Real Words | Confessions Of A Bohemian Changemaker

Branding a small business or scaling a personal brand is my superpower. You supply the passion; I supply the roadmap. Our focus? Thinking outside the box. The key to branding yourself is shattering the status quo. I’ll help your small business or personal brand rise above the noise. But how, you ask?I've been helping brand builders like you for over (25) years as an ad agency owner, management consultant, and professional creative. Curious? Check out RebelBrandConsulting.com

You know when you’re in the presence of a credible innovator. Outgoing, introverted, a disruptive innovator’s personality type does not matter. The key to their magic as an innovator is in how they see the world. The creative mind of a disruptive innovator is tad obsessive but in an effective way. Well, usually. There are a handful of things that deeply matter to them, and for that reason, they challenge convention. CHAPTER ONE: TAKE RISKSCHAPTER TWO: CHALLENGE CONVENTIONCHAPTER THREE: CRAFT AUDACITYWhen you habitually process and create from the very edge of all things possible, that’s when the magic happens. It sounds complicated, but it’s not. It comes down to doing three things, no matter what. Enjoy, Bob

Every potential customer, employee, love interest, collaborator, and many others, ask themselves three things when first meeting you. For most, its a subconscious framework. Most people don’t realize this internal framework exists. I call it, The (3) Questions Of Truth.I compare this framework to a long, narrow hallway. Until you successfully answer the first question from the framework, you cannot move through to the door, into the next room. PREWORKCHAPTER ONE: CAN I TRUST YOU?CHAPTER TWO: ARE YOU CREDIBLE?CHAPTER THREE: DO YOU HAVE MY BEST INTERESTS IN MIND? I created this framework over (25) years ago when I was working as a National Sales Manager. Back then, it was merely a sales tool. But now, hindsight being 20-20, I have come to see its application in all areas of life. Enjoy, Bob

Patagonia. Warby Parker. Virgin America (bought out by Alaska). The size of your business does not matter. A one-person business, a small boutique firm, a multimillion-dollar family-owned business, EVERYONE can benefit from the Secret Sauce that drives these firms. Today, in less than (30) minutes, I will teach you that Secret Sauce. These concepts anchor both the third expedition of my Maestro program and my True North branding intensive. At the end of both, participants create a “Changemaker Brand Canvas” to focus their ongoing brand development. CHAPTER ONE: AUTOPILOTCHAPTER TWO: VANILLA CHAPTER THREE: GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICEPurpose-driven branding, much like Soulful Success, is not for everyone. Branding your purpose and passions is deeply personal. It’s the conscious choice to build something that goes well beyond the Status Quo.Enjoy, Bob

Wiki on EQ: “Emotional intelligence is the capability of individuals to recognize their own emotions and those of others, discern between different feelings and label them appropriately, use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior, and manage and/or adjust emotions to adapt to environments or achieve one's goal(s).”The most qualified person to know your truth and chart your course is the person in the mirror. Ok, so you already know that but how to make that happen? The key to mastering your emotions is dumping the word mastery!CHAPTER ONE: GRIEVE CHAPTER TWO: CELEBRATECHAPTER THREE: WALK THE PATHConsistently living with intention is the more effective pursuit. Intention allows for the many curve balls that life throws your way. But I’ll do you one better! Get good at three things and life, success, take on new meaning. Enjoy, Bob

Perfectionism. Isolation. Armor. We all have our “go to” swords when we’re feeling inadequate, insecure, or afraid. And for a moment, it works, we feel more in control. But a sword is a weapon, and weapons always do damage. Embracing progress, not perfection as a philosophy towards life gives you room to breathe. Rather than walking on eggshells and making others walk on eggshells, you allow for the unknown. You stop taking yourself and life so seriously. CHAPTER ONE: THE SWORD CHAPTER TWO: THE RIVERCHAPTER THREE: MANIFEST DESTINY Fear and reaction, or personal truth and possibility, that’s the choice to be made. And here’s a fun FYI, no one is perfect and being imperfect. You know? Progress, not perfection. Enjoy, Bob

