Podcasts about advice be

From Uber Driver to Top Producer: Renee Burke's Story of Grit, Growth & Giving When the market slowed, Renee Burke didn't give up—she pivoted. A former stay-at-home mom turned real estate agent, Renee built her business with her husband flipping homes. But when the flips stopped and interest rates soared, she had to find new ways to connect and stay relevant. So she started driving Uber—with a stack of listing brochures in the back seat. And it worked.

David Boyd – Founder & Certified Personal Chef, Down to Earth Cuisine Sponsors Salalabs - North America and 8-Bit Contet Salalabs specializes in delivering IoT, AI, and Machine Learning to streamline operations and drive innovation. Save up to 70 percent on development costs and 32 percent on time with Salalabs. For more info, email contact@salalabs.com or reach out to Jason Cavness  We are also brought to you by 8-Bit Content, a content marketing agency specializing in boosting awareness and leads for its partners' businesses. As a listener of The Jason Cavness Experience, you can receive a free site audit to help identify opportunities for growth or improvement. Simply visit or email will@8bitcontent.com to get started. Go to www.thejasoncavnessexperience.com for the podcast on your favorite platforms  David Boyd Bio David Boyd is the Founder and Certified Personal Chef behind Down to Earth Cuisine, an in-home meal prep service that brings gourmet, organic meals directly to clients' kitchens. With nearly a decade of experience, David has built a company that makes healthy, high-quality eating effortless—customizing meals to fit each client's dietary needs while prioritizing sustainability and giving back to the community. Under his leadership, Down to Earth Cuisine has expanded to Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Orange County, offering a seamless meal prep experience that includes planning, shopping, cooking, and cleanup. But David's mission extends beyond the kitchen. His company has donated over 7,000 trees, removed thousands of pounds of plastic from the ocean, and provided meals to those in need, both locally and globally. As he prepares to launch a sustainable meal delivery service, David is excited to bring chef-crafted, eco-conscious meals to an even wider audience. His journey as a chef, entrepreneur, and advocate for sustainable dining makes him an inspiring guest for any podcast exploring food, wellness, and business. We talk about the following and other items Organic Food Health Sustainability Environmental Impact Company Philosophy Business Model Climate Change Human Responsibility Challenges and Solutions in Culinary Industry Client Relationships and Customization Sustainable Practices Community Impact  Business Growth and Market Expansion Recruiting Training Chefs Personal Growth Future Plans Daily Routine Cold Plunge and Sauna Practices Water Fasting Health Discipline Marketing and Expansion Plans Entrepreneurial Lifestyle Parenting Culinary Career Personal Growth  Cultural Experiences and Travel Future of HR and AI Integration Exploring Nature and Adventures in Washington  Traveling to National Parks  Space Observations   David's Social Media   Website: https://www.downtoearthcuisine.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/downtoearthcuisine/ David's Advice Be kind to one another. I think the essence of life is just to make connections with people and have experiences. Go out of your way to help somebody. Just do it randomly when nobody's looking. Help somebody that's maybe stuck on the side of the road. Or somebody that when they're in the checkout line, it looks like they're struggling a little bit. Like, do it and walk away. Don't wait for them to say thank you. Like, don't take a selfie video of it. You know, don't do it because other people are going to see you. Just do it because it's a good thing to do.

PureGym reports that 66% of Britons don't believe they look after their health as much as they should. Since good health is key to being productive, I wanted to hear from an expert about how founders can use fitness to boost their productivity. Following his retirement as captain of the England boxing team, George Veness, Founder & CEO of JAB Boxing Club in London, launched his business to make elite performance accessible to anyone & inspire his members to take control of their health. Keep listening to hear George's advice on how you can build fitness into your weekly routine as a founder & why exercise is so important for maintaining your productivity. George's Advice:Be pleased with your product before you start; believe in it and the team around you will tooPursuing fitness is a discipline, which will give you health and strengthIt will relieve stressAnd, just as important, it will give you self-belief, courage and emotional well-beingThe basics of fitness are nothing new. The essentials are: movement which leads to strength / rest and recovery (including hot and cold therapies) / good, natural food, fresh and not manufactured / good sleepWhen you are fit you will have better focus and clarity, you will make better decisions for your future life and you will be able to push boundariesKeep company with great peopleFollow a lifestyle with good habits and stick to your regimeDon't get distractedWhen you are making a long-term plan, break it down into manageable parts, like months; keep your end goal in sight and get there steadilyCelebrate milestonesEnjoy challengesTry keeping a diary where you write down what you plan to achieveKeep your vision simple; this way you will communicate it better both to your team and your customersFF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts.Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2023 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.  Email us at hello@fallowfieldmason.com or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason. FF&M recommends: LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.Google Workspace is brilliant for small businessesBuzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directoryCanva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link &  LicenceText us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan MailSupport the show

The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk Full show notes at www.LearningLeader.com My books: Welcome to Management - https://amzn.to/3XWyZAH  The Pursuit of Excellence - https://amzn.to/4eX9vtP  The Score That Matters - https://amzn.to/3zPub7Z  My guest: After years of serving as a high school government and law teacher, Sharon McMahon took her passion for education to Instagram, where more than a million people rely on her for nonpartisan, fact-based information as “America's Government Teacher.” In a time where flashy headlines and false information often take the spotlight, Sharon is a reliable source for truth and logic. Sharon is the author of: The Small and The Mighty – Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, From the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement. Notes: What did Teddy Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, and FDR have in common? The ability to articulate a vision that others wanted to follow. They were great communicators. If you want to lead people, it helps to become a fantastic storyteller. It helps to be able to stand up in front of a group of people and share the vision in an entertaining and informative way. And then execute on that vision. Be a doer. “The best Americans are not the critics, they are the doers. They are the people who went for broke when everyone else yelled to turn back. They are those who know that one becomes great because of who they lift up, not who they put down.” I've never observed anyone, regardless of field, achieve lasting prominence while voicing rancor or focusing much on the failings of others. Create and share, support others, and enjoy. Givers and creators always prevail. - Andrew Huberman Door-to-door sales helps you deal with rejection. It's good for you. When you see a new person at the gym, celebrate them. Help them get acclimated. The Hello Girls -- AT&T -- Pioneer of telephones. They were doing their jobs wearing gasmasks with bombs exploding around them. Echo Chambers – As a leader, what you don't know, can hurt you. Do not surround yourself with “yes men” or “yes women.” You need a diversity of viewpoints. You should feel uncomfortable on a regular basis. You should told you're wrong from the people you surround yourself with. If you're not, then you're living in an echo chamber. Also, pay attention to a broad spectrum of media. If you only watch one news channel or read one newspaper, you will probably end up in an echo chamber. Then develop friendships with people who think differently than you. They're not wrong because they think the way they do. Instead of judging them, why not be curious and learn more about their viewpoint. Gouverneur Morris – One of Alexander Hamilton's best friends and one of our founding fathers. He contributed as much or more to the early republic than Ben Franklin or John Adams. He conceived America's great statement of purpose, the one still recited by schoolchildren. He's the author of the Preamble of the new United States Constitution. “The best Americans are not the critics, they are the doers. They are the people who went for broke when everyone else yelled to turn back. They are those who know that one becomes great because of who they lift up, not who they put down.” I have learned that no one reaches their final moments of mortal existence and whispers to their loved ones, “I wish I had gotten in some more sick burns in the comments section on Facebook.” Advice: "Be the "can-do" person. Have the best attitude in the room. Be amazing at whatever you choose to do. Be the person that others love to work with."

Full Show notes at www.LearningLeader.com Read our book: The Score That Matters - https://amzn.to/3AAPyds The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk Ep # 598: Sam Parr Notes Sam's mantra (which he has tattooed on his thigh): “Bold. Fast. Fun.” It's really hard to beat someone who moves fast, takes risks, and has fun doing it. Think big, but you have to get started. We see Hustle Con and the 2,500 people and think that's just how it always was. It started as a small book club, then a small event that made a little money... And YEARS later it's HustleCon which helped launch The Hustle, which then eventually sold for 10's of millions. We have to get started and keep going. The most important skill set (according to Sam) is the ability to convince people of something. Persuading others. You have to believe in it yourself, be a clear thinker, and know how to communicate that to others to make them believe in it too. This skill will help you accomplish a lot. Writing – Write like you talk. Writing clarifies your thinking… Think in headlines – Thinking in headlines will make you a clearer thinker. It will help you see how an idea should be framed, identify different ways to tell your story, and show you the soul of your topic. Back against the wall - “I firmly believe in putting my back against the wall.” Deadlines, pressure, and harsh goals will pull out the best from you. Copy by Hand – Sam copied the best sales letters of all time by hand. Let the writing you admire pass through your fingers. This method is called copywork. What Sam learned backstage at his events with rich people/CEOs - "They weren't smarter than me." We're all just figuring it out as we go.: " Cold emails -- Work that muscle. AirBnB cold email story: "I cold emailed this guy named Brian. And he had a company called Air Bed and Breakfast. I said, 'Hey, this sounds like a cool thing. I want to interview. I think I can help make it better by doing a few things.' And they said, 'Are you in the Bay Area?' 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm there.' And he said, 'Alright, great. Come to the office on Monday.' So I booked the flight and I flew out and got an interview there. That's how I got introduced to startups. And then I eventually moved to San Francisco."  Sports - Love them because they are objective. The time doesn't lie. Same with business. The numbers don't lie. You know you're going to feel pain (before running a 400m), but you do it anyway and push through it. That's what makes them great. How to raise tough kids? "I'm scared. I think about this all the time. Will need to remove the things that make my life easy like all the service providers have now." Hiring - Freaks, weirdos. The others. Want people passionate about something. Anything. Bottom 4th of the resume. Be skilled at something, not a generalist. Writing/communication - No typos. Clear writing = clear thinking. We want clear thinkers. Especially for leadership roles. Fame - "I don't want that anymore, but I still want to be taken seriously by the big boys. I'm still insecure about building something other than a media company." Advice: "Be a fucking animal." Don't let anything stop you. Excellence - "Like your shit. Enjoy it. Must have endurance. Be like a cockroach and stay alive. Survive. Don't quit. Don't be vanilla. Do dope shit."

Join the QuitByHealing community: https://quitbyhealing.com/links/ A lot of folks in the self-development community often find themselves sifting through advice that may not be relevant to their situation. They encounter elite optimization plans, intense bootcamps, and claims of "the fastest and best" methods to achieve their goals, typically offered by high-achievers and coaches. In this podcast episode, we're introducing a model that breaks down self-development into four levels. This model will assist you in assessing your current level and provide practical tips to help you progress up the ranks. The Levels of Self Development: Level Zero - No Lifer Level 1 - GYST Level 2 - The Top 1% Level 3 - Mastery & Paying it Forward The 5 Pillars of GYST (Get your Sh*t Together): 1 - Physical (Fitness, Strength, Mobility & Nutrition) 2 - Emotional (Awareness & Resilience) 3 - Metal (Knowledge & Development) 4 - Social (Communication & Relationships) 5 - Financial (Literacy & Career Capital) To get the full episodes on how to practically improve these domains in your life see ikario podcast. Physical https://youtu.be/gfYaJ9TTqzE Emotional https://youtu.be/mTGLM0bKOOs Metal https://youtu.be/f6LiWVBZwGY Social https://youtu.be/IVuOh1llq64 Financial https://youtu.be/goZ9EzldSko Chapters in this podcast 00:00 - Intro: What advice is right for me? 03:31 - The 4 Levels of Personal Development 04:23 - Level Zero: No-Lifer 07:42 - Addiction Keeps You Stuck 11:02 - Unconsciously Seeking Escape 15:16 - You Cannot Consume a Solution 16:03 - Level 1: GYST (Get Your Shit Together) 19:26 - Level 2: Top 1% 22:56 - Level 3: Mastery & Paying it Forward 25:23 - Motivated by Making a Difference 29:10 - Role Modelling to Make a Change 32:44 - Level Zero Advice: Stacking Small Wins 38:45 - Start Where You're At 40:16 - High-Functioning Level Zero 42:43 - Deliberate Action 44:24 - Tracking Small Wins 45:06 - Level 1 Advice: Kill Internal Suffering 48:01 - Level 1 Advice: Consistency & Remove Friction 56:31 - What is a Skill I Need? 59:16 - The Basics Are Underestimated 1:03:52 - Level 2 Advice: Prioritize & Optimize 1:08:49 - Level 3 Advice: Be open to the Transition 1:10:01 - Summary of the Levels 1:12:21 - Outro Join the QuitByHealing community: https://quitbyhealing.com/links/ The SPARTAN MODE Approach to Overcoming Addiction: https://youtu.be/XIJs36sHZo0?si=V7DOhfNtFNRCxbeQ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/qbh/message

Arkady Kulik - Founding Partner rpv -Deep Tech VC | Neuro | Photonics | New energy  Go to www.thejasoncavnessexperience.com for the full episode and other episodes of The Jason Cavness Experience on your favorite platforms. Sponsor CavnessHR delivers HR companies with 49 or fewer people with our HR platform and by providing you access to your own HRBP. www.CavnessHR.com  CavnessHR Crowdfunding Campaign We are doing an equity crowdfunding campaign for CavnessHR. You can become an owner in CavnessHR by taking part in our campaign. Learn more here. https://wefunder.com/cavnesshr Arkady's Bio Meet Arkady, a visionary leader with a background in driving operational efficiency, strategic partnerships, and business development. With a proven track record of success across various industries, Arkady has consistently delivered exceptional results and played integral roles in transforming organizations. As the Chief Operating Officer at VK.com, the largest social network in the CIS region, Arkady streamlined operations and reporting, resulting in remarkable cost savings of $33 million in 2020 alone. Recognizing the importance of data-driven decision-making, Arkady led the transparency team, spearheading the company's transformation to a data-centric approach. At Luxoft, a global leader in outsourced software development, Arkady served as the Director of Marketing & Business Development, driving significant revenue growth. He fostered valuable relationships with potential clients, resulting in the acquisition of over $45 million in new business. During their tenure as CEO of Indigos.ru, the largest online education store for school kids in Russia, Arkady restructured the company in a mere three months, driving productivity growth and cost reduction. Furthermore, Arkady spearheaded the development of a new web-based product, turning the company profitable. His strategic acumen led to the M&A deal with a prominent company in the school education sector. At Thankyou.ru, a groundbreaking content distribution platform based on the "Pay what you want" model, Arkady served as the Founder and CEO. Through strategic negotiations, Arkady secured agreements with all the top Russian musicians, enabling free and unlimited access to their music. Additionally, Arkady spearheaded a captivating social media movement that garnered national media attention, solidifying Thankyou.ru's position as an industry disruptor and the largest digital music label in Russia. As the Co-founder and CEO of RUCEA, a talent management and event agency, Arkady redefined the industry standard by implementing a systematic pricing system for artist bookings. RUCEA evolved into a full-scale management agency for red carpet events, catering to high-profile clients such as Tom Cruise and Charlize Theron.  Under Arkady's leadership, RUCEA successfully executed over 350 events within a span of three years. Arkady holds an MBA from INSEAD, he also obtained a Master's degree in physics from Moscow State University of M.V. Lomonosov. Fluent in English and Russian, with practical proficiency in French, Arkady effortlessly navigates diverse cultural and professional landscapes. Beyond their professional achievements, Arkady maintains a diverse range of personal interests. He is passionate about exploring the intersections of sciences and the emergent properties on these borders. Arkady loves snowboarding and rock climbing and sometimes dwells into painting and playing drums.  We talked about the following and other items Are we better off than we used to be  Physics  Why he started a VC fund Space and the potential of intelligent life  Deep tech Their process for getting to yes Arkady's Social Media Arkady's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arkady-kulik/ rpv Website: https://rpv.global/ Arkady's Twitter: https://twitter.com/arkady_kulik Arkady's Advice Be the best version of yourself

Advice: Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it - Baz Luhrmann   Sam Knight returns with his second installment of Tips, Tricks and Traps. He talks about the competitive nature of photography in the world at large and the feedback we may receive from others. He uses his experience as the only film shooter in his local camera club and a recent submission to one of the club competitions to talk about the subjectivity of the people consuming our work and how we deal with the feedback.   You can follow Sam at  S K | Flickr and Sam Knight (@samsphotographiclife) • Instagram photos and videos and see the video version on YouTube at https://youtube.com/@analoguelifephoto.   You can join the conversation and see the image Sam discusses over on the Sunny 16 Discord.    Get in touch at sunny16presents@gmail.com   Music used is: Positive Fat Bass Intro Loop by WinnieTheMoog Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/6093-positive-fat-bass-intro-loop License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Clarence Dancer Director of Operations at Academy for Creating Excellence (ACE) Go to www.thejasoncavnessexperience.com for the full episode and other episodes of The Jason Cavness Experience on your favorite platforms.  Sponsor CavnessHR delivers HR companies with 49 or fewer people with our HR platform and by providing you access to your own HRBP.  www.CavnessHR.com CavnessHR Crowdfunding Campaign We are doing an equity crowdfunding campaign for CavnessHR. You can become an owner in CavnessHR by taking part in our campaign. Learn more here. https://wefunder.com/cavnesshr Clarence's Bio I am a husband to Roxanne Christian and a father of two (Cameron and Naomi). I have served in social services for 20 years and has a Masters in Education and Leadership Policy from the University of Washington. I have held service roles such as the Executive Director of Seattle MESA (Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement), Washington State STEM Program Supervisor for the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Postsecondary Policy Advisor for the City of Seattle and now as the Co-founder and Executive Director for ACE Academy. ACE Academy was founded by Willie Seals III, Marcus Harden and Clarence "CJ" Dancer, Jr. ACE's mission is to provide high quality services in support of men of color. Fostering safe spaces to facilitate their growth to best understand themselves as viable world citizens.  We talked about the following and other items What should the be the purpose of college  Non profit organizations  The bible Outer Space Is it better for a male to be raised by a single mother or a two parent home where the male is a POS Academy for Creating Excellence (ACE) CJ's Social Media  CJ''s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clarence-dancer-368384a/ ACE Website: https://www.aceacademywa.org/ ACE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aceacademywa/ ACE Twitter: https://twitter.com/ACEAcademyWA CJ's Advice Be true to self. Always, always be true to self.

