It's All About the Questions

If you've written a book, have a business, are a speaker, or just have something helpful to share on a larger scale than your friends and neighbors, then getting on TV, radio, podcasts and more can be your path to getting your message out on a larger scale. But how do you do that effectively? If you are uncomfortable speaking in public, as many are, how do you craft and deliver your message so that you are ready when you get the email or phone call? Enter Rachel Hanfling. Former Emmy nominated producer for Oprah and Anderson Cooper, to name drop a few. She is also my go to when I have questions or need some coaching around media and speaking to groups overall. On this episode Rachel shares how you can craft your signature talk and pare it down to its essence for different types of media. She also answers my questions on three things to focus on when you are preparing your talk or pitch. We talk about even more, but you'll have to listen or read the transcript to find out all the questions and answers from this episode! Rachel even has a freebie to help you in just 5 short minutes. Emmy-nominated Rachel Hanfling is your guide to clear, confident, charismatic speech. A former producer for Oprah and Anderson Cooper, she's coached clients to become go-to experts, land deals on Shark Tank, sell out on QVC, dominate worldwide speeches, generate explosive sales, nail workplace politics and more. She's taught at Harvard, internationally, and across the U.S. Rachel is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She is mom to twin boys and a dog in New York City. To learn more about Rachel, visit rachelhanfling.com/5Minutes .

Ever thought your company needed a board to advise and help you grow but had no clue what was involved? Annette Taber is the Founder of BoardSwap and she answers questions about how anyone can have an advisory board for short or long term and how to manage one. Plus we discuss her advice to anyone starting their own business.   Annette Taber brings over 30 years of experience in the Technology Industry.  As Founder and CEO of BoardSWAP, she realized an important need in the Technology Industry to formalize Advisory Boards as a Service, and therefore became a Certified ChairTM through the Advisory Board Centre.   BoardSWAP provides fully outsourced Advisory Board development, facilitation, governance, and executive consulting.  Additionally, the BoardSWAP Advisors Concierge service helps clients identify the right advisors and subject matter experts to fulfill their needs.  Helping to educate the industry on the many benefits of formalized Advisory Boards is a key passion of hers.  www.BoardSwap.com

What happens when you get a master strategist, legal expert and advisor to some of the biggest names in the thought leader/entrepreneur world to come on your show again? Well you get this episode where Peter Hoppenfeld answers my questions ranging from starting a business to growing a business to what word never to use in business to one of the best summaries on Intellectual property I have ever heard. Don't believe me on all we covered? I was getting texts and people were chatting during the livestream with questions and comments. I had many more questions but we ran out of time. Peter Hoppenfeld is widely recognized as the “go to” attorney and advisor in the representation of direct marketers, speakers, authors, information marketers, “thought leaders,” entrepreneurs and domestic and international training companies and their founders in all aspects of their legal and business affairs. Peter is a seasoned transactional, commercial attorney with direct marketing, internet marketing, distribution, licensing, marketing, branding and operational expertise. On a daily basis, Peter helps authors, speakers, entrepreneurs, business owners and thought leaders create effective marketing, merchandising and expansion strategies. His mission is to rapidly, smartly and strategically grow people's businesses, reach and revenues. Peter's been described as “a lawyer who understands marketing and a marketer who happens to be a lawyer”. www.peterhoppenfeld.com For more episodes and insights, checkout https://www.laurasteward.com Subscribe to my podcast at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/its-all-about-the-questions/id1008520291 Order my book: https://www.amazon.com/What-Would-Wise-Woman-Questions/dp/1614483442

Entrepreneurial journeys rarely go in a straight line. They have detours, divergences and often life outside the work journey impacts thinking, action and final goals. When one journey ends, another might start along the same path or go in a completely different direction. My guest on this episode is Vered Neta. A multi-hyphenate entrepreneur who has done several successful exits from companies she has created, Vered is now on a new journey that she chose because she wanted a new challenge. When that new path threw up a lot of road blocks, she pivoted and created another successful divergence. Take a listen as Vered and I discuss her journey, her favorite questions to ask when she gets stuck and how she hopes to help others who caregive for loved ones with Alzheimers with her latest book, Things We Do for Love, available wherever books are sold. Vered Neta has lived in three different countries for the last six decades, so tracing her origins is a thrilling quest. Nowadays, she lives in Tenerife on an off-the-grid finca, creating a self-sustained life for her and her partner while writing her novels and scripts. Her stories are character-driven dramas, giving voice to the untold stories of women and their triumphs in today's society. Her mission? To illuminate the world with kindness and positivity, one story at a time. Vered's words have touched countless lives through her multiple books on motivation and relationships. Her book "Financial Independence for Women" sold over 50,000 copies. In 2010, Vered was awarded the TIAW World of Difference Award, an award given to women whose efforts have advanced women's economic empowerment locally, regionally or worldwide.

I've followed Dan Rockwell for ages. His Blog, Leadership Freak, combines wisdom and insights with lightness, deep thinking and insidious questions that worm their way into your brain and body until you have a breakthrough of thought and action. Now he and his co-author John David Mann have released a parable novel called, The Vagrant. Expect that book to worm its way inside you too and create breakthroughs of thought and self-reflection. On today's episode Dan and I sit down and discuss his thoughts on leadership, the birth of his book, self-reflection and how doing that alone can lead to some not great outcomes. We also discuss many other topics over the course of the interview. It was hard to stop. Let me know what actions you are taking after you listen and don't forget to take advantage of the opportunity to win a free copy of The Vagrant! DAN ROCKWELL (leadershipfreak.blog) gave his first presentation at the age of sixteen and has been delivering presentations and workshops ever since. Dan's fascination with leadership led him to launch his Leadership Freak blog in January 2010. Today Leadership Freak is read in virtually every country on the globe, with nearly 500,000 subscribers to its various social media channels. Dan has been named among the “Top Fifty Leadership and Management Experts” and “Top 100 Great Leadership Speakers” by Inc magazine and “Top 30 Leader in Business of 2014” by the American Management Association. His blog has been hailed as “most socially shared leadership blog on the Internet” by Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness.  

A bit of an different episode for the show. Just me talking about how a recent photo shoot for a new headshot had me spiraling and the questions I started asking myself.

Research shows that people are searching for happiness.  They want to find ways to be happier, live life more fully and be present to their lives and figure out what makes them happy. My guest, Marian Edvardsen, has been on that search herself and has written a book, or perhaps it can be considered a primer and reference guide, to helping you find and live your own happiness. Step In To Happy: Simple Steps from A to Z for Loving Your Life opened my eyes up to a few areas that can help me find more happiness in my life and let go some thoughts that aren't helping that search. On this episode of It's All About the Questions, Marian's shares some questions she has asked herself and how the new questions put her on a path to help others through EFT and more. Based on a question from a Listener on LinkedIn Live, I got Marian to lead my listeners through a tapping session on releasing doubt. Take a listen and share your happiness journey and let me know if you share any of the four steps I struggle with that I shared on the episode. #ItsAllAboutTheQuestions #Happiness #StepInToHappy Marian Edvardsen is an Empowerment and Mindset Coach, a Leader and Wellness Advocate with dōTERRA International, a Certified Passion Test Facilitator for Adults, Kids & Teens and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Practitioner.  She specializes in helping people who are committed to living happy, healthy and fulfilled, but sometimes struggle with overwhelm, stress or limiting beliefs that keep them stuck and hold them back from living the passionate, fulfilling lives they want and desire. Her work with dōTERRA essential oils and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) since 2012 have been two of the most effective and simple tools in helping people find natural solutions to feel better fast on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. She is the author of the Amazon bestselling book, Step In To Happy: Simple Steps from A to Z for Loving Your Life find out more at StepInToHappy.com For more episodes and insights, checkout https://www.laurasteward.com Subscribe to my podcast at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/its-all-about-the-questions/id1008520291 Order my book: https://www.amazon.com/What-Would-Wise-Woman-Questions/dp/1614483442

