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JB: Talk to me about your journey and what got you here?PA:Always wanted to be a professional athlete, went for college golf. Had some injuries and wasn’t playing well enough. Friend at UC Riverside (undergrad), coached him to pursue Grad school even though it wasn’t on his radar.  Had a background in psychology...what pairs sports and Psych?Went to SDSU - nice enough to let him in even though maybe wasn’t deserved.  He worked and has made them proud!  Thought he would be an applied practitioner to work with olympians and pro athletes….building private practice was challenging...found some opportunities to TEACH...a way to help others….the main reason he got into in the first place. Back to school got a Doctorate in Sports & performance Psych - Balance of Research, evidence based practitioner, based in Science & Research. Which then allows him to work with elite athletes, military, business leaders. Got lucky a few times and capitalized on it every timeJB: How is this field evolving? What are you most excited about?PA:Has been in the industry for 10+ years, still feels like a nobody but has knowledge and experience.  You hear the same thing all the time, bickering about title usage, constructs, etc. The exciting part is that Performance Psychology is far more normalized. Psychology had so much Stigma and people viewed that as a weakness, still undertones there, military/athletics/medicine. It’s not about fixing something that’s broken but unleash something that’s already inherent in you. People may reach out when things are off, but that doesn't preclude them from doing this work when things are going well.  Which is becoming more normalized and accepted.People are becoming more accepting and realize that they are part of a team and aren’t afraid to talk about it.  JB: We see coaching starting to become more popular, widely recognized.  Clients will share praise with me when really it’s just helping them unlock the best in themselves. What makes a really good coaching client? Or someone who is coachable?PA:The biggest thing I look for is engagement.  You show up prepared, you’re actively participating, you’re open minded and willing to take that feedback. If you show up and do the work. Professional side- a few clients that weren’t there. Academic - People who slack, don’t pay attention, make excuses, get called on it and they are confused why they are held to a high standard. I expect you to be as invested in this as I am. This is a collaborative effort.I’m a Doctor and some people will call me doctor.  Most people I’ll say just call me, Paul. No hierarchy. We are collaborating, working together with a similar goal in mind. I don’t expect that DR title or need that to be above you and we are working together. JB: Sales manager is one of the least prepared roles and coaching is an area that many managers struggle with. How do you avoid ego in coaching and what advice would you give to new managers?PA:John Wooden is one of my coaching idols and has a lot of great philosophies - It’s not about being better than someone else or comparing yourself to someone else. Focus more on you and what you have to do. Be as good as yourself.Not about being better than someone else, focus on what you have to do vs. someone else. If you do your best you can be the most valuable asset to the teamYou can be the best and still focus on your own growth and improvement every single day. Not about what everyone else is doing, it’s about doing your best. JB: How do you win every day?PA:I’m a big fan of Self-confidence and it’s one of the core skills I teach my clients.Self-efficacy = situation specific self confidence. 4 factors:Past Performance Success = Strongest impact on confidence but most folks don’t focus hereVicarious Experience- modelingSelf-talkOptimal ArousalPPS= looked at from very binary experience.  I don’t have the results, sales, the experience, etc. If this is the way you look at it, you will lose more than you win.The more confident you are, the better you perform.  There is this upward mobility. If you are less confident you are the less successful.FOCUS ON DAILY WINS. WIN THE DAYThe 3 things I push everyday are:Optimal attitude (what do you need to have to perform at your best everyday?)Maximum Effort- when things aren’t going well, people phone it in...we’ve all done it. No matter the situation, give Maximum Effort. Daily Improvement- Performance compounds even if you aren’t there today, you can get there. Then you’ll be there a day week, month from now.If you win every single day, how confident will you be after that?JB: It’s so easy to get lost on the things outside of our control.  Stoicism talks a lot about focusing on what is within your control so you don’t get stuck in a downward spiral.  I love the question; What type of attitude do I need to show up with today? Leveraging a growth mindset, this type of attitude can be built and developedDo you see any difference between successful performers and un-successful performers?PA:I wouldn’t say it’s different across athletics, business, etc. The similarities are the same between high-performers wherever you go. Lower performers have an ideal of Perfectionism. An idea that everything is different or unique and requires a ton of attention. NO I’m going to dedicate maximum time, effort, everyday. Self-belief is critical. I had no business getting into grad school, GPA was well below what was required, the admissions team told him he had some issues.  I believe in myself, believe I can be successful, give me a shot. Sometimes you’re going to be the only person that believes in yourself and need to push yourself. You need to be your best friend JB: You have to be your own advocate because nobody will stand up for you if you can’t stand up for yourself. What do you think about fake it until you make it?PA:Self-fulfilling prophecy- the things we say or believe, invariably come true. “I’m going to bomb this meeting”  the likelihood is I’m going to fail with that thought.Humans would rather be right, than do something that is beneficial to them. I’m going to go in and believe in myself until i get there. Just believing it doesn’t manifest it.  Once you have it in your mind, THEN you lay out the plan of attack.  JB: What is the difference between Golfers getting to elite performance? PA:People tend to think, If I just set a goal it’ll all take care of itself. And that’s not how it works. Put a conscious effort to understand where I am strong, how do I enhance those? What areas am I weak, and where can I clean it up?Decisiveness & Commitment- many golfers know the shot that needs to be hit, but don’t have the confidence. Test taking 70-80% likelihood of success in trusting your gut if you have done some prep work. Vs. going back and re-reading the question 5,6,7 times. Trust your gut, be decisive and just own it. I would rather you make the WRONG decision and be 100% confident in it. The shot you are committed to will be better than the one you aren't JB: How do you help folks bounce back?PA:Positive shot library - so you can pull it out at anytimeHave small wins. Client couldn’t hit a driver - don’t care if you’re uncomfortable, let's get the ball in play.  Let’s get up and hit it solidly...then narrow the target. Find the little wins to gain a little more confidence. Now eliminate the big misses. More and more success. The human mind is naturally drawn to the failures and the things you do poorly. JB: How does a gratitude practice serve us? Our brain has been programmed for many years to be negative. PA:This is pure evolution. No saber tooth tigers running around now. Clients jot down a few things daily as to what happened to them, that went well. End of the week makes it easy to go back and remember what went well. If I asked you to list 3 good things that happened to you today, how hard would that be?Many people STRUGGLE and it shows how challenging that is.If I wanted you to list 3 bad things, that would be SO EASY. Emphasize the idea of WHAT WENT WELL TODAY?Strengths based consulting - positive psychologyNot only does this help us track what’s going well, it gives us JB: How do you tailor your approach to different people with different perspectives?PA:Observe them to get perspective. Ask people around them. Ask Them. Take all this information together, the more I have the better I can make those decisions. Some people it takes time so we need to build rapport.  