They are Canadian and found out prior to marriage they were carriers. In addition to being a carrier of Cystic Fibrosis, she then found her her AMH was low for her age. She quickly jumped into IVF. They winded up getting 10 embryos and 3 of 10 had CF.PGT-M is the testing she got done for carriers of diseases. -First transfer ended in a chemical pregnancy. -Half a year later due to renovations at the clinic and her lining not ready for transfer she finally transferred another embryo-Went for Beta 1 - 80 Beta 2-60 - ended in another chemical pregnancyGoing to move into a natural cycle and excited and hopeful for the future. Advice:Be patient and know that its going to be a little harder than expected but lean on your support system.Educate yourself *

EPISODE 100!! We were pumped to have Dr. Mike ll join us to celebrate this milestone and contribute to the silliness, insight, and guidance. Dr Mike helps us understand how to approach misinformation, and shares his journey of finding the balance between having abs and being significantly overweight. As always, we've peppered in some other great subtopics and plenty of laughs. Something worth sharing?Advice: Be honest with yourself, and avoid using a poor attitude as a justification for not giving something your all. Would you rather: A: Giggle at everyone who cries in front of youB: Have a farting problem, both in frequency and odour Fan of the show?If you find value in the Flex Success Podcast, we'd love it if you could show your support by leaving a review on iTunes. This will help expose the show to a bigger audience so we can help more people be less shit. To find out more about Flex Success, head to:https://www.flexsuccess.com.au https://www.instagram.com/flex_success/ To find out more Dr. Mike Banna, head to: https://www.instagram.com/drmikethe2nd/ Disclaimers: Flex Success, and the associated coaches, are not doctors or medical professionals. Always consult a physician before starting any exercise program. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk. Flex Success will not assume any liability for direct or indirect losses or damages that may result from the use of the information contained in this video including but not limited to economic loss, injury, illness or death.

A practicing defense and immigration lawyer, Amber is also a Success Architect along with being a NLP practitioner.  She works with “serial accomplishers” like her former self to help them gain clarity of what they actually want, define what their best life looks like and help them get out of their comfort zone to achieve their dreams.  Amber believes that pushing yourself out of your comfort zone physically helps challenge your mental limitations of what you can accomplish professionally.  She uses her experiences with loss, grief, academic and professional success, and physical challenges to help her clients get out of their own way and achieve their highest level of success. Topics discussed in this episode:Leadership principle:  Design your life and have the courage to live itHabits: Complete Life Wheel Planner - What does success mean?Green Flags:Stand in front of the mirror and give yourself the advice you'd give others.Listen to your intuition and ask questions.Advice:   Be honest with yourself and ask what YOU really want.Find success for yourself in every action you take.FREE Life Wheel PlannerWhere to find Amber:Website: More Than CorporateLinkedIn: Amber FuhrimaInstagram: @amberraefuhrimanFacebook Page: Amber FuhrimanPodcast:  More Than CorporateBecome an Intentional Optimist!All my links 30 Minute Free ConsultationLeave a rating and review!Apple: just scroll to the bottom, choose a rating and write a review.Podchaser (Android): you can go to this link here and leave a rating and review! https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/intentional-optimists-unconven-1406762Noom: A Mindful Way to Eat Learn how to intentionally challenge your mindset in order to take control of your health.Skillshare: Spark your creativity. Get 40% Off Annual MembershipDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

On this episode of The Jason Cavness Experience I talk to Brett Greene - Executive Coach, Community Builder, connector and builder of cool things We talk about the following How to start a startup innovation ecosystem ADD/ADHD Coaching New Tech Northwest Brett's Bio Brett Greene is an executive coach, community builder, connector and promoter of cool things who helps tech entrepreneurs and executives with ADD/ADHD create strategies, support, and structures to be happier, less overwhelmed, more effective, and more successful. He has ADD/ADHD, holds an MA in Counseling Psychology and has coached, mentored and advised hundreds of executives. Some of his clients were leaders at companies that were acquired after the leaders were coached by Brett including a Fortune 10 acquisition. He is the Founder/CEO of the New Tech Northwest community of 60,000+ technologists where his members and clients include startups to Fortune 10 companies. He has produced hundreds of event experiences, worked with multi-platinum bands, been a Top 35 Social Media Power Influencer in Forbes, and spoken at the White House. Brett's Social Media Brett's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettgreene/ Brett's Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrettGreene New Tech Northwest website: https://www.newtechnorthwest.com/ Epsilon Coaching: https://www.epsiloncoaching.com/ Brett's Gift Brett is offering one hour of free consultation and for those who sign up a 30% discount to the followers of The Jason Cavness Experience. Brett's Ask Brett asks that anyone interested in ADHD coaching or ADHD entrepreneurial coaching to reach out to him. Then his wife can help with supporting women in business, non profit work and career advancement. Brett's Advice Be honest with yourself about who you are. If you think you need to be normal, you don't. Most people are really amazing and wasting way too much time trying to be normal. So you know love yourself, take care of yourself, be good to people behind an act of generosity or positivity everyday our world could definitely use that. Then love yourself and take care of yourself and and the people you love in your life

Do you want to or know how to outwork the competition in real estate? Get back to basics with a boot camp style, open enrollment training program called, CRE Analyst FastTrack. It strives to give professionals the best industry training at a fraction of the cost of traditional education methods. In this episode, Wayne talks to James Ray, who co-teaches the FastTrack program and oversees regional commercial real estate acquisitions, developments, and joint ventures for an institutional investment manager. James spends much of his free time teaching the fundamentals and tools used by experienced real estate investors to succeed. Topics on Today’s Episode: James’ Job: Find value and understand entire commercial real estate market Money Threshold: Big institutions don’t like cutting checks less than $15-20 million Teach What You Know: Help people learn real estate business in/for less time, money Curriculum: Focuses on the eight critical fundamentals of commercial real estate Four Transaction Frameworks: Buying/selling, borrowing/lending, partnerships, leases Students: Differences between undergraduate, MBA, and professional classes/programs Right vs. Wrong Way: Invest in yourself to learn legitimate real estate skills or strikeout Strengthen Weaknesses: Most common struggles and setbacks students experience FastTrack Results: More than half of students have found a job or were promoted Valuation Skills: Most overlooked aspect of real estate investing Property Values and Taxes: If you miss the mark on taxes, returns are gone James’ Advice: Be own arbiter of fact/opinion, pick a spot/niche, find/be a good partner

As I listen to the podcast I recorded with Khyati, I immediately get transported back to those last days in London before my big move. Khyati is an energetic inspiring woman, committed to changing what she sees wrong and going through the challenges life throws at her. Khyati is the CEO of Applied, after having founded (and closed) her own start-up Fosho post her Corporate Finance life. Leaving Corporate Life One day, Khyati looked around and found out she was not finding a path ahead in Investment Banking. Thinking about the future, she realized those 4-walls did not bear her dreams.  As a reflective and impatient person, she believes she jumps into things before she is even ready. So when she left, she did not know exactly what she was going to do. "Ideas are a dime a dozen" After 2 years back to school she tried different ideas, put some through incubators, passed her ideas through people on the street and really went on an immersive experience. She ended up creating Fosho, an AI-based, machine-learning platform for sustainable supply chains. But it was too early, and after initial traction, the company did not scale. Back to the recruitment market After Fosho, Khyati went through an inflection point as she looked to go back to the market. She had decided not to go to big corporate, but she also did not have any other ideas to get started. When she started applying for jobs, it was devastating. Khyati estimates she must have applied for more than 200 jobs. As she spent hours working on her CV and cover letter she got told (when she got an answer): "You didn't fit" This message kept getting repeated back to her. And that is when Khyati realized that the recruitment market was broken. It was surprising, but also heart-breaking. Unfortunately, Khyati's story is not unique. Finding Applied This experience defined her journey in finding a company that would value her skills and the things that really matter on the job. She joined to run product and after a year became the CEO of the company. If you were wondering what company hired her on the basis of skills? Applied is an end-to-end hiring platform that uses 50 years of research about hiring, evidence-based information rather than proxies. Applied provides a better structure for decision making and has had so far over 350 thousand applications in their platform. The company tests exclusively on skills and have built a unique database that is de-biased. How? The candidate receives a questionnaire rather than sending in their resume. And the outcomes are anonymised and randomised in multiple ways to ensure there are no flawed signals in the process and to avoid drawing any inferences about the candidate - you can only focus on skills. Can you see how I could go on talking about this company for hours? CEO into the Pandemic Khyati became the CEO of Applied a month before the pandemic hit. And what was her first job? To close a fundraise. She barely remembers that first month of Covid-19 as she was so absorbed in ensuring the company had enough money. After the close, she was shocked about how the business was getting hit and losing customers. They took a bet that hiring would normalize but imagined it would take at least 18 months. As such, they went into a cash conservation strategy, most unusual after closing a fundraising round. It worked out and the company became self-sustainable during that time and is now ready to invest as recruitment has re-opened. Life in the Pandemic Khyati was in London for lockdown and that was a difficult time. I was impressed to find out that she replaced her commute time with meditation time, rather than just working more, as many of the women I interviewed or encountered (self-included). During the times at home, (other than her family) she missed her gym and the routine it gave her. She worked out new routines into her day to help her with it. Whilst the pandemic brought a lot of loneliness, it also allowed her to go on a personal journey which included more meditation and long walks to give her more grounding. She hopes to keep that in a post-pandemic environment. One of the tools she used to help her keep going with her exercise and self-care was an accountability buddy, which ensured she would not back out of it on the harder days. The part she could not manage as well was dealing with the distance from family, despite all the virtual encounters. Travel is the only solution! As we finished and I thought I had so much out of the podcast, Khyati hit me with a quote that I seem to forget often (as she does). Be as water. After this amazing story, there was no better title for the podcast. Khyati's List 2020 Advice: Be as Water 2020 Challenge: Distance from family 2020 Lesson: There are things you can't control 2021 Book: Managing Yourself, HBR and Invisible Woman 2021 Word: Energizing Connect with us Meet Khyati on Linkedin and meet Applied Join our Make Space for Growth free community online and on Facebook Follow me on Linkedin, Instagram or Twitter

Rev. Debra J. Hopkins is a native New Yorker and trans woman of color who believes that there's always hope because words have power and everybody can be a voice for change through action, activism, and community involvement. We can all help put an end to the social and economic discrimination that's ever present in this country. Debra is the Founder of There's Still Hope, a non-profit organization that provides a Transitional Housing Program for transgender adults, trans victims of domestic violence, and trans individuals released from the correctional institutional system. Debra earned her Masters of Theology degree from New York Theological Seminary and is a licensed non-denominational minister. She is actively involved in ministry through pastoral care, writing, and community activism. She is the author of three books and three anthologies, including her memoir, Not Until You Have Walked In My Shoes. Through it all, Debra continues to spend time traveling around the country advocating for the marginalized people within the LGBTQIA community. Topics Discussed: Faith/Identity: Formed via self-discovery of development, foundational footing Transition: Vehicle to expand audience and not allow naysayers' negativity Words of Advice: Be authentic and use the tools that God has given you Community, therapy, and honesty brings healing, understanding, and activism Look in the Mirror: Convey the truth of life and how we should be treated equally There's Still Hope: After losing it all, being homeless, and trying to clear name Platforms: Build, exercise, and cultivate spiritual, mental, and physical muscles Links and Resources: Rev. Debra J. Hopkins There's Still Hope Not Until You Have Walked In My Shoes Christine Jorgensen a Personal Autobiography The Shack Movie Masterclass: 4 Practices You Can Start Now to Move Beyond Shame Queerology Podcast on Instagram Queerology Podcast on Twitter Beyond Shame by Matthias Roberts Matthias Roberts on Patreon

A lot of times we do and say things that are quite insensitive (sometimes we're unaware of this), so on this episode I'll be listing out a couple of things people do that are insensitive plus tips on how to deal with insensitive people. Advice: Be kind to one another and consider the feelings of the next person.

In this conversation, we speak with Brave Mhonie, General Manager of SunnyMoney in Malawi. SunnyMoney is the largest seller and distributor of solar lights in Africa, and is a social enterprise owned by SolarAid, an international UK-based charity. We speak about their business model innovations to enable Sunny Money to grow sales in a sustainable and profitable way; how SolarAid and SunnyMoney work together to innovate entrepreneurship in rural, remote locations, and the importance of education and SunnyMoney’s partnership with schools, teachers and the Ministry of Eduction in Malawi. We also speak about how the solar industry has changed in the past decade and how the promise and potential for clean energy shifted Brave's aspirations to work as a medical doctor, to having now worked over 10 years in the solar industry. Contact us at podcast@distributingsolar.com Visit us at www.distributingsolar.com Follow us on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/distrib_solar ) and LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/company/distributing-solar/ ) Show notes: (1:00) Introduction to Sunny Money; SolarAid's founding by Jeremy Leggett, focusing on trade rather than aid (3:20) Sunny Money's approach to innovative business model and the evolution of go-to-market strategy; initial focus on pico solar and solar lights; how the industry has changed in the past 10 years enabling businesses to focus on distribution (5:00) Their focus on seeding solar businesses in local areas, receiving investment from local businessmen to expand their reach across Malawi, providing working capital for SunnyMoney who continues to manage the business; a financing innovation for local businesses (6:00) SolarAid's partial subsidy to provide a cushion for the costs to reach a remote customer; how to get a substantial presence in a rural community; operational expenses which are partially covered by SolarAid (12:00) Customer engagement model; an initial deposit paid by customer; sales representatives act as area agents to manage cash collections, after-sales services, payment management (14:00) Mobile money's role; supported business, however some areas where mobile money is not available. The continued need to manage debt; the difficulty of managing payments during seasons when customers focus on buying farming materials (16:00) Overview of the solar industry in Malawi over the past 10 years: growing customer awareness and interest in larger systems; government's role in supporting the sector, removing VAT and various taxes (17:00) The government's potential to help with consumer education, making consumers aware of other affordable energy solutions; the potential for government infrastructure development (19:00) Diesel genset, batteries as alternative energy sources; dry cell powered torches (21:00) Brave's route into Sunny Money, initially wanting to work as a medical doctor, and seeing the potential to improve health with solar power (24:00) Challenges of managing people, importing goods, financing assets; it's a new sector so there are many challenges (25:00) SolarAid support in funding; Developing financing business co-operatives with Global Distributor's Collective (27:00) Surprised by the government's interest in combating energy poverty (29:00) How they decide to expand: looking at income levels, population density, support and existing infrastructure and organisations that can help them (30:00) Their partnership with the Ministry of Education; using teachers' development centers as distribution points (34:00) Working with SunnyMoney in other countries (36:00) Advice: Be patient and keep innovating! (37:00) Inspiring figures: Jeremy Leggett and the person who introduced him to solar in the first place (38:00) Recommended books: Blue Ocean Strategy (39:00) Predictions: the off-grid solar sector will grow very quickly, with growing demand for investments

All About Herbs with Amanda Furbee We deal with all sorts of ailments in life, may it be mental or physical. From anxiety to menstrual pain, there are a multitude of health problems we can experience throughout our life. Taking medicine every time is a bother, but what if you can use all-natural remedies? In this episode, Amanda Furbee joins us to discuss all things herbal. She talks about herbalism and her journey to become an herbalist. Further, she helps us identify which herbs are useful for certain ailments. Amanda also shares some tips on how we can improve ourselves. If you want to learn about an alternative to treating your ailments, then tune in to this episode! Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode: Gain insight from Amanda's story on why she shifted from a career in design to becoming an herbalist. Learn about herbs and what herbalism means. Discover the best herbal remedies for anxiety, PMS, and more. Resources The Science & Art of Herbalism course by Rosemary Gladstar List of herbal books from Rosemary Gladstar Life Guidance Hypnosis with Mary Lou Rodriguez The Herb Shoppe The Herb Shoppe: Instagram | Facebook Episode Highlights Amanda's Journey Amanda's journey with herbs started 10 years ago when she stumbled upon a little herb shop in Ruidoso, New Mexico.  She was feeling anxious, and they gave her passionflower. It worked well for her and changed her life. She had a vision that she needed to open a wellness property and know more about herbs. This started her deep dive into herbal medicine. Her family thought she was crazy to ditch her designing career. Amanda reached out to the herb shop owner to ask questions and soon found herself working there. How to Become an Herbalist The Herb Shoppe has a 12-week internship program, where you learn to understand the body and how herbs help with it. The majority of her beginning education was working in the shop and talking to the other employees. She also took an herbal certification course, attended conferences with teachers from the herbal field, and started volunteering to help organize them. The Herbal Experience According to Amanda, it's a lifestyle. She fell in love with making the products since she enjoys crafting things. Every person that comes through the shop door has something going on, and she learns from each of their experiences. Oftentimes, the food we eat is the biggest culprit for most of the ailments we have. They look at that organ connected to your pain and figure out the right herb to relieve or nourish it. Western Medicine vs. Herbalism There's a time and place for both. We can manage our day-to-day lifestyle through good nutrition and herbs, but there will be times when you need to go to the hospital instead. Herbal Remedies for Ailments To treat anxiety and the nervous system in general, you can choose from nervine herbs like passionflower, lemon balm, and chamomile. You can also choose what form to consume herbs in. There are tincture and capsule forms, along with tea blends. Gotu kola, ginkgo biloba, Bacopa monniera, and rosemary are some of the common herbs you can take to help you stay focused. For those struggling with PMS, uterine herbs like raspberry, blackberry, vitex, dong quai, and motherwort can help. Herb recommendations for postpartum healing are calendula, St John's, rose, lavender, and holy basil. What Is an Adaptogen? An adaptogen is an herb that works on the adrenal system. It helps bring balance to the body. In Amanda's personal experience, it has helped her get through the hardest times of her life. She still takes it regularly. Getting into Herbalism Amanda advises starting with one herb so you don't feel overwhelmed. It's not something you learn overnight; it's a life journey. Even though she's been doing it for 10 years, she still feels like she's constantly learning, adapting, and evolving. At her shop, they encourage doing a 30-minute meditation, where you pick a plant, sit with it, maybe drink it as a tea, try it as a tincture, look at it as an essential oil, or go for it as a flower essence. There's a lot of misinformation on the Internet. Amanda's rule of thumb is to see if three different sources say the same thing.  You can also get a mentor or connect with an herbalist, and find out what facet of herbalism calls you. Amanda's Daily Non-Negotiables and Advice Be gentle with yourself. Constant communication is important in any relationship. Set aside a time for yourself everyday. Take care of yourself. Don't forget to breathe. 5 Powerful Quotes from this Episode “I think everybody should dive into whatever it is they want to do. That's what makes it fun—part of it is your passion in what you're doing.” “We come from a culture where the medicine that we have been educated on is a band-aid. But for herbalism, the biggest difference is that we're going to do, ‘All right, why do you have that pain? What are you eating?'” “It is a lot to take on a business, but it is also reminding yourself to be gentle with yourself. If you need a couple of days off, then you take a couple of days off.” “With any relationship, if you don't have that constant communication and open door, then what are you doing?” “The bottom line is, we have to take care of ourselves… We have to do that or else everything is not going to fall into alignment.” About Amanda Amanda Furbee is the owner of The Herb Shoppe LLC, a health, wellness, and fitness company. Their mission is to provide quality herbal medicine to the community. They are also dedicated to educating people about herbal medicine through affordable courses and practitioner services. If you want to learn more, you can visit their shop in Portland, head to their website, or reach out on Instagram or Facebook. Enjoy the Podcast? Learning how you could improve your relationship may it be romantic, familial, business, friendships, and with yourself, has never been this easy. If you enjoyed today's episode of The Relationship Ready Podcast, then hit subscribe and share it with your friends! Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your family and friends so they can discover the power of herbs. Have any questions? You can contact me through email (heidi@heidibcoaching.com) or find me on Instagram or Facebook. Thanks for listening! For more updates and episodes, visit my website. You may also tune in on Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. To being relationship ready, Heidi B