What can one say about John David Mann? He has mastered, well he wouldn't say that, but I would, writing non-fiction, parable and fiction writing. He has also shown us how a marriage can be lived fully and be written about, how to start your own school, and how to run a business with over 100,000 people. And those are just a few of his achievements to date. My favorite is that he has launched almost every book he has written or co-authored on my show since 2015. Yup, that one is special to me because his words lift my spirits, awaken my brain and bring me joy. Well not just to me but to over 3 million people in 38 languages. Blind Fear is John's latest novel with Brandon Webb and it does not disappoint. Today we talked about what his latest novel means, how he manages to take a more 'Hitchcockian" approach to writing than many others (my choice of words as you will hear), and how crime writing taught him to fall in love with the world.  These aren't the usual questions John gets asked, and his answers may surprise you.  Take a listen as we dive deep with John David Mann on life, fiction, writing mastery mentoring and a few other things. John David Mann has been creating careers since he was a teenager. Before turning to business and journalism, he forged a successful career as a concert cellist and prize-winning composer. At fifteen he won the prestigious BMI Awards to Student Composers and received the award at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, where he met such twentieth-century-music luminaries as William Schumann and Leopold Stokowski. He apprenticed as a choral conductor under his father, Dr. Alfred Mann, which gave him the chance to meet more legendary figures of classical music, including Randall Thompson, Leonard Bernstein, Boris Goldovsky, Robert Shaw, and George Crumb. His musical compositions were performed throughout the U.S. and his musical score for Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound (written at age thirteen) was performed as part of a theatrical production of the play at the stone amphitheater in Epidaurus, Greece—the very one, in fact, where the play was originally premiered a few thousand years earlier. At age seventeen, he and a few friends started their own high school in New Jersey (called Changes, Inc.). “Alternative” though they were, his school successfully placed its students in such universities as Harvard and Yale. After graduating, he joined the school's faculty. In the years since he has taught children in affluent Boston suburbs, Indiana farms, and the poorest neighborhoods on the outskirts of Philadelphia. John never planned to go into business; it just seemed to keep working out that way. He has founded one school, one food distribution business, one graphic design business, and two publishing companies. John's diverse career has made him a thought leader in several different industries. In 1986 he founded and wrote for Solstice, a journal on health, nutrition, and environmental issues. His series on the climate crisis, “Whither the Trees?” (yes, he was writing about this back in the eighties), was selected for national reprint in 1989 in Utne Reader for a readership of over one hundred thousand. In 1992 John helped write and produce the underground bestseller The Greatest Networker in the World, by John Milton Fogg, which became the defining book in its industry. During the 1990s, John built a multimillion-dollar sales/distribution organization of over a hundred thousand people. He was cofounder and senior editor of the legendary Upline journal and editor in chief of Networking Times. As a public speaker he has addressed audiences of thousands. John is an award-winning author whose writings have earned the Axiom Business Book Award (Gold Medal, for The Go-Giver), the Nautilus Award (for A Deadly Misunderstanding), and Taiwan's Golden Book Award for Innovation (for You Call the Shots). The Go-Giver was also honored with the Living Now Book Awards “Evergreen Medal” in 2017 for its “contributions to positive global change,” and cited on Inc.'s “Most Motivational Books Ever Written” and HubSpot's “20 Most Highly Rated Sales Books of All Time”; The Go-Giver Leader was listed on Entrepreneur magazine's “10 Books Every Leader Should Read” and Forbes magazine's “8 Books Every Young Leaders Should Read.” His 2012 Take the Lead (with Betsy Myers) was named Best Leadership Book of 2011 by Tom Peters and the Washington Post. His first novel, Steel Fear (2021, with former Navy SEAL Brandon Webb), was hailed by Lee Child as “an instant classic, maybe an instant legend” and nominated for a Barry Award. Jeffery Deaver called the sequel, Cold Fear (2022), “one of the best crime novels of the year.” You can read his thoughts on entering the world of crime fiction at JohnDavidMann.com His books are published in 38 languages and have sold more than 3 million copies. John coauthored the international bestselling classic The Go-Giver (with Bob Burg), the New York Times bestsellers The Latte Factor (with David Bach), The Red Circle (with Brandon Webb), and Flash Foresight (with Daniel Burrus), and The Answer (ghost-written for John Assaraf and Murray Smith) and the national bestsellers The Slight Edge (with Jeff Olson), Among Heroes (with Brandon Webb), Out of the Maze (with Spencer Johnson) and Real Leadership (with John Addison). He has written for American Executive, CNBC, CrimeReads, Financial Times, Forbes.com, Huffington Post, Ivey Business Journal, Leader to Leader, Leadership Excellence, Master Salesmanship, Strategy & Leadership, and Wired. You can find his writings on Huffington Post here. He is married to Ana Gabriel Mann (check out their wedding photos and vows), his coauthor on The Go-Giver Marriage, and considers himself the luckiest mann in the world.

What does it take to write multiple books with the same characters? Is it different than writing just one? Take a listen as I interview Edgar Award nominated author, former journalist and all-around good human Thomas Kies about his latest Geneva Chase novel. He will share what his agent, publisher and editor each said when he was thinking about starting a different series and his own thoughts on it. Then we talk about life as a writer while still working full-time, branching out into other forms of writing like becoming a playwright and so much more. In January of 2022, Thomas Kies, author of the critically acclaimed Geneva Chase Mystery Series, was Edgar nominated by the Mystery Writers of America for the Sue Grafton Memorial Award.   He has a long history of working for newspapers and magazines, primarily in New England and New York and currently lives and writes on a barrier island on the coast of North Carolina. His newest novel, WHISPER ROOM is being released on Tuesday, August 2nd.  Motherly.com named WHISPER ROOM one of the Buzziest Books of 2022 and Library Journal said, “Kies's sequel to the Sue Grafton Award nominee Shadow Hill is a compelling story for readers who want to follow investigative reporters into the crime scenes.”

He's baaack! John David Mann, one of my all-time favorite guests, is back to talk about how he gets inspiration, the differences between writing non-fiction and fiction, what he credits for his ability to write what I call "books that suck you in and make you forget to go to the bathroom" and so much more. If you've never listened to John talk about writing, life, passion and having a writing partner then dive in on this episode. And forgive me for fan-geeking a bit. I love his writing and get joy out of even holding one of his books in my hand. Why you ask? Because once you start reading them they do not disappoint. John David Mann is coauthor of more than thirty books, including four New York Times bestsellers and five national bestsellers; his classic 2008 parable The Go-Giver (coauthored with Bob Burg) earned the 2017 Living Now Book Award's “Evergreen Medal” given for its “contribution to positive global change.”

Marlene Chism is recognized as one of the top experts on reducing or eliminating workplace drama and helping leaders become better leaders. She has been on the show before discussing her previous books and on this episode, we discussed her latest book, From Conflict to Courage: How to Stop Avoiding and Start Leading. Conflict, and avoiding conflict, happen everyday either at work, at home or somewhere on the way to one of those. I've observed conflicts on roads, in restaurants, at concerts, on lines and personally have avoided a few at work or at home until it felt like I was going to explode. On this episode, Marlene discusses how avoiding conflict can make you angry with yourself, how your goal when dealing with conflict is not about winning but breaking through to a solution and she also shares the words you can use to defuse a conflict and get to the other side. Be prepared to take notes as this episode is filled with tips, strategies and tactics to help you stop avoiding conflict and move into leadership. Marlene Chism works with top leaders to build drama-free cultures that drive growth and reduce costly mistakes. Her expertise includes leadership development, conflict management, and strategic communication. Marlene is a recognized expert on the LinkedIn global learning platform, producing educational videos on Anger Management, Working with High Conflict People as a Manager, and Having Difficult Conversations. Her soon to be published book is From Conflict to Courage: How to Stop Avoiding and Start Leading. To learn more about Marlene and download a discussion guide for From Conflict to Courage, visit www.marlenechism.com

Just me updating you on the show, myself and others things

Just me giving you an update on the show, myself and a few other things.

