Bright Insights

This is the final episode of season 2. It's been a long road, but I live by my words, and my zeal for this podcast has kept me going. What keeps you going? What pushed the passion? I'll talk about the importance of maintaining zeal throughout your leadership. Featured:  A WWE legend #ultimatewarrior An NBA team owner #steveballmer My personal inspiration #leadership #motivation #personaldevelopment  Are  you ready to lead? Take this 10 item assessment. 

Jadon Brooks is off to a good start: At 13, he's already engaged in 3 different business ventures with no plans to stop any time soon. If you think I'm kidding, check out his fitness Instagram! Despite all that flex, Jadon is a very humble young one with plenty to teach, which made him a perfect person to talk with for this episode, "Y is for Youth".  I learned a lot of what I need to do next just from talking to this smart kid! I met Jadon through his dad Kip Brooks, whom I had a conversation with in Season 2's first episode, "A is for Anxiety", where we discussed how he overcame his own anxiety issues that were rooted in past tragedies, and created a service to help others do the same.  So it's fitting that as this season ends, Jadon will teach us about how you can allow youth to inspire you as a leader.   Take this 10-item assessment to see if you're ready to lead!

If you're a new leader, expect to be a public speaker whether you like it or not. Yes, it can be scary. But there's one thing you absolutely MUST NOT do to make the process better: Stop self-criticism about public speaking! This short episode will help you learn how NOT to do that and what to do instead! Take this 10 item assessment to see if you're ready to lead!  

Do you find yourself worrying excessively over your leadership responsibilities? Are you tired of people telling you "don't worry" without trying to understand why you're worrying? This episode may not be the one you WANT to hear, but it is the one you NEED to hear. I'll tell you why you can stop worrying and instead what you can do to demonstrate the valid concern you need to get everyone on board so that you can solve future problems before they start. You can do this without giving into excessive worry and making those around you paranoid about the future! Mentioned in this episode:  - why worrying doesn't equate caring -  how the extreme opposite of worry lead to the The Fyre Festival saga - How to demonstrate careful concern   Are you ready to lead? Find out through this 10 item quiz at Bright Insights Media

I've spoken in the past about how to create a vision for your organization when you're new to leadership. But what about creating one for yourself now that you're in leadership? I talk about ways to do it, starting now. Take a 10 item assessment to see how ready you are to lead!

When you're ready to elevate your organization or business amongst the competition, rely on your uniqueness. Learn how to discover what it is about you that stands out (in a positive way), and how to make it work for you. Mentions in this episode: Dave Ramsey, "Sonja with a J", delicious burgers.   Are you ready to lead? Take the 10 item assessment at Bright Insights and get free gifts!

Leaders, if you feel your emotions are getting beyond the best of you, or you're completely forgetting any sort of self-care, or your relationships are breaking down now that you've taken the helm...it might be time to look at the role Trauma may be playing. In this episode, "T is for Trauma", I interview Whitney Walker, a therapist and recovery coach. She owns Women Waken (which not just for women, as explained in the episode) and will help explain what trauma looks like in leadership, how it relates to addiction, and what you can do to get through it. Trust me: you don't want to ignore any sign of trauma. There could be things that happened to you before you could even speak, and they are just now showing because you're stress levels are triggering. And just to keep things on the real, you'll also get to hear some of my past personal history with trauma as well as Whitney's. Even us therapist types have to learn the hard way! Go to Bright Insights Media for more resources on how to have less stress and more success.

The myth of "if you're sleeping, you're not working hard enough" is still running rampant. But there's too much practical research showing that lack of sleep eventually has significant, negative consequences on your health. And if you're not around to lead, or you're leading at 50% mental capacity, what's the point? I talk about what's actually happening to you while you sleep, the different sleep zones, and four areas where you can make practical changes to improve the quality of your sleep. I also consulted with a sleep expert and friend Dr. Rachel Markwald, who just returned from studying sleep habits of the world's greatest Navy at sea! Trust me, I know about this. I had horrible sleep AFTER I got out the military. I suffered from sleep paralysis as well! It's scary.  When you're done with the episode, visit my page for supportive, peer-reviewed resources.