Cash is the lifeblood of every Small Business. Without enough cash, or enough data to manage your cash flow decisions, your Small Business is not going to succeed. We are always looking at new tools and techniques to help us understand what is going on with our cash situation - tools that can help us plan for our cash needs and make decisions that make sense. Today we're going to learn about a service that is built around strengthening Small Business spending and expense management with the CEO of Bento for Business, Guido Shulz. Join your hosts Dave Hamilton and Shannon Jean as they learn all about Bento for Business and their unique solution to ending "Cash Leakage" from your Small Business!       00:00:00 Small Business Show #284 for Wednesday, July 8, 2020 Mac Geek Gab 00:02:18 SPONSOR: Direct Mail for Mac Create and send great looking email newsletters with Direct Mail, an easy-to-use email marketing app designed exclusively for the Mac. 00:04:25 SPONSOR: PDFpen and PDFpenPro is your ultimate PDF viewing and editing app for the Mac. Guido Shulz, CEO of Bento for Business Cash management: Corporate Cards with limits for type of transaction, time, and more Prevent cash leakage Good habits are easy to grow, but hard to implement after the fact Keep it simple, digestible, and get the key things right in the client experience. Advice: Be aware of where you're at in time and space. Know who your audience is. How well does your service match your audience? What are your own business's operating metrics? SBS 284 Outtro Guido Shulz on LinkedIn Bento for Business guido@bentoforbusiness.com Leave us a 5-Star Review

This episode is part 4 of the Conquering Crisis Webinar Series focusing on brick and mortar business. Moderated by Aryan Rashed, owner of Tremble pilates studio, featuring Veronica Menin, co-founder of Love Life Cafe; Max-Antonio Burger, CEO of Veza Sur Brewing Co.; and Alvaro Nunez, Owner of Little Swimmers. Aryan leads a conversation on the impact of COVID-19 and how stay-at-home mandates have affected business. The panel shares effective measures taken to adjust and pivot their business models. Here are the topics addressed and timestamps: 00:00:56 Introductions, Reactions to COVID, Engaging customers & employees 10:40 How Industries Face Fear & Uncertainty Build Community Viturally as Brick & Mortar 20:05 Supply Chain Challenges and Shifts, Partnerships and Relationships within Competitors 33:12 Cost Reductions Negotiations, Challenges Regarding Retail Space Market, Q&A 46:18 Long term changes and Advice Be sure to share this episode with your friends and family!! Remember to follow us @thebigideabox @thelabmiami on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter! Connect with our host and guests @makeittremble_ @lovelife_cafe @vezasurbrewingco @littleswimmers Give us feedback with this link: bit.ly/2C3fwFj and enjoy the show!! Show Notes: Aryan Rashed - Tremble - Veronica Menin - Love Live Cafe - Max-Antonio Burger - Veza Sur Brewing Co - Alvaro Nunez - Little Swimmers - LAB Ventures - The LAB Miami - The New Tropic - The Knight Foundation - Refresh Miami - Miami Angels - Endeavor Miami - Emerge Americas

“Be the change you want to see in the world” - Mohanda Gandhi A warm hearted Loving Man, Business Consultant, Backpacker, Author of 4 books, Adventurer, Life Coach, Speaker, Phoneographer and Instagram Star that was holding the world record for sitting on a Ferris wheel for 24hrs and 30min. And a Master of listening to his heart. In this episode we came to talk about what it means to be creative, where creativity comes from and how you can train to increase your creativity by listening to your heart & intuition. Patrick has not been shy with giving lots of his wisdom and practical advice on how to create a happy and fulfilled life. How to be open and compassionate. His advices are very applicable and have the power to change how you'll live life from now on. Patrick has a very good way to guide through his life when meeting people. “People come into your life for: A Reason A Season, or for A Lifetime. We got to talk about: Creativity How to learn to listen to your heart and intuition Creative block and procrastination His writing and Book. “Forgive me Sister” The 7 year cycle everyone goes through. Masculinity vs. The Feminine His 2 secrets to Happiness in life: Giving and growing Empathy vs. Sympathy Where our modern DIS-EASE's are coming from And how the Community can help How to Focus on the important in life The 4 Energy Season and how to use them for personal growth, reflections and actions. and so much more Advice: “Be yourself, Stay true to who you are. Don't compare yourself to others. It's easier to be yourself” Call for action: Believe in yourself. You know it all. Learn to listen to yourself. => For the next 12 Weeks until the 21. December. Pull your energy inwards Refill your Energy, Reflect and Nourish yourself Be intentional Plant the seeds you want to reap in spring Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patrickhamiltonwalsh Instagram: https://instagram.com/PatrickHamiltonWalsh Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThePhoneographr LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickhamiltonwalsh/ Webpage: http://www.patrickhamiltonwalsh.com/ Books: Forgive me Sister (2019) https://www.bookdepository.com/Forgive-Me-Sister-Patrick-Hamilton-Walsh/9781490795188 The Backpacker Who Sold His Supercar: A Road Map to Achieving Your Dream Life (2013) Life Is (2013) is: The Phenomenon of the Facebook Status (2009) Other Interviews with Patrick: Smartass-podden: #3 Patrick Hamilton Walsh - Our feminine future https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/smartass-podden/id1473749162?l=en&i=1000453808590&fbclid=IwAR2BdUl1hDqW0EA65Zh0LSP2sZJ5TngEcZ3ZQPhaaYvC-lgs0BP36rYWlZs Stoyan Yankov: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/monday-productive-19-patrick-hamilton-walsh-stoyan-yankov/ Samodiva Mastermind (FB Live): https://www.facebook.com/samodivamasterminds/videos/572395059929472/ World Traveller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBROuJQP3ps&t=439s --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/schirach/message

Today we hear from Jude Samson of RFMx. His company is breaking barriers to offer true health care tools for doctors and patients. You, Your Doctor, Your Coach and your Nutritionist are teaming up on a shared platform to make you the best and healthiest person you can be. Tune in to find out the driving forces in this new approach are and how they fit into your life!    * * *   About Jude Since January 2019, Jude Samson is the cofounder and CEO of RFMx, Inc, a health and wellness company focusing on the utilization of a digital health approach and remote monitoring to eradicate chronic diseases while developing new revenue streams for its clients. Prior to joining RFMx, Jude confounded Samson and Benson in 2010, which was a high-impact consultancy.   In 2000, Jude cofounded and served as CEO of Levelfield.com Inc, an online agency. He currently still serves on the board of Levelfield.com. Jude specializes in developing business models, business process design, and business network with a focus in maximizing social capital by allowing an organization to utilize its most precious resource, its people, at their highest level. Outside of work, Jude is an avid soccer player, a dedicated son, husband, and father, and a leader in his communities.   * * *   What is digital health? Digital health is the convergence of digital technologies with health, healthcare, living, and society to enhance the efficiency of healthcare delivery.   RFMx A digital health company. A platform that is constantly expanding and improving. Provides a structure for the patient and physician to combat chronic disease as a team. From the patient’s standpoint, it provides a community-based system that tracks all of their biometrics and has the physician, the health coach, and the nutrition coach working together for them to achieve their goals. From the physician’s standpoint, it provides a model to transition from the current fee-for-service model to a preventative healthcare model, utilizing biometric data and wearable devices and remote monitoring. They’re also incentivized to actually keep you healthy versus the current model, you feel bad, you get sick, you go to the doctor, you pay, and you get well. Remote monitoring system that combines your Fitbit, your weight scale, your blood pressure cuff, your sleep apnea machine, grabs that data, consolidates it, risk stratifies it, and then they start working with you on your goals to keep you healthy so you never actually have to go to the doctor.   How RFMx Was Founded Business partner Thomas "Bobby" Kurian, MD physician, a cardiologist and an EP Fitness director Paul Carrozza started the Running Revolution in Austin, Texas 30 years ago started all the RunTex stores. The three collaborated   Jude’s Motivation “I looked at all the skills I had, and I realized that this would be a way that I could utilize all of my life experience and the skills that I have, and continually grow, and impact people at their foundation, at the very root of their existence.”   Three Really Important Things in Life To love somebody To be loved by somebody To make a difference   Current Health Statistics 6 of 10 Americans have 1 chronic disease 4 of 10 have 2 chronic diseases   Lifestyle Matters The Standard American Diet (SAD) is associated with increased salt, sugar, fat and ultra-processed foods representing increased chronic disease and shorter life expectancy Whole Food Plant Based Diet: is based on fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains and with decreased chronic diseases and increased life expectancy Sedentary Lifestyle / Lack of Exercise associated with increase cardiovascular disease, stroke and death independent of obesity Community Based programs are more likely to create adherence and provide support   RFMx’s Approach One of the things that happens when you go to, let’s say a cardiologist, they can put a stent in, they can do something to you, but all that does is give you more time, it doesn’t actually change the trajectory of your life, it just buys you a little more time. And a lifestyle modification is the only thing that can start to change the trajectory of your healthcare. The first step was cardiologists started referring patients that they really felt that wanted to make a change in their life, that were in that place, that essentially hit bottom, and they were willing to. My favorite is actually community-based programs. Speaking in seminars Sharing with them, “Here’s a structure that you can start to employ in your lives. Just start with oatmeal at breakfast. The rest of your meals, keep the way you’re at.” Participating with different organizations at the—at a very organic level and getting to know the people that run these organizations, getting to know their employees, having their employees participate, and then having their members participate. “This is not a diet. The first three letters of the word diet are DIE. This is an eating plan.”   Results It’s with every one of the patients, with every single person. Their outlook changes. They start being kinder to themselves, to others, because they feel better. Economically, you don’t pay so much for prescriptions because you won’t need them. It costs less to eat healthy 3 concerns from patients “It’s too expensive to eat healthy.” “I don’t have time to cook.” “How do I get my protein if I eat predominantly plant-based?” Jude created a $5 a day menu and lived by it to show it could be done. A little tutorial on what to prep over the weekend so everything is just putting meals together. Restaurant finder to find food consistent with eating plan.   What three important things are really important for someone to start and stay on this path? Exercise and food Having a community to support them The most important part that we focus on is purpose. Health is one of those places where it’s even more critical to know your purpose. RFMx uses it in the business. “Because of the purpose of why we created RFMx, it made no sense to build this business anything other than organically. It had to be grassroots, it had to be organic, it had to be community-based. It takes a lot longer and is a lot harder but given the purpose of what we want to accomplish, it had to be this way.” Purpose for Jude is about long-term thinking.   Jude’s One Piece of Advice Be kind to yourself.     Deeper Dive Resources RFMx Network https://www.rfmxnetwork.com/   Thomas “Bobby” Kurian, MD https://www.seton.net/providers/bio/thomas_-kurian https://www.rfmxnetwork.com/our_story.htm   National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/index.htm https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/infographic/chronic-diseases.htm   What is a plant-based diet and why you should try it? https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-a-plant-based-diet-and-why-should-you-try-it-2018092614760   Plant-Based Diets https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/plant-based-diets/   Nutritional Update for Physicians: Plant-Based Diets https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/   Effects of a Plant-Based Diet on Plasma Lipids http://med.stanford.edu/nutrition/nutrition-studies-group/completed-studies/plant-based-diet.html

Today we hear from Jude Samson of RFMx. His company is breaking barriers to offer true health care tools for doctors and patients. You, Your Doctor, Your Coach and your Nutritionist are teaming up on a shared platform to make you the best and healthiest person you can be. Tune in to find out the driving forces in this new approach are and how they fit into your life!    * * *   About Jude Since January 2019, Jude Samson is the cofounder and CEO of RFMx, Inc, a health and wellness company focusing on the utilization of a digital health approach and remote monitoring to eradicate chronic diseases while developing new revenue streams for its clients. Prior to joining RFMx, Jude confounded Samson and Benson in 2010, which was a high-impact consultancy.   In 2000, Jude cofounded and served as CEO of Levelfield.com Inc, an online agency. He currently still serves on the board of Levelfield.com. Jude specializes in developing business models, business process design, and business network with a focus in maximizing social capital by allowing an organization to utilize its most precious resource, its people, at their highest level. Outside of work, Jude is an avid soccer player, a dedicated son, husband, and father, and a leader in his communities.   * * *   What is digital health? Digital health is the convergence of digital technologies with health, healthcare, living, and society to enhance the efficiency of healthcare delivery.   RFMx A digital health company. A platform that is constantly expanding and improving. Provides a structure for the patient and physician to combat chronic disease as a team. From the patient’s standpoint, it provides a community-based system that tracks all of their biometrics and has the physician, the health coach, and the nutrition coach working together for them to achieve their goals. From the physician’s standpoint, it provides a model to transition from the current fee-for-service model to a preventative healthcare model, utilizing biometric data and wearable devices and remote monitoring. They’re also incentivized to actually keep you healthy versus the current model, you feel bad, you get sick, you go to the doctor, you pay, and you get well. Remote monitoring system that combines your Fitbit, your weight scale, your blood pressure cuff, your sleep apnea machine, grabs that data, consolidates it, risk stratifies it, and then they start working with you on your goals to keep you healthy so you never actually have to go to the doctor.   How RFMx Was Founded Business partner Thomas "Bobby" Kurian, MD physician, a cardiologist and an EP Fitness director Paul Carrozza started the Running Revolution in Austin, Texas 30 years ago started all the RunTex stores. The three collaborated   Jude’s Motivation “I looked at all the skills I had, and I realized that this would be a way that I could utilize all of my life experience and the skills that I have, and continually grow, and impact people at their foundation, at the very root of their existence.”   Three Really Important Things in Life To love somebody To be loved by somebody To make a difference   Current Health Statistics 6 of 10 Americans have 1 chronic disease 4 of 10 have 2 chronic diseases   Lifestyle Matters The Standard American Diet (SAD) is associated with increased salt, sugar, fat and ultra-processed foods representing increased chronic disease and shorter life expectancy Whole Food Plant Based Diet: is based on fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains and with decreased chronic diseases and increased life expectancy Sedentary Lifestyle / Lack of Exercise associated with increase cardiovascular disease, stroke and death independent of obesity Community Based programs are more likely to create adherence and provide support   RFMx’s Approach One of the things that happens when you go to, let’s say a cardiologist, they can put a stent in, they can do something to you, but all that does is give you more time, it doesn’t actually change the trajectory of your life, it just buys you a little more time. And a lifestyle modification is the only thing that can start to change the trajectory of your healthcare. The first step was cardiologists started referring patients that they really felt that wanted to make a change in their life, that were in that place, that essentially hit bottom, and they were willing to. My favorite is actually community-based programs. Speaking in seminars Sharing with them, “Here’s a structure that you can start to employ in your lives. Just start with oatmeal at breakfast. The rest of your meals, keep the way you’re at.” Participating with different organizations at the—at a very organic level and getting to know the people that run these organizations, getting to know their employees, having their employees participate, and then having their members participate. “This is not a diet. The first three letters of the word diet are DIE. This is an eating plan.”   Results It’s with every one of the patients, with every single person. Their outlook changes. They start being kinder to themselves, to others, because they feel better. Economically, you don’t pay so much for prescriptions because you won’t need them. It costs less to eat healthy 3 concerns from patients “It’s too expensive to eat healthy.” “I don’t have time to cook.” “How do I get my protein if I eat predominantly plant-based?” Jude created a $5 a day menu and lived by it to show it could be done. A little tutorial on what to prep over the weekend so everything is just putting meals together. Restaurant finder to find food consistent with eating plan.   What three important things are really important for someone to start and stay on this path? Exercise and food Having a community to support them The most important part that we focus on is purpose. Health is one of those places where it’s even more critical to know your purpose. RFMx uses it in the business. “Because of the purpose of why we created RFMx, it made no sense to build this business anything other than organically. It had to be grassroots, it had to be organic, it had to be community-based. It takes a lot longer and is a lot harder but given the purpose of what we want to accomplish, it had to be this way.” Purpose for Jude is about long-term thinking.   Jude’s One Piece of Advice Be kind to yourself.     Deeper Dive Resources RFMx Network https://www.rfmxnetwork.com/   Thomas “Bobby” Kurian, MD https://www.seton.net/providers/bio/thomas_-kurian https://www.rfmxnetwork.com/our_story.htm   National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/index.htm https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/infographic/chronic-diseases.htm   What is a plant-based diet and why you should try it? https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-a-plant-based-diet-and-why-should-you-try-it-2018092614760   Plant-Based Diets https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/plant-based-diets/   Nutritional Update for Physicians: Plant-Based Diets https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/   Effects of a Plant-Based Diet on Plasma Lipids http://med.stanford.edu/nutrition/nutrition-studies-group/completed-studies/plant-based-diet.html

EE Leaders | Leadership Lesson Season 2 Episode 7 - Leading with Clarity Pastor Bill Mitchell, Boca Raton Community Church, shares about leading with clarity. This talk is from BocaLead, a monthly business luncheon hosted at their church and taught by Pastor Bill. Using a ladder as a model, Bill shares the six rungs that are essential in leading with clarity: 1)Identity; 2)Direction; 3)Operations; 4)People; 5)Engagement; 6)Influence. The two side-rails represent your personal life and your corporate life. This is a process that Bill and his wife personally go through together every 5 years or so to reassess where they are and where they want to be heading. (Complete notes from this event are available at bocalead.com/clarity.) QUOTES:  “Clarity is the ability to clearly lead people on an agreed upon journey.” “This whole thing is called alignment. We’re going to align our thinking to clarity today.” “Alignment: These six areas will bring stability to you and your organization as you seek to lead in the direction you have set." “As you look to the future you have to understand your identity, and it’s not easy. Don’t get stuck in your past identity.” “Where are you heading? What are your values? How can you use those things to inspire and motivate others?” “If you are a person of discipline, you are a person who works out what you do.” One Piece of Advice | Be in Agreement with Your Wife Dan Grittner, Lifespring Church in Royal Palm Beach, FL, shares his one piece of advice: Be in agreement with your wife. The concept of being one flesh with your wife involves every area of life. Unity in a marriage is very powerful and brings great benefits for your life and ministry. It takes time, it takes work, it takes effort. But the results are worth it. QUOTES:  “Agreement is so powerfully important.” ‘It’s really that your dreams come together as one. Your direction comes together as one. That you’re in agreement with your spouse as you move forward.” “I think God wants us to walk side by side in the same direction.” Links:  Contact Daniel: daniel@eeleaders.com Leadership Lessons/One Piece of Advice/Blog/Recommended Books: eeleaders.com BocaLead: www.bocalead.com

Find out how two teachers started an Eco-Club at St. Mary Redcliffe and Temple School in Redcliffe, Bristol, England. In less than two years, their initiative changed from starting an eco-club to building an eco-community. Their projects include litter patrol, plastic recycling, school gardening, hosting a green event for other schools, and more. Tune in to this inspiring story of regular people becoming eco-leaders in their communities!   Source: How to Build an Eco-Club (David Luke, 2017)   [1:00] SMRT Eco-Club started in November 2016. [1:45] Started by two teachers in response to the school leadership encouraging teachers to demonstrate environmental stewardship and the town of Bristol issued a goal of becoming a measurably cleaner town by 2020. [2:45] Started meeting weekly at lunchtime ← important strategy: meeting at a regular time [3:00] The litter patrol was seen as a bit of a joke at first, but grew to give voice to those that care about resources and their school. [3:45] Partnered with Redcliffe Garden Club for transforming a neglected piece of land into a school garden. [4:15] Worked with the school’s leadership team to encourage changes in how photocopier paper is used, and how to encourage more walking to school. [5:00] Hosted a “green event” for other schools, and included speakers from the town Council [5:30] Started a mini-recycling center and holding discussions about the problem of plastic in the school [5:45] Vision for future: plastic recycling well established, zero tolerance for litter, school garden producing healthy food for the school cafeteria, continued links with our community and above all, students automatically embracing the values of respect and care. [6:00] Changed from an eco-club to an eco-community ... cultural transformation! [6:30] Advice: Be convinced and be passionate. Don’t let negative remarks put you off. Students can only benefit through an eco-club. Respect for self, others, our planet and our future. [7:10] Started with deep values and one strategy. Willing to adjust and expand as needs and passions arise. [8:00] Worked on all levels: personal, peers, school and broader community [8:20] I hope that inspired you! If you are forming an eco-club at a school, leave a comment at Green Team Academy. [9:00] Pick up the free guide: 12 Common Green Team Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them!) at Green Team Academy.   We’d love to hear your thoughts on this over in the Podcast Discussion Group. Get access through the Green Team Essentials at www.GreenTeamAcademy.com.     If you like what you're hearing, please subscribe, rate and review!   The time for action is now because there is no Planet B!  