Share some of my own challenges and struggles. You’re a Human. I’m a human. Lots of remote consulting, working with clients around the world. Some built-in travel sessions to re-establish the human connection. I’m really good at what I do because I keep that human piece. It feels like we are so far apart. Many years ago, on a cruise with his wife, stopped at a beach in Barbados. 4,000 miles from California, and realized they have a connection around Tupac, could build rapport easily.  Just find one thing in common and it makes it so much easier.JB:Lots of differences are seen and we easily forget how closely related we are as humans. You get on a ski lift with someone and it makes rapport building so easyPA:6 degrees of Kevin Bacon, we are so closely connected and we forget that so easil4 year old daughter try to instill a love of other cultures in her. She has has 4 passport stamps! Teaching her to speak basic Spanish. You see the happiness in the people’s eyes to show them you are valuable and a human.  JB:Talk to me about effective mission statements PA:Mission statements are tricky. Typically stated from the top-level of an organizationAs that mission statement gets distilled down, lower levels may be more disconnected, it feels very forced. Similar in athletics and team settings. Work to create personalized mission statements. End of day the team (business, military, athletic) you all have an idea of what you want from THAT experience. What do you want from this experience?What are the attitudes we can all buy into? The effort expectations that we have? The Social component? Recognition. What is an attitude we expect of yourself, or our teammates that we can all support?What’s the effort expectation and what does that actionable behavior look like?Recognition; from yourself? Your peers? What do you want to be recognized for?Now I’m more engaged and able to benefit everyone at a higher level. Try to think mission personally, what do I/we want?Done in a team- everyone has to agree to it. They can now hold each other accountable to the expectations!Individual employees are going to think you’re trying to trick them. The person running it needs to be hands off and just let it go. People look to the boss, the coach that creates confusion, let them create what they want JB:What do most people get wrong about mental skills?PA:That people think they need to feel COMFORTABLE in order to perform at a high levelI bring a lot back to confidence as it’s a really important thing.People want to feel calm, cool, collected. If you can have that feeling, GREAT. Challenge is naturally a high performance environment that creates challenge, stress, discomfort. Trying to get comfortable will be tough because your environment is naturally creating discomfort. While I want to be comfortable, I’m OK not being comfortable. How can I perform in this as much as I can?THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS IS NOW!MJ- Tee last Dance - Why would I be concerned about taking a shot I haven’t even taken yet?!Wasting tons of energy focused on something that hasn’t even happened. Good things & bad things will happen. It is what it is.  For you it’s up to you as to HOW YOU RESPOND TO IT? How do you solve the new problem vs. I feel bad/sad/uncomfortable JB: Love winning or hate losing?PA: I hate to lose. Bothers me to my core. Very competitive person. I really like winning though. Not sure I can answer it. I always try and find a win in something- more of the winning piece. Men’s golf club- last week played terribly, and wasn't pleased with how I scored.  Get to 18th Hole to birdie and shoot 79, but making birdie on 18 makes lunch taste better and the day feel betterJB: What does success mean to you?PA:"Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best you are capable of becoming." - John Wooden Paul.ashbrook@gmail.comLinkedIn 

Tim Hoffman, a patron of the pod, gets to pick the topic. We discuss Robert Pollard's Fading Captain series of albums from 1999. -Robert Pollard, "Kid Marine" -Lexo and the Leapers, "Ask Them" -Nightwalker, "In Shop we Build Electric Chairs" -Robert Pollard with Doug Gillard, "Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department" Episode editor: Mary Edelberg Become a Rockin' the Suburbs patron - support the show and get bonus content - at Patreon.com/suburbspod (http://patreon.com/suburbspod) Subscribe to Rockin' the Suburbs on Apple Podcasts/iTunes or other podcast platforms, including audioBoom, Spotify, Google Play, SoundCloud, Stitcher and TuneIn. Or listen at SuburbsPod.com (http://suburbspod.com/) . Please rate/review the show on Apple Podcasts/iTunes and share it with your friends. Visit our website at SuburbsPod.com (http://suburbspod.com/) Email Jim & Patrick at rock@suburbspod.com Follow us on the Twitter, Facebook or Instagram @suburbspod If you're glad or sad or high, call the Suburban Party Line — 612-440-1984. Theme music: "Ascension," originally by Quartjar, covered by Frank Muffin. Visit quartjar.bandcamp.com (http://quartjar.bandcamp.com/) and frankmuffin.bandcamp.com (http://frankmuffin.bandcamp.com/) (c) Artie S. Industries LLC

Why You Need a Winter Wellbeing Plan Many people are talking about feeling low, fed up and struggling. That’s why I’m talking this week about why you need a winter wellbeing plan in your organisation, what you can do to get that started AND how you, as an individual, can boost your winter wellbeing and what are they key things to encourage others to do too. Looking at a Winter Wellbeing Plan is important right now, because if we help you to be able to support yourself or to support the people in your organisation then you and your people will feel better.  This has a positive impact on your own performance and well being and the performance of others. I've been working with a number of organisations to successfully deliver virtual trainings on all sorts of Wellbeing at Work topics such as: Working Well at Home Healthy Work Life Boundaries Mental Health Awareness for Managers Mental Health Awareness for Individuals Everything I deliver is very practical because (you'll know if you listen to my podcast) that I am all about making things easy and giving you top tips that you can take away with you. Some feedback that I had recently said I have been to a few webinars and this is the only one I have actual takeaways Emma knew her stuff had a good style and was real and I will take on board many items from her presentation she actually made me feel good and bright! If you'd like more information then get in touch with me about providing this for your organisation.   Working through the pandemic is challenging for many different reasons - and those can differ from person to person - that's why it's important to take time to refresh our routines and look at the winter wellbeing plan. What can employers do to make sure their winter wellbeing plan is effective and fits with the overall strategy? Conduct Employee Surveys and Research I see so many social media posts where people are asking “what can I do to boost engagement / bring some fun / get people together”  My answer every single time ... Ask Them. Surveys are incredibly valuable to help orgs understand what staff want AND what staff are struggling with.  However asking the right questions means you’ll get specific answers and information rather than broad generalised answers. It really is the only way to get information.  It’s also the best way – if you survey regularly to track improvements and monitor the impact of what you’re providing. Talk to me if you want info on surveys. Promote Initiatives Well Whatever it is that you decide to put in place ensure employees know what you’re offering. How are you going to tell people when so many are still working from home ?  The usual poster on the noticeboard isn’t enough.  And people needs to be told more than once- how many times have you read something and had a great intention to do it / look at it – then forgot or got time overtaken by other things?  It’s the same with other people too.   