How do you define success? Successful but unhappy is both a symptom and a result. Wake-up calls come in many forms, but in all in cases, we need to be willing to hear the screaming sounds of caution. Successful but unhappy is a byproduct of things we’ve been ignoring for some time. It’s not a random event. It’s not a moment in time. And no, that moment will not pass. We need to pay attention to our emotions. We need to be fully present with the fact that success, as we once defined it, is no longer working. CHAPTER ONE: VISCERAL CLARITYCHAPTER TWO: WALK DON’T RUNCHAPTER THREE: TRUTH SHAMANHow we measure success is an invention of our own making, it IS NOT the truth. Go granular with what I just said. Success and how we define success is an invention of our own making. When our definition of success stops working, it’s time to stop, pause, ponder, and reinvent. Enjoy, Bob

Passion driven success sounds incredible! But here’s the thing, passion-driven success takes as much if not more work than traditional success. Initially, when you’re trying to find your voice in a given space, there are many unknowns. Thankfully, there are things you can do to speed up the process. One of those is to clarify the emotional impact you need to have in people’s lives as a brand. Need to have? Emotion fuels a brand built on purpose and passions: no emotional impact, no brand. CHAPTER ONE: MASSIMOCHAPTER TWO: EMOTIONAL ALCHEMYCHAPTER THREE: TAKE MY HANDThe fine art of crafting moments that profoundly affect people is a learnable set of skills. I’m not saying everyone is capable of building the next Disneyland or Patagonia. That’s not the case. But every brand, large and small, can massively elevate the results they get learning how to feed people emotionally.Enjoy, Bob

The idea of branding your purpose is very intoxicating. Aligning your greatest passions with your profession may feel as natural as breathing air. But in the real world, that can be an incredibly difficult journey. You don’t want to jump into that ocean sight unseen. As I talked about in my first Monthly Malbec, many of you are starting what I call a White Space Brand. Meaning, a brand with minimal context, you’re starting from scratch, you’re charting new territory. Which, again, sounds cool, but it’s tough work. PREREQUISITE: THE GUT CHECKSTEP ONE: SHIFT YOUR FOCUSSTEP TWO: CLARIFY YOUR IKIGAISTEP THREE: IDENTIFY YOUR SUPERPOWERSSTEP FOUR: BEGIN YOUR JOURNEYSTEP FIVE: PLANT YOUR FLAGThe good news is, with a little prep, some forethought, you can significantly increase your chances for success. You can learn how to brand your purpose and passions effectively. You can turn the idea of Soulful Success, into a reality, if you have the right tool kit. The whole purpose of this podcast is to help you build that toolkit. For that reason, I strongly recommend treating this teleseminar as an online workshop that cost you money. We often treat free training differently than paid training, so use that to get the most from this workshop. Also, Like my Facebook page then join me there to ask any questions that come up. I always pin the currently Monthly Malbec to the top of my Facebook page for that purpose. Enjoy, Bob

This Wednesday, my second deep dive monthly teleseminar, The Monthly Malbec will drop– Brand Your Purpose & Passions In (5) Steps.It’s a heartfelt examination of the mental shifts and big picture actions necessary to effectively branding your purpose & passions. My deep dive format is very popular and I think the reason for that is clarity. People are able to rapidly get their arms around complex issues. Talk to you Wednesday! Bob

When this specific person walks into a room, you know they’ve arrived. They’re completely comfortable in their skin. The good. The not so good. They don’t seem to get caught up in approval seeking. They are who they are, take it, or leave it. CHAPTER ONE: IT’S COMPLICATED CHAPTER TWO: SUNNY DAYSCHAPTER THREE: SKINIt’s tricky. Being who you are without apology is a vulnerable thing to do. But life is short, why be someone other than who you are? When we stop seeking external validation, we trigger less often. Our identity is determined not by circumstances or people, but by ourselves. We buy into the fact we’re awesome, and we buy into the fact we’re a hot mess. The two can co-exist at the same time. The two almost always exist at the same time to varying degrees. And so begins our podcast adventure! Enjoy, Bob