This interview with Monica Froese, from the blog, Redefining Mom, gets real. We discuss how motherhood changes us from the inside out, and sometimes it's not pretty. We talk about how to start a new business when you're a new mom because you can't do things the old way anymore. In part 1 of my interview, Monica and I talk about loving our kids, postpartum depression, the importance of taking care of ourselves, and what it's like to start a new business even when your husband doesn't approve. If you are a business owner and a mother, don't miss this one! Resources: Redefining Mom Postpartum-PTSD Blog Post The Female Brain MiloTree *Some of these links may be affiliate links and I might make a small commission at no cost to you if you click. Transcript - How to Start a New Business When You're A New Mom with Monica Froese Host: [00:00:03] Welcome to The Blogger Genius Podcast, brought to you by MiloTree. Here's your host, Jillian Leslie. Jillian: [00:00:11] Hey everybody welcome back to the Blogger Genius podcast. I first have to say thank you so much for showing up. I am loving doing this podcast. I am learning so much from my guests. Jillian: [00:00:22] So today, my interview is with a woman named Monica Froese, and she's an online business strategist. So for this interview, I've split it into two parts. Jillian: [00:00:35] I do this because the interviews are long but they're so good that I want you to hear everything, but I don't want to overwhelm you with a podcast episode that goes over an hour or so. Jillian: [00:00:45] Would you reach out to me let me know whether you want them split, so they're in kind of bite sized chunks or you'd rather them be full, hour to hour and 15 minute interviews? Jillian: [00:00:59] So without further ado I bring you part 1 of my interview with Monica Froese, and if you are a mom with a business, you will love this. Jillian: [00:01:10] My guest today is Monica Froese and she is an online business strategist and she predominantly works with mom entrepreneurs. So welcome to the show, Monica. Monica: [00:01:21] Thank you so much for having me. I'm very excited to be here. Jillian: [00:01:24] All right so first of al, you are one of our top affiliates for MiloTree, so that's why I wanted to reach out to you because, then I looked at your site and saw that you were doing all this incredibly cool stuff. Jillian: [00:01:35] But when I reached out to you, you said to me, "I need to get back to you because I'm about to have a baby." Monica: [00:01:41] Yes. It was like I think the week I was having her. Jillian: [00:01:43] OK. And then you had your baby and then you reached back out to me, and then we were just talking, before we pressed record about having a baby. And for you this, is your second baby. Monica: [00:01:55] My second, yep. Jillian: [00:01:56] But what we were talking about, which I thought was so relatable was how hard it can be when you have a new baby. The challenges of having a new baby when you're running a business Monica: [00:02:05] Especially when you're running a business. Jillian: [00:02:07] Especially when you are running a business. I was sharing a story about how I read all the books, my husband and I went into this we thought with our eyes open. We had our daughter and then it felt like our house burnt down. Monica: [00:02:24] I concur with that wholeheartedly. Jillian: [00:02:28] So you know you have all these plans and you and we were talking about this. Honestly how people tell you how magical and special it is to have a baby and a newborn. And for some of us it's not so magical and special. Monica: [00:02:44] Yes. So I have to be, I am careful when I talk about this in front of my 5 year old because she doesn't have the ability to necessarily understand what I mean when I say certain things, like having a kid is really hard. I don't want her to think, "Oh I'm really hard on my mom." Monica: [00:03:04] So I do try to be very clear when I when I state it, and I absolutely think that there's like a general feeling that you're given or at least I was given growing up and getting married that having kids was like this wonderful thing and it completed life and all of this stuff. Monica: [00:03:25] And then I had my first and then my second, and I love them both dearly like I don't look at them and think, "Man I wish I didn't have you." But I absolutely think it's the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Monica: [00:03:40] And I tell my husband all the time, I could work 90 hours in my business a week and find that a thousand times easier than having kids. Jillian: [00:03:49] I have to say I agree, I totally agree. I think that people who don't have kids will come up to it. You know a couple of friends of mine will say like, "Oh my god, is it like the best thing ever?" And I say well it's not puppies and rainbows. For me though, it has given me depth and purpose and meaning. Monica: [00:04:09] Yes I agree with that. Jillian: [00:04:10] But not happiness, in meaning of wonderful happy moments and it's like it's joyous but it's also the hardest thing. And I don't think that that we hear that. Monica: [00:04:24] We don't. I don't feel like I heard it at all, to be honest with you. I didn't have kids super early, my first I had at 27 and I'm 33 now, and I had my second. So you know I'm like an average age nowadays I would say probably for having kids. Monica: [00:04:42] But I was still one of the first in my group of friends that had kids. And it was super hard to articulate to them what it was like because I felt like everyone expected me to be like "this is amazing!" And I did not feel that way at all. Dealing with postpartum depression as a blogger Monica: [00:05:00] Now, I did have postpartum PTSD with my first kid. I had a very traumatic birth which I wrote about on my blog and stuff, which actually has led to a lot of opportunity for me just by sharing that because I've come to learn that that's also getting a little bit more traction now I feel. Monica: [00:05:16] But talking about postpartum is also one of those things that either treat it as taboo or just not something that you share with people. And so now I talk about it a lot because acknowledging it was a huge turning point for me in life. Monica: [00:05:32] I mean that's actually, if I had a pinpoint how I got into treating my blog like a business, was because I was diagnosed with postpartum 15 months in and then after a lot of therapy for it, I knew that I had to change my own circumstances. And that was getting out of corporate. Jillian: [00:05:52] And if people want to find that blog post do you remember the title? Monica: [00:05:58] I'm almost positive the URL is redefiningmom.com/postpartum-PTSD. Jillian: [00:06:01] Got it. Got it. And how long did it last? It sounds like you came out the other end although, now you have another baby. How long did it take for you to kind of come back to yourself? Monica: [00:06:17] So I thought after I had her, that my turning point was around the first year. But then my husband came to me and said, I really want my kids to be close together. And I thought I was going to gouge out his eyes, which was a big red flag that something wasn't right. Monica: [00:06:31] And I kind of knew something wasn't right because when I went back to work, I saw all these moms that had multiple kids functioning way better than I was, and I'm like I only have one. Why is it so hard for me? Monica: [00:06:45] I was just stressed out all the time. And then he asked for another kid, and I flipped out to put it mildly. And I switched doctors because of the doctor issue is kind of what led to the birth trauma. Monica: [00:06:59] I got a new doctor, sat down with her. She almost hit the nail on the head. Within five minutes of talking to me like waterworks turned on and she she said you're you're definitely dealing with some postpartum issues and I thought that's kind of crazy you know at 15 months postpartum, really? Monica: [00:07:15] So she sent me to a therapist and then I would say around year 2 when my daughter turned 2 is really when I started to feel like myself again. And because of that I really did not want to rush and having another kid because it terrified me that that that it would happen again. Jillian: [00:07:33] Yes. When I was pregnant I read this book, I don't know if you've read it, called The Female Brain. It's a really good book and it goes through how our brains evolve over time, and there's a chapter on pregnancy and it talks about how our brains get completely rewired during pregnancy. How motherhood changes your outlook on careers Jillian: [00:07:52] And again I read it and I thought this is really interesting and then I had my daughter and I thought, oh my god. Because when I was a writer in Hollywood, I wrote movies and I was in the midst of writing a movie for Salma Hayek back when I was pregnant. Jillian: [00:08:10] I gave birth to my daughter and had not finished my draft of my script and totally panicked. And here I popped out my baby. My birth was not terrific either I had a big C section and stuff. Not planned. And then I had this script to write. And literally everything shifted. Like I didn't care anymore. Jillian: [00:08:34] All of a sudden I had this person and I had to keep her alive. And it just like my brain changed. And it was really because of that, that I ultimately then wrote another movie. And I'm in the midst of it, and I remember thinking, oh my god, like a part of me would have thought this was so cool previously. Jillian: [00:08:57] And I'm sitting in a meeting at Paramount and I'm thinking to myself, oh you guys, like yeah I like I don't care what you're talking about because I have a bigger job now. I'm Lainey's mom, I've got to get home to her. Jillian: [00:09:10] And I'm nursing, so like you know I'm like missing her and I'm like you know leaking, and I'm thinking, wow this is crazy. So I will say, for me again when I had my daughter everything changed. Monica: [00:09:26] And so first, I did not know that you used to be a script writer which is really cool. Sitting in a meeting at Paramount. That's a very cool fact. Jillian: [00:09:36] It was much cooler before I had my daughter. Monica: [00:09:39] Well, so you know I can completely relate on that. So I started my career pretty young. I started it while I was still in undergrad. Unbeknownst to me because I was I was on the path to go to law school. Monica: [00:09:49] I actually got into Harvard Law and turned it down because I started working for a big Fortune 100 technology company while I was an undergrad and then I graduated early so I had this gap before law school started. Monica: [00:10:02] And so I started full time. I transitioned from part time to full time. They came to me and said, hey you know we'll pay you to get your MBA. And I thought oh OK, you know I could stay locally and it just my life just sort of took off in that direction. Monica: [00:10:16] I worked at the same Fortune 100 company for 11 years, and when I said that when I was 31 people would be like but you're only 31. I'm like yes I started when I was 20. It's hard for people to like, how is that possible? Monica: [00:10:30] But I got it while working full time. My MBA I was working full time and I was on the career path. Like even when I got pregnant it was like I had a one track mind. I was climbing the ladder. I knew where I wanted to go, and in my mind was like why else did I get my MBA if I wasn't going to use it. You know, get to the suite someday. Monica: [00:10:50] And then I had her. And nothing about my career appealed to me whatsoever. When I went back to work it was nothing but a burden. Jillian: [00:10:57] Yep I totally know. It's super super weird because I too was crazy driven and again, the weird part was that after I had my daughter, I was still driven but in a different way. I wanted more control over my life. Monica: [00:11:20] That's exactly it. And I've done a lot of thinking about this because I'm naturally pretty rebellious I would say. But I've always been straight and narrow. It's so funny because my husband says, "You have so many opinions but you've always followed the rules in life." Monica: [00:11:39] I went to Catholic school my entire life up through college and I never got a detention. I never didn't do my homework. If I got a B it was like the end of the world. I never missed a deadline at work. It just was. Monica: [00:11:57] But I had this rebellious side of me that felt like I'm really sick of following the rules all the time. I was just burned out from constantly following the rules and I wanted to do something that was on my own terms. Monica: [00:12:09] I think in a blog post when I quit my job I said, you know how crazy is it that I had to ask permission to go to a doctor's appointment, like why do we have to ask other adults permission to go to a doctor's appointment? Monica: [00:12:23] So you know I just I knew. I did a live video on this group at one point about, I always had an entrepreneurial spirit because I did some crazy things even as a teenager to make money online. Monica: [00:12:38] Like before like eBay was a thing, Yahoo Auctions was a thing. And I mean I was like 15 at this point, and I learned how to get good tickets from Ticketmaster and how the Ticketmaster system worked. Monica: [00:12:58] I had an obsession in my teenage years with NSYNC so I would get really good tickets. Then I learned that people would actually buy photographs. This is with film. This was not digital. It did turn digital like halfway through this obsession. Monica: [00:13:17] I would take pictures and sell them on Yahoo Auctions and make a ton of money. And I got good at SEO without even realizing it was SEO. I just didn't realized what I was doing. And that sort of was at the beginning. Monica: [00:13:30] But like my dad was telling me all the things I did as a kid. I had the thing with Lisa Frank stickers, and I figured out how to sell them to my friends. And just really weird stuff that I did. Monica: [00:13:41] I found a book when I moved. It was a woman entrepreneur book. This had to have been like 12 years ago. And I took notes about all these different types of business things I thought of that would be a cool idea. Monica: [00:13:57] And none of them are really relevant anymore because the world changed so much with the explosion of the Internet. But I just I think I always had that inkling that I was meant to do something else but I only knew one way which was to fall in line, to listen to authority and that's just the way it's going to be. How motherhood makes you braver as a blogger and entrepreneur Jillian: [00:14:17] Right. And I will say for me having my daughter, has made me braver because I don't have as much time to obsess about stuff in my head. Jillian: [00:14:32] That I kind of send the email. You know a brand wants to work with me and I go OK here's how much it is. And I kind of gulp a little bit because you know what, my time is valuable and if they say yes, great. And if they say no, I'm going to forget I sent that email. Monica: [00:14:49] Well you know, you are hitting on so many points I feel like I talk to my husband about all the time now that I just had my second. I have this thing where people are shocked that I wanted to get back to work so fast after having my second. Monica: [00:15:06] I got 12 weeks the first time obviously because I was in corporate, and that's just how it was where I worked. And then now, I think it was like week four. I was planning to take six weeks. And then I realized real quick that I actually needed to probably take eight because they don't get their shots until two months. I can't really expose her very much before then. Monica: [00:15:27] So I was like I want to work at four weeks and everyone's looking at me like, What are you talking about? You just had a baby, don't you want to spend time with your baby? But I said the problem with me not working, first of all I'm very passionate about what I do. Monica: [00:15:43] But second, I wanted to seize opportunities and not let the having a baby be a reason why I had a push things. Like even this podcast that I reached out to you pretty soon after having her, because it's going to be really easy for me to just kind of fail. Monica: [00:16:04] Having the baby and you know, "Well I just had a baby so I don't have to work right now." But I was going to miss opportunities if I if I didn't like just start putting myself out there again. Jillian: [00:16:17] Yes. And again because of the work that we do, like I'm in my casual pants right. And I have no makeup on and I can still do it. My brain still working, but I didn't have to shower yet. You know and I can still do my job. Monica: [00:16:38] Yeah, and in this world, when you get momentum which I feel like I've gotten in the last six months. Of course it always every momentum thing I've ever really had, I got two promotions when I got back from my last maternity leave. Monica: [00:16:53] Well the momentum in my business really picked up in my third trimester this time. And so I didn't want to lose that momentum because once you when you disappear from this world you're just gone. Monica: [00:17:05] So I kept telling my husband, I busted my butt for this, it would be a shame to just let it go and implode. Jillian: [00:17:14] So could you talk then to a mom, let's say who has a baby whose brain has been rewired whose priorities now. Like you know for me, hanging out with Salma Hayek was no longer cool, hanging out with my baby was what I wanted to be doing. Jillian: [00:17:33] And who's kind of freaking out on the inside going, "What the hell has happened to me?" who's probably really sleep deprived who you know has not seen a shower in a long time. Who has this feeling of like "where is my life going?" Jillian: [00:17:49] And there is more to me than just being with my baby, even though that's kind of what the world is telling me I need to be doing. But going back to my corporate job doesn't feel right. What would you say to her? ADVICE to a new mom who wants to work... Monica: [00:18:04] I think along the way, like especially now my daughters 10 and a half weeks, she's pretty new. And people are still telling me, are acting as if I'm not working because I have people in my life that just can't wrap their mind around me working. Jillian: [00:18:21] So wait I just have to say I have people here who have no idea that I still work. Just so you know it is because it doesn't look like a normal job. And you know I can wear my casual clothes all the time. Monica: [00:18:33] And they wonder what the heck you do on the computer all day. Jillian: [00:18:36] No they think it's cute that I have some sort of blogish thing. But anyway. Monica: [00:18:42] Yes! And then when they find out that the blogish thing really makes me more than I made in corporate. They're like wait, what? How did you do that? Jillian: [00:18:48] Exactly. Exactly. But anyway so go back. Sorry I didn't mean to interrupt. Monica: [00:18:51] Oh that's OK. So when it comes to you know being in that new mom phase, and you are just overwhelmed by everything -- the lack of sleep, when you're going to shower over things that you said. I personally find and this is what I tell people all time, is acknowledging it is step number one. Why it's so hard to ask for help as a new mom Monica: [00:19:12] Acknowledging that this is not easy, and asking for help, because I did not ask for help the first time. I am one of these people that honestly asking for help stresses me out in a lot of ways. It makes me feel like well, if I ask for help and they do something for me that I'm going to owe them the favor and I feel like I'm in debt. Monica: [00:19:30] And then what am I going to ever have time to pay back this debt that I ask for help in a bad way to see it. But I've noticed that a lot of new moms feel that way they just don't ask for help. Monica: [00:19:42] And so now, this time it's like night and day. Last time I asked for nothing. And I felt like I was on an island. No one visited me. I was completely drowning in sorrow. To be honest with you last time it was just awful. Monica: [00:19:57] This time I got up around week 4, that's when I started saying I wanted to go back to work. But it also coincided with, I felt like I was starting to spiral. Monica: [00:20:08] I felt like things were becoming unmanageable really fast for me because the first couple of weeks they kind of are a little drowsy and the sleep deprivation hasn't really kicked in yet. Like you're still able to function even though you're not sleeping a ton. Monica: [00:20:24] And then it hit me. My husband traveled for a whole week and it was my unraveling. So when he came home I had two options. And this is I think a lot of women reached this point. I either was going to hide it and try to make it work without saying anything and be miserable. Or I was going to speak up and tell him what I needed and get help. Jillian: [00:20:47] So what kind of help did you get? Monica: [00:20:49] Oh we got a lot of help. The first thing I did was you know I strongly feel like I went through, I changed my career intentionally so that I could build a flexible lifestyle that made me happier and part of that was being able to afford certain things which my business now allows me to do. Monica: [00:21:10] So we contacted postpartum service and we started getting sleep support because I pump exclusively so I'm able to pump and someone else can feed her. And I start to wake up to pump because I'm on a schedule. But we got a postpartum doula that came in two to four nights in May. Because we're recording at the end of May through like the last four or five weeks. Monica: [00:21:33] And they sleep trained her which I didn't even know it was possible, to be honest with you. But because for us what I've come to learn or feel like what happened was that when we wake up with her we're kind of stressed about the lack of sleep because we're overtired, we don't know when she's going to go back to sleep and it would stress us out. Monica: [00:21:52] But the doulas that's what they're here for. They're supposed to be awake. And they're their sleep schedule they know they get to go home and they sleep because they don't have a newborn. Monica: [00:22:03] So she just became a really good sleeper a lot faster than my first and she's giving us four to five hour blocks now versus like two to three hour blocks, which is a lot harder to manage for sleep deprivation. Monica: [00:22:16] So that was the first thing I did this time, and honestly it was possible because of blogging I could not have done the corporate thing, it would have it would have broke us. It was way too expensive for what I made in corporate. So I owe that to my business. Jillian: [00:22:34] Nice, nice. Monica: [00:22:35] Also though, mymother-in-law is one of those that loves babies. She thinks babies are fabulous. And she knows my feelings on it. You know, my baby is fabulous but I wish she would sleep. Monica: [00:22:48] So my mother-in-law took her a couple of nights as well. She just loved it. She thought it was the best thing ever. There's part of me that thought, I am a terrible mother that I'm letting my baby my newborn be taken care of by other people, and I like what's wrong with me that I that I'm allowing this to happen? Monica: [00:23:08] And then I'm like well, someone said to me, I can't recall who it was, that someone said you know there's no trophies handed out for the person who sleeps the least as a mom. Jillian: [00:23:18] Yes. Yes. Monica: [00:23:20] And they're right. No one's going to reward me at the end of this for being out of my mind, sleep deprived and not being able to cope with this. And if I thought I'm still pretty much in the middle. But I strongly feel that getting sleep helps me to stay away from the postpartum. Monica: [00:23:38] I called it a black hole last time, that's when I felt like I was stuck in a black hole and I would do anything to avoid feeling that way again. So if getting sleep and allowing my mother to take baby or hiring someone because we were able to do that this time helps me, then it why would I not do it? Jillian: [00:23:56] Right. When my daughter was born I had a babysitter for her because I was writing scripts and stuff like that. But I also believed I needed time that was mine. I needed time away and I too had that guilt of like wait Idon't want to be with my baby 24/7. Jillian: [00:24:14] And then I came to the realization that I was a better mother when I had these breaks because she would come home and I would be able to love her, love on her even more because I missed her. Monica: [00:24:29] Yes. Jillian: [00:24:29] Because I was drowning in this monotony of like, oh my god, you know the experience I would feel, is like I'd have this newborn. And it's like a half hour would go by and I would think oh my god what am I going to do for the next 23 hours and 30 minutes? Jillian: [00:24:49] Like how is time going so slowly? And so to have a break and come back. I was so recharged that I came to the realization I'm a better mother for it. Monica: [00:25:03] And everyone recharges differently. So I don't recharge by interaction with others. I call myself an outspoken introvert. Jillian: [00:25:12] I like that. I am too. I am too. Monica: [00:25:15] I'm socializing with you right now and this is not a problem for me, but if I do back to backs like this in a day, if I did let's say three or four hour long calls and then immediately when I was done it was like OK here's the baby. It's your time now. You're tapped in as a mom. That doesn't help me at all. Monica: [00:25:37] So I have to be intentional with how much interaction I have. I'm working so that when is my time to tap back into being mom. I'm not overwhelmed by her and I have come to learn that about myself. Figure out your rhythms as a working mother Jillian: [00:25:51] Yes, I do think again just what you said is so important, which is understanding your rhythms as a mother. Understanding what feeds you, because being a mother is so exhausting. It sucks everything out of you. Jillian: [00:26:07] Now again, it is also, it has given me purpose and meaning in a way that I am so happy that I get to have. And so it's that thing of like, oh my god it's also one of the best things I've done in my life. It is one of the things I am most proud of. Jillian: [00:26:28] It's given me so much, I understand humanity in a way that I don't think I would have if I hadn't become a mother, it's so profound. Monica: [00:26:41] Yes it teaches you how to sacrifice too. Jillian: [00:26:45] Yes, like it stretches you in ways that you never would get stretched. And it forces you to grow up and it forces you to confront your own issues and like it is magical in so many ways and so difficult. Monica: [00:26:59] And you know it's not just for moms too, because my husband, like I said my mother in law thinks babies and children are the best thing ever. She couldn't imagine being anything but a stay at home mom. Monica: [00:27:12] She had no passion to work outside the home whatsoever. That's what she wanted to do. She had four boys. She loved it. So my husband was raised with, that's what moms like to do. Right. And then enter his wife who was like the exact opposite. Monica: [00:27:28] There was a time when I had my first that I actually thought I wanted to be a stay at home mom and that I mean I have since reneged really hard against that. Monica: [00:27:39] I don't want to be a stay at home mom but you know for him, that was a super hard adjustment and I took it super personally, like why do you want me to be something I'm not? Monica: [00:27:50] And then what I've learned with him too, which helps him is that when he's alone with the kids. So we've discovered that, he is a terrific father. He is so in tune to the girls and he loves them dearly, but he can't keep the house functioning and take care of them like I can. Monica: [00:28:08] So when he gets overwhelmed like if I'm on a business trip or something, and if he feels frazzled with just all the moving parts, then I'll say, do you want to do this full time? And the answer is always no. Monica: [00:28:27] It's like so if you don't want to do it full time, why, just because I'm a woman, should I want to do it full time? Jillian: [00:28:32] Right. Right. Monica: [00:28:33] We all have different things that light us up and being a mom is just one of the things that lights me. It's not the only thing that lights me up. Can a new mom start a blog or business and quit her job? Jillian: [00:28:43] So OK so let's go back to, I'm a new mom, right. But now everything is just different. But I want something for myself, and if I quit my job we lose that income. But I'm overwhelmed because I now have kids and I'm kind of lost. Jillian: [00:29:05] But I'm hard working, but I can't seem to get my shower in for the day. Could I then start some sort of business? Monica: [00:29:15] Well so the first thing is and it's no matter how you look at it it, the first thing you have to do is just start because there will never be a good time for a side hustle or starting a blog, especially if you're already working full time. Monica: [00:29:33] Which I did. I started this and I was working full time. There is never a good time for it to fit in and you're going to have to make tradeoffs and sacrifices for it to happen. Monica: [00:29:42] So I give up a lot of social engagements because part of me would rather just work. And then the other part of me is, that's the only time I have. Right. Monica: [00:29:52] So I would say that we changed our lifestyle quite dramatically when I decided that I wanted this to be a thing. And so Saturday mornings for example, he took over sole childcare and I would leave. I had to leave because otherwise if your kids see you then you're still there. ADVICE: Be willing to make sacrifices Jillian: [00:30:14] Right. Right. Monica: [00:30:16] So I would just leave the house and I did a lot of nights. I worked until really late at night. I actually, I would take days off, I would use my vacation time at work to take days off to work on my business because I already had childcare. Because I should've been at work. Monica: [00:30:36] And I learned real fast, and this kind of comes with, I have a corporate marketing background so ROI - return on investment was always a good thing in my life whether it was corporate or business. I just learned to give up the tasks in my business that weren't producing revenue especially in the beginning. Monica: [00:30:54] I do a lot of stuff now that is not necessarily revenue driven, but necessary to move forward. But I also have a little bit more time than when I was in corporate. Jillian: [00:31:03] So what would you say if I am a new mom and I want to start a side hustle? Walk me through what you recommend. Monica: [00:31:14] Well first you got to get your spouse on board. If you're married or whatever you have to get them onboard first. Monica: [00:31:20] Honestly I strongly feel that that's your first move because if you just dive in and then inform them later right. Jillian: [00:31:27] Right, like "Hey you're staying home this morning while I go work on my business." Like what? OK. Monica: [00:31:31] And most partners will not understand why you're doing something that doesn't have an immediate payoff. So I had this, my husband and I, when I pulled the plug on corporate, I had the backbone all set up, like the website had been up for three years. Monica: [00:31:49] I didn't touch it for long periods of time in there, but I had some cool opportunities that came to me just by having a website up. I wasn't even actively blogging and I got to go to the White House. I got invited to a working families event under the Obama administration, and I got to meet him. I got to go in the West Wing right outside of the Oval Office. Monica: [00:32:07] So it was it was a pretty big deal just because I had a website that was up. I barely touched at the time. So when I pulled the plug on corporate, I was not making my corporate salary. It wasn't an exact tradeoff. Monica: [00:32:22] Like OK now this month I'm bringing in the same amount. Luckily for us we were able to save and finagle things so that I had a little bit of ramp time. Monica: [00:32:31] But my husband expected it when I pulled the plug on corporate that I was going to be way more present at home because I didn't have a "job." And for five months we butted heads like crazy. Monica: [00:32:47] And I had this thing that happened I called Decision Fatigue. I did not realize how many decisions that you actually make when you run your own business in a day. Monica: [00:32:56] So things I would typically decide for the house, I was burned out. I was physically there, but my brain was just fried and I would dump stuff on him, I'd be like you just decide. I can't I can't do thing. Jillian: [00:33:12] I call that "mental load." My husband and I talk about it all the time, just like, oh my god my mental load is so high right now even to decide what shoes to wear. Monica: [00:33:23] That seems so silly, but it's it's a real thing and I learned that real quick, in the five months when it became like my full time thing. So now I help, when I talk to moms who are just kind of embarking on this journey, I tell them the number one thing -- you have to get your husband onboard or your spouse or your partner. Monica: [00:33:43] And you have to articulate that, one, you're not going to see money instantaneously. You have to ramp up, there's going to be a ramp up time, and two, you have to ask directly for dedicated time to work on it. Monica: [00:34:01] Where you're not point person in the house or the parent, and you have to put it on the calendar. I always say, put it on the calendar because if it's not on the calendar, it's like it doesn't exist. If you want to start a blog or business figure out your finances first Monica: [00:34:13] So once you do that and you can get them to buy in, and then you need to run your finances, then you've got to figure out how much do I have to make? If you are working, what is the tipping point that will allow you to quit your job and your budget. Monica: [00:34:26] Can you put extra money away until that, you have to figure that part out. Because people don't do these two things because they think a lot of people are skeptical that it will actually become something, so they just put it off. Monica: [00:34:42] And the truth is, if you don't figure out your finances it will never become something because you don't know where you stand then. Jillian: [00:34:50] Right. Right. And that's uncomfortable. Becoming a mother is a lot about learning to be OK in discomfort. And this is another one of those places where it's uncomfortable. Monica: [00:35:04] Very. I mean they are tough conversations. And I would say and my husband would probably agree, that I dug in my heels pretty hard, and he did not like it at all. It wasn't like this, I think a lot of times people read these stories about bloggers make it big and then their husband comes home from his job to work with them. Monica: [00:35:27] My husband has clearly said he has no ambition to do that. Still even though I'm making a lot more than I was the day I started right, he does not want to do it. He wants to travel in his job which complicates our schedule because as my business is taking off, he still want this career path to be on his trajectory. Monica: [00:35:47] And he was not like the love story of he just fell in love with my business, and we sailed off into the sunset. We fought a lot about it. Jillian: [00:36:01] OK so then what? Let's say I've done this, and I've got a six month runway to make a business to prove to my husband that this isn't just a pipe dream. Now what? What are some of the easiest ways to start bringing income in? Jillian: [00:36:18] So I put up a blog, I get that up and running. Now I have no people. I don't even know what I'm doing. Where can I quickly make money? Jillian: [00:36:29] OK that's the end of Part 1. Yes, I left you on a cliffhanger so please come back next week and learn how to start making money from nothing. What is MiloTree FastTrack? Jillian: [00:36:40] Hey guys so we just launched a new service called MiloTree FastTrack. Jillian: [00:36:45] For fifty dollars, we will optimize and install your MiloTree pop up on your site. This way you can put your social media growth and email list growth on autopilot, and you won't have to worry about it. Jillian: [00:36:59] If you sign up now you get your first 30 days free. Reach out to me if you're interested. jillian@milotree.com Sign up for MiloTree now and get your first 30 DAYS FREE!