Subscribe to the Bright Insights podcast so you can learn to lead with less stress and more success. We do this through helping you build tools for self confidence and self care. Here are some highlights of interviews and topics we cover. Want to know if you're ready to lead? Take this 10 question leadership assessment!

America is coming out of the pandemic. Leaders will be going back to the workspaces and interact for longer with coworkers and customers. How do you do that successfully after being virtually isolated for more than a year? The key is nature. And this episode's guest, Gabriel Kram, is well-schooled in how nature helps human beings restore themselves for each other. Gabriel is a connection phenomenologist that has brought schools, companies, and other organizations closer together and more productive by increasing their awareness of self and others.  His book , Restorative Practices of Wellbeing, can be ordered here. This episode features a deep and intriguing exploration of restorative practices. -What happens when we're missing the oxytocin exchange (2:38)  -My experiences with going to the beach during the pandemic (17:02) - How coexistence of order and chaos restore us (24:12) - Where nature can be found if you don't live anywhere near "nature"  -Gabriel's book/ application (42:00) Visit Bright Insights Media for more information on leading with less stress and more success

I would argue that one big mistake new leaders make is assuming everyone assumes they have all the answers to every question. You don't have all the answers. You'll never have all the answers. No great leader has every answer. But great leaders DO learn what questions to ask, who to ask, and how to ask them so that they have the right answers at almost any moment! Listen to this podcast to figure out  the who/what/how on asking questions. Are you ready to lead? Take this 10 item assessment at Bright Insights Media.

Prepare to Pivot! Some of you have already learned this the hard way during the pandemic, but leaders do need to be prepared to pivot. Sometimes your vision is perfect, but an imperfect world can de-rail the path towards that vision. I started to do this as a solo episode, but I thought it was better to go straight to the source: my very young church pastor, Nate Stonestreet, who had just taken over leading the church when Covid19 shut the doors on in-person services. You don't have to be religious to appreciate the challenges and knowledges he brings as to how he had to pivot as a new leader and the many valuable lessons he's learned in less than a year! Are you ready to lead? Take this 10 item assessment and find out at Bright Insights Media

Optimism is probably one of the hardest things to come by; even harder when there's a global pandemic. However, leaders can keep their organizations from having a complete collapse in morale by maintaining realistic optimism. If you're used to being motivated by fear of failure, use this episode to learn why realistic optimism can propel you and your organization to great success. Are you ready to lead? Take this 10 item assessment at Bright Insights Media.

I am taking a tactical pause from creating new episodes. It's not a cancelation, or discontinuation, but a pause with a purpose. Listen in to find out why I'm taking the pause and what you can look forward to in the very near future. You won't want to miss this opportunity to get more free products while I prepare for something bigger! Get a head start on what's new by signing up at Bright Insights Media. Are you an artist with a voice and in need of networking to improve your message delivery? Check out Champloo Media.

Arish Rivers is a master at networking. He doesn't let a contact die, and every connection leads to something better for both parties.  Music promotions, podcasts, band ambassadors, apparel, supplements, spirits; if Arish wanted to get into an entrepreneurial adventure, he could network his way into getting it done! Listen to Arish explain how new leaders learn how to network. And when you're done, check out his latest networking project Champloo Media, a hub where storytellers (like Bright Insights) can support each other. Topics we cover: Arish's entrepreneurial mindset developing at age 13. Where introverted leaders should start when networking. A personality test exploring your "bad side" helped him figure out his networking skills How a conversation with a sex worker started a networking ripple that is still going today. For more tips on how to have less stress and more success, visit brightinsightsmedia.com

Meditation isn't just spiritual chants and yoga. It's not just stuff you can use an app for, either. It can be done many ways. And if you are a leader that feels lost in your role, listen to me explain three reasons why I think you should try meditation. I wish I had learned how to do this when I served in the Air Force! I'm glad I learned how to do it while I work in mental health! I'll also include a sample meditation I made. You can get the whole one free at brightinsightsmedia.com/reclaim 

When you transition from employee or solo preneur to leader, you have to adjust your language. The words you use and don't use have a ripple effect. Learn the 3 L's of what you need to look out for! Visit Bright Insights Media for more leadership tips and tricks. If you're ready to start having less stress and more success, go to this link and sign up for two FREE Gifts.