Learning to say “no” is learning how to honor and speak your truth. It has nothing to do with being an extrovert or an introvert. You are a sacred and valuable human being — your truth matters. Your time and how you choose to spend it, your life, and how you want to live it needs to be protected. CHAPTER ONE: BEING SMALL CHAPTER TWO: SPEAKING TRUTHCHAPTER THREE: BEING EFFECTIVE OR BEING RIGHT?So it’s FINALLY time to unload on that ONE PERSON that has been driving you batty? Wrong! Saying “no” is not using “no” as a weapon. Verbally assaulting someone keeps you small. Speaking your truth, saying “no” from a place of truth, comes from a place of calm. You have no agenda. You’re not seeking revenge. It’s the purity of speaking your truth for the sake of your truth, full stop. The other person, the organization, your spouse or business partner, may or may not honor your “no” the first time or ever. Regardless, you will enforce the “no” for the sake of your truth. You will implement the “no” to live life as you choose. Enjoy, Bob

Ever walked barefoot on a beach? If so, you’ve seen your footprints in the sand. Has anyone ever told you that your footprints didn’t belong? If you didn’t make so many mistakes, spent more time in school, were male or female, then your footprints would be ok. CHAPTER ONE: BELIEVE CHAPTER TWO: TRUTH - FIRE - MAGICCHAPTER THREE: FOOTPRINTS OF THE HERE & NOWIt’s easy to spend your entire life looking but never finding. When approval, solutions, breakthroughs, fame, and on the list goes … external validation … when that’s God, you’ll never measure up. Perhaps the only qualification you need is being human? Imagine that world. What could you accomplish if you FULL THROTTLE you? What might happen? In my experience, the answers that matter the most, are found within. And those answers can make the difference between stumbling through life and leaving footprints in the sand. Enjoy,Bob

Ring the bell, and the dog salivates. Welcome to vanity metrics, content hacks, and perfect blog titles! In most cases, such devices do little for your bottom line. The road to success is far more about preaching truth than publishing perfection. CHAPTER ONE: EPIC VANILLACHAPTER TWO: EPIC IMPACTCHAPTER THREE: THE BIG (3)What do you have to say to the world relative to your niche? Even better, what are you the most passionate about? Don’t package, water down, make perfect, sterilize, or otherwise filter your message!In this episode, I teach a simple tool that will help you clarify your gospel in short order. No gimmicks. No perfect titles. Just you, the purity of your message, offered to the world without expectation. Enjoy!Bob

The audience is made up of about 25-30 business owners. It’s time for introductions with a 3-4 minute time limit. The parade of C Suite this, mid-sized that begins. After a mind-numbing half hour, watching paint dry, in comparison, feels like going to Disneyland. House Of Mouse - Take me away! But then, the second to last person bravely rises above the noise. Her pitch doesn’t sound or feel like a pitch. The things she said hit home. Who was this wild woman speaking her truth? The answer is simple. She’s the one you’ll remember!CHAPTER ONE: FACTS VS. FIREWORKSCHAPTER TWO: LOST AT SEACHAPTER THREE: LISTEN CLOSELY Nobody cares about your elevator pitch. They don’t. But they do care about their pain, the problems, the things that keep them up at night. In this episode, I’m not only going to talk about that, but I will also give you some homework that is going to change how you view your changemaker elevator pitch. Enjoy!Bob

The Universal Creative is intrusive. It demands everything and promises nothing in return. It takes a lot to keep showing up. It takes a lot to continually surrender your core being to an unseen force in that hope that one day, you’ll get your shot.CHAPTER ONE: THE POTTER’S WHEELCHAPTER TWO: THE KILNCHAPTER THREE: TRANSCENDENCE While every artist I have ever met is creative, not all creatives are artistic. For me, the two very different things. Impoverished parents who put their kids through college are incredibly creative, but that does not make them artists.This is a creativity podcast for everyone. In it, I talk about the heavy price creativity demands. For artists, even more so, it’s central to putting out exceptional work, but the price is substantial for everyone. The thing is, the high price is so worth it! As difficult as the creative process can be, on the other side, soulful things are brought to life. We become so much more than we ever thought possible. Enjoy!Bob