Today I'm talking with KariAnne Wood from the blog, Thistlewood Farms. KariAnne is a DIY and interior design blogger, but really she's an excellent storyteller. In this episode we explore how starting a blog can lead to multiple book deals. We delve into how KariAnne started her blog out a feeling of loneliness and then built it into a booming business! Her blog lead her to a huge publishing career. But what most impressed me most about KariAnne is how she's built such a deep connection with her community, and it's all been through authenticity. And wait until you hear her stories! Resources: Thistlewood Farms So Close to Amazing (book) The DIY Home Planner (book) You've Got This (Because God's Got You) (book) MiloTree Some of these links may be affiliate, meaning at no cost to you, I may make a commission. Transcript: How Starting a Blog Can Lead to Multiple Book Deals With KariAnne Wood Host: [00:00:03] Welcome to the Blogger Genius Podcast, brought to you by MiloTree. Here's your host, Jillian Leslie. Jillian: [00:00:10] Hello everyone. Welcome back to the Blogger Genius Podcast. Today, my guest is KariAnne Wood who is the founder and CEO of Thistlewood Farms. She is a lifestyle blogger, author, and speaker. So welcome to the show, KariAnne. KariAnne: [00:00:30] Thank you so much, I'm so glad to be here. Jillian: [00:00:33] So we were just talking about a whole host of things, the main thing I am curious about is, first of all, how you started your blog and how you ended up moving back into your childhood home? KariAnne: [00:00:49] Well, the blog kind of began out of necessity about 10 years ago, we were living in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex in McKinney, Texas, which is a very busy metropolitan area. KariAnne: [00:01:01] My husband and I, we were just tired of all the busy, and tired of the rat race and we wanted an adventure. So we gathered our four children up and we move to the middle of nowhere in Kentucky. KariAnne: [00:01:14] It was actually the suburb of a 500 person town. Cows were our neighbors. Target was crossing state lines. There were no stoplights in our entire county. And there I was in the middle of this rural paradise and I was lonely. KariAnne: [00:01:34] I wanted to really reach out and find a community of like-minded people that love to decorate and share their heart. And so I started a blog called, Thistlewood Farms. Jillian: [00:01:44] So wait, OK, so you move out there. You're living the dream and you're lonely. How do you feel? Like oh my God, we made the biggest mistake of our lives? KariAnne: [00:01:53] Well, everyone else, my four kids were like having the time of their lives. My husband was extraordinarily happy because we bought a business, and he was all consumed with the growing of the business and everybody was so happy except me. KariAnne: [00:02:07] And part of the reason why I was lonely is because we moved to an area where everybody was related. They came over on the Mayflower together, and they were all together and it was really hard to make friends and I definitely made some amazing friends. Building a blog to find a community KariAnne: [00:02:22] I'm not going to act like I was all by myself, but I just wanted people that had similar interests to me. And so that's really how the blog was born, kind of out of just looking for community. Jillian: [00:02:34] Interesting. And have you always had a designer's eye? Have you always been creative? KariAnne: [00:02:40] 100 percent. Like when I was younger, I had Barbie houses and I was like, forget about the Barbies, because I would just decorate their houses and then kind of plop them in. So yeah, I've always loved to decorate and I've always kind of been a very creative person. Jillian: [00:02:57] Now were you a professional decorator back in Texas? KariAnne: [00:03:01] No, I'm actually a decorator from the School of Hard Knocks. I say in all my books, I made every decorating mistake in the entire world. And so I went before everybody and made them all so I could save people from them, from making mistakes that I made along the way. Jillian: [00:03:21] That is that is terrific. OK. I have to just confess we are moving from Palo Alto to Austin over the summer. So if anybody, by the way, has been listening to this and is in the Austin area, please reach out because again I'm looking for friends, but I am now thinking about decorating and so I have a whole new interest, so tell me the biggest mistake people make. Design advice from a style blogger KariAnne: [00:03:44] Oh I think the biggest mistake that people made is following trends like looking online and finding something that looks very trendy, or someone is telling them this is the way to decorate and they go that route and it's not really them and it doesn't fit. KariAnne: [00:04:01] It's like trying to put a square peg into a round hole. And I'm always like, just go with what you like. Like if the current trend right now is all neutral and you love hot pink carpeting, you go for it. Embrace that and live that because that's how you are going to make your home truly one that you love, is by embracing what is truly you. Jillian: [00:04:21] OK here's one question, I go on to Pinterest. Let's say I type in kitchen remodels and they all look, they're gorgeous but they all look the same. KariAnne: [00:04:32] I know right. Jillian: [00:04:35] I feel like I'm being biased by the fact that I need a farmhouse kitchen with a big white sink and white cabinetry and you know like some bar stools and I feel like I love that now but I can't tell if I really love it, or if I'm being brainwashed into loving it. And if in six months everybody is going to be doing something else. KariAnne: [00:05:01] I am kind of with you in that you're second guessing yourself but I am a big fan of keeping your design, big design, expensive design choices neutral. Jillian: [00:05:13] OK. KariAnne: [00:05:14] In other words. So when you're looking at your kitchen I think keeping your cabinets relatively neutral, whether it's a white or it's a gray. KariAnne: [00:05:21] I think keeping those relatively neutral keeping your countertops relatively neutral and if you love color you can do that in other ways. So you have your big ticket items in your kitchen and those are all relatively neutral. KariAnne: [00:05:34] And then you're like you know what, there's too much neutral. You can always pop it out with like textiles in the room or you could pop it out with beautiful floral arrangements or adding in greenery or just baskets and different fun things in the space to liven it up so that you're not going the complete farmhouse route. KariAnne: [00:05:52] However, if you get in there and you love the neutral, go with it! Not just because people are telling you. Decorate with your heart, like look in that space and say, "Is this space something I want to sit across the Thanksgiving table from?""Is this a space I want to live in every single day?" If it is, go with it. Jillian: [00:06:10] OK. But I just feel like somebody is going to walk in, like in five years somebody is going to walk into my house and go oh my God, it's so 2018. KariAnne: [00:06:19] You know what, there is a chance they might do that, but that's why I think sometimes just making small changes along the way is good. KariAnne: [00:06:28] For example, I'll just give you a little story for me, I was all about neutrals. I mean my farmhouse, if you look at it it was all neutrals all into that. And then we purchased this home the home I grew up in. KariAnne: [00:06:43] And all of a sudden it's like I'm feeling like it needs color, like I went with a neutral look and now I'm going back and adding in color, pops of color, just because it's what the house needs. And so what worked at that farmhouse, is not necessarily working in this house. Jillian: [00:06:59] OK so now we can get off of my own little design issues and get back to your story. KariAnne: [00:07:06] You could always message me if you have questions. Jillian: [00:07:08] OK I'm serious because I love your aesthetic and I feel like I'm kind of flailing except for Pinterest and everything looks the same. Jillian: [00:07:15] So all right, so you move out to Kentucky. You're in the middle of nowhere, you're lonely. You want community, you start this blog. KariAnne: [00:07:24] Yes. And I had no idea of the world of blogging I had no idea people made money off of it. I had no concept of that. I was just doing it to join a community. What are the business opportunities that come from blogging? KariAnne: [00:07:33] And along the way these incredible business opportunities presented themselves and I kind of put on my marketing hat and I started marketing the blog. Jillian: [00:07:41] So wait, explain, what are these tremendous business opportunities? KariAnne: [00:07:44] Well along the way I have worked with, like for example, last year I worked with 53 different brands. Jillian: [00:07:51] Okay. KariAnne: [00:07:52] And so anyone from Wayfair to Sherwin-Williams to Frogtape and I work with them in a variety of different ways with different collaborations. Some I'm working on photography with them. Jillian: [00:08:08] What do you mean you're working on photography with them? KariAnne: [00:08:11] Like for example they would send me products and I photograph the products in my home and then they use it in their social media. How to collaborate with brands as a blogger Jillian: [00:08:16] So it's not you're not posting, you're like a paid photographer. KariAnne: [00:08:21] Well sometimes, it depends on the collaboration. Every collaboration is different. Some collaborations they send me the product, I post about it. I show how I've decorated my home on my blog. And then I give them the assets the photography assets to use on their own social. KariAnne: [00:08:35] Sometimes I'm literally just taking pictures of the product at my home for them to use on their own social or on their web site or in a blog post. Jillian: [00:08:45] And do they tag you? Do people know this is you or in that respect you're like a gun for hire with a beautiful home and a great taste? KariAnne: [00:08:57] It depends. Most of the time if they're using my images it would be written into the contract that they would tag me because I own the rights to those photographs. I mean depending on the contract and what's negotiated. But yeah they for sure would tag me. Jillian: [00:09:11] Okay. Got it. So you're a blogger, brands are I guess reaching out to you? KariAnne: [00:09:18] Yes. Well it's a little bit of both. I think when you're a blogger you know I'm the Queen of Hustles so I'm always like "Who did I work with last year? Let me approach them and see if they're interested in a new collaboration." or a lot of times brands do reach out to me. KariAnne: [00:09:31] I mean, probably one of my best tips as a blogger is a lot of times with a brand, I'll work with their PR agency. And that PR agency may have another client besides the client that I'm working with. KariAnne: [00:09:44] And I will say to the PR agency, "hey I've got this Bathroom remodel coming up, hey I've got this kitchen remodel, hey I'm redoing my front room. Do you have any clients that are a good fit for that?" And some of my best collaborations I've gotten because I worked the PR contacts that I already had. Jillian: [00:10:01] Got it. And then you end up hopefully getting free product. KariAnne: [00:10:06] Yes. Again each collaboration with a brand is different. I mean sometimes I'm using products that they send to me, sometimes I'm designing an inspiration board for them. I mean each collaboration looks different but typically it does involve some sort of pre product. Jillian: [00:10:23] Got it. Okay. So I mean, that's always a way for you. Lifestyle bloggers style bloggers DIY bloggers. Isn't that a nice way to reach out to a brand and say "I'm redoing my kitchen" like reaching out to say Whirlpool or something like that, how would you do that? KariAnne: [00:10:46] If I was going to go through a major remodel. I know I have kind of a long time ago when I first started blogging, one of the promises I made to myself, kind of one of the guidelines that built my business on is I never put anything in my home just to blog about it because then it's not authentic. And the readers know that. KariAnne: [00:11:05] So I there's many collaborations that I've turned down just because they're not a fit for my brand. It's not something that would work in my house. KariAnne: [00:11:14] Back when I was all neutral all the time. I mean if if a company that had a very colorful aesthetic with like super cool graphic prints and things like that that might not necessarily work in my space then that's probably not a company that I would have worked with. How to reach out to brands as a blogger KariAnne: [00:11:29] So a long time ago just set that forth. So if I was going, let's say I'm doing a kitchen remodel and I worked with a tile company in the past I've worked with a countertop company in the past typically I would reach out to them. KariAnne: [00:11:43] I have a pretty extensive network of contacts now because I've been doing this for 6 years. I would reach out to them say, "hey this is what I'm doing, is this a fit with your marketing budget? Is this something that you might be interested in?" KariAnne: [00:11:55] And sometimes it's a fit and sometimes not so much and sometimes the parameters that they would have, you'd have to wait a couple of months and I need the tile right then and probably that might not be a good fit or I need a countertop right then and it might not be a good fit. KariAnne: [00:12:10] But typically you're reaching out to the brands and saying here's my project can you come alongside me and partner with me. Jillian: [00:12:18] That's great. So let's say you're doing a kitchen remodel. How many brands would you want to partner with you with your kitchen? KariAnne: [00:12:25] I think it depends on the extent of what you're doing and kind of who you have in contacts and what would be a good fit. KariAnne: [00:12:33] So for example in my kitchen that I just redid I chose to reuse existing cabinets that we already had rather than reaching out to a cabinet brand. KariAnne: [00:12:44] Just because I already had the cabinets and I'm kind of frugal girl. And so it made more of a fit to do a post and show the readers hey look these were cabinets from another area of the house that we just repurposed added molding to and kind of redesign them to look like brand new cabinets for the kitchen. KariAnne: [00:13:02] So I think that totally depends on the scope of your project and what you need for that project. Jillian: [00:13:09] Got it. OK so let's let's go back to your story. So you're living in Kentucky and then all of a sudden you end up, because of family illness right? You end up moving back home. KariAnne: [00:13:26] Yes. We had some illness come up in our family that was it's a little bit overwhelming and so they just needed us. I mean it was kind of like step up time. KariAnne: [00:13:36] And so we knew that it was they just needed us and we needed to be home so I said to my husband oh my gosh if there's any way we could get back the family home that would be totally amazing. KariAnne: [00:13:49] My mom had sold it about five years ago to a wonderful couple. And I called her up one day and said hey you don't really know me. I'm KariAnne, and I used to live in your house. I would love to buy it. Is there any chance that you would sell it to me? And she was like wait, KariAnne, do you write a blog? Jillian: [00:14:10] No way! KariAnne: [00:14:14] So yeah, she totally read the blog. She's amazing girl like oh my gosh super amazing girl and she said actually yes we would totally sell it to you. KariAnne: [00:14:24] They had some circumstances in their lives where they were actually it wasn't on the market or anything but amazing timing. And so yeah we bought it from them and just never even went on the market. Jillian: [00:14:36] Oh my God. Well first of all I have to say I've been boggling your name by calling you KariAnne. And it's KariAnne. KariAnne: [00:14:43] Oh no worries. Jillian: [00:14:44] OK. But that is amazing so, a couple of things. How did you feel leaving your house in Kentucky that you had then remodeled? KariAnne: [00:14:52] I was literally, they were like prying my fingers off of the front porch pillar. I was in an emotional relationship. Jillian: [00:15:01] Really. OK. KariAnne: [00:15:03] Now it helps it helps that this house is so amazing like that helped in that, you know I've lived a lifetime in this house. I don't know if I would have traded it for any other house but this house. But I did love that farmhouse. Oh my gosh it was one of a kind. Jillian: [00:15:18] And I recommend people go to your blog because you have photos of both your current house and your old house. Like definitely check it out. It's gorgeous. KariAnne: [00:15:27] Thank you so much. It's a labor of love. Both of them. Jillian: [00:15:31] OK so how long ago did you move home? KariAnne: [00:15:35] Thanksgiving. Jillian: [00:15:36] Oh OK. So relatively recently. KariAnne: [00:15:38] Yes. Very very recently and so we've kind of been in a mad dash to really remodel this house because when you're a blogger you know I need places to photograph and I need rooms that look cute. KariAnne: [00:15:51] And I actually wrote a post on my blog that said every day I wake up and I try to make the house cuter than it was yesterday. Like that's my goal. KariAnne: [00:16:04] So today, either I'm going to add pillows or I'm going to paint something or I'm going to switch a bookcase around or do something so it just made me feel so much better and miss my old house less every day. I took a small step to making it cuter than it was the day before so it's a process. Jillian: [00:16:23] And how is the cuteness factor now? KariAnne: [00:16:25] It's getting there. I mean it needs so much work. Like in my mind I can see it all done. I feel like I'm running a design marathon like, "I'm coming, don't worry house I'll show up you'll be cute soon!" It's getting there, it's getting there. Jillian: [00:16:44] I love your use of the word cute for your stuff. It's so sweet. I mean again life is all about change and uncertainty. But at least you can control the cuteness. KariAnne: [00:16:54] That is so true. The best story ever of the house, this is literally the best story. So when my mom sold it, I was of course emotionally attached to this house too. And so my mom said "I'm selling it" my father passes away and my mom it's just too much house for her. So she had to sell it. KariAnne: [00:17:09] So she goes to sell the house and I go on like a farewell tour of the rooms like "bye dining room, having Thanksgiving was so awesome" and like "bye staircase where I said hello to Santa Claus" and like "bye kitchen where I met my husband" you know like "go have a nice life". KariAnne: [00:17:24] And as I'm literally about to head out the back door there is this bathroom with a mirror. And it's this giant ornate antique mirror not even my style or anything. And I look at that mirror and I had stood in front of that mirror in my wedding dress. KariAnne: [00:17:40] I had waited for my husband put my lipstick on before our first date in front of that mirror, and something just comes over me and I literally grab the mirror and I run out of the door with it like I'm like throwing in my car driving back to Kentucky. KariAnne: [00:17:55] And when we bought the house back I brought back that mirror and I put it right back where it was. Oh and an even better ending to the story is I have little twins that are in ninth grade and they just went to their first dance and they were standing in front of the mirror putting on their lipstick. Jillian: [00:18:16] Oh. Oh. KariAnne: [00:18:19] I know! Dude, I'm like full circle. Jillian: [00:18:21] Oh that's so sweet. Wow great story. Great story. OK. So now the one thing I want to talk about is books because you are an author you've written how many books? How to get a book deal as a blogger KariAnne: [00:18:37] I have. There's five books in all. Two are on the market currently. Another one is releasing September of 2018 and then there's another full color coffee table book that releases in March of next year (2019). And then one more after that. Jillian: [00:18:58] So based on interviews I've done in the past on this podcast with people who've written books most people say "I write books because it's a labor of love". "I write books because it puts my brand out there and establishes me as an expert. But books are not moneymakers. Books are a way to launch myself". Jillian: [00:19:21] And when we were talking you said well that's not exactly been true for me that I've actually made money from my books. KariAnne: [00:19:27] Yes 100 percent. I think probably the most important component is, when you're looking at publishing a book there are many different routes. KariAnne: [00:19:38] There is of course self publishing where you would publish it yourself and you put out all the money upfront and then you sell publish and sell it and market it yourself. KariAnne: [00:19:49] Then there is kind of like a hybrid where you have a company that publishes the book for you and then they provide you with copies and then you purchase them at a discounted rate and then you sell them and they maybe help a little with marketing but not that much. KariAnne: [00:20:04] And the route that I went which is the one I recommend is traditional publishing. Is working with traditional publishing house and I have been so fortunate to work with two incredible publishers that will ever and forever have my heart. KariAnne: [00:20:22] And the reason why I went that route and probably my best advice for anyone looking to publish a book or thinking about publishing a book is number one: I think it's so important that you build a platform because when you're going to that publisher and you have a message that you're going to get out there to the world, you want to come alongside that publisher you want to talk with the publisher about how your going to help the publisher sell the book. KariAnne: [00:20:51] You are going to help the publisher markets a book. Because just I think traditionally in the past sometimes you know authors they would send the manuscript to the publisher and then they would kind of sit back and wait for the publisher to do all the work. KariAnne: [00:21:05] Or in the case of self publishing, I mean they would probably do a huge majority of the work themselves but it would be so expensive to put all that money up front to get your book published to design your cover and all the all of that stuff. KariAnne: [00:21:18] So my best advice would be to start with your platform. Work on developing your platform work on developing your message work on developing your print your brand. So when you go into meetings with that publishing house you can say "hey this is what I'm bringing to the table". KariAnne: [00:21:35] My second piece of advice would be to get an agent. I have the most incredible agent. So fortuitous to find her and she has just really been the world to me. KariAnne: [00:21:49] The agent kind of knows the ins and out of the publishing world and they give you great advice and they know which publishing houses. I mean they make recommendations they make contacts for you at publishing houses. How to develop your platform as a blogger KariAnne: [00:22:01] And really those two things work on you're developing a platform. You bring something to the table don't just go to the publishing house and expect them to do all the work you show up. Jillian: [00:22:12] OK. All right so let's unpack this a little bit. OK. You start your blog. You start working on your platform which means your email list your social media. You know growing those platforms. KariAnne: [00:22:32] I think it's more than when I say build a platform. I think that numbers are very important. I mean obviously if I'm coming to you and I say I have X amount of people on Facebook or X amount of people on Instagram you know I think that's definitely important. KariAnne: [00:22:47] But I think the key components that so many of us miss in this world of blogging and social media and platforms is the influence is the influence factor. So I always tell people if you gave me a thousand loyal readers I could rule the world. How to find one thousand true fans as a blogger KariAnne: [00:23:05] And when I say that, I mean a thousand people that want what I have, that want to hear my message, that show up every day and they stand up and they're counted. KariAnne: [00:23:15] So when I was looking at developing my brand and developing my platform those were the people that I was looking for. When I was growing my blog I treated those people like they were my customers. KariAnne: [00:23:28] So if they had a decorating question, I didn't charge them for decorating advice. I really gave it. I spent hours putting together ways to help them or answer anybody's question they sent me. KariAnne: [00:23:39] I think I have a thing on my blog where I say "calling all questions" this is an unlimited question policy here at Thistlewood Farms, because those readers are the customers. KariAnne: [00:23:48] And I think people overlook that they just put messages out there and expect, "I wonder why no one's reading me," or "Wonder why no one is responding to me?" KariAnne: [00:23:56] It's because they are not in a relationship with those readers. They are not treating those readers with the respect that they deserve. And so I went out of my way to build that sort of platform. Jillian: [00:24:07] I think that is terrific in fact if you read my emails you see that I have actually sent out I think two e-mails about this concept of a thousand true fans. If you have a thousand true fans you can build a business. Jillian: [00:24:23] You do not need millions of fans. You need true evangelists. People who love you, believe in you, will buy from you. That's what you need for a business. I think that is just terrific advice. KariAnne: [00:24:37] Well, and so what I did was so, for example, and this applies not only in the publishing world but it applies and in the brand world as well. So I'll just give you one example, when I was looking to paint my house a color I went to my fans and I went to the people that read the blog and I said "What color would you paint the house?" KariAnne: [00:24:55] I gave them six options and we had over 700 people chime in. Not for a prize, not because we were giving anything away just because they wanted to be helpful. They wanted to show up and represent. KariAnne: [00:25:08] So I was able to go back to that brand and say, look 700 people are invested in what color I paint. Jillian: [00:25:15] Wow. Wow. KariAnne: [00:25:16] And I think that is the key component. So when you're talking to publishing houses, I mean that same applies in working with brands as well. You're saying to them I'm an influencer. I have the ability to influence people's buying decisions and I think that is a key component that is so overlooked when you're dealing with anyone. Jillian: [00:25:39] What's interesting is when we first started talking, you said start with your platform. And I said oh you know social media, email list and you're like, "No no no wait," I thought you were going to say really clarify your message. But that's not what you said. ADVICE: Be authentic as a blogger Jillian: [00:25:56] You said be authentic, be available. Really, you focused it on your fans not on your business and what your message was. Which I think is a really interesting differentiator. KariAnne: [00:26:11] Well I definitely think the message is important. When I counsel people on how to start a business or how to start a blog I always tell them, start as you go, like don't don't pull the rug out from under your readers. KariAnne: [00:26:24] In other words don't be all this direction and then all of sudden change midstream and like one day you're positive, full of energy and the next day you're complaining, you know. KariAnne: [00:26:33] Start as you go, develop that message, be true to who you are. But I do feel like if you're authentic and you are all about the people that are reading your blog, or participating in your business, the message authentically comes out. Jillian: [00:26:49] I agree. I agree. Again I think that the focus on your audience your community is really powerful. KariAnne: [00:26:58] I mean I literally was in tears when my first book was released and it was a best seller and it was on Amazon. You know at the top of the list and it had like the best seller tag on it. KariAnne: [00:27:12] People were screen shotting it and sending it to me and I was weeping because all of these people they weren't just celebrating the book. They were coming along for the journey. They're like "how can we help you get your message out there?" KariAnne: [00:27:30] And so it was as if you sat down with a thousand of your best friends and they're like, dude how can we help you? Jillian: [00:27:37] Wow. KariAnne: [00:27:38] "You've helped us all these years, how can we help you?" And I have never felt so humbled and so grateful and so appreciative and in my whole life than during that first book release. Jillian: [00:27:48] So let's look at that. You're making me tear up here. KariAnne: [00:27:53] I love it. Jillian: [00:27:54] So let's talk about this. So from the beginning you are cultivating this community that you care deeply about and that therefore in turn cares deeply about you. Jillian: [00:28:05] So you say to yourself, I want to write a book. And then what? How do you get an agent? How do you pitch yourself to publishers? How do you tell that publisher, "I've got these diehard fans?" KariAnne: [00:28:18] I think before we unpack that, I think an important component here is and this is something I try to explain this to people, I wish I could tell you I was a super incredibly brilliant person that sat down with this totally mapped out plan to get to the book. But it was so organically grown. KariAnne: [00:28:36] So I start a blog. I'm writing about decorating and actually I'm writing about nothing. I'm kind of writing about my toes sometimes like I mean a very lame messaging going on. KariAnne: [00:28:48] One day I remember I wrote a post "Don't you think I have very long toes?" and people were like "you do have long toes!" and so I had to hone my message a little bit. KariAnne: [00:28:57] But over time what happened was one day I told a story about something just because I'm kind of a storyteller. But I'm a decorating blog so I was like, How am I going to incorporate these stories? Do people even care about stories like this even a thing? And no one else was telling stories. KariAnne: [00:29:15] And so I told a story on my blog and the response was incredible. People were like oh my gosh like this is crazy. Tell more stories. What else are you doing? What other funny story you have? What else is going on in your life? Write a blog you want to read KariAnne: [00:29:27] And then the blog became kind of this hybrid of I would talk to you and show you these beautiful decorating pictures and then randomly tell you a story about how I stepped in dog poop and it was just like organically grown because it was a kind of blog that I wanted to read. KariAnne: [00:29:43] I didn't want to read a blog that said here are my curtains. Here's my rug. I wanted to write. I wanted a little meat. I wanted something interesting to go along with my curtains. KariAnne: [00:29:56] And so that's how the stories were kind of born. So I mean I think in the back of my mind I always had a dream about writing a book but it wasn't until this story started really taking off and I saw that that amazing wonderful community of people that read the blog really responded to the stories. KariAnne: [00:30:12] It's like the decorating brought them to the blog and the lifestyle brought them to their blog. Jillian: [00:30:17] And the beautiful photos and aspiration tips and I get it. But there is more. There is you! KariAnne: [00:30:24] But then you show up and I'm like hey take a seat in my living room and let me tell you let me entertain you. Jillian: [00:30:30] Right. KariAnne: [00:30:32] Let me tell you how I'm sliding down a hill after I spoke at a conference and ended up with mud all over my butt. You know, let me entertain you with my life, like these real actual things that happen to me every day of my life. KariAnne: [00:30:44] And so it really that was the combination that people really responded to, and so I thought maybe I could write a book. But I didn't know how to go about it. KariAnne: [00:30:53] So I did a little bit of research and actually reached out to some friends of mine and one of my friends was in the process of writing a book and I said, "How did you get started?" KariAnne: [00:31:01] She said the first thing is you want to find an agent. And so she gave me a bunch of different literary agencies and I wrote the most incredible pitch letter ever. Jillian: [00:31:12] OK. KariAnne: [00:31:14] It was quite entertaining. And I sent it out to these agencies to see if anybody would take a bite because this is an unknown world to me, this is something that is very different. I'm so thankful an amazing agency picked me up and I met my agent and really she kind of mapped everything out. KariAnne: [00:31:33] She was really instrumental because I didn't know where to start and she sat me down and said we're going to do this, and we're going to do this, and we're gonna do this, and you know for example the next step is you have to write a book proposal. How to write a book proposal KariAnne: [00:31:42] Well a book proposal is very intimidating for anyone who's never written one before. I mean they say that's what separates kind of the serious people from the not so serious people because the typical book proposal is about 10,000 words. Jillian: [00:31:55] Wow. KariAnne: [00:31:55] So it took me probably about four months to write the book proposal which is, like it was overwhelming. And my agent, her name is Ruth, she kept gently nudging me like, "Hey haven't heard from you on that book proposal yet, how's it going?" KariAnne: [00:32:15] And I just kept going and putting one foot in front of the other. And I think probably the hardest thing about writing a book is when you write a blog post it's 350 words and there's a beginning a middle and an end and you're done and you walk away. When you write a book it's 50,000 words. KariAnne: [00:32:32] And it's a beginning and then a whole lot of words. And then a middle and then a whole lot of work and then the end. So you got to shift your thinking a little bit. KariAnne: [00:32:43] But we we did the proposal and then she sends it out to different contacts that she has in the publishing world. And then we got some bids on the book and we looked at them and selected an incredible offer and went with that. And then the whole book writing process started. Jillian: [00:33:02] OK and how long did the book writing process take? KariAnne: [00:33:05] Well I'm kind of a fast writer just because I mean you've got to think of it this way, I was in training to write a book. I mean I write five blog posts a week. So that's training yourself to sit at the computer and write 400 words every day or five days a week. KariAnne: [00:33:21] And so I had done that for year after year after year so when they told me, you have to sit down and here's when your first chapter is due and here's when your second chapter is due and I pretty much stuck to my deadline. KariAnne: [00:33:32] I hear in the world, I don't know this for a fact, but I had heard that a lot of sometimes people don't stick to their deadlines. Jillian: [00:33:38] I've heard that too. Yes. KariAnne: [00:33:40] They get overwhelming, but I was pretty on it. And so I think the whole process of actually writing the book maybe took about nine months. Jillian: [00:33:49] OK. And what is the first book called? The book: So Close To Amazing KariAnne: [00:33:53] The first book is called So Close To Amazing. And it's actually a memoir. It's a memoir so it's trade paper which in publishing house terms means like it's a book book, was like writing and it's not for color. There are words and chapters and that type of thing. Jillian: [00:34:13] So it's not just a DIY book? KariAnne: [00:34:15] No it's a like a memoir, it's about my life it's about us moving. It's the story that I told you except with way more stories along the way. Jillian: [00:34:24] OK. OK. KariAnne: [00:34:26] Way more adventures in about. It's all about at the end of the day, the overarching message of the book is learning how to celebrate right where we are and realizing that the me of today is perfect. KariAnne: [00:34:40] I mean I think so many times, and that's what this book is about: The book was, we jumped to the country and I expect when we moved to the country everything's going to be perfect, and I'm going to be growing my own grain and I arrive in the country like, "wait, life is not exactly how I thought it was going to be" and I thought I was going to make friends and that didn't exactly work out. KariAnne: [00:34:58] It was like I was always looking for this amazing. Like I was like, Oh tomorrow is going to be amazing, if we just finished the house I'm going to be amazing, if I could lose another like 20 pounds I'll be amazing, if my hair was a little longer I'd be amazing. KariAnne: [00:35:11] And along the way and part of this whole journey was I discovered that the amazing was right there. Jillian: [00:35:19] Wow. KariAnne: [00:35:19] The amazing was the journey. Jillian: [00:35:23] Wow. Yes. I love that. I love that. That's amazing! KariAnne: [00:35:32] So I had been so close to amazing all along. There's the book. Jillian: [00:35:37] Right. So this book though, did it have photos of your beautiful house? Did it also have DIY? Or was it really just about your journey? KariAnne: [00:35:48] Well you know you read those books and at the end of each of the chapters they'll have a recipe. Jillian: [00:35:56] Yes, Ruth Reichl is one of my favorite writers and she's a food writer and she always puts her favorite recipes. KariAnne: [00:36:03] Yes. And so you always think you can have these recipes. Well when you read the book you'll understand I'm a horrific cook. Like I mean absolutely positively horrible cook. And so there was no putting any recipes like that would have been horrible. KariAnne: [00:36:19] So I put DIYs at the end of each chapter that I talk about in each of the chapters I work that DIY into the chapter. Jillian: [00:36:27] I love that. I love that. KariAnne: [00:36:30] And at the end is a DIY. The book is also full of total asides which is the way I talk, so I'll be in the middle of a story and then I'll be like total aside. Did you really like Shaun Cassidy when you were younger? You know like, why random thoughts, people were like wait where was she going? Jillian: [00:36:46] Oh that's terrific. KariAnne: [00:36:48] So yeah it's a little, I don't know if you remember there was a lady named Erma Bombeck. Jillian: [00:36:51] Yes yes. KariAnne: [00:36:53] It's a little like her. Jillian: [00:36:54] Oh OK. So you launched this first book. And again what I think is so interesting is, yes you are DIY, yes you have a great eye, yes you take beautiful photos, but there's a there there. Jillian: [00:37:08] There's a you with a message and you're living your life and you're sharing your life and you're going that extra mile, you're connecting. Blogging for comments and connection KariAnne: [00:37:18] Yes. Well I have been so blessed. It all started with the first little person who left a comment on my blog. And then you know some people blog for money some people blog for their egos. I blog for comments. Jillian: [00:37:34] Yeah. KariAnne: [00:37:36] Shameful. Jillian: [00:37:36] No, I get it. Oh my god I get like if if somebody emails me and says "I read your email" and it was somebody today, just emailed me and said "I really need it" Jillian: [00:37:47] It was something about I wrote an email. It's a sequence and there's one about Instagram, and it's like you have to show up for Instagram and somebody wrote back to me goes, "I really needed to hear this today." And I sit here and I just read that and I go "awww" and I write back and I just go "thank you so much." KariAnne: [00:38:05] Wow. Right. Jillian: [00:38:09] I love those. And I have a file I save called Love Letters where I will go through them on a bad day and I'll read them. KariAnne: [00:38:19] Me too! OK. Mine isn't called love letters. Mine is called KariAnne You're Amazing. Jillian: [00:38:27] Because there is something about it. Even why I love the podcast, just because I get to connect. And then if other people get to hear it and learn from it. I'm so happy about that. Jillian: [00:38:39] But at the end of the day, like being a blogger can be lonely having a company or multiple companies. It can be lonely. And so if I can hear other people's stories and if I can impart little bits of wisdom by being in the trenches. You know I feel like I've done my job for the day. KariAnne: [00:39:02] Well OK so I'm going to be totally shameful and transparent here. So sometimes I write a blog post especially if it's a good story. KariAnne: [00:39:10] And when you email me when you comment on the blog it leaves it has an email that comes through on my phone. And so I'll set the post to publish. And every time there's an email the phone will ding. KariAnne: [00:39:23] So the the post will go live. I don't know maybe seven and go out by email by like 7:15 and I lay there and I hear. Ding! Ding! Ding! And I'm like Yay! KariAnne, they're commenting! So yeah there's no greater joy for sure. Jillian: [00:39:42] I agree. And I think that there's you know what's so interesting is in every one of my podcasts I feel like I learn, and I step away with like a new realization and I feel like from this conversation that realization is the more you put yourself out there, and be vulnerable and be human the more you welcome people putting themselves out there and being human. KariAnne: [00:40:11] I 100 percent agree and I think what being online so much has taught me is that we live in a world where there are so many people that are hurting, and there are so many people that are not being heard. They're not being validated. KariAnne: [00:40:27] And you know it's almost like they're walking through life without someone taking a moment to say, "Hey look you're amazing. You got it." KariAnne: [00:40:36] And there is a post I wrote one time and I said the first line of it I think is just "In case no one else had mentioned it yet today like no one has said it. You're a rock star." Like let me be that person. Let me go first. You're incredible. You're funny. There is something you can do better than anyone else in this entire world. KariAnne: [00:40:54] And the response to that post was incredible because I feel like we as human beings have this longing for connection and we want our voices to be heard and we want people to understand us. KariAnne: [00:41:10] And so when somebody comes along and goes hey I'm gonna love you right where you're at. I'm going to accept you right where you are. I think that that is such an important message. Jillian: [00:41:20] And I think because we are so hard on ourselves. I was just having this conversation with somebody, I was at the Mom2.0 conference and I was talking to a woman and we were talking about if somebody could hear our own voices in her own heads, how horrified they would be. Jillian: [00:41:39] You know the messages we are telling ourselves of were not good enough and we're not thin enough and we're not young enough or good whatever, if somebody could hear that they would stop you and say "Stop it!" Jillian: [00:41:53] That is abusive, but somehow it's OK for us to do it within ourselves because nobody really can really hear it. And so this idea of, if only I could, like you, If only I could finish my house. If only I could move to the country and grow my own grains. I will be happy. Happiness has to happen right now Jillian: [00:42:20] And it's about really changing that perspective of saying no, happiness has to happen right now. KariAnne: [00:42:26] Well and it's funny, because back when I was telling you about the house trying to make the house cuter. I actually wrote a post on the blog and I had the twins for their first dance. KariAnne: [00:42:36] I had all these parents coming over. They were doing like a pre-dance party at our house and we hadn't really shown the house to anybody, and I spent days and days trying to make the house cute. KariAnne: [00:42:48] I would be like. "Come on House we're going to show them. We're going to show them we're cute." I was painting walls and putting up curtains and doing all this, and you know what happened? KariAnne: [00:43:00] People got here, and they walked around the house and all of a sudden these two beautiful adorable sweet identical twin daughters came down the stairs with their hearts in their eyes and these beautiful smiles on their faces. And no one's paying attention of the house, right. Jillian: [00:43:19] Right. Yes. You just gave me goosebumps. KariAnne: [00:43:21] The house was already cute enough. It was already cute enough. And here I was so obsessed and worrying about that, when I should have just paused and thought you know what the house and I were on a journey, and here are these beautiful girls and the day really is about them. Not about making your house cute right. Jillian: [00:43:41] Right. Oh I love that. Oh I love that. I want to say I have learned so much from you. KariAnne: [00:43:51] Oh I love that because I'm a little in awe of you. I could I could just sit at your feet and learn from you for sure ,you are amazing with everything you have accomplished. Jillian: [00:44:02] We will have to do a part two for sure. KariAnne: [00:44:05] Oh that would be awesome. Jillian: [00:44:06] So tell people, because again, we have much more to talk about. So tell people about your books and the books that are coming and then how people can reach out to you. Because what I love is you're available. KariAnne: [00:44:21] Yes 100 percent. So the first book is called So Close To Amazing and it's a memoir. It's a faith based book. I touch on my faith in the book. It's a faith based publisher called Tyndale. KariAnne: [00:44:34] This second book is all about decorating. It's called the DIY Decorate It Yourself Planner and it's literally the sassy girl's guide to decorating. KariAnne: [00:44:45] One of the chapters starts and it says, space planning is a lot like wearing Spanx to your high school reunion, like absolutely necessary. So there's a lot of like not intimidating. I kind of bring you along with me on my journey of decorating this house. KariAnne: [00:45:05] There are very specific things in there, like specific guidelines for how to choose a paint color, and how to plan out your spaces and how high to hang your chandelier over your dining room table and amazing stuff like that. KariAnne: [00:45:18] And the third book is actually a devotional book. Jillian: [00:45:20] Okay wait, I need that book. I need that book as we make our move to Austin. KariAnne: [00:45:25] OK. It's yours. I'll send it to you. Jillian: [00:45:27] I know nothing. I know nothing about the chandelier. KariAnne: [00:45:30] And I'll be available on speed dial. Jillian: [00:45:32] OK. I love it. I love it. I love it. OK. KariAnne: [00:45:37] You are kinda my neighbor. Jillian: [00:45:37] Yes. Oh my God. We will meet up together. KariAnne: [00:45:41] Yeah for sure. KariAnne: [00:45:43] The third book that's coming out. It's a devotional book but it's all just stories of encouragement. And it's called You've Got This Because God's Got You. KariAnne: [00:45:53] And then the last or the fourth book is actually, which I'm so excited about, I cannot wait for you to see it. It's a four color beautiful coffee table book. And it's called The Style Finder and it's, we traveled all over the country and photographed different bloggers houses. KariAnne: [00:46:12] And there's a whole questionnaire with what's your style? What your decorating style? And then we walk you through. Once you're we kind of pick out what's your favorite decorating style. We walk through, like here's your living room in this style. Here's your bedroom in the style. Here's your bathroom in the style and tips to kind of combine styles, too. Jillian: [00:46:29] OK that's fabulous. OK so then how can people reach out to you? KariAnne: [00:46:36] They can email me at Thistlewoodfarms.com. If you go on there, there's a contact form that they can just get right to me, or they can actually my email address is thistlewoodfarms@yahoo.com but they can go to the blog Thistlewoodfarms.com and there's a contact form. KariAnne: [00:46:52] And they can message me on Facebook, if they want to message me on Instagram with any decorating questions, I seriously could talk decorating, I mean till the cows come home as we say in Kentucky. And that's true. You come home. Jillian: [00:47:11] Thank you so much for being on the show. KariAnne: [00:47:14] It was absolutely my joy and my honor. Get more Instagram followers fast and free with MiloTree! Jillian: [00:47:19] Are you trying to grow your social media followers and e-mail subscribers. Well if you've got two minutes I've got a product for you. Jillian: [00:47:26] It's MiloTree. Jillian: [00:47:28] MiloTree is a smart pop up slider that you install on your site and it pops up and asks visitors to follow you on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest or subscribe to your list. Jillian: [00:47:43] It takes two minutes to install. We offer a WordPress plugin or a simple line of code and it's Google friendly on mobile and desktop so we know where your traffic is coming from. Jillian: [00:47:55] We show a Google friendly pop up on desktop and a smaller Google friendly pop up on mobile. Check it out. Sign up today and get your first 30 days free. Sign up for MiloTree now and get your first 30 DAYS FREE!