Return guest Alan Shaprio continues our discussion on creativity, getting rid of numbness, finding and expressing your story and how routine helps him unleash his creative spark. In Alan's own words: Passionate, award-winning photographer. Advertising Chief Creative Officer, too I grew up on the creative side of the advertising world, working with clients around the world; telling their unique stories in very unique ways. Along the way, I've had the pleasure of working with many, many talented photographers, directors and content creators. I became envious of their art and craft. At first, I saw it as a means of reducing my stress-filled life. As a Chief Creative Officer at the world's largest Advertising Agency Network, I needed a distraction. A friend gave me a camera. Then I bought another. And then another. My new hobby and daily "creative exercise regimen" quickly turned into a joy-filled and all consuming passion. Then my first photo client called. Then another. And then, many more. Lockheed Martin, GM, Cadillac, Apple, Ritz Carlton, Bose, Scholastic,... I love talking to all sorts of people and seem to have a knack for getting them to open up and share themselves despite the intrusion and intimidation that a serious-looking camera often represents. I like finding and sharing things I find. Beautiful things. Powerful things. Poignant things. I also enjoy taking something ordinary and making it something well beyond that. Illustration and painting are other passions and I love creating unique "painted" photographs and photocompositions inspired by the Renaissance Masters. My work hangs in corporate and private collections. It graces retail environments, editorial spreads, TV show sets and has been featured on products from housewares to clothing to puzzles. Happiness. https://www.alanshapirophotography.com/  

Going to the doctor nowadays doesn't always mean leaving there with a good diagnosis or a feeling of being heard. Many doctors are overworked and have become highly specialized preventing them from looking at their patient as a whole rather than a particular set of symptoms. Insurance reimbursement can also impact the doctor/patient relationship. What can you do to change that and feel well again? Enter Dr. Dan Witkowski. Board certified OB/GYN and Lifestyle medicine as well as being a certified nutritionist. Dr. Dan recently changed his practice to one where he takes fewer patients while giving them more time and a full patient level of care. I am not talking about overpriced concierge models but something different. Take a listen as Dr. Dan and I talk about what he has learned from his patients, what steps and tactics can start you on a road to feeling better and why your lifestyle should matter to your doctor. It might not be what you think. And no, this is not a conversation about just going plant-based for your eating either. I don't know about you but that is not a one size fits all model either. Dr. Dan Witkowski's father was on 17 medications when he died. He'd already had a quintuple heart bypass and a below the knee leg amputation due to diabetic complications. Dr Witkowski realized that none of his Dad's doctors had asked about his lifestyle, what he was eating, or how he spent his time. Dr Witkowski's patients were being put on similar lists of medications for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugars, and he decided he needed to do what he'd originally gone to medical school for. Help people. This formed the basis of the holistic and comprehensive care he offers his patients today. Dr. Dan is: ● Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology ● Board Certified in Lifestyle Medicine ● Certified in Plant-Based Nutrition He brings his unique combination of skills together at Direct Women's Health in  Wakefield, MA where he sees patients through the Direct Primary Care model. Many of Dr. Dan's patients have reversed their chronic health conditions and come off their  medication under his care. Dr. Dan has been delivering babies, specializing in Women's Health, and changing lives since 1993. Together with his wife, Pam, they run the free Plant Based Lifestyle Ambassadors community on Facebook, inspiring people to live tastier, healthier, more fulfilled lives.

Clinton Gatewood is my guest on this epsiode and it is an overdue interview. Clint has lived his life helping others grow their businesses as well as having founded and sold his own company. He has dedicated his life to serving others and helping them see how they can achieve their business goals. I know Clint from my tech days onward and every role he has ever held in any company he  has worked for, or with, has seen the benefit of having him around.  On this epsiode Clint shares what he learned growing a business from the ground up for himself and others, how he learned to "own the part of the business you are in as if it is your own" and what can happen if you question yourself too much. Clint shares a lot more from his many decades working for someone, working for himself and helping clients grow. Take a listen and then share on your social tagging #ItsAllAboutTheQuestions or @TheLauraSteward what your takeaway is. Clinton Gatewood started his channel career with Zenith Infotech building a team which successfully grew the Zenith partner base from zero to over 12,000 MSPs in six years. He co-founded a channel focused backup and disaster recovery software company which was purchased in 2014. Clinton is now helping other channel professionals apply data driven solutions to optimize the time from partner discovery t0 first sale to predictable/sustainable channel revenue stream.  Clinton is a veteran having served as an Army Ranger and with the 82 Airborne. He has been married for 35 years with 2 children and is very happy they look like their mother.

John David Mann and Ana Gabriel Mann joined me to discuss their seminal work, The Go-Giver Marriage A Little Story About The 5 Secrets to Lasting Love. This is not your average book about relationships and marriage. Nor is this interview. Take a listen as I ask John and Ana about the foundation for the book, how their lives intertwined to create the book and how each of us can begin to improve relationships that matter to us. JOHN DAVID MANN is coauthor of more than thirty books, including four New York Times bestsellers and five national bestsellers, including The Go-Giver (coauthored with Bob Burg), which has sold over 1 million copies and won the 2017 Living Now Book Awards Evergreen Medal for its “contributions to positive global change.” He is married to Ana Gabriel Mann and considers himself the luckiest mann in the world. ANA GABRIEL MANN, M.A., holds a Master's degree in clinical psychology and dance-movement therapy from Antioch New England, where she specialized in working with adults and family therapy. In addition to her work in family therapy and 5 Secrets marriage coaching, she has served as clinical director for a support program for families caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's disease, co-founded New England's first college of Chinese medicine, and worked as a corporate consultant, speaker, trainer, and business coach. She is the creator and lead facilitator of the Go-Giver Marriage Coaches training program. John and Ana have been dreaming about cowriting The Go-Giver Marriage and bringing its message to the world ever since the first draft of John and Bob's original book came sliding out of his desktop printer in early 2005.

How does a woman nowhere close to retirement age create a company that is all about helping people ready to retire? Well Hannah Thomson will tell you all you have to do is know her granny. Inspiration is all around us. How we act on that separates the successful from the less successful. Hannah Thomson has learned to act on what she learns from the world around her and founded the highly successful retirement-focused company The Joy Club. Not your usual kind of startup, this one focuses on virtual AND live events to inspire retirees, or those who want a bit more fun in their lives, to grab life with two hands and try something new. With over 5000 members in the UK alone, Hannah is on a mission to empower grandparents, and parents, to live the lives they perhaps put aside as they raised their families or grew their careers. Take a listen as Hannah shares how her grandmother influenced the creation of The Joy club, what it took, and takes, to make it flourish and her vision for the future. Hannah Thomson founded The Joy Club in 2019, inspired by her granny's experience of ageing to focus on inspiring a joyful retirement for all. She previously held key roles in several award-winning startups, including femtech company Elvie where she was Head of Health and Strategic Partnerships. Hannah has degrees in human rights and business practices in life sciences – and is a graduate of the Oxford University Fintech Programme. Her multidisciplinary background reflects her curiosity about the world and her passion to use technology to change it for the better. When she's not building The Joy Club, you'll find Hannah trail running, sailing the high seas or training her Labrador puppy to be the perfect adventure buddy! www.thejoyclub.com

Do you know if you are focused on your brand essence or your brand ego? Do you know the difference between the two? How about story? Do you know how to use it for the right part of your brand? Tucker Stine and I pick up our conversation in part 2 of our discussion about your bsuiness and personal brands and how they best interact and how they should not. Tucker is a results-driven connector, personal and organizational brand architect, leadership coach and public speaker with over 25 years of success in building personal and professional brands, developing experiential marketing strategies, constructing strategic communications programs, advising emerging nonprofits and coaching keynote speakers, conscious-driven businesses and thought leaders through impactful storytelling.  Tucker has worked with Fortune 100 companies, tech giants and global changemakers such as Microsoft, F5, Accenture, Azure, AWS and more, helping them reinvent leadership opportunities and strategic marketing initiatives to revolutionize their industry.  With one simple goal, to bring humanity back into the technology world. He thrives as a valuable core team leader, industry mentor and catalyst for generational movements that ignite societal change through the power of voice. He has helped 250+ speakers and thought leaders take the stage, launch their businesses and share their global ideas for change, including the highly sought-after TED platform. His clients have been featured on TED, Goalcast, Upworthy, The Today Show, the Sundance Film Festival and hundreds of podcasts, resulting in over 100 million views combined.  With one goal in mind… to share a courageous, vulnerable voice and a powerful seat at the global table of conversation, every opportunity they can. Tucker believes in the power of human connection, radical authenticity, and social impact through speaking, storytelling and thought leadership initiatives. He inspires his clients to follow that same path through their own words. One story at a time.

