the bed. A lot of fear and uncertainty comes from things that we have not addressed. The biggest mistake I see people make is not setting that relationship with their audience. If you reach one person in your audience you can feel that you've succeeded. speaking to one vs. speaking to the many Imagine yourself speaking to one person but be mindful that your eyes and gestures don't leave anyone out. Do not just assume all details are worked out. I believe too much movement around a stage detracts from the power of your message. If your thought is focused on your message, your body should be focused on your message. Let your message be the power and not your body be the carrier of it. You don't become a leader by focusing on yourself. Having a message outside of yourself is the way to win your audience in the end. Don't ever do a job that someone else can do. Don't ever start a battle you don't know you've already won. https://www.impactspeakercoach.com https://www.growthstrategy.us https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrosebush/ https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Your-Audience-Motivate-Reagan/dp/1546085963 www.marlanasemenza.com

John merged his leadership and marketing company with the Geary Company in 2009. He continues to work with a broad spectrum of clients and provides leadership and marketing strategies that create compelling and memorable brands. Prior to starting his consulting firm, John served as Vice-President and General Manager of Cox Media Las Vegas. During his time at Cox, he was responsible for doubling the company's cash flow in less than five years and leading his team to the number one position in market share. He has trained and coached CEOs, General Managers, Sales Managers, Sales team members and a host of young baseball and softball players. John holds an MBA from the University of Washington and a bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University. He and his wife Cathy are the parents of four children. They also have five grandchildren and two intriguing schnauzers--named Maximus and Minimus. When it comes to people we've worked with we have a long list of iconic names…Elvis, Hyatt, Gladys Knight, Rich Little, Smokey Robinson, Ford, Porsche, Lexus. There are icons in local, regional, national and world wide markets…in sports, music, business, brands. When we talk about what makes something or someone iconic…finding that unique quality, that distinct nature…then that relevancy /uniqueness needs to be able to last over time. Consistency builds trust. Consistency leads to that relevancy over time. We remember bad experiences forever. Whatever you build, you have to be able to live by it. You have to be able to deliver on that promise. The difference between celebrity and icon relates to substance…a real iconic status has depth and texture to it. You have to have some degree of core values you live by or you consistently deliver. You will see people rise to high degrees of celebrity then be gone because it was superficial. You become iconic when that uniqueness becomes memorable and it resonates with you and with those in your sphere of influence and you continue to be that brand or that person. You can become iconic in your sphere of influence or the area you compete in. You don't have to have worldwide reputation. You don't have to have a national reputation. Become iconic in the sphere in which you compete. I think that when you reach icon status you have a degree of responsibility. Russell Wilson and his wife are doing so many great things for the community. Sometimes that responsibility, unless you're build on that framework of 'real' can be crushing because you can't maintain that. That's where image has superseded the quality, depth and texture of what it took to get there and I think that's where you see on that very thin layer of 'celebrity' that it pushes people. When you are built on that basis of being genuine…you're able to accept that responsibility and deal with it in a way that continues to uplift and strengthen people and deliver that experience that you're looking to deliver. The Nike swoosh has lived on forever...Nike always puts out a compelling image with a subtlety of the swoosh but its always there. Imagery plays a key role in developing that icon status. Imagery can connect emotion to the brand or person and emotion makes it memorable. When we think about branding, we also look for imagery that we can marry with the messaging to create a compelling and memorable and emotional connection. Imagery is critical and you always want that imagery to reflect what that icon stands for. Sometimes we will spend 8, 12, 16 hrs looking for the right music to lay in with the message. That can solidify…what this really stands for. Midnight Train to Georgia. There is a depth and texture of emotion in that song that is not only moving but its powerful and connects us to the message. Do you start with who they are or how they want to be seen? Where are you today and where do you want to be in the next 1, 3, 5 years and let's take a look at that plan. What can you deliver today that is unique and distinct…that will help you get to the next goals and level? A year time frame is too long. It's hard to see that far into the future, so we will break it down in to 90 days. What can we do in the next 90 days that will help you get to that longer distance goal or image? Maybe iconic is more a leader in their field. The legend of Wallace Zurnick… 'coach it was never my goal to get to first base, it was always my goal to get to second base, I'd never been there.' He had his goal and when he got his opportunity he didn't stop, he went for it 100%. Maybe it's overblown, the idea that we have to be…popular on a broader basis to be an icon. I don't think so. The road to success is paved with plenty of potholes. Being able to deal with adversity and setbacks while keeping your eyes focused on your goal and where you want to be is critically important. It's about being mentally tough, it's about being emotionally strong. That doesn't mean we don't break down from time to time Optimism is a great gift you can give to yourself

Welcome to Your Iconic Image! If you want to take control of your image and be a power-player in your space, then this is the show for you. Here, we will arm you with tools and information to grow your brand on purpose. I'm your host, Marlana Semenza, photographer and visual strategist. Now let's dive into today's episode....