We continue on with Bill DeMarco's interview. Here we talk about his role in Air University's Department of Education Leadership, cognitive diversity, and why new leaders should be in "Permanent Beta". Visit Bright Insights Media for more leadership tips and tricks. If you're ready to start having less stress and more success, go to this link and sign up for two FREE Gifts. Take a pop quiz on where your leadership awareness is right here!

I'm very excited to bring you part one of this discussion with retired Air Force Colonel Bill DeMarco, Chair and Dean of Air University's Education Leadership Department and forerunner of the M100 Management Group I don't have enough room in these show notes to list all of Bill's awesome leadership history and current leadership accomplishments. But he's literally flown all over the world and provides top leadership development instruction to an international group of young officers.  He also had a really cool Ted X talk. This made him the perfect pick to discuss what sort of knowledge avenues  new leaders can go down to establish their own base philosophy. This is part 1 of "K is for Knowledge", where we talk about Bill's transition from wanting to just fly planes for a living to being put in charge of "the worst squadron in the Air Force". Bill and I also an assessment tool that we both feel is better than the Meyers-Briggs. Visit Bright Insights Media for more leadership tips and tricks. If you're ready to start having less stress and more success, go to this link and sign up for two FREE Gifts. Take a pop quiz on where your leadership awareness is right here!

Finding Joy will help jumpstart that "juice" in you that makes you a great leader! But how do you find joy when things are tough all over?There are four ways. I talk about them in a pretty straight forward, quick and easy style in this episode!   As a special thank you for listening to this episode, here are two FREE Gifts from Bright Insights Media.

What makes you do what you do? That's what Introspection will teach you. Sometimes learning to look within starts with seeing how you come across to people. This episode features an excercise you can perform with the people who know you best. Their answers may surprise you, but they will surely grow you into becoming a better leader.  As a "thank you" for listening, here are  two free gifts from Bright Insights Media

When you get into management and leadership, it's easy for your self-care to slip. Your planned times to work out and eat right can get muddled. So how do you stay on track? I enlisted help from my good friend Charity Borlek. She is a fitness and nutrition expert that runs her own gym just north of the Bay Area in California. But, more importantly, she is someone who had her own health struggles as she became an entrepreneur that, ironically, lost track of her health while she was teaching others to manage their own. This interview will help you to maintain less stress and more success with your health. 4:30 The deception other trainers put out with a "cut the excuses" and aggressive approach 7:05 Why 10 minutes is enough to get started 11:00 how to get a "runner's high" without running ( I hate running) 18:20 how Charity found out "the hard way" that not scheduling her own care created an illusion of not being "stressed out". 22:45 Charity's self-image and how it helped her special clients Visit Bright Insights Media for more leadership tips and tricks. If you're ready to start having less stress and more success, go to this link and sign up for two FREE Gifts. Take a pop quiz on where your leadership awareness is right here! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PYZPL2J  

This is a mini-episode about how to take a healthy walk for your mind- and not your body! A mind-healthy walk, as short as five minutes, can significantly change the trajectory of your day in a good way. But there are three key things you need to know and do to make it a walk where you can focus on "not focusing" on your life. One of those things can include the right type of music, and I feature music from my good friend Ivan Howard and his band, Howard Ivans. You can find more Howard Ivans music on their Spotify page Visit Bright Insights Media for more leadership tips and tricks. If you're ready to start having less stress and more success, go to this link and sign up for two FREE Gifts. Take a pop quiz on where your leadership awareness is right here!

How to find moments of gratitude when leadership becomes challenging! Trust me. It's possible. Visit Bright Insights Media for more leadership tips and tricks. If you're ready to start having less stress and more success, go to this link and sign up for two FREE Gifts. Take a pop quiz on where your leadership awareness is right here!

This episode features a correspondence interview I did with Erik Allen, Owner of Top Rated MMA.   We talked about his failures. You're going to fail in some way as a leader. Even experienced leaders fail.  But how do you recover? Through faith, whether it's in yourself or a higher power. Erik explains his failures (substance addiction and high debt to name a few) which ultimately led to amazing successes. Visit Bright Insights Media for more leadership tips and tricks. If you're ready to start having less stress and more success, go to this link and sign up for two FREE Gifts. Take a pop quiz on where your leadership awareness is right here!