One of my most requested guests has come back on the show to talk how we can keep hope, have healing and know we have strength when it seems like none of that is possible. Dr. Laurie Nadel talks about terminal lethargy, what tasks we need to schedule and if the body and mind really learn to accept a new normal. Dr. Laurie Nadel is a psychologist who helps people recover from disasters, including the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001.  She continues to work with first responders who remain deeply affected by the event some 20 years later; she also directed a program for teenagers whose fathers were killed that day.  A former journalist, she spent 20 years in TV newsrooms in London and New York with an assignment for Newsweek in Chile during a state of siege. This led to her founding the Committee to Protect Journalists, a human rights organization. Since launching her psychology practice 30 years ago, Dr. Laurie has helped individuals and organizations heal from trauma, including the Parkland school shooting teachers and survivors of Hurricane Sandy where she lost her own home.   She currently leads free online support groups for firefighters and for individuals who are longhaul COVID survivors. She is the author of "The Five Gifts: Discovering Hope, Healing and Strength When Disaster Strikes."

Do you check in with your customer? Ever? Too often what happens is focus shifts to getting new customers at the expense of the old. Think how annoyed we all get when Cable and Cellular companies offer bonuses or special pricing to new customers and existing just keep paying higher and higher prices. In a services industry you are probably missing out on increased revenue with increased customer satisfaction by doing regular business reviews with your clients. What do you do during those review and how often should you do them are just a few of the questions my guest Kris Blackmon, Chief Channel officer of JS Group and I discuss on this epsiode. Kris Blackmon is the chief channel officer of industry consultancy JS Group. A veteran of the indirect sales channel, Kris has extensive experience in event programming, editorial and content creation, research and analysis, and community building. At JS Group, she consults on go-to-market strategies for organizations in the indirect channel and leads the content strategy team. Kris is a member of CompTIA's Channel Development Advisory Council, producing thought leadership for vendors and partners. She sits on the board of Xposure Inclusion and Diversity Council and is a fervent advocate of DEI and allyship in the channel.

Listeners wanted her back for more of her wisdom and I agreed. On this part 2 of a conversation with Amy Biddle she shares three strategies she has used to create advances in her business and life year after year. We also talk about her upcoming book, Acquire, Convert, Repeat. And during this epsiode Amy shares how her goal and purpose changed and how that changed everything for her. Amy Biddle has been obsessed with digital and traditional marketing since 1999. "I was an English major," she confessed. "But when I discovered marketing, I finally had a reason to pay attention to numbers, too. Now I'm really a geek. I do words fused with data that strategically advance the bottom line." Having started her journey in content marketing and search engine optimization (SEO), Amy has been consultant to over 10,000 business owners, advising small business owners how to create content that is both human friendly and search engine friendly.  She designed and led an ecommerce business program that facilitated over $20 million in revenue with participants.                She's managed paid marketing with budgets of $50 per day to $20,000 per day, managing ad strategy for companies selling everything from cat toys to SaaS. Amy publishes a monthly newsletter for ecommerce business owners with customer lists of over 5000 names. Learn more at https://amybiddle.me/ .

The biggest downfall to any brand is not what you think. It's not a failure in service or product delivery. It's not even a scandal. Tucker Stine has been helping brands of all sizes avoid and recover from what is the biggest downfall for many years and he shares the answer on this epsiode. We also talk about branding to different gernations, brand accelerators and how to use them and how changing the face of a brand, think Alex Trebek, doesn't have to signify the downfall of the company. There is a lot to unpack in this epsiode so have a notepad handy and share your take away. Tucker is a results-driven connector, personal and organizational brand architect, leadership coach and public speaker with over 25 years of success in building personal and professional brands, developing experiential marketing strategies, constructing strategic communications programs, advising emerging nonprofits and coaching keynote speakers, conscious-driven businesses and thought leaders through impactful storytelling.  Tucker has worked with Fortune 100 companies, tech giants and global changemakers such as Microsoft, F5, Accenture, Azure, AWS and more, helping them reinvent leadership opportunities and strategic marketing initiatives to revolutionize their industry.  With one simple goal, to bring humanity back into the technology world. He thrives as a valuable core team leader, industry mentor and catalyst for generational movements that ignite societal change through the power of voice. He has helped 250+ speakers and thought leaders take the stage, launch their businesses and share their global ideas for change, including the highly sought-after TED platform. His clients have been featured on TED, Goalcast, Upworthy, The Today Show, the Sundance Film Festival and hundreds of podcasts, resulting in over 100 million views combined.  With one goal in mind… to share a courageous, vulnerable voice and a powerful seat at the global table of conversation, every opportunity they can. Tucker believes in the power of human connection, radical authenticity, and social impact through speaking, storytelling and thought leadership initiatives. He inspires his clients to follow that same path through their own words. One story at a time.

As if the title wasn't enough to suck you in there is more from this much requested repeat guest. Her latest book's title is You Don't Suck - Your Copy Does - 60 Kick-Butt Lessons on Copywriting, Business and Life and it definitely delivers. Be preprared for a high-energy listen as Carline talks about what makes an A-List copywriter, how to appreciate who you are and what you have, how to deal with bad things happening and not let them derail you and even a little bit about bras and the wisdom of finding the perfect one only to have it discontinued! CARLINE ANGLADE-COLE still wakes up every morning shocked – and happy – she's found a job that pays her so well for doing something she loves! After 12 years in the direct mail industry working at Phillips Publishing Inc. (now Healthy Directions), Carline ventured out on her own and launched Cole Marketing Solutions, Inc. When she began her copywriting freelance career in 1999 – her goal was simple: Make a decent income and have the flexibility and time to raise her 4 kids with her firefighter husband, Mickey. Along the way, she managed to create multi-year controls for leading clients in the health industry including: Health Resources … True Health … Healthy Directions … Boardroom … Biscayne Labs … Schweiz Health … Vitamin Research Group … and NeoGenis – just to name a few …  … consulted and helped international clients break into the American health market …  … oh – and got a shot at launching Oprah's “O Magazine” in the direct mail arena! Not too shabby for a mom – and now grandmother of 3 boys – who works in her basement wearing a t-shirt, shorts and bedroom slippers! Recently, instead of throwing a traditional 30th anniversary party with her husband – Carline decided they should celebrate – not the day – but the entire year! That year of travel included spending weeks in Japan, Guatemala, New Zealand, South Africa, Haiti and Jamaica – along with some fun times in New Orleans! Thanks to the amazing writer's life – during that year of travel – Carline still managed to write copy for clients and have one of her most successful fiscal years ever! Carline specializes in creating home-run copy to launch new products, revive struggling product lines, and help clients to maximize their revenues.

Having sold a business I can tell you that it is not just all about business issues like M&A, finances, contracts, staff, clients, branding and a few other things. What many never talk about is the emotional impact leading up to a sale, during negotiations and after the sale that can derail a deal before it gets to close. My guest is a serial entreprenuer who has written and spoken about the emotional side of selling a business and it is spot-on from my experience. The book also includes case studies of other sale experinces. Take a listen as we discuss the emotional impact on staff and owners, perils and pitfulls to consider when making a sale and questions to ask yourself before you start your company and after you think the thought you are ready to exit. Jamison West has been a serial entrepreneur for 25 years. He built Arterian (formerly JWCS), an MSP that he grew from a one-man shop to forty staff through both organic growth and the acquisition of 4 other IT Services companies. He went on to Co-Found 3 SaaS companies including Teamatics, SmileBack, and TimeZest and currently serves as a fractional CEO for SmileBack and Chairman of TimeZest. He enjoys his role as a Strategic Coach and Consultant for several clients in the US. His background includes: Founding and operating companies in the SaaS and IT Services space; Participating in and moderating professional peer groups; Coaching and Consulting for organizations in the SaaS and IT Services verticals Speaking on a range of topics from Cloud to M&A to People. ​Jamison currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada and travels constantly.

Everyone talks about goals when they are starting out but do all goals matter equally? Are some dreams versus goals? Do all goals need to be done right now or do some need to wait because you need to look at them some more? My guest, Michael Nelson, is a serial entreprenuer who knows a few things about success, failure and goals that matter and don't. Take a listen as we talk about the book he finally wrote after clients and friends urged him to, why willpower is not the answer to achiveing goals, how to figure out what goals need an asterisk next to them and how to determine what matters for you. Michael Nelson is the author of Goals That Matter – The Deceptively Simple System to Achieve Every Dream. Michael is an entrepreneur and a real estate investor. Having created a system to achieve his goals, Michael started sharing it with clients and friends who found a great deal of success with their goals. Having led hundreds of people through his goal setting system, he decided to write a book to share it even further. Michael's book is a must-read for every person who desires to take their life to the next level. At 29, Michael started his first company. The dotcom bubble set him back, but he learned from the experience and started another. TLC Tech (a technical support company) providing Managed IT Services, is thriving for one reason. He developed his goals. But writing them down was not enough. It was when he realized how to use them to really matter and move the needle, that things began to change. Now, having built TLC Tech into a 7-figure success, he wanted to continue to grow. The key to it all sounded a bit cliche, but once he truly mastered both professional and personal goals, is when he found happiness and balance. It was a turning for Michael and his company. His book, Goals that Matter, added another element to his life. It was his passion project. Helping others through coaching and public speaking has allowed him to pass along the tools he used. Seeing success in others has been extraordinary. With 27 years' experience and a positive outlook, he is a role model for every driven individual looking to take the next step in their life. And achieving every dream.