Evan Dash is the CEO of Storebound, a company that helps people bring their inventions to life. They were featured on the INC 5000 as one of the fastest growing companies in the US this year. Storebound helps inventors bring products to market in a way that they weren’t able to in the past. It aligns them with a company that is really able to push the products to market quickly. For More Info Visit: www.ajaxunion.com/podcast   Growth : We’ve been able to innovate in a category of business where there’s been very little innovation in the past.   Target Customer: Retailers are the most important. They are the gatekeeper to the consumers. Marketing Strategies: “Part of our strategy was born out of necessity” and we decided to invest in content creation to build a following and ultimately emerge with an audience. Mistakes : The biggest mistake that we’ve made was trying to do too much. Taking on a tool without being able to measure the results. Stress Relief:  I’m  at my best when things are going the worst.   Advice: Watch out for being overconfident.  Those are killers lurking to take down you or your business.  Leave yourself in a curious place where you’re always going to learn and improve.   Other: Profit or Growth: Our biggest focus right now is the heart of the consumers.  Making the consumer have an experience that they walk away from feeling that they love us.  We’ve been able to build a profitable business and enabled us to do what’s right for the business in each moment. Advice: Be honest with yourself. It’s easy to fall in love with a product, but you have to step up and be intellectually honest about whether there is really a demand for this product. Team of former retail executives figured out a way to add value to the retailer.