That's why you need to ensure you promote your initiatives really well.   Implement Year-Round Wellbeing Plans People won’t take the time to engage in a fad and a one off thing.  Your winter wellbeing plan and initiatives are an integral part of any wellbeing offering, it is fundamental that wellbeing schemes are run throughout the year rather than just as standalone seasonal promotions - otherwise you won’t get the results you’re hoping for.  I shouldn’t need to tell you this – you know this right? Wellbeing and winter wellbeing needs to be part of your business year round.  Talk to me about creating an entire annual wellbeing plan. How Can You Boost Your Own Winter Wellbeing? There are things we can do for ourselves and each other which really can help.  Think about how are you feeling... Are you taking breaks? Are you sitting for long periods? Are you staying hydrated and eating well? Do you have a good work life balance? Listen in to the podcast where I share what I've noticed in myself and what I'm doing about my winter wellbeing during lockdown. Regulate Your Diet I’m not a dietician but I think we all know we need to eat what’s good for us – so protein keeps you full, balances blood sugar, keeps your head clear and focussed. Reduce the caffeine and sugar  - I said this on a webinar last week about Managing Stress and Anxiety to Improve Performance and someone said about cutting out coffee and how hard it was.  So there's more about this on the podcast but in essence, cut down the intake. Limit the News The news is often a constant source of bad news and limiting the amount of news and social media you read can really help your positivity and mental wellbeing. Stay Connected I’ll be talking about connections in the next episode, and they are hugely important – so find a way to meet someone, go for a walk, I keep saying it’s ok to meet at the supermarket!! Create Coping Strategies Go back to previous podcasts where I talk more about this. Top 3 tips to handle stress Work Life balance Improve mental health. Get Out and About Think about the time of day you get out an about and be active – remember the morning and evenings have no daylight.  This was traditionally the time of year we went to work in the dark and came home in the dark – now we don’t even go out! When working from home it is very easy to sit at your desk all day and not move, however making sure you are staying active is extremely important both for your wellbeing and for your health. If you can get out in daylight – great and it will boost your Vitamin D which is good for mood so that’s a bonus.  If not – try and get out and about anyway doing something. Sleep Not getting enough sleep can affect your physical and your mental health. Establish a bedtime routine to help you relax before you go to bed. Get Support If you find you are struggling, reach out to those around you, whether that be family, friends or something else, please do reach out.   I hope that's been helpful and you can see valid reasons why you need to create a winter wellbeing plan, for yourself and your organisation.  It's vital to improve employee health and motivation, which increases performance and also vital for you as an individual to support better mental health and boost your mood.   Please do make sure you hit ‘subscribe’ so that don’t miss an episode.     If you haven’t yet  left a review, please do go and find the little button to leave a review and let me know your thoughts, key take-aways and what you value from the podcast.   Join my corporate leadership and wellbeing newsletter HERE   If you want to be increasing your performance so that you’re more resilient in these current times, so that you can focus easily, use tools and techniques to deal with all the current and unknown challenges then make sure that you either drop me an email to emma@emmalangton.com .   Or head over to my website and you can find the contact page and either send me a email from there or book an appointment straight into my diary – saving all that to-ing and fro-ing that you get when we try to get space in people’s diary.

The following is just some of the information that we’ve covered in this podcast, in case you wanted to skip ahead and explore a specific topic.Use a Killer Subject Line [2:06]Not Be Boring [5:40]Strip Down All Your Graphics [8:51]Talk to Them Like a Friend [11:01]Study the Herd and Do the Opposite [12:08]Make it Visceral [12:54]Don’t Ask Them to Buy, Click or Act – Tell Them! [13:34]Segment Your Emails to Different Lists [16:20]Use Visuals [16:43]Don’t Forget to Track Results [17:16] If you liked this episode and you want to stay updated on the latest strategies to grow and scale your practice, subscribe to our Podcast Channel and you will never miss a beat!

We all know how yucky it feels to be spammed... but are you accidentally a spammer yourself? In today's episode, we're going to figure it out. You might not even know that you're being spammy, so I want to share my experience of social media etiquette, and how I ensure I don't create a spammy feel. Want to learn more? Watch on below! What makes for spam on social media? First and foremost, what is spam? At its core, spam is unwanted marketing. In most cases, when we think of spam, we think about unwanted emails. The first iterations of spam were all of the unrequested emails promoting products and services straight into our inbox. When I first started my business, most businesses didn't even ask for permission in order to send you emails. You could actually buy lists of email addresses from companies and just cold spam a bunch of people. We've come a long way when it comes to protecting our inboxes from unwanted marketing emails and protecting them from spam! We also have a really great filters these days (sometimes they’re even a little too good at their job). But these filters take what looks like spam or unwanted marketing material and puts it into a separate space for us to go and check it out if we want to, without cluttering things up. Whilst email is so much more protected and looked after these days, we can also be quite spammy on social media. Social media is another space where you can unintentionally be putting your marketing material in front of a bunch of people who didn't ask for it. And that can feel really spammy. We want to be mindful that on social media channels, we have the appropriate permissions to send people information, and that we're not coming across as spamming the internet with unwanted marketing materials. How do you know how much is too much? Well, lucky for you, I've got four key things for you to look out for! Be mindful of the space you’re in. The posts you put on your Facebook page are quite different to promoting your products and services in Facebook groups, and still quite different to reaching out and private messaging someone to tell them about your products and services. Just be mindful of the permission level you have for promoting your products and services in that space. For example, on your Facebook business page, it is entirely reasonable for you to promote your products and services quite consistently. In fact, for most women in business, I would say they under-promote their products and services in that space.  Your Facebook business page is one place where you have a free ticket to promote as you like. When it comes to understanding what's too much, and what's unsolicited, think about the space.  I like to keep a ratio of five non-promo posts to every one promo post for my audience so that there's a great balance between promoting things and giving tips, advice and information for free. That's the ratio that I like to keep, but you can 100% have just promos on your Facebook page if you want to.  It's your space. It's your decision. The second space to be mindful of is when you're in other people's Facebook groups. In most cases, they have guidelines around how often you can promote products and services.  For example, in my Facebook community, the Heart-Centred Soul Driven Entrepreneurs Facebook Community, we have "market day" for promoting paid offers, and on "freebie day" you can promote free offers. We actually have two out of seven days where you are encouraged and asked to promote into that space. The thing I find a little troubling which can make you look quite spammy without you even realizing, is that on the other five days of the week, a lot of people try to weave a little bit of a sneaky thinly veiled promo for their services right into the theme for the day.  