What if you could turn upside down how you think about adding new partners and clients? What if you decided to create a business to help others do that? And what if that wasn't how you originally thought of your company? Take a listen as I interview Dina Moskowitz, Founder and CEO of SaaSMAX ParterOptimizer as she shares her entrepreneurial journey and the pivots she learned to make along the way to success. Dina Moskowitz is recognized as one of the IT Channel's top influencers and innovators. She is Founder and CEO of PartnerOptimizer by SaaSMAX, an AI-powered partner marketing platform that analyzes millions of historical data points to help you create your ideal profile. Dina and was recently ranked #20 out of more than 2800 Channel Executives and in 2017 awarded the Cloud Girls Rising Trailblazer Award. She has been featured in the VAR Guy's Top 50 Channel Influencers and recognized by CRN as a Women of the Channel Power 50 Solution Provider, by UBM Tech Channel CRN as one of the Top Women in the Channel (2016, 2015, 2014). Dina served on the CompTIA Vendor Advisory Council and now serves on their Business Applications Council. Dina has led or provided consultation to cloud-based, SaaS and other technology companies throughout her career. Prior to PartnerOptimizer by SaaSMAX, she was CEO and founder of Critical Digital Data Solutions Inc., which developed cloud-based data storage solutions. Dina regular presents at Channel conferences. She is a member of Cloud Girls, Board Member of the Cloud Software Association, Judge and mentor for San Diego Women's Hackathon and other San Diego start-up organizations, and a strong advocate of women in SaaS and IT.

Worry, anxiety, fear, frustration, lethargy, exhaustion and stress. I could check off the boxes on one or more of these almost every day. How about you? My guest is Dr. Katie Nall. She has a Ph.D in Mathematics Educations, is a multiple TEDx speaker and a Top level EFT practitioner. She didn't get her Ph.D until later in life but got it because she saw how stressed students were around math and matt classes. She made it her mission to help them and a new career was born.  Dr. Nall has actually had several careers and her latest started after she retired from her full-time position. On this episode Dr. Nall shares, and makes me a willing guinea pig, how to reduce the WAFFLES in your life and most of all their impact on your mind, body and soul. She also shares her philosophy on life, business and why she just keeps getting better every year. Not only does our next guest have her Ph.D. in Mathematics Education, she also is a TEDx speaker, a professional member of National Speakers Association, and an Accredited Master Trainer and Certified Practitioner in Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) with additional training in trauma and quantum EFT. Whether in person or online, Dr. Nall shows others how to dissolve their WAFFLES – worry, anxiety, fear, frustration, lethargy, exhaustion, and stress. A careless housekeeper and worse cook with no desire for rehabilitation she somehow is still married to the same person for over 48 years. https://linktr.ee/KatieNallPhD Website: NallEdgeCo.com

Joe Serio doesn't look like he was deeply involved with organized crime yet he was. But from the good end of it. The side of protecting against and understanding the deep tentacles between the Russian government and their mafia and how that relationship impacts everything about the Russian culture mindset and outreach into the rest of the world. On this episode Joe discusses his latest book, Vodka, Hookers and the Russian Mafia: My Life in Moscow with raw honesty and a dizzying perspective shifting hour that left me rethinking everything I thought I knew about Russia and parts of my own country I now see with a different set of eyes. This is not a political discussion, although it could be, this episode is about the questions we don't ask, the questions we should ask and how one man went on a journey of discovery he never planned to take when he entered college back in the 1980s. Joe Serio, Ph.D., was the only American to work in the Organized Crime Control Department of the Soviet national police. Later, he was director of the Moscow office of the world's leading corporate investigation and business intelligence firm. He is currently a leadership and wellness trainer for 9-1-1 dispatchers, law enforcement, fire departments, and other public safety agencies. www.gltraining.com; www.360dispatcher.com Autographed, personalized copies of Vodka, Hookers, and the Russian Mafia: My Life in Moscow can be purchased at www.vodkahookers.com. Just in time for the holidays!  

Do you find yourself getting angry more frequently? Crying more or sometimes feel like you have a rogue persona inside of you that takes control and sends you into worry tail spins or eating binges? My guest on this episode is Rene Brent, RN and Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist/Instructor. Today Rene shares a quick, and I mean quick, exercise you can do to calm your mind and your nervous system plus she shares her favorite phrase for shifting that rogue persona from control to the backseat. Rene and I discuss how to give yourself permission to change your behavior that no longer serves you and a few questions you can ask yourself to gain awareness of patterns that build worry and increase your use of the but. Rene Brent has been a RN for 30 years and has worked in ICU, Trauma/ER and the Recovery Room. In her experience, she was inspired by the powerful mind/body connection and how self-awareness and reframing negative thoughts helps us heal emotionally and physically. It was a natural transition for Rene Brent to go from being a healer of the body to a healer of the mind. She is passionate about helping her clients use the power of the mind and move forward in their lives and reach personal and professional goals. Rene attended The Institute of Interpersonal Hypnotherapy (IIH in Tampa, Fl.) IIH is the only state licensed school of Hypnotherapy in Florida. Rene has trained over 1000 hours. Rene Brent's solo practice is located in Maitland, Florida. She is certified as a Clinical and Transpersonal Hypnotherapist. She is highly trained and uses a variety of modalities including Hypnotherapy, NLP, EMT and EFT. She finds these protocols help her clients change negative habits and behaviors. When her clients release false beliefs and let go of past hurts and events, then true healing can occur. Rene Brent is an International speaker and a #1International Best Selling Author of  “How Big Is Your BUT?”. On March 16th, 2021 Rene released her latest book “Breaking the Worry Agreement” and has already reached International Best Seller status on Amazon. Rene Brent is a registered member of The American Council of Hypnotherapist (ACHE) and the International Association of Interpersonal Hypnotherapist (IAIH) 

How do you build and maintain, "recency, frequency and money" while building raving fans?  Having a steady repeat stream of customers makes the difference between a profitable bottom line and one laden in red. Amy Biddle is one of the top e-commerce digital strategists and on this episode she talks about and shares tips on the the different kinds of Facebook ads, the difference in marketing on social platforms, what a funnel means in the real world and one the trap of targeting to everyone is targeting to no one. Amy Biddle has been obsessed with digital and traditional marketing since 1999. "I was an English major," she confessed. "But when I discovered marketing I finally had a reason to pay attention to numbers, too. Now I'm really a geek. I do words fused with data that strategically advance the bottom line." Having started her journey in content marketing and search engine optimization (SEO), Amy has been consultant to over 10,000 business owners, advising small business owners how to create content that is both human friendly and search engine friendly. She designed and led an ecommerce business program that facilitated over $20 million in revenue with participants. She's managed paid marketing with budgets of $50 per day to $20,000 per day, managing ad strategy for companies selling everything from cat toys to SaaS. Amy publishes a monthly newsletter for ecommerce business owners with customer lists of over 5000 names. Learn more at https://amybiddle.me/ .

Founder of the Mentoress Collective and world renowned Copy Chief Marcella Allison has the data and experiential proof to show that women who are a part of women only mentoring and peer groups reach higher levels in business and in life. Join us as we discuss, and Marcella shares specifics on how women can close the success gap and raise each other up. Guys you can listen in as well :--). Marcella Allison is the CEO of Copy Harvest LLC and the founder of the Mentoress Collective (formerly Titanides Mentoring Collective), an organization dedicated to promoting female freelancers, entrepreneurs, and copywriters. Learn more at sexistsecret.com. As a copywriter, she works with some of the top direct-response companies in the industry. She has written for The Motley Fool, BottomLine, Inc., Advanced Bionutritionals, Money Map Press, Metabolic Living, The Bo Eason Group, and more.  Her copy has generated over $100 million in sales for financial trading services, alternative health supplements, and information products. As a mentor and copy chief, she designed and led Money Map Press's proprietary training program for in-house and freelance copywriters.  Today she mentors over 1,200 women in the Mentoress Collective.  In 2018, Marcella was awarded Copywriter of the Year by American Writers and Artists Inc. for her outstanding performance record and impact on the copywriting industry. She's a featured speaker at industry events including AWAI's Copywriting Success Bootcamp, Copy Chief LIVE, and The Copywriter Club In Real Life. Marcella is the co-author of, Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me This Sh*t Before? a collection of wit and wisdom from women in business. As the founder of the Mentoress Collective she is dedicated to helping women go as fierce and far in business and life as they desire.