Hello, Bright Lights! We're resuming the A to Z series with this episode on Emotional IQ. Yes, Emotional IQ is a buzz phrase that's spreading in the business and leadership world. While some old school leaders may feel like it's a trending concept and that business is about metrics more than anything, learning how to understand your subordinate's emotions and moods could indicate why some metrics are going on a negative trend. And from an ROI perspective, what if investing an hour a week for a few weeks could save you the cost of firing an otherwise good employee and having to hire and train a replacement? Give this episode a listen on how to start upping your Emotional IQ. Visit Bright Insights Media for more leadership tips and tricks. If you're ready to start having less stress and more success, go to this link and sign up for two FREE Gifts. Take a pop quiz on where your leadership awareness is right here!

Sorry/not sorry for the unannounced six week break. Sometimes life takes you for a loop and you gotta ride the wave until it settles. The Coronavirus Crisis didn't get me sick, but my mind needed to rest, even when I didn't think it did. But now I'm back and here to keep helping you become the leaders you were meant to be! In this episode, I talk about how giving away during the tough times improves your well-being as well as your personal brand, even if you aren't set out to "be" your brand. Large corporations are already doing it; so can you! Visit Bright Insights Media for more leadership tips and tricks. If you're ready to start having less stress and more success, go to this link and sign up for two FREE Gifts. Take a pop quiz on where your leadership awareness is right here! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PYZPL2J

I recorded this episode about 2 months before the Coronavirus outbreak. It was designed to be a mid-season break for the A to Z series. But I feel it's still relevant now. I have a longer version of this focused breathing technique that incorporates gentle movement and your peripheral vision to seriously take down some anxiety. It's only 10 minutes long at no additional cost just for signing up with your e-mail. Give yourself a breathing break and if you enjoyed the music at the end, here's a link to Small Planet's website.  

Grief is a part of our lives and a normal process when dealing with loss. Sadly, this crisis will produce loss, and we will grieve. But how do you do it? What is it that you can grieve? How do you lead others THROUGH grief? Do you get OVER the loss? I'll address all of these questions in this episode. Visit Bright Insights Media for more leadership tips and tricks. If you're ready to start having less stress and more success, go to this link and sign up for two FREE Gifts. Take a pop quiz on where your leadership awareness is right here!

In the midst of leading through a crisis such as with this Coronavirus pandemic, it can be difficult to find confidence-boosting sources. However, gratitude is something you can use every night to help you sleep better and be ready the next day. Listen to this episode for some simple yet effective ways to use gratitude for less stress and more success. You WILL get through this! Visit Bright Insights Media for more leadership tips and tricks. If you're ready to start having less stress and more success, go to this link and sign up for two FREE Gifts. Take a pop quiz on where your leadership awareness is right here!

D is for Diversity. BLUF: Increasing your workforce diversity can increase your bottom line. It's easy to take over as a manager and leave everything "as is" when it comes to who makes up your workforce. But to get to the next level, you can't use just the tools and resources that got you where you are today. Consider diversifying your workforce. Well, how do you do that without resorting to tokenism? Fortunately my guest, Dr. Cynthia Pickett, is just the expert you need. In addition to teaching Social Psychology, she serves as the Associate Vice-Provost- Faculty Equity and Inclusion at University of California, Davis. Listen to this awesome interview so you can have less stress and more success with your workforce. Dr. Pickett's Linked In If you're ready to start having less stress and more success, go to this link and sign up for two FREE Gifts. Take a pop quiz on where your leadership awareness is right here!