They might say something like “I’m giving myself a shout out because I'm such a good coach,” or whatever it might be. If you do that too much in these spaces, you need to be mindful of how that makes you seem spammy in the space, right? But it's really easy for people in those Facebook communities to tell when you're trying to use a selfie post to also sneakily talk about your webinar that's happening next week, or when you're trying to use a genius tip post to also sneakily tell people about your book coming out soon. Honestly, people have really switched on to notice these types of things. And you might think you're fooling people or tricking the admins and sneaking around the rules of that community. But ultimately, the person you're doing the biggest disservice to is yourself. You’re also doing a big disservice to your potential clients, because you're likely turning them off. Instead, I would suggest that when you are in those groups, make sure you have a really good balance. People want to connect with other human beings. That's why they are in those groups. If you’re only there showing up as the perfectly polished person who is constantly trying to mention creating their own healing modality or that they got a $10,000 client or had a $50,000 day, (just hoping to plant a seed for people to be keen on your offer next offer day), then chances are, you're actually missing the whole point of being in that community. You may actually be turning a lot of good quality leads away. The third space I want to talk about on social media is private messaging. Here is my hard and fast rule: If you don't have explicit permission to send someone a private message, don't send one. That's as simple as it gets. I would have I would say there are about 200 to 300 people in my close circle of entrepreneurs I hang out with who would be totally happy to receive a private message from me. In 99% of those cases, I wouldn't be sending them a promo anyway. But I may reach out to those people and say, hey, I've got a new boot camp and I think you said something about wanting to do it. Message me to send you the details. So I might private message someone who I knew was interested in my stuff and didn't have explicit permission to private message, but have a really strong relationship with. If I don't know that person, have never met them in real life, or don’t have a strong connection with that person, I would not be private messaging that person with a promo! This is a really common misconception about social media.  Unfortunately it's a commonly taught, but very dodgy strategy - to befriend as many people as you can on social media. Ugh! It goes something like this: Start a private message conversation with them not about your products and services, but then try and move the conversation towards your products and services over a period of time. Honestly, it’s really freaking hard work and most people see through what you're doing anyway.  AND it's not a smart marketing approach, because you're starting a relationship with someone based on deception. It's not fun. So when it comes to private messaging, I recommend you ask for exclusive permission first.  For example, if someone comments on a Facebook post that you've done, and they say, oh, wow, that sounds really interesting, I'd love to hear more about that. Then say to them, Oh, wonderful, is it okay if I send you a private message with more info.  ASK THEM – it’s totally beautiful for you to do that permission sequence and ask for the permission first. Now, I want to give you an offline equivalent of what this would be like in terms of how to navigate it because sometimes, online etiquette is really hard because we're not used to it. If we think about it in an offline way, we know how to navigate that kind of social setting. Think about yourself going to a networking event, right? Let's say Facebook is a giant networking event. You wouldn't walk into the room and start pulling people aside one by one by saying, Hey did you know I do life coaching and am qualified at the fourth level and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and my packages start from 295, right? You wouldn't start a conversation like that with people in real life. If you went to a networking event, you wouldn't immediately go and take the microphone off the person running the event to say, “Excuse me, everyone, I just need you all to know I provide VIP health coaching services to help people with overcoming diabetes,” and then every five minutes grab that microphone again to say, “By the way, I just want to remind you in case new people have arrived, I help people with diabetes.” You don't want to be that person, right??! So think of social media as a giant networking event and ask yourself - Is it your space? Are you running that event? If you are, you're on your own Facebook business page, and that's your stage, so you get to promote yourself as much as you like. But at someone else's networking event, i.e. in a Facebook group, it's not your stage to take over all of the time. Just behave appropriately as though you were in a networking group that was someone else's event. I know that a lot of coaches teach much more aggressive strategies. But I must tell you, after seven years of running my business online, mostly through Facebook, I've been very successful, and have grown my business phenomenally without ever needing to be a spammer in the Facebook space. Be mindful of the balance. You might think about the ratio of giving versus asking in your social media strategy. If on your social media platforms, you are there thinking, “What can I get? What sales can I make? How much money could I make today? How can I make more money?” - Chances are, you're not going to have that really beautiful balance. We want to have a balance of showing up and serving and then also asking.  It's the giving and the asking. When I'm on social media, 80% of the time I'm there to give - doing Facebook Live sharing tips, creating trainings or promos or genius tips or whatever it might be. I'm there just giving.  I'm there helping people with how to create their promo. I might be recommending ways for people to do messaging, or get more followers, or promote themselves. Whether I'm giving tips and advice, giving space for other people to promote themselves, giving cheer and support, or answering people's questions, 80% of my time on social media is truly social and in the space of giving.  The other 20% of my time on social media is my “ask,” so that might be inviting people to come to my webinar, telling people about my new VIP package, or letting people know about my TakeOff program. So I have this beautiful balance of 80% giving and 20% asking.  Now I'm not saying 80/20 is the perfect balance for everyone. Everyone is unique. I know some people who are really successful with a 50/50 approach. I know some people who are really successful with a 95/5 approach so it's totally about what feels comfortable for you. I would say for most women, they are more on the side of giving too much and asking too little. So just be mindful of that.  Maybe just push yourself to be a little bit more open about how people can work with you. Be mindful of that balance. When it comes to being mindful of balance, another thing I would suggest is being in fewer spaces. Many people get out of balance with giving and asking because they're trying to spread themselves too thin over social media. They've got TikTok, they've got Instagram, they've got a Facebook page, and they're in 15 different Facebook groups where they're trying to show up every single day. When you're trying to be in all those spaces at once, the entrepreneurial brain will default to trying to make sales in a rush all the time. If you find yourself on social media feeling rushed all of the time, and you're in too many spaces, that is something which can inadvertently tip your balance to be always spamming and asking and never really being truly present giving in that space. So if you find yourself in that situation, I would recommend thinking about what spaces you can cut out. Can you just be in three Facebook groups? Can you just focus on Facebook and one other social media channel for now?  