I had to have Jay McBain back on the show to continue our conversation from July, 2020 about customer obsession, journey mapping and the future of week. A year has gone by since then and I wanted to look at what he was seeing transformed, stagnant and a no go. With that in mind we ventured into conversation about opportunity costs and how at some point it becomes numeric and definable. But should you quantify it or leap and take the risk on the opportunity? We also talked about making decisions, not making decisions and staying static are actually all forms of making a decision. And because he is top futurist Jay McBain, we talked about the future of work, why it is important to map your customers journey with you if you want a successful business and customer experience beyond the first sale. Jay leads Forrester's research and advisory for global channels, alliances, and partnerships. He focuses on B2B marketing in the age of the customer; understanding and navigating the complexity of multiple routes to market; ensuring contextual and relevant content to accelerate the indirect sales process; and describing the technology infrastructure to build and support channel relationships. His background is in channel leadership, sales, marketing, and operations, with a specific emphasis on indirect sales strategy/execution, covering multiple industries, segments, and underlying technologies. Jay is renowned for his industry thought leadership and expertise in partner recruitment, development, and acceleration through effective partner coverage, enablement, communication, and incentives. He is an expert in building and leveraging channel communities and one of the global leaders in social media, partner marketing automation, and other indirect growth strategies. Jay provides research, advisory, and consulting to companies ranging from Fortune 100 vendors to startups on the entire scope of their channel and alliance strategies. He is a contributing author and has been cited in numerous channel media publications, including Channel Reseller News (CRN), ChannelPro, ChannelE2E, The VAR Guy, MSPMentor, Channelnomics, Computer Dealer News (CDN), Australia Reseller News (ARN), eChannelNews, Business Solutions Magazine, ChannelLine, ChannelInsider, SearchITChannel, Redmond Channel Magazine, Vertical Systems Reseller, Channel Buzz, and SMB Nation. He also maintains a popular blog on channel trends. Jay is based in Florida but advises vendors, distributors, and partners around the world.

Forget finding your unique value proposition. Focus on making yourself chooseable. That's what my guest Belinda Weaver believes is more important to focus on instead of trying to figure out what makes you, your company or your products different than your competitors. She believes that "we don't need to be 100% unique in business...we have to become chooseable. What does that mean though and how do you position yourself to become chooseable? Belinda and I discuss three areas you can shine a spotlight on to make yourself chooseable and have your business land more clients. Belinda Weaver helps people write copy that makes them money. Whether it's teaching copywriters how to run successful businesses or business owners how to write more effective copy Belinda has courses, coaching and mentoring that builds skills and confidence. But she wasn't always a copywriter. Belinda worked as a computer programmer, then in marketing before discovering copywriting was her jam. Since then, her business - Copywrite Matters - has not only survived but grown while she's moved between Australia, England and the USA, and had two kids. She cohosts the popular copywriting podcast, Hot Copy with Kate Toon and is regularly featured in the media such as Copyblogger, Business Insider, Amy Porterfield's pod and The Copywriter Club. An Aussie living in California with her pug, two daughters and husband (listed in order of neediness)... Belinda is obsessed with Doctor Who, English murder mysteries and making the perfect lemon curd.

I never turn down a chance to have John David Mann on the show. I crave reading any book, article, blog or social media post or even just an email he sends. Each word is crafted. Not just typed onto a page but crafted to create maximum lift to the entire manuscript, post or other type of written composition. No wonder he is a multiple New York Times bestselling author and that The Go-Giver, cowritten with the amazing Bob Burg, is a must read around the world. On this episode we discuss John David Mann's latest project with Brandon Webb, Steel Fear. Their first fiction novel which has been optioned to TV as has a second book in the series was just released and it required a different way of writing and thinking as John explains on the show. We also talk about his other passion project that was an unplanned one, Write Good, (Or At Least Gooder!) If you've read Stephen King's famous book, On Writing, you will want to sign up on John's email list to get a copy of this fan only book. Share your thoughts about this episode and one takeaway on social media and tag me on all platforms @TheLauraSteward

Becoming a Navy SEAL is hard enough but then becoming a SEAL Sniper and then SEAL Sniper instructor and then being asked to revamp SEAL Sniper training is not something many have on their resumes. Add NY Times Bestselling author, entrepreneur, military advisor, father, pilot, philanthropist and several other things to the list and you have an exciting repeat guest to my show. Brandon Webb recently took a detour from his prolific non-fiction writing and wrote his first fiction novel, Steel Fear. Picture this, serial killer, aircraft carrier at sea... I devoured it in one sitting. We talked about writing differences between non-fiction and fiction, where the premise for the book came from, his travels during COVID with his son and why his son is going to college in Europe versus the USA. And, because I rarely get to speak to someone of Brandon's level when it comes to world events, we also talk about Afghanistan from the perspective of someone who has served there and still is informed.  

Covid has put health at the top of many minds this past year plus and my guests are no exception. Tracey Welson-Rossman and Dr. Marta Becker were watching what was happening with patients being diagnosed with long-haul covid and decided to do something to help patients and their doctors track symptoms and come up with a common language to work towards healing. The result is an app, Journal My Health, that is being used to track not only long Covid symptoms but also those with other chronic illnesses. How they developed the app, what it can mean for patient-doctor interactions and why we should all be journaling our health are just some of the questions asked on this episode. Tracey Welson-Rossman Founder, CEO Journal My Health Tracey Welson-Rossman brings her years of experience in the technology and entrepreneurial space, along with her own healthcare journey, to create this app for patients. Marta T. Becker, MD Chief Medical Officer Marta T. Becker, MD is a board-certified otolaryngologist-Head and Neck surgeon in private practice in the Philadelphia. She graduated from Harvard University and the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology (HST) division of Harvard Medical School and was residency-trained at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a partner at the single-specialty practice Berger Henry ENT Specialty Group. She is passionate about using digital tools and the internet to help improve patients healthcare experience and outcome.

Thomas Kies, or as I know him, Tom, just released his fourth novel in the Geneva Chase Mystery series. Books that you will want to devour from the first page until the last. I know from experience.  Writing novels is a passion for this former journalist and life experiences have given him lots of stories to tell and complex characters to create. But that is not all he does. His day job is running a Chamber of Commerce in North Carolina and serving on numerous boards about the environment. Listen as Tom shares how he juggles writing, advocating for small business owners and keeping the barrier island relevant and environmentally sound as it grows. Author of the Geneva Chase Mystery Series, Thomas Kies lives and writes on a barrier island on the coast of North Carolina with his wife, Cindy. He has a long career working for newspapers and magazines, primarily in New England and New York, and is currently working on his next novel. When he's not writing mysteries, Thomas Kies is the President of the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce. Contact Tom

Illness prevented an earlier post of this episode recorded on June 29, 2021 yet the content is perfectly relevant today and always. giving ourselves permission to "kickass" as Angie Colee puts it is not something easy to do for most people. Many look for outside permission to excel and live full out for their dreams. Take a listen as guest Angie Colee shares how she learned to give herself permission to live a life she defines including leaving safety behind for a covid duration nomad tour of living her dreams all across America, quitting a dream copywriting job for a major Internet marketer and stepping into being single and loving it. She also shares how you can too. Angie Colee is a confidence coach and business strategist who works with creative entrepreneurs to help them conquer fears, break through anxiety blocks, and start or grow a business with rockstar confidence. So many would-be freelancers and entrepreneurs let fear stop them before they get started, and Angie's made it her mission to help more people learn how to deal with those fears and confidently step into the spotlight. Angie knows what it's like to have ideas and a powerful desire to show people what you can do. She's had to sneak smart, proven marketing strategies by clueless corporate know-it-alls... and been yelled at (by those same know-it-alls) when those strategies went on to make the company millions of dollars. She realized how often ego gets in the way at big companies, and that you can't tap into your full potential when you're giving your all to a corporation that won't give its all to you.  If you're tired of being told what to do by clueless assholes and know you were meant for more, Angie's your girl. She's been coaching and running creative teams for companies like Lowes, Product Launch Formula, Copy Chief, and Orzy Media for years. In that time has helped hundreds of creative freelancers start their own successful businesses. She's written and strategized dozens of multimillion dollar campaigns (including two during a pandemic) and her work is responsible for more than $50 million in direct to consumer sales. Angie holds a Master of Entertainment Industry Management from Carnegie Mellon University, which means she understands the unique challenges faced by creatives in business. Her degree blends more traditional MBA expertise with the art of valuing and monetizing creative work. She was in the third graduating class of this creative business hybrid program.  