The BLUF: I'm pausing the A to Z series in order to provide helpful episodes as you lead others through this Coronavirus crisis. No matter how experienced of a leader you are, you've likely not seen anything like this. It's easy to lose confidence and even hope. But you STILL have the tools to lead yourself and others through this! You WILL get through this. Listen to this short episode and I'll help you focus step by step to get yourself re-centered with positive but realistic thoughts. If you're ready to start having less stress and more success, go to this link  and sign up for two FREE Gifts. Take a pop quiz on where your leadership awareness is right here! Bright Insights Media

C is for Confidence. The BLUF: Build confidence in yourself before you build it in your team.  It's a process, and just because you're good at your job doesn't mean you're 100 percent ready to teach others at the next level. However, confidence-building is something you can start right now to make yourself a more effective leader.  I interview a confidence coach, Murray Unger, and ask about where he got started in his career, to include his lowest moments. Murray will discuss his specific tools and habits that he teaches all his clients. Listen in and take note so you can have less stress and more success with confidence building! Show notes: 4:12- when Murray saw his low points 7:55- Murray's go-to tool when he sees himself slumping 15:00- how different ways of hearing info are more effective 19:00- Murray's barriers with coworkers and subordinates before he learned his confidence-building skills   Murray Unger's IG is @murrayunger Murray's Coaching Facebook Page  If you're ready to start having less stress and more success, go to this link and sign up for two FREE Gifts. Take a pop quiz on where your leadership awareness is right here!

B is for Baseline This is a fairly short and to the point episode of why it's important to remember where you started once you became a leader or THE leader in your organization. The "firsts" are progress markers. And you've likely come further than you've ever thought! 1:35- learn about my childhood travels and how a framed $1 bill influenced this episode 3:03- what working with homeless clients taught me about baseline establishment If you're ready to start having less stress and more success, go to this link and sign up for two FREE Gifts. Take a pop quiz on where your leadership awareness is right here!

Season 2 is kicking off strong with A is for Anxiety Management! Every episode this season will focus on tools leaders can use to improve their abilities, especially if you're new to leading people towards a common vision. One real challenge is dealing with anxiety and learning how to manage it when it starts to influence your decisions and morale. In this episode, I conduct an interview via Zoom with Kip Brooks of The Brooks Empowerment Academy. Kip tells his story about where the anxiety started in him and how he went through alternating periods of "sucking it up" to full blown panic attacks at work. Then there was a turning point in his life where he managed to gather all that he had learned to push through a tense moment of what he thought was life or death for his newborn. Once he pushed through, Kip kept building his skills which ultimately led to a new career in helping others! Timestamps: 7:20- when anxiety struck the job he was good at 14:24- the bad advice he got about how to handle his attacks 17:18- the life changing moment towards managing symptoms 21:51 - what Kip does now..empowers people!  Brooks Empowerment Academy If you're ready to start having less stress and more success, go to this link and sign up for two FREE Gifts. Take a pop quiz on where your leadership awareness is right here!  

Season 2 is coming! This season will be dedicated to providing at least 26 different principles that new leaders can use as they learn how to guide their subordinates to a common vision! And it won't be just my words, education and experience that will help. I've managed to recruit and interview top experts in various fields to bless you with what you need to know. This will be an A to Z guide for new leaders. Listen to a sample of episodes and interviews you won't want to miss this upcoming season. Be sure to subscribe!   Enjoy! https://brightinsightsmedia.com  

This is the season 1 wrap up episode!   Show notes: 1. Summary of the various episode series 2. Shout outs to contributors 3. A preview into what's coming, to include approximate launch of Season 2, video submissions, and pending publications. Even though we're closed for the season, the Bright Insights Media blog (https://brightinsightsmedia.com) will still be active. Be sure to visit and watch updates and the expansion of our mission. Thanks for joining me on this journey thus far. Please share your favorite episodes with people you know that need less stress and more success! Paul

The fifth and final part of the Leadership 101 Series: Servant Leadership. Almost every leader says things that servant leaders embody: "I have an open door policy." "Tell me what you need to do your job better." But how often do they follow through or demonstrate what it means to say these things? And do you? Show notes: -Credit to Lord of the Rings as an example of servant leadership. -Common servant leader phrases and traits -The drawbacks to servant leadership -Examples of servant leadership in my various jobs, to include babysitting. -How you can put action behind those servant leadership traits Visit Bright Insights Media (https://www.brightinsightsmedia.com for more leadership towards less stress and more success!