You don't need to be nailing it in every single space all at once! In most cases, trying to spread yourself too thin means you nail it nowhere. Be mindful of that balance between giving and asking and maybe just being fewer spaces as well. Instead, show up more fully in the ones that you choose. Be mindful of value. Think about why other people are actually there in that space. Most people on social media are there for social things. They are there because they want to see funny cat videos, or keep up to date with what their friends are up to. Other entrepreneurs are there because they want to be growing their business and being present with their audiences. So don't just think about why you are in this space. Think about why other people are in that space. When it comes to your Facebook page or your Instagram – ask yourself: Why are people following you? Are they really following you because they want to be first to know about every single product or service that you've got to offer? Or are they following you because they want to get some value or some advice? Maybe they want to be inspired. They want to get to know you as a human being. Consider why people are following you in that space. Think about Facebook groups. Why are people in those Facebook groups? We don't turn on the TV just to watch the ads, right? The ads are a necessary price we pay for the quality TV programming that we get to watch (and I say that a little jokingly because I don't really love commercial TV, but you get the picture, right?) Most people aren't going into Facebook groups to see what they can buy. Most people are in those spaces to connect with other people, get some support, see what they can sell, and who they can bring into their own audience. And the beautiful thing is, we can each get all of our needs met if we are mindful of why everyone else is there. As long as we're not just focusing on our own selfish desire to go in and just spend 10 minutes to get some sales, get some money, withdraw it from the Facebook bank, and then get on with our lives. So have a think about why other people are there, what value they're looking for from their experience, and how you can add to that experience for them. I know for myself when I'm in Facebook communities, I'm not just there to sell.  Sure, I love growing my audience and growing my business, but I'm also there to be supported as a human being, and to feel like I'm not alone in this thing. And I'm also there to feel like I can help and support other people. We're all in this together.  A rising tide lifts all ships. I want to find some really light-hearted, like-minded women and take me with them, right? I feel like if we all just work together, we're all going to be way more successful. When I go into spaces in which I'm not able to show up as that whole version of myself, and I'm just constantly being bombarded with a bunch of spam, it's so much less valuable to me.  When people there are asking questions but don't actually care about the answer, they only care about the number of replies they get to grow their algorithm to get better rates to make more sales - I have to tell you, I don't get value out of that space when I hang out there much. And I don't hang out there as often. We are responsible as the members of social media, as the members of those Facebook groups, as the people who are in that space - we are responsible for creating the culture, the environment and the value proposition that we also want to experience. So just think about that and be mindful of that and think about how you might be able to nurture a more connecting experience for people - something that people are going to enjoy way more. One thing I know 100% for sure is that the more people getting cheered on in social media, getting supportive comments, being asked really meaningful questions, and being told they're doing amazing work, the more often they show up every single day. If I can be more of a cheering person on social media, I am going to be more of that cheering person, because I know that those people are going to come back next the next day. They will keep coming back for weeks and weeks, and we will grow to be a really beautiful community of women who love each other, support each other and we all succeed together. I'm not just on social media for what I want to say. I'm also there to listen, to witness other people, and to support other people as well.  I may do that with encouraging words, by buying their products and services, following their Facebook page, signing up for their mailing list, or coming to their webinar. I try and do as much of that as I can because I know it creates the kind of space I want to be in. In most cases, if you're conscious of wanting to NOT be a spammer, then in most cases you're likely to not be too spammy. If you're thinking about this and worrying about being too spammy, in most cases, you're not. Usually it's not the people who worry about it!  It's those who are like, okay, I just need to get in, get out, get my spam done. So I just want to reassure you, that if you have been listening along to this, and you're like, “Oh, I still don't know how much is too much. I think I better tone it down. I don't want to promote my business anymore,” please don’t make that your takeaway from this podcast. As long as you're mindful of the space, mindful of the balance and mindful of the value of why people are there, then 99.9% of the time, you are totally fine. And in most cases, I need to encourage women to promote their products and services more often, rather than less. If you are still new to navigating online spaces and promoting your business on social media, and particularly being part of groups, I have a really great resource for you, and it's a free course. It's got four modules, and is really simple, but it's really powerful. It’s called Heart Centred Group Strategy. Head on over to the show notes at tashcorbin.com/211, and you'll be able to find the link to the Heart Centred Group Strategy training. I would highly recommend that you check it out because it gives you some really great strategies on how to maximize the return on investment for your time in being involved in Facebook communities, and also how to understand some of the finer points of etiquette so that you are not showing up as a spammer. You’ll be less likely to have your posts deleted or have admins kick you out of spaces and those sorts of things. So if you're worried about it, make sure you go and check out the Heart Centred Group Strategy training because it is really helpful, very practical, and goes into a lot of those finer details. As always, I'd love to know if you’ve got any questions? Have you had any lightbulb moments? Come on over to the Heart-Centred Soul Driven Entrepreneurs Facebook Community, use the #podcastaha and let me know you've been listening to episode 211. Until next time, beautiful entrepreneur, I cannot wait to see you shine. Big Love from me and I'll see you over on socials. Bye for now!      

THE VIDEO LINK FOR THIS SHOW   The Gary Null Show is here to inform you on the best news in health, healing, the environment.    The Videos Played on Today's Show  1. Do College Students Hate Free Speech? Let's Ask Them. 2. The Truth Why Everyone is Suddenly Getting Offended 3. Life Is Worth Losing - Dumb Americans - George Carlin      

Ever ask yourself, "How do I uncover how people want to be managed, sold to, motivated, even held accountable?" If you find yourself struggling to answer these questions, then you're asking the wrong person. Ask THEM! Ask the person who you're coaching and supporting. They will happily tell you! Then, you avoid the costly and assumptive thinking, "Well, this is how I like to be managed, so I guess they'll want to be managed this way, too." Now, you've fallen into the dangerous trap of coaching and managing in your own image, which will continually erode TRUST and performance. So, if you want to build a team of accountable champions, honor each person's individuality.