Jaemin and Gabe answer the question: "What advice do you wish you could've given yourself 10 years ago?" They also share a bunch of answers from their online community (including Gabe's mom), as well as discussing what alpha males can learn from alpha wolves, and why you should pancake surprise your friends. Send us thoughts, feedback, and Quick Picks of your own at guyswithfeelingsshow@gmail.com ### Show Notes (2:50) Jaemin's video for Planned Parenthood [got nominated](http://shortyawards.com/2nd-socialgood/the-abortion-pill-in-clinic-abortion) for a Shorty Social Good Award! (4:03) Jaemin and Gabe's [video for Flippable](http://www.imaginarylava.org/project/flippable/). (9:00) **Deep Dive: What advice do you wish you could've given yourself 10 years ago?** (9:20) Our online community shares their advice. (11:48) Gabe's mom shares her advice. (13:29) Shane's letter to his teenage self. (16:51) Gabe's #1 Advice: To really look for and build community. (18:57) Jaemin's #1 Advice: To not try and do it all on your own. (23:33) Gabe's #2 Advice: Be careful what percentage of your sense of self you tie up in your job/career. (28:37) Jaemin's #2 Advice: Creativity should be for you - not for others. (35:46) Eric shares his advice. (41:42) **GWF Read of the Month:** [Tapping Your Inner Wolf ](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/06/opinion/tapping-your-inner-wolf.html)(NYTimes) (48:02) **Quick Picks** Gabe: [Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City](https://www.amazon.com/Evicted-Poverty-Profit-American-City/dp/0553447432) by Matthew Desmond (52:00) Jaemin's: Pancake Surprise your friends. ### **Find Us Online** [Gabe's twitter](https://twitter.com/gaberose) > – Gabe's latest post: [Asking Different Questions](http://www.gaberose.com/blog/asking-different-questions) [Jaemin's twitter](https://twitter.com/jaemin_yi "Link: https://twitter.com/jaemin_yi") > – Jaemin's latest post: [How to Survive Working from Home](http://www.jaeminyi.com/survive-working-from-home/) Music for the podcast: “As Colorful As Ever” by [Broke For Free](http://brokeforfree.com/ "Link: http://brokeforfree.com/")