Take a trip down history lane as I review General George Patton, his authoritative leadership style, and how to manage it towards long term success if this tough-as-nails style is what you use. Show Notes: -How Patton motivated his troops to battlefield success -Why Patton's style limited his ascension in the ranks -Why I don't think the authoritative style is all that bad when managed correctly Get more information on ways you can lead with less stress and more success at the Bright Insights website (https://brightinsightsmedia.com)  

In Part 3 of the Leadership 101 series, we explore Leader Member Exchange theory, also known as LMX, and how you may be unintentionally creating "in" and "out" groups with your employees. And does Batman have the answer?You'll get the last question as you listen to the podcast. Show notes: -Holy Pop Culture! A throwback to 1989 is used to illustrate LMX - What an "In Group" looks like in your workplace - How LMX is like parenting multiple children - How I found out I was part of an "In" group - What you can do to make everyone feel included or have an opportunity to step it up There is always more information on the Bright Insights Media Page at www.brightinsightsmedia.com  

Once you decide to hire people to work towards your vision, you've got to establish your work culture. But before you decide how people are going to approach the job, you need to meet them where they're at. I learned most of my culture lessons while working at 4H Summer Camp. Take my lessons and you'll end up hiring the best employees at the start! This episode's meme cover is another original from the folks at Meme Up Business. You can find them on facebook.com/memeupbusiness. Get custom memes and gifs for your business! Show Notes: * How I learned to accept people's cultures through hunting * Rowdy boys teaching me how to meet people where they're at * Using creative rules to establish culture * How to create your culture during the hiring process Special thanks to Millstone 4 H Camp in Ellerbe, North Carolina. I left that place a better person!

Part 1 in the Leadership 101 series: A Clear, Concise Vision.  If you plan to have employees, you're money-making idea won't go very far without a clear, concise vision. Learn why it's the one thing you gotta have set in place before sending your employees to work.  Thanks to Business Memes for the cover photo! Check 'em out if you need a unique, creative way to communicate or advertise for your business. Show notes: Why a goal is not the same thing as a vision. A goal is not enough! How I used my big mouth to help a homeless mission create a vision The ridiculous ROI you get when everyone is on board Get more organizational leadership information on the Bright Insights website!    

There are people who you might think are haters because they have negative things to say about you. But the truth is that they aren't all haters. In fact, there are three kinds of people who look like haters but really aren't. I'll explain who they are, what makes up a "true" hater, and what you can do about it on this episode. Mentioned in episode: *Sarah Silverman *Tupac, Biggie, and a bad Snoop Dog impression *The "hate" I got separating from the military and how I explained my decision. Learn more about me on Bright Insights Media  

The final part in the "Maslow" series explores how to retain employees who are reaching their peak performance. In some cases, it's actually beneficial to let them go! Find out why, and visit the Bright Insights website for further information on how to have less stress and more success!

Are you finding ways to boost your employees' self-esteem? What about your own? People stick around where they are loved. Learn how to be the positive force for yourself and others (even when things suck at the moment!) in this episode. Follow the Bright Insights site for more information.

Do your employees feel like they belong? Many workers will stick around longer if they make good friends at a work center. Learn how to foster a friendly work environment while boosting production in part three of the "Maslow, Motivation, and your Organization" series: Love and Belongingness. For additional information, check out the Bright Insights website!

How safe and secure do your employees feel about their job and their work center? We address this in part 2 of the "Maslow, Motivation, and Your Organization" Series: Safety and Security Needs. Follow along for more information at the Bright Insights website!

The first in the Maslow, Motivation, and Your Organization" Series: Physiological Needs. Learn how your approach to the most basic human needs can affect retention. And for more information, check out the Bright Insights website!

Can you say you have OCD, ADHD, or PTSD without a true diagnosis? Listen here, and follow the website for more information.

Schizophrenia is among the most common misused psychological terms. It gets mixed up with Multiple Personality Disorder. After the podcast, you can get more information about this diagnosis and others on the Bright Insights website.

Listen to find out if you or someone you know is either very self-confident or narcissistic like the wrestler Ric Flair (image created by Chad Stanhope). When you're done listening to this podcast, visit the Bright Insights website for additional mental health and organizational leadership resources for less stress and more success!