This week’s episode is an incredible interview with Mike Stelzner, the creator of Social Media Examiner and Social Media Marketing World. As an expert in the social media marketing world, I wanted to speak to Mike to find out how he uses his platform to stand out in a busy industry. We look at what makes people successful, giving his formula for creating content that people will want to engage with. Key Takeaways Covered in the Podcast ·      The speed in which social media moves is one of the biggest challenges for those working in a social industry, as well as those using social media to grow their business. Luckily, it’s starting to slow down. ·      You don’t have to be on every single social media platform. Instead, you need to ensure you’re putting your energy into the spaces where your customers are. ·      Social media is great when it comes to tracking your results. If you’re struggling to track your results, however, you need to ensure you’re making goals to ‘stop’ things as well. ·      If you want to stand out in a noisy industry is to understand exactly who you are trying to reach. Who is that somebody? What struggles do they have? What do they do? When you create something, remind yourself of the person you’re creating it for. ·      Once you know who you’re trying to reach, you need to ensure you’re creating content for that person. This could be a podcast, written word, video or live and in person. Think about what you’re best at. ·      If you don’t know what your customers want, ASK THEM. Once you have asked your audience, you need to see if their actions are matching their statements. Clear signs are the messages you receive from your followers. ·      Not everyone is supposed to be in your tribe. ·      If you’re not putting information out there, someone else is. You want to be the resource that people come to every single time they need information. ·      We should all be doing stuff that makes it easier for people to remember who we are. ·      The formula for success is ‘great content + other people – marketing messages = growth’. When it comes to your business you need to ensure you have amazing content, strong connections and less of a pitch. This is the Elevation Principle. ·      The best way to make an impact on someone in person is to meet them in person. ·      Social media is called social media for a reason. If you’re not a nice person, you won’t survive. ·       One thing you need to remember above all else… One of the most important things you can do when it comes to social media is be yourself. Successful people are authentic. Highlights you Simply Can’t Miss·      Introducing Mike – 6:00 ·      Social Media is Ever Changing – 12:10 ·      Tracking Your Results – 17:15 ·      How to Stand Out in a Noisy Industry - 21:10 ·      Creating Connections Through Details - 33:15 ·      The Importance of Relationships - 37:38 ·      The Future for Social Media Marketing World – 49:30

Most businesses try to ‘wing it’ when it comes to anticipating what your customers are looking for in a product or service. One of the best ways to figure out what’s their next move is to ASK THEM. We’re going to show you a few secrets on how to uncover your best customer’s buying habits. Reach out - let us know how we're doing: info@twoheadschannel.com Check out Rich: www.richgee.com Check out BJ: www.nurenu.com

Sustainable Travel Our Guest today is Lauren Chu of the Ridgeline Report. As the world gets more crowded and the increase of the middle class around the world means that there are more folks touring the world, it becomes even more important to consider sustainability and our part.   Sustainable travel means we seek to minimize any negative impacts on the local people and environment of the places we visit, so that tourism can continue long term with a neutral or better yet, a positive impact.  Otherwise we risk damaging or ruining the very places we treasure.     Links Mentioned in this Episode: Active Travel Adventures podcast episodes: Cassis France Whitewater Raft the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon The Ridgeline Report (Lauren’s blog) Subscribe to the Active Travel Adventures podcast Sustainability’s Three Pillars: Environmental, Social and Economic   The Environmental Pillar   The Environmental Pillar seeks to minimize impact on the landscape and wildlife.   You can reduce you impact on the environment by using least the harmful means of transportation.  You can minimize waste by bringing your own reusables and following Leave No Trace principals. Buy (and then properly recycle or dispose) products with minimal packaging. When it comes to local wildlife, be respectful and avoid unethical businesses that exploit their animals.  While not all human-animal encounter tours are unethical, many are and if you saw how the animals were treated out of your sight, you would be appalled.   Sure it’s cool to ride an elephant, but did you know that some companies keep them chained on a small leash when not in service? Heart breaking! Do your homework before you go on an animal encounter tour and choose the responsible tour operator.  Call and ask questions, and while they might lie, as many companies “Green Wash” and act so responsible, dig deeper and ask HOW are they implementing their policies?   We all want to see the animals, but seek to find companies that put the health and wellness of the animals first.  Sadly this means that often you won’t have the super close encounter that you want, but it will be better for the animals.  Seek companies that show you the animals from more of a distance. Then you will also be seeing their natural behavior instead of tourist inspired behavior.   The Social Pillar   The Social Pillar consides how we impact the local community and its people.  To help prop up the social pillar, try to use local businesses, buy local food, and enjoy local tourism projects.    If you hire a tour company, ask if they are they using locals guides and are they taking you to the local restaurants and markets?    As relaxing as they may be, an all inclusive resort discourages leaving the compound, so while they are often using local foods and employees, the surrounding local businesses won’t get the benefit your tourism dollars unless you get out of the compound and wander.  Also, check to see whether the companies you hire are treating their employees fairly.  Lauren advises reaching out to a recent visitor on Trip Advisor and seeing if they’ll answer a couple of questions for you about their experience with a company.  Consider volunteering with local charitable projects.  Make sure any volounteer work you do is actually assisting local people help themselves.  I have found some NGO’s seem to put an ineffective bandage on a problem rather than truly helping to solve a problem,  because actually solving a problem puts them out of business. I prefer locally led organizations myself.  Instead of bringing things from your home country to distribute to needy in the country you are visiting, BUY THE NEEDED ITEMS LOCALLY.  I went on a mission trip to Haiti and was appalled to discover that we brought hundreds of pounds of beans and rice.  Sounds nice, no? Except we literally stole the sales from the mouths of the local businesses.  Instead, bring things they CAN’T buy locally, and then buy what you can from small local vendors.  That’s how you can really help!  In addition, LEARN ABOUT THE CULTURE.  If nothing else, take a few minutes to read the Wikipedia site about the country you are visiting.  There you will get a brief overview of their land and history which can help put what you see and the people you meet in some context.  I also like to check out this fascinating website that caters to business people doing international business, but this one page can give you a quick snapshot of the common embedded beliefs of a nation.   Bookmark it to check out before your next adventure!  Be sure to understand the cultural norms so that you don’t inadvertently offend the locals like the backpackers did in Malaysia that Lauren told us about.  A quick Google search can help you here. Remember that even though we are fascinated by the people and cultures that we visit, they are living what we consider an adventure as their everyday lives.  Do not treat their lives as a tourist attraction but rather meet with them on a one to one human level to learn more about the hows and whys of their lives which can help you gain insight into your own.  And remember, ask permission before taking a close up photograph.  People are not on display for your entertainment.   The Economic Pillar Really a sidebar to the Social Pillar discussed above:  buy from local vendors, choose locally owned and operated lodging, go with tour companies that hire local guides and treat them ethically.   