Most changemakers are fully aware of the fact they are talented beings. That's not the problem. The challenge is getting past a superficial assessment of talent to get to the big stuff, the magical mojo that could become a life changer. I am Maestro level good at finding the gold. Clients to companies, it is one of my most potent superpowers. And yet, my ability to find my gold is nada. I suck at seeing my gold. Chapter One: The Great Treasure HuntChapter Two: LEGOSChapter Three: No Thinking AllowedWhen mining gold, it helps big time, to enlist a 3rd party point of view. That said, there are things you can do to zero in on the magic that is unique to you alone. Enjoy,Bob

Our lives are chalked full of defining moments. At first glance, there is little rhyme or reason to it all. Life happens. But then we slow a bit and see things with a new set of eyes. The events of our lives impact our lives. Some stick with the status quo. Others choose a different path. When a successful business owner or creative burns out and feels lost, it can be a challenging time. But for most people, such a state goes unnoticed. Successful, good-hearted people typically enjoy good lives. "Why am I struggling?" It can be a tough question to answer. In today's podcast, I offer clarity. Chapter One: Soulful SuccessChapter Two: The (3) Defining Characteristics Of Soulful SuccessChapter Three: Putting It All Together This episode gets to the core of feeling burnt out and lost when on the surface, it looks like you have the world by the tail! Enjoy,Bob

Being porous, open, and teachable is both a philosophy toward life and a state of mind. As changemaker that is trying to make a difference, being teachable is an absolute must. How else to scale your level of impact? To grow, we must be lifetime learners. Two filters get in the way of our growth. Common among all people, these filters armor us up and keep us stuck. A hardened rock never moves but an ancient tree sways with the wind. The rock is dead but the ancient tree is fully alive. Chapter One: Fighting The World Chapter Two: The Gray Zone Chapter Three: Help & Healing At the heart of these two filters is a simple question. Are you growing to your potential or are you growing only when it feels safe to do so? Such a question will likely to push a few buttons. Growth from a safe place or growth from a place that pushes you past your limits? Perhaps, a little of both? Which leads us to an even deeper exploration of your learning. Are you ok being vulnerable? Do you view powerlessness and/or weakness as a bad thing? If life is our teacher, we must be moldable like clay. And there are times when being moldable requires feeling vulnerable and powerless. It Tis life, my friend. Enjoy, Bob

About (5) years ago, I walked away from a six-figure career to start an Avant-garde training and development program for the changemakers of the world. Being totally honest, I was very naive.I have helped many a client build million dollar companies. I scaled my own ad agency to almost 2M in media billing in under a year. And I worked for myself as a six-figure management consultant for (12) years.How hard could launching a changemaker brand be?After losing years of my life, bushels of money, and after experiencing heart crushing heartache, Maestro finally solidified. Looking back, knowing what I know now, one thing has become abundantly clear.The process of becoming a changemaker did not need to be that painful. Don’t make the mistakes I did! Learn from my struggles to save time, money, and heartache.Monthly Malbec #1 | May 2019 Once a month, I do an hour-long deep dive on a single topic called, The Monthly Malbec. Inspired by teleseminars I did for a management consulting client, these teleseminars are packed with actionable insights and teachings. Enjoy!Q1: What’s this REALLY about?Q2: Are you drunk or are you sober?Q3: Are you meeting people where they live?Q4: Have you done the math?Q5: Are you flying solo?