What do you call someone who is a Hip Hop artist, Yoga instructor, helps companies and individual create their brands and tell their stories? I call him Rajiv Nathan. Known as the Startup Hypeman in the world of startup pitching for funding, Rajiv Nathan AKA RajNation, spends his time helping companies of all sizes tell their stories. Not just for venture capital funding but also to their future customers and existing staff.  On this episode Rajiv shares how he uses all of his own story as a rapper, yoga teacher, MMA emcee and entrepreneur to help others excel in all they do. He exemplifies his belief that you can turn everything you enjoy into a career, without burnout! One key? Understanding and communicating your POV. Known as the Heavyweight Champion of Story, Rajiv 'RajNATION' Nathan is Founder of Startup Hypeman, helping growing companies not suck at telling their story so they stand out to their audience, stand apart from competitors, and break through in their category. He was named an "Agent of Change" by Huffington Post, has given a TED Talk, and been featured in Inc, Forbes, and more. He's also a hip hop artist, yoga instructor, and host of the popular show Startup Hypeman: The Podcast. Talk to him about Hamilton, WWE, or Seinfeld and you'll have a friend for life. www.startuphypeman.com

Working with staff is not easy. Add into that the long time relationship of a closely knit family who knows how to push each other's buttons and it could end up being a disaster. Or not. Can a father and daughter work together and perform as a team without drama? When the team is Neal and Tara Johnson the answer is yes. During this episode Neal and Tara share honest and thoughtful answers on why they started working together, how they handle conflict, how Neal has learned how to push Tara out of her comfort zone and why Tara embraces it now. We also discuss how they handle being in the mortgage business during an unprecedented market and how they both balance work and play. Neal Johnson has over 40 years of Financial Services Experience and 20 years specializing in Mortgage Lending. He has the expertise to work with clients to find the right mortgage to fit their individual needs. Neal has lived in his community for over 50 years. During his professional career, he has served in many Leadership roles including the Economic Development Commission, Melbourne Regional Chamber of Commerce, and AMIKids Space Coast. He is also a member of the Civilian Military Community Relations Council and was the 2018 Member of the Year. Neal spends his free time with his wife Terri, and their standard poodle Cody, taking their RV on trips all over Florida. Tara Johnson was born and raised in Melbourne Florida and has been in retail banking for 10 years, and Mortgage banking for 4 years. During her professional career, she has honed in her leadership skills, following after her Father's footsteps in the community. She is the Past Chair for the Melbourne Regional Chamber ENGAGE Young Professionals, and current Chair for the Chamber Ambassadors, as well as on the Board of Directors for the Melbourne Regional Chamber, and LovingNeighbor, a local non-profit. She was recognized as the ENGAGE Young Professional of the year for 2019, Women of Excellence nominee for 2020, as well as 2019 SpaceCoast Business Under 40 winner in the Finance category. When she isn't spending time at the Disney Parks, she spends her time going on adventures with her close friends, family and boyfriend. Her pride and joy is her Husky Pit mix, Cesar.

When it's your birthday you get to talk about whatever lights you up and gets you excited and for me that is talking all things Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel, DC and Harry Potter with a few friends. Take a listen as we debate characters, shows, directors and the shifting timelines of our favorite shows and movies. I am joined by Brits James Adam and Mark Asquith and fellow U.S. woman in tech Janet Schijns as we share what got us into being a Sci-Fi, fantasy, superhero fan, our favorite characters and what we really think about those alternative time lines!

Jennifer Pestikas has lived her life choosing courage and overcoming self doubt to build an amazing career leading others/ Along the way she realized that becoming friends with yourself is one of the best things you can do. On this episode we talk about self-compassion, how Jennifer is making new boxes to reframe her life and how you can too. She also shares several powerful questions you can ask to thrive no matter your situation. Jen Pestikas has always been a type-A super achiever. She was the one who got straight A’s in school and was devastated when she got a B. Jen was the one who held herself to such high standards and needed to check all of the boxes in life. After she grew up, that super achieving nature followed her to her career in the corporate world. After 20 years in corporate, climbing the ladder in financial services from a bank teller to a Senior Vice President and doing “all the right things”, Jen’s health took a turn for the worse in 2019 and she ended in total burnout. After years of striving, she felt like an empty shell – without passion and direction in her career and life. While the time of healing that followed was so hard, it was also a gift. It made Jen look at herself and realize she didn’t need to be perfect. She could let herself off the hook from checking all those boxes and not try to be a super woman. Jen finally understood what she wanted for the first time in her life. And what she wanted was to give back to women so they could avoid the same traps of striving, perfectionism and not speaking their truth. Jen currently runs the Brave Women at Work podcast and maintains the bravewomenatwork.com

Kim Meninger is on a mission. A mission to stop imposter syndrome from stopping women from achieving their dreams. Having lived it herself she knows the constant battle of your own mind to tell you you can't possibly be good enough to do something. Her mission is so important to her she even created a podcast called, The Imposter Syndrome Files, and has a free 7 day challenge to greater confidence. On this episode Kim shares how she learned to not let a fear response be her lead into, or not into, an opportunity, how re-defining your value can help release imposter syndrome and a few more questions she asks herself to keep her mind free of imposter syndrome. As a women’s leadership coach, Kim Meninger is passionate about empowering women to become more confident, visible and influential leaders. Having spent over 10 years in the high-tech industry, she experienced first-hand the unique challenges and opportunities facing women in traditionally male-dominated environments. She strives to be the resource to women that she did not have during her own corporate career. Kim has a BA in psychology and an MBA from Boston College. She is an ICF Associate Certified Coach and CCE Board Certified Coach with certifications in career, executive and leadership development coaching. The Impostor Syndrome Files Podcast: https://impostorsyndrome.buzzsprout.com/ Free Impostor Syndrome Challenge – 7 Days to Greater Confidence: https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/

When all your competitors are merging or being bought outright, what do you do? Do you stay independent or do you look to do the same as them? When they all lock into one business focus, do you do the same or do you carve your own path? Jason Bystrak and Peter DiMarco, Vice Presidents at D&H Distributing (104 year old family owned company), join me on this episode to talk about how to know what you should do for your business. They know firsthand the questions you need to ask yourself and whether you should care what your competitors are doing. The conversation also goes into how a $5 billion company operates with 36% employee ownership versus a $50 billion company. I especially loved the conversation about egos, complicating things and the bottoms-up versus top-down method of deciding your businesses next steps. If you have employees, or are thinking about adding staff for the first time, Peter's insights into hiring practices will open your eyes. Jason Bystrak is the vice president of the cloud and services business unit for D&H Distributing, and leads a team of cross-functional experts responsible for the strategy and execution of the company’s XaaS ("Everything as a Service") business, helping channel partners deliver total solutions in a subscription model. He oversees technology practice areas including cloud, professional services, security and unified communications. He is the chair of the Channel Development Advisory Council for CompTIA, previously served as chair for CompTIA’s cloud community, and has been named to ChannelPro-SMB’s list of 20/20 Visionaries, as well as CRN’s 100 People You Don’t Know But Should. He frequently offers insight into the opportunity and future of cloud at strategic industry events, including CompTIA’s ChannelCon, Channel Partners and IT Nation. Peter DiMarco joined D&H in 2015 as vice president of VAR sales, Computer Products Division (CPD). He oversees sales teams working with all value-added resellers that sell through the CPD division, including commercial, government and education solution providers as well as managed service providers. Peter manages the inside and outside sales teams, solutions and Cloud support teams focused on new market growth strategies, aimed at helping its SMB solution providers evolve towards larger mid-market sales opportunities and solutions. He is focused on driving VAR engagement efforts including the VAR Track events at D&H's trade shows, and a new K-12 Advisory Board focusing on this vertical market, in addition to driving new programs and support services. Peter previously served as an IT channel development leader at EarthLink, and has coordinated sales initiatives with partners such as Microsoft, Cisco, Dell, Lenovo, VMware, Apple, Juniper, Citrix and HP. His IT distribution experience includes a vice president of VAR sales position at Ingram Micro.