Economic sustainability and following responsible tourism practices can not only help improve the lives of the people you encounter, but sustainable tourism means that it will continue to do so in the long term. Ecotourism is bandied about and the greenwashers will tout that they are eco friendly.  Do your homework to make sure they are not just riding the wave of what is trendy to call themselves.  Call them up, Lauren says, and ASK THEM not just about their sustainability policies and ethical treatment of employees, but ask them HOW they implement their policies.  It’s a good bet that a greenwasher will have all the right answers to the first question, but they are likely to flounder when explains the answers to the second.   Question:  Are you helping or hurting the places you love and visit???   Question:  Are you making the most responsible choice in regards to the three pillars when you go on your adventures?   Complete Transcript: Note that this is an unedited machine transcription, so there will be boo boo’s.  I offer this for those that prefer to read rather than listen to the show.     Kit Parks: (00:00) A quick glance through Instagram and you can see our public lands plus the even incredibly remote and inaccessible landscapes sound the most fragile and beautiful environments in the world are getting really crowded and I get it. You want to see them? I want to see them. They're special for a reason, so what can we do to make these lands and make these environments and our impact on them more sustainable? Today we're going to look at our impact, both positive and negative on the people and the landscapes and the places that we visit. Welcome to the adventure travel show podcast. I'm your host kit parks. This is a companion podcast to the Active Travel Adventures podcast. On this podcast you're going to learn about the how tos of adventure travel. Whereas on ATA, you're going to learn about destinations. I encourage you to subscribe to both today. I've got a great guest, Lauren Chu from the Ridge Line report whose specialty is talking about sustainability and safety in the wild and it's a great interview. I can't wait to share it with you. So at that further ado, let's get on with our interview with Lauren.    Kit Parks: (01:19) I was recently in Portland, Maine for the Women In Travel Summit and was lucky enough to meet Lauren at the opening night party. Lauren has an extensive background on wilderness safety and sustainability plus guiding in the wilderness. Welcome to the show. Lauren. Lauren Chu: Thank you so much. I'm super happy to be here. You've got a great background. And could you just tell us a little bit... I got a little bit about it from you that night and also on the website, but can you give us a little bit of a brief summary of, of who you are and the things that you've learned and some of your training and background?    Lauren Chu: (01:49) Yeah, absolutely.  So I went to school for engineering. So I studied engineering and after a few years in the workplace, I kind of found that my desire to be outside and kind of be connected to nature was far stronger than my desire to be working with machinery. And so for the past few years I've been working as a guide and as a kind of facilitator for programs around the world. So I work leading groups on hiking trips and I also work for an organization that does educational travel for students.    Kit Parks: (02:21) Cool. Cool. Now adventure travel has become huge when people even my age are doing it. So can you tell us a little bit about the rise of adventure travel on? Where's the buzz there? What's making it so cool these days to go on adventure travel?    Lauren Chu: (02:33) Yeah, it's a great point. And I think really what I've come to realize is that adventure travel is almost synonymous with travel in a lot of ways these days. I mean, everybody's looking for a hike or an off the beaten path experience or some way to reconnect with nature. And I think there's a few things that have contributed to this. I mean, the rise of adventure travel in pop culture has a lot to do with celebrities and celebrity status. I mean you think of Red Bull and the way that they've just elevated extreme sports athletes to kind of be these pop culture icons. And then you know, that fantastic movie, Wild with Reese Witherspoon came out of this one woman's journey along the Pacific Crest Trail and it kind of just skyrocketed her to start them as well. And it brought through hiking and that kind of backcountry experience to light again. And then even environmentalism has always been important in the past few decades. But recently it's become really mainstream. I mean, Nat Geo- National Geographic-  just won an Oscar for their work on Free Solo, which is incredible. But again, it's just created this idea that adventure travel is the norm and it's something that we should all be seeking.    Kit Parks: (03:38) Is Adventure travel harmful to some of the places that we go to in any way? Let's talk first... Let's break it into two sections. Let's talk about the impact on the local culture and the people. And then let's talk about the impact on the environment. So can you address, how does all of a sudden this mass of humanity, now we're invading some of these really remote places now in mass, how is that affecting the local people for good and for bad?    Lauren Chu: (04:03) Right. I think it's a fantastic question because when we think of these remote places and traveling to them, I mean these are the world's most fragile environments, both socially and environmentally. There's significant impacts that that can be had. There's one example I think of and Mount Kinabalu is the highest peak in Malaysia. And there was a group of backpackers a few years ago who decided they wanted to climb it and for some reason felt compelled to take photographs naked on top of this mountain. And you know, despite multiple warnings from their local guides to not do that, they took off their clothes. They had a picture taken, it was this harmless act of fun-ness or horseplay or whatever it was. And they actually ended up being jailed because of the disrespect that they had done to what was a very sacred place for the local people. And so while well intentioned and while I think it's important that we really get out there and take those risks, you know, there's a lot of considerations to be had for the people who live the adventure every day of their lives.    Kit Parks: (05:04) To us it is an adventure to them, like I think I heard you say that their reality, that's their everyday life.    Lauren Chu: (05:07) That's right. I mean we think about going on, you know, this Himalayan adventure or this Amazonian cruise through this epic wild landscape and for the people who live there and who have lived there for ever, it's the reality and it's something that they've had to grapple with is, is this big influx of people who want to see this adventure or to live this adventure and to ask somebody to share their everyday life kind of like a show or, or as a performance,  is really tricky and there's a lot of education that I think we can do as travelers ahead of time to respect those people in that culture.  Kit: Give us some examples.   Lauren Chu: (05:57)   So, I mean I think a lot of it is really just doing your research and it's hard and it takes time. But I think we have the responsibility to do it.  And it could be as simple as understanding the history of the people. So who lives there, you know, how long have they been there is, are there any sort of cultural norms or tendencies I might want to be aware of and then doing your research on, on a provider. So who is going to be taking you there and what is their relationship with the land? Do they live there? Are they from there? Do they understand the impacts that these activities have? And again, it does take a bit of effort, but it is entirely worth it. And I think it's fantastic that more people are looking for these kinds of ethical experiences.    Kit Parks:  (06:38)  That reminds me of the story. When I was in Bangkok, I was on a boat and one of the floating markets and what a floating market is, is all the vendors are on boats too.  And they're just kind of going through the alleyways in the canals and the waterways trying to sell their wares. And I always try to ask permission before I take a closeup photo of anybody anyway.  But just to be on the safe side, this one woman marketing, she had a couple of different things in the boat... I can't remember what they were though, but what you saw that we were tourists put her finger in front of our face and shook her head like, “No, no, no. I am not a tourist attraction!”  