Preview of My Teleseminar - Business Development For Changemakers - (5) Questions To Save Time, Money, And Heartache

In our mind, everything is possible. That’s good news. The bad news is, in our minds, everything can SEEM impossible, even if that’s not the case. Maybe, one day, I’ll have the skills to become a legit CEO. Perhaps, one day, I’ll be the savvy social entrepreneur that rocks the world. Maybe, one day. The thing is, “one day” rarely shows up randomly. Chapter One: Maybe, One DayChapter Two: True North Chapter Three: Captain Of The CauseThe reason we get stuck as CEOs and social entrepreneurs is we think being an epic CEO is about us, the person in the mirror. Let’s nip that in the bud. Being an epic is about the cause, not your credentials. If you are a CEO or a social entrepreneur, it’s time to lighten your load and get you out of your head. In today’s podcast, I’ll share the Secret Sauce to becoming an epic Captain Of The Cause. Enjoy!Bob

Bohemian: socially unconventional in an artistic way. Is that you? Do you view the world through a different pair of glasses? Are you different? If so, welcome to #TribeUnicorn! But there’s an unspoken downside. Pain. The pain of being different. Chapter One: What In The Hell Is Wrong With Me? Chapter Two: Tribe Unicorn Chapter Three: You Are Your BrandOn the outside, sure, to HELL with the establishment! But on the inside, most creative bohemians I know have struggled. Why do I see the world so different than normies? I get it. I’ve been there, and I’ll be there again. As someone who loves the visceral edge of experimental theater, even my fellow bohemians don’t get me at times. It’s tough to see the world through a different pair of glasses. To be part business badass, part creative bohemian, part soulful feel the feels, part Star Wars & Supernatural geek, part … well, you get the point. In this podcast, I talk about the importance of finding empowering Unicorn Tribes. Don’t skip past the “empowering” part. A life spent angry doesn’t accomplish much. I also offer a passionate endorsement of Felicia Day’s book, You’re Never Weird On The Internet, as an anthem for our kind. I suggest the audiobook version because, you know, she’s a witty, fun sprite to listen to while being affirmed. Enjoy!Bob

When you’re building your coaching business or your consulting practice, it’s easy to get lost in your head. It’s easy to compare your coaching business or consulting practice to other brands. When we do that, we tend to focus on our shortcomings. Or worse, we start overcompensating. Chapter One: I’m Not EnoughChapter Two: Image Over ImpactChapter Three: You Are Your BrandWhen building a consultative or coaching brand, there is a strong tendency to invent a commanding presence. Doing this is problematic. Force feeding an idealized version of yourself versus authentically branding your truth never ends well. In this episode, I make the case that as a coach or consultant, your truth is one of your greatest superpowers. And that truth includes your imperfections. The more you double down on who you indeed are and what you have to say, the better of you’ll be, as a coach, as a consultant. Enjoy!Bob Olmstead

Do you feel your voice and changemaker brand is invisible to the world? If so, you’re not alone. Let’s fix that by breaking the silence. Whether you are battling despair or surfing success, you most likely silence your voice on some level. We all do it. But the price of that silence can be high. Little things become big things. Watering down your truth waters down your brand as a changemaker. Ignored needs become a kind of numbness. Living becomes wandering. And then the wake-up call arrives. In today’s episode, I’ll walk you through a few exercises that will empower the full authority of your voice by experiencing your voice. Enjoy!Bob

Applied improv- a service to be delivered or a superpower to unleash? Many improvisational theaters offer corporate programs, but few do so in a way that indeed rises above the noise. Which is odd, right? I mean, they’re improvisers! They’re masters of the moment! So what gives? In my experience, the Maestros Of The Moment are far more comfortable using improv to teach, say, teamwork than unleashing its full might. Why does this matter?If applied improvisation is your business, then HOW you do applied improv is your brand. Is your brand vanilla? Traditional? Common? Or does your approach to applied improv shatter the status quo? Do you use improv in a way that powerfully impacts people’s lives? In today’s episode, we explore unleashing the full might of applied improv by changing how you view your applied improv brand. FYI: I strongly recommend listening to EP #6, The Art Of Crafting Rapid Clarity Experiences, before listening to this episode. Enjoy!Bob