Jaemin and Gabe answer the question: "What advice do you wish you could've given yourself 10 years ago?" They also share a bunch of answers from their online community (including Gabe's mom), as well as discussing what alpha males can learn from alpha wolves, and why you should pancake surprise your friends. Send us thoughts, feedback, and Quick Picks of your own at guyswithfeelingsshow@gmail.com Show Notes (2:50) Jaemin's video for Planned Parenthood got nominated for a Shorty Social Good Award! (4:03) Jaemin and Gabe's video for Flippable. (9:00) Deep Dive: What advice do you wish you could've given yourself 10 years ago? (9:20) Our online community shares their advice. (11:48) Gabe's mom shares her advice. (13:29) Shane's letter to his teenage self. (16:51) Gabe's #1 Advice: To really look for and build community. (18:57) Jaemin’s #1 Advice: To not try and do it all on your own. (23:33) Gabe's #2 Advice: Be careful what percentage of your sense of self you tie up in your job/career. (28:37) Jaemin’s #2 Advice: Creativity should be for you - not for others. (35:46) Eric shares his advice. (41:42) GWF Read of the Month: Tapping Your Inner Wolf (NYTimes) (48:02) Quick Picks Gabe: Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond (52:00) Jaemin’s: Pancake Surprise your friends. Find Us Online Gabe’s twitter > – Gabe’s latest post: Asking Different Questions Jaemin’s twitter > – Jaemin’s latest post: How to Survive Working from Home Music for the podcast: “As Colorful As Ever” by Broke For Free

I am back with part two of the Black Enterprise Recap. I had the privilege to attend the Black Enterprise Entrepreneur Summit with the Houston African American Bloggers (HAAB). In this episode we have a joint interview with Gavin Richmond and Vannessa Wade.   Quotes: Brands are like people. Vanessa Wade Questions I Ask: Why did they attend the conference? How has the Greater Houston Black Chamber of Commerce support their business? How events elevate your brand? Learning Points: Integrating content in your messaging and branding. The important of messaging when it comes to your brands. Advice: Be flexible with your timeline. Vanessa Wade Trust in your craft and start. Gavin Richmond Gavin Wade, CEO Oh Wow Events full service events from weddings to corporate events. Facebook Instagram Vannessa Wade, CEO Connect The Dots PR Twitter LinkedIn -- Line 25 Consulting & Xero Accounting   Follow me on Instagram @michellengome   Are you looking for a speaker to discuss connection points to develop better business relationships? Watch this quick video and contact me today!If you are interested in honing in on your niche, crafting your message, identifying goals, and building a circle of influence when it comes to leveraging your brand take the opportunity to jump on the Icebreaker Call. Valued at $197, this is a one on one coaching session to help you define your area of expertise and discover the action steps to reach your goals

Forgiveness is the key to freedom.  God wants us to look at all people through his eyes and at that moment you can forgive anything.  Mauricio Rodriguez was thrown down a hole in an out house in Nicaragua and left to die by his biological mother.  God saved him and is now bringing him back to Nicaragua at age 31 to spread his words and help young women to be better mothers.  That is the power of forgiveness. “But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth”  Exodus 9:16   Mauricio works full time on the Tree of Life 84.  His work for the foundation requires Mauricio to be in Nicaragua in the town of Esteli, when meetings are called. Biggest Weakness - Asking for Help.  Mauricio wants to be available for everyone, but can’t ask when he is having a problem. Biggest Strength - Compassion.  When he sees others suffering, Mauricio’s heart breaks and he must be with them.  He’s asked the Lord to always help him to hold on to that compassion. Dark Time - At age of 15 Mauricio discovered he was the result of Fornication and adultery.  He was the last of 25 children his father had with different women.  His mother threw him as a baby into an outhouse hole and threw rocks down on top of him.  Amazingly boys playing heard a baby screaming and their mother and a man with a rope went down into the hole and pulled him up.  His body was purple and he was raced to a hospital an hour and a half away.  Nobody knows why there was no broken bones or brain damage.  It was a miracle. The story spread and his aunt on his dad’s side, came down to claim him, but he was going to have to be sent to an orphanage.  That was the beginning of the fight to raise him. Mauricio has met 10 of his brother and sister. The authorities kept fighting Mauricio’s aunt, but she was determined and after a year of fighting, and the community getting involved she was allowed to adopt him.  She was an extremely poor single mom, but had a strong relationship with God and taught that to Mauricio. Mauricio’s grandfather had a similar story to his father and had sired 31 children with different women. Mauricio came to the US at age 4 and his family dynamic is very difficult because he was told to call his father his dad, but there was no affection between them or attentiveness from his dad.  Even when his dad promised to come and spend a day with him at 7 years old, he never showed. At 15 Mauricio was told by his adopted mom about the abandonment. He was thinking what’s wrong with him and asked God are you real?  How could his past be God’s plan?  This was the opportunity for the enemy to come in.  Mauricio began getting angry and though he would’ve been better off dying in the hole.  He cried himself to sleep at night for 4 years. His adoptive mother said the only thing that could heal Mauricio is God.  She believed God was the only counselor that had the power.  Mauricio never hated his adoptive mother, she was his hero. At 15 after some time he decided he wanted to meet his biological mom.  At the house was his biological grandmother, so he waited for his mom.  The Lord had given him specific instructions.  When she got there she hugged him and called him her son.  Mauricio said, “I forgive you and God loves you.”  There were no tears, just smiles from his biological mom.  Mauricio didn’t get what he thought he should get and his anger with God became clear. During this time in high school, he had a social group, but never really let them into his life. God had to take Mauricio out of Nicaragua, to bring him back and do his work.  It helped him realize that he didn’t want to have hate in his life, he wanted forgiveness.  He began searching for the answers to why he was here. Mauricio at 19 began working for Foursquare Church, but had so much hate for his dad that he wished he was dead. His grandmother got ill and his father showed up at the hospital.  The Lord said to talk to him, but Mauricio didn’t want to.  He didn’t want to see him through God’s eyes, because he didn’t want to forgive him.  The first words out of his mouth was “Forgive me for hating you.”  Again he didn’t get the response that he wanted.   Forgiveness is a daily choice and it’s not about them, it’s about Mauricio being free.  They have not been able to accept the forgiveness. Repentance and Remorse are very different.  Repentance, creates the opportunity to ask and be forgiven, remorse is guilt. Psalms 40:2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  This was the inspiration for Mauricio’s foundation The Tree of Life 84. The Tree of Life 84 gives young women the knowledge of the Lord and fundamental tools to be loving mothers. http://www.treeoflife84.com/ and donate to help Mauricio buy the land in Nicaragua to set up the foundation there. Advice - Be inspired to know that God can turn all evil into something good. For past shows and to learn more about the God's Men of Influence community, check us out atwww.godsmenofinfluence.org Join us on Facebook for our daily devotionals and updates and please like our page www.facebook.com/GodsMenOfInfluence    Help us spread the Word and please rate our show on itunes and leave comments for us. Tell us what insights you took from this episode.

Forgiveness is the key to freedom.  God wants us to look at all people through his eyes and at that moment you can forgive anything.  Mauricio Rodriguez was thrown down a hole in an out house in Nicaragua and left to die by his biological mother.  God saved him and is now bringing him back to Nicaragua at age 31 to spread his words and help young women to be better mothers.  That is the power of forgiveness. “But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth”  Exodus 9:16 Mauricio works full time on the Tree of Life 84.  His work for the foundation requires Mauricio to be in Nicaragua in the town of Esteli, when meetings are called. Biggest Weakness - Asking for Help.  Mauricio wants to be available for everyone, but can’t ask when he is having a problem. Biggest Strength - Compassion.  When he sees others suffering, Mauricio’s heart breaks and he must be with them.  He’s asked the Lord to always help him to hold on to that compassion. Dark Time - At age of 15 Mauricio discovered he was the result of Fornication and adultery.  He was the last of 25 children his father had with different women.  His mother threw him as a baby into an outhouse hole and threw rocks down on top of him.  Amazingly boys playing heard a baby screaming and their mother and a man with a rope went down into the hole and pulled him up.  His body was purple and he was raced to a hospital an hour and a half away.  Nobody knows why there was no broken bones or brain damage.  It was a miracle. The story spread and his aunt on his dad’s side, came down to claim him, but he was going to have to be sent to an orphanage.  That was the beginning of the fight to raise him. Mauricio has met 10 of his brother and sister. The authorities kept fighting Mauricio’s aunt, but she was determined and after a year of fighting, and the community getting involved she was allowed to adopt him.  She was an extremely poor single mom, but had a strong relationship with God and taught that to Mauricio. Mauricio’s grandfather had a similar story to his father and had sired 31 children with different women. Mauricio came to the US at age 4 and his family dynamic is very difficult because he was told to call his father his dad, but there was no affection between them or attentiveness from his dad.  Even when his dad promised to come and spend a day with him at 7 years old, he never showed. At 15 Mauricio was told by his adopted mom about the abandonment. He was thinking what’s wrong with him and asked God are you real?  How could his past be God’s plan?  This was the opportunity for the enemy to come in.  Mauricio began getting angry and though he would’ve been better off dying in the hole.  He cried himself to sleep at night for 4 years. His adoptive mother said the only thing that could heal Mauricio is God.  She believed God was the only counselor that had the power.  Mauricio never hated his adoptive mother, she was his hero. At 15 after some time he decided he wanted to meet his biological mom.  At the house was his biological grandmother, so he waited for his mom.  The Lord had given him specific instructions.  When she got there she hugged him and called him her son.  Mauricio said, “I forgive you and God loves you.”  There were no tears, just smiles from his biological mom.  Mauricio didn’t get what he thought he should get and his anger with God became clear. During this time in high school, he had a social group, but never really let them into his life. God had to take Mauricio out of Nicaragua, to bring him back and do his work.  It helped him realize that he didn’t want to have hate in his life, he wanted forgiveness.  He began searching for the answers to why he was here. Mauricio at 19 began working for Foursquare Church, but had so much hate for his dad that he wished he was dead. His grandmother got ill and his father showed up at the hospital.  The Lord said to talk to him, but Mauricio didn’t want to.  He didn’t want to see him through God’s eyes, because he didn’t want to forgive him.  The first words out of his mouth was “Forgive me for hating you.”  Again he didn’t get the response that he wanted.   Forgiveness is a daily choice and it’s not about them, it’s about Mauricio being free.  They have not been able to accept the forgiveness. Repentance and Remorse are very different.  Repentance, creates the opportunity to ask and be forgiven, remorse is guilt. Psalms 40:2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.  This was the inspiration for Mauricio’s foundation The Tree of Life 84. The Tree of Life 84 gives young women the knowledge of the Lord and fundamental tools to be loving mothers. http://www.treeoflife84.com/ and donate to help Mauricio buy the land in Nicaragua to set up the foundation there. Advice - Be inspired to know that God can turn all evil into something good. For past shows and to learn more about the God's Men of Influence community, check us out atwww.godsmenofinfluence.org Join us on Facebook for our daily devotionals and updates and please like our page www.facebook.com/GodsMenOfInfluence    Help us spread the Word and please rate our show on itunes and leave comments for us. Tell us what insights you took from this episode.

Most people don't even know they are a world changer. They can change lives and never know it. Stephanie Calahan thinks is a blessing to work with these individuals who make a big difference, and has made it her goal to help others make an impact as well.  Inspiration: After years of working as a consultant with fortune 100 and 50 companies, she often thought she would retire working for someone else. In 2001, due to major shifts in the environment of the company she was working for she realized it was negatively affecting her health, and soon the negatives outweighed the positives and something had to change. Challenge: Stephanie felt she is her own biggest obstacle. She feels that she was a hard-worker and a fast learner. She calls her self a work-addict. Even knowing this while she built her business, she went out and volunteered and took on more than she could handle. Looking around she realized she had nothing to show, but plaques and awards on the wall. Finally, admitting to herself that there was a problem and that her illness was self inflicted. She found help, and was able to redefine and redesign her entire life. Passion: SUMMER! Stephanie loves going outside and enjoying the world. She is most passionate about helping people get past their own obstacles. Advice: Be true to yourself! Everybody says they know their truth and they know what they need to do, but somehow there is something in the back of their mind that tells them that it wouldn't ever work that way. It is COMPLETELY possible to build a business that is successful just by listening to yourself. Blogs, Books & Podcasts: Influence - The Psycology of Persuasion Robert Caldini - Amazon Link Content Warfare Podcast with Ryan Hanley On Track Tips - Strategy Development for Small Business with Jason Wiser Breakthrough Business Strategies with Michelle Price Looking Back: Don't be afraid of failure. It's just a part of life. Have more hutzpa! Interview Links: Click Here to Subscribe in iTunes Follow us via Stitcher Listen in via RSS Ready to unleash YOUR Purpose? Sign up for our free weekly The Online Biz Workshop @ TheOnlineBizWebinar ________________________ The post ep#28 Redefine and Redesign your Life with Stephanie Calahan appeared first on .

  Liz Brazier is a productivity and accountability guru whose mission is centered on working with entrepreneurs. Her motto is “it's finally time to figure out how to get the right shit done!” She brings her message and tools to the world through her company, Live Your Life Now. Liz, a native of New Zealand, has spent over 13 years in corporate America, and over 23 years cumulatively in the corporate world. After 23 years, Liz decided that it was finally time to leave that world and create one of her own, where she can have the freedom to "live her life now!" Inspiration: As a native of New Zealand, Liz's family, namely her parents still live there. During a recent trip back home, she realized how lucky she is to still have them in her life, and she wanted the freedom to be able to be there and travel, but still come back to her new home in the US. After being empowered by reading Danielle LaPorte's The Fire Starter Sessions, and this realization from her trip, Liz knew she had to make a change. Challenge:  After quitting her corporate job, Liz had to figure out what  her message was, what unique qualities that she could brand. Another challenge was one that Liz feels effects so many people, is how to stop listening to that negative voice in your head that tells you "you can't". She quickly determined that using what made her so successful in her career is what so many people need help with: accountability and productivity. Though joining a mastermind group with like-minded people, she found the tools she needed to calm the negative voice and create her brand.  Passion: Liz's passion is to work one on one with her clients providing accountability coaching and 60-day productivity “rebooting”. Using these tools, her goal is to launch a 2nd podcast called “Get The Right Shit Done”, and for the next two years to be filled with speaking, workshops and her ultimate - live events. She would like to be known as THE Accountability Coach for Entrepreneurs to help everyone live their lives now!   Advice: “Be yourself, everyone else is taken” by Oscar Wilde truly sums up how Liz feels about her journey from faking her contempt with the corporate world where she felt like she was trying to be someone else. Once she decided it was time to stop and no longer worry about being someone else, she realized her true self, becoming much happier in the process. None of us know what we are doing. Well we do to a point, but all of us have fears, doubts, challenges and uncertainties that compel us to compare ourselves to others, making us inadequate. In reality, we are all just trying to figure it out and we are all dealing with these same things! You just have to keep moving forward. It is incredibly important to not close your mind and discount the knowledge and experience you already have from your previous experiences, whether it is from the corporate world or otherwise. Apply the skills and knowledge you have already learned in your business. Everyone, especially entrepreneurs, underestimate the time that they have, they think that they have more time than they actually do. There are 168 hours in a week, when you take out working and sleeping you have just over 60 hours to get things done. Manage your time wisely. Entrepreneurs Resource: Focus@Will is a tool that plays music tied to neuroscience. It is designed to keep the limbic part of your brain focused. It keeps you in the moment and more productive! Unroll.me helps you to clean out your inbox and either unsubscribe or roll emails into a weekly update. Lastpass stores all of your logins and reduces your password frustration.  Asana is an extremely helpful project management tool that help you stay productive and on task.  Zapier helps you to integrate just about everything online at will so that you can customize your productivity.  Blogs,

Adam Urbanski is a marketing strategist and mentor who works with coaches, consultants, and service professionals. Adam came to the U.S. in the late 80s, unable to speak English and broke, to follow his entrepreneurial dreams. After years of hard work and passionate mentoring, he now calls himself the “Grandaddy of Marketing Online." Inspiration: Adam came to the U.S. as a polish immigrant carrying only $194 in his pocket. What he did possess in abundance was a passion for sharing information with others and a hunger for more, which led him into the world of business. While running a successful restaurant business, Adam realized that his favorite part was communicating with others and teaching them how to become more successful. This revelation inspired Adam to create his consulting business. Challenge:  After selling his multi-million dollar restaurant business to become a consultant (at the age of twenty-nine), Adam quickly ascertained that he did not fit the typical image of his profession. At that time, competent consultants were expected to have grey hair and wear three-piece suits. In order to overcome this obstacle, Adam hired a sales coach to teach him the skills that would ultimately set him apart. It was only when he adopted the sales psychology and confidence to ask for big bucks that Adam started seeing massive results. Passion: Adam's passion is to continue his vision of awakening people to possibility and opportunity through building a highly successful business and turning it into  an educational empire. Advice: Be smart enough to ask questions… and then shut up and listen. If you want to be successful in business, find a need and fill it. But if you want to be filthy rich, create a market and control it. In order to achieve the highest level, you have to build, and actively grow, a following. It is important to remember that there is always someone out there that is hungrier, has a bigger vision, and is more attuned to the new technologies than you. If you are not asking yourself the question, “How do I disrupt the industry?,” rest assured that they are and they'll put you out of business sooner or later. Even though it may sound counterintuitive to how he was brought up, Adam swears by the words once spoken to him: “The less you do, the more you make.” Realize your zone of genius and focus on that - let other people help you with everything else. Entrepreneurs Resource: RoboForm stores all your login information for any number of services that you subscribe to.  MySpeed from Enounce will allow you to listen to any audio at up to three times the speed in order to save you a lot of your precious time.  Blogs, Books & Podcasts: Michael Hyatt The Secret of Selling Anything by Harry Browne  Looking Back:  If Adam could go back in time and change anything, he would most definitely fail faster in order to get used to the negative emotions and continue improving his business. Interview Links: John on Google+ John's LinkedIn page Click Here to Subscribe in iTunes Follow us via Stitcher Listen in via RSS If you like the show do me a BIG favor and leave a rating and review on iTunes and Share this episode with others by clicking the Social Links on the left. Thanks for listening!   Ready to unleash YOUR Purpose? Sign up for our free weekly Unleash! Workshop @ TheBreakthroughAcademy ________________________ [saf] The post Ep #14: Awakening Others to Possibility and Opportunity with Adam Urbanski appeared first on .