There were some audio issues for two minutes. I apologize. My mom always told me don't borrow worry from tomorrow. I've not been really great about letting go worry. Do I obsessively worry? No. But many do. Any many others get into worry cycles. Rene Brent has written a powerful Book, Breaking Your Worry Agreement. On this episode Rene shares strategies and tactics she has developed over the course of her career to help her clients break their personal worry agreements and live a life filled with increased joy and connection to those around you. We also answer questions around, Is worry ever helpful? Can you worry too little? and what happens in your body when you worry about worrying. Rene has been a RN for 30 years and has worked in ICU, Trauma/ER and the Recovery Room. In her experience, she was inspired by the powerful mind/body connection and how self-awareness and reframing negative thoughts helps us heal emotionally and physically. It was a natural transition for Rene Brent to go from being a healer of the body to a healer of the mind. She is passionate about helping her clients use the power of the mind and move forward in their lives and reach personal and professional goals. Rene Brent’s solo practice is located in Maitland, Florida. She is certified as a Clinical and Transpersonal Hypnotherapist.  Rene Brent is an International speaker and a #1 International Best Selling Author of  “How Big Is Your BUT?”. On March 16th, 2021 Rene released her latest book “Breaking the Worry Agreement” and has already reached International Best Seller status on Amazon. Rene Brent is a registered member of The American Council of Hypnotherapist (ACHE) and the International Association of Interpersonal Hypnotherapist (IAIH) 

How dealing with world leaders caused Denise Thomas to develop BEE Mindfulness methods to change lives and reduce stress. If you thinking putting deals together for just your business can be stressful imagine traveling all over the world to put together trade agreements with world and religious leaders, politicians at all levels and more. And then picture doing all that while living in your home with several generations of family. Take a listen as Denise shares the questions she asks herself, how she strives to live her life in its natural rhythm and silence is a gift we give ourselves. For more than two decades Denise Thomas has proven a dynamic auditor and extraordinarily compassionate leader.  She lives and works from heart center that allows her to maneuver with easy through global diplomatic waters.  She has engaged ambassadors, heads of state, top religious leaders, senators, business executives and other key leaders both globally and domestically to achieve strategic objectives, guide community leaders, and build successful enterprises including advising on strategic growth, foreign business development and planning, cultural fluency, inclusion, belonging, training facilitation and content creation.  Denise currently services as Trade Director of Africa, Middle East, and Europe Trade for World Trade Center Arkansas, she has successfully navigated challenges, and created new pathways for growth and success with global partners to benefit from trade mutually. A self-proclaimed Impact Strategist, she sees opportunities when others see adversity. Denise’s superpower is building relationships to establish a more creative solution to problems, create more effective communications, and moving people to live a more productive lives for the great good. 

Want to create a new product? Wonder if you need to know the rules first? Do you need to or can you just carve your own path and create your own market? Dan Keldsen is the Co-Founder of PlexiCam, a new way to use your webcam and Co-Founder of Veventaas.com, a virtual events as a service company. On this epsiode we talk about his thoughts on creating a product without knowing all the rules, why customer service is the key to expanding your reach and what he thinks about rules. Dan Keldsen is currently Co-founder of two startups, PlexiCam.com, the 21st Century Tripod and Teleprompter alternative and Veventaas.com, the virtual-events-as-a-service company. If your organization wants the high-touch, high customer-experience that you would normally get from an upscale, hotel-based day or more event, and are tired of the endless parade of walls of bored participants from webinars and traditional virtual event solutions, Veventaas lets you focus on YOUR business, and takes away the pain of the details behind-the-scenes and in front of the curtain to make your brand promise shine rather than suffer through a virtual event. It's a high gloss, high touch experience, without the cost of a traditional Hollywood-style production team. Dan is also the Co-Author of the 2014 Best-Seller, The Gen Z Effect, which focuses on what we can learn from each other, regardless of age, and why the far healthier approach to life is to see what we ALL bring to any situation, whether it's business, education, politics, you name it.

Marketing does not have to be complicated or complex. It does need to stir the emotions and open the wallets of your prospective clients though. It also doesn't have to be all things to everyone. Picking your ideal client and platform are just two aspects of a marketing strategy. James Adam of Thirty-Three Percent wants business owners to find their voice, and have a bit of fun, while growing their business with marketing. He also wants us all to make sure we understand our Why. He recently realized his had changed and pivoted his business. We also talk about Superman, Zach Snyder, Legos and how all of that can help you figure out your why and your strategy.  Since getting his start in retail over 20 years ago, James has been helping businesses of all shapes and sizes with their marketing campaigns, including brands like The North Face, Hasbro and JCB. In 2009 James started Cunning Plan, a full-service marketing agency with a focus on destinations, hospitality, leisure and retail. In 2020, James took the decision to scale back his agency to get back to the work he loves, founding Thirty Three Percent, a business focused on working closely with smaller businesses and helping them take control of their marketing. James believes that marketing can be simple and incredibly effective when not overcomplicated with jargon and buzzwords and helps clients achieve this with his Ruthlessly Efficient Marketing Method.

Stroke. The word evokes fear to mostly everyone who hears the word. For those who have lived it themselves, or have taken care of those who have had a stroke it means a change to potentially everything you knew as normal. My guest is Marcia Moran, a stroke survivor who has made it her mission to advocate for those who have had a stroke and help those who care for them. On this episode we discuss her journey from stroke patient to advocate. She shares her story of how her life changed in an instant and the critical things you need to know in case it happens to you or a loved one. Marcia Moran has written over fifty business plans, and helped entrepreneurs strategize over how to differentiate their companies in changing environments. Her experience led her to found her own firm, Performance Architect in 2012.  She also co-founded Positive Business DC, an organization designed to increase well-being in the workforce in 2012. After suffering a major stroke in 2014, Marcia applied her skills in planning and strategy as she strived to become whole. She never gave up. Over time she learned to walk again, but Marcia struggled with aphasia, a language disorder. Marcia lives with her husband Jim, two very loud cats, and two birds near Washington, DC. On weekends, Marcia, Jim, and the cats go to Deep Creek, Maryland where Marcia paints watercolors. In the evening Marcia and Jim sit out on the deck and watch fireflies flit by. Marcia holds a B.S. in Political Science with a magna cum laude from the University of North Dakota and a Master’s in Business Administration, from Chapman University in California. She attended Skirinssal Folkehoyskole in Sandefjord, Norway and studied art. She also earned a certificate in Well-being Foundations of Personal Transformation from the Personal Transformation and Courage Institute in Virginia. She volunteers at Brain Injury Services, supporting their Speakers Bureau program. www.strokeforward.com

Is there always an emotional component to pain and physical injury? Is it possible to heal and strengthen your body by adding an extra layer to your physical conditioning? My guest is Tammy Wise. A Broadway dancer turned TAO minister and the creator of the time tested BodyLogos system of alignment and strength training that has made a difference for many who thought they would never be able to get strong and healthy again. During this episode Tammy shares her own journey to health and healing and even shared a quick exercise you can do everyday to begin improving your posture. I've done it a few times now and it works quickly! All with 3 breaths. We also talk about how emotional trauma can get trapped in the body and prevent full healing, how just a few minutes a day can correct posture from being at a computer and her own journey from abuse to strength helped her develop BodyLogos. Tammy Wise is a widely respected mind-body fitness expert, owner of BodyLogos, Inc., author of The Art of Strength: Sculpt the Body ~ Train the Mind, and creator of the BodyLogos App. A former Broadway dancer turned Tao minister, Tammy was voted the Best of Fitness by Time Out New York (twice!) and has appeared in Martha Stewart’s Whole Living magazine, New York Magazine, Natural Health, Shape, Thrive Global and more. She’s a Transformational Authors Contest Winner and regular contributor to Medium. Visit her at bodylogos.com.