Do you handcraft learning experiences that deeply resonate? Are your programs life changing? Do you take people on an adventure? Do you approach content development as a master artisan or do you merely deliver information?Nonfiction writers effect change through the written word. Coaches facilitate transformation through the spoken word. Creative entrepreneurs break the silence through their creative projects. And changemaker CEOs change the world through their business models.But how to do that in a way that people never forget?In this episode, I will teach you how to rapidly impact people’s lives. You will accomplish this by helping people find clarity on an issue that’s been weighing heavy on their mind. Even better, you’ll experience this powerful learning tool firsthand! At the end of this episode are three rapid clarity exercises that will impact your life and brand in under one hour. Enjoy!Bob

Marketing or message? Systems or soulfulness? Electronic money or authentic impact? I don’t work with coaches whose primary income is selling other coaches on how to make money. But wait, isn’t that what Maestro is? Not even close. I have nothing to offer in terms of wealth building systems. Nada! And here’s a fun fact, legendary teachers like Gary V or Brene Brown did NOT get there via someone’s coaching system. The vast majority of legendary coaches, writers, and innovators achieved success through three things. Hard work. Things to say to the world. And the willingness to do whatever it takes to get their message out. The magic is not “out there” in someone’s ridiculous system. You cannot be soulful from something soulless. You have things deep inside of you that need saying, so say them. Find the magic that is unique to you alone. Enjoy!Bob

What energizes you and brings meaning to your life? Personally? Creatively? Professionally? When push comes to shove, what do you need? It can be an awkward question for some. It certainly has been for me at times. When we clarify what energizes us, and what brings deep meaning to our lives, we gain control over our lives. Rather than being fantastic in one area only to struggle in another area, we’re able to get all our needs met. That is a really big deal but there is more. As a changemaker, feeding your fire unleashes the twin forces of “Intention & Intensity” to do your bidding. It’s how you’ll creatively shatter the status quo. How so? Feeding Your Fire is as much about codifying your creative process as it is about any other aspect of your life. Enjoy!Bob

Deep pain often informs the most celebrated writers, teachers, and artists. Racial or sexual pain. Childhood or divorce pain. Insecurity. The highs and lows of life. Their journey is our journey. As they speak, we feel. We love the idea of becoming like our changemaker heroes but there is a price to be paid. We can’t be them, we must, 100%, find our voice, speak our own truth. We cannot own our voice until we own our story. Even the chapters long hidden in the shadows? Especially those chapters. Step into the light of truth. Reject the shame binds that keep you obedient and silent, or acting out and overcompensating. In this episode, I talk about holding the dirt from which your truth was born. You cannot own and speak your truth without knowing your truth. All great changemakers have one huge thing in common. They all know, live, and speak their truth. Enjoy!Bob

What's the Secret Sauce to having a massive impact in people’s lives? I can tell you it isn’t found in sales funnels or coaching systems. As a writer, coach, community builder; as a creative for change or speaker; the thing the world needs most is YOU.In this podcast episode, I take on the deep dive question of, “Why me?” “What makes me qualified to help people?” Imposter syndrome. Transparency. Getting lost in the rabbit hole called content marketing. Branding above the noise. The world needs your voice! The world does not need someone’s system. Be you, the good, the not-so-good, that’s enough. The purpose of the Real Words podcast is help you own your voice and ignite your brand. Let’s walk together and see what we find along the way. Enjoy!Bob

The first episode of my new podcast. Well, to be honest, the second public version of it. When I launched, I felt ON versus transparent, teaching versus sharing. It really drove me crazy. In this, my debut episode, I talk very candidly about how difficult it was to find a format that felt authentic and spoke my truth. The whole point Real Words is to explore the life stuff, the branding stuff, messy human stuff, that comes from being a social changemaker. Writers. Coaches. Social innovators. Creative entrepreneurs. The big breakthrough, oddly enough, was changing the subtitle. That’s it! Once that happened, the format organically flowed. Perhaps, you’ve struggled to find your voice in content space? Believe me, I get it. Join me for my debut podcast episode wherein I declare my steadfast commitment to Armor Down Podcasting!Enjoy!Bob