And I thought that was very interesting. I never forgot her. Of course, obviously I honored her request. I mean we've got to remember that there are everyday people just like us, they just have a different culture than what we're used to, which makes them fascinating to us. However, you still need to build a relationship before you just go snap in people's photos.    Lauren Chu: (07:20) Absolutely. And there's so much opportunity act for learning when we meet with these people who are so different from us. And instead of seeing them as canvas spectacle or an object to view or to enjoy, it's actually what can we learn from them and what are they doing that could be interesting or impactful for us. And a lot of times they're curious about us as we are about them. Absolutely. Particularly if they don't see a lot of tourists. And you know, there's, there's entire industries that have been created around big adventure travel destination. So Mount Kilimanjaro is a great example that I always kind of come back to. And I've had the chance to lead a group up to Mount Kilimanjaro and for me, the adventure wasn't so much in the hike, which was beautiful, don't get me wrong, but the adventure was in connecting with the people of Tanzania and understanding the vast, like the, the different tribes and cultures and diversity of culture that exists in Tanzania.    Lauren Chu: (08:20) And it's, it's a really great learning tool.  Kit Parks:  And Kilimanjaro and Nepal makes me think of something else to, depending on the guides that we hire, we're either helping or hurting the local people because there's great companies that properly pay and train their people and there's others that exploit the people and just take the money and actually take it out of the countries. So I think one of our ethical challenges is to look into the companies that we're doing business with to make sure that they're doing things in the manner that you want them to be doing things and choose your tour companies accordingly.    Lauren Chu:  Yeah, absolutely. And you, it's so important to kind of do our research and understand where that money's going, but also not to take away the agency that they have in making it a business because it's such important money for so many communities around the world.    Lauren Chu: (09:06) Right? Tourism is huge. And so instead of saying, we shouldn't contribute to this problem, we shouldn't climb Kilimanjaro, we shouldn't even try. It's actually how can we do it in a way that is mutually beneficial and contributes to a sustainable place that we can continue to visit and climb. And see for years to come. And what do we look for?    Kit Parks:  How do we, I mean, what do I even look for when I go to a website or try to check out an outfitter?    Lauren:  Yeah, it's an honestly a fantastic question and it's one that I continue to grapple with, but I think the best thing you can do is actually try to get in contact with somebody who works there. And yes, you can say, you know, they'll tell you whatever you want to hear, Yada, Yada, Yada. But if you ask questions around how do they pay their employees, how do they hold themselves accountable?    Lauren Chu: (09:54) What are their policies around social justice or environmental justice or, what measures do they take to ensure that the way that they operate is just and fair to their employees? And another thing that I've actually liked doing is reaching out to somebody who's gone on a tour with one of these companies before. So, you know, on TripAdvisor, on any kind of review site, it's a great place to find up to date information. And so I'll, I'll comment on one of the most recent reviews and say, hey, would you mind if I reached out to you? I just have a couple of questions to ask about how you found their policies around x, Y, Z to be, or whatever it is. And, and those are a few things that I, I typically do just to kind of do some surface level of vetting of the companies that on balance.    Kit Parks:  Do you think that this explosion of travel into some of these remote areas is as far as the people are in the culture go a benefit or a detraction or is it a balance or, or where do you stand on that?    Lauren Chu: (10:42)   Yeah, I think I am a huge proponent of adventure travel. I think it is fantastic and I think we should continue to encourage people to take risks and to go outside their comfort zone because that's where the learning happens. I mean, that's, to me the most exciting part of travel is when you learn something, you see something differently or you understand something in a, in a slightly different way. And so I think it is really important to continue to seek these experiences. But I think it's important to recognize that these experiences don't come free, right? There is a cost and will this ever be sustainable? It's a tough word to use, right? Sustainability is more of an ideal than a reality. But I think the more that we have conversations around principles surrounding leaving no trace or ethical travel or who does this benefit, we can certainly work towards a kind of a more humble and curiousype of traveler.    Kit Parks: (11:54) And at least in my experience, it seems that the people are grateful for the tourist dollars that are coming into their local towns and villages.    Lauren Chu: (11:57) That's exactly it, right? I mean they are business people, they are smart entrepreneurial workers who are looking to be involved with this global economy and we should certainly be able to take part of that as well.    Kit Parks: (12:11) So let's switch gears then and let's talk about adventure travel and its impact on the environment. You had mentioned earlier that we're talking about going into some of the world's most fragile areas. I remember, I can't remember where it was, it might have been in Glacier National Park. We were up pretty high and the only vegetation was some little Mossy Lichen on the rocks. And I think they said that it took decades for that Lichen to grow. So when you left the trail and got off trail, you're actually harming decades worth of growth. Can you talk a little bit about this invasion of the people trying to seek out all these cool environments, which like, you know, I'm all gung ho like you, and want to adventure travel, but I do see that as many people get out there that we're not necessarily treating the land with as much respect as we should be.    Lauren Chu: (13:01) That's it. That's a great point. And it's something that is super, super important to recognize. These are the world's most fragile environments and lichen like that, you know, similar to Kilimanjaro, it grows at a rate of a few millimeters per year. Right? So, you know, this is some of the most resilient but yet fragile at the same time, vegetation and life. And I think there's kind of this disconnect between our impact and the reality. So you can think that, oh, there's just so much space out here. It's just so vast. It's so big and it's so beautiful. Like my walking off the trail for a short time or me climbing up this rock to see this different viewpoint isn't gonna make a big difference. But in reality, the more people that do that over time, the bigger the effect that there is. And so, you know, leaving no trace is exactly that.    Lauren Chu: (13:55) It's leaving no trace of you being there. But more than that, to me it's, it's, it's the golden rule. Leave a place the way that you would like to find it. Right? And so it means staying on the trail, it means camping in designated areas. It means not making huge bonfires. It obviously means not leaving trash. And I think the more that we can instill that in people as the norm and not as something that we seek to, that we wish to do, but instead something that we have to do and are supposed to do, the better off we'll be.    Kit Parks: (14:29) Yeah. I remember when I was doing some sections of the Appalachian trail, I would get so irritated with some of the hikers out there because nobody wants to carry weight. You're backpacking. So I get it. We all want to minimize the weight, but when they'd leave their garbage or burn unburnable garbage in the fire areas, I'm like, they came out here for the beauty and then they're marring it for the rest of us and that would really get in my craw a little bit.    Lauren Chu: (14:53) No kidding. Yeah, I’m the same way. And you know, it's tough for, I'm not gonna say,  “Don't make fires”, and I'm not going to say that you can't go to these places, but, but there's certainly a level of responsibility that I think we have to take for each other. Really. It's just, it's looking out for each other.    Kit Parks: (15:08) So let's, let's talk about, so of course we want to stay on the trails and obviously you don't want to cut any live vegetation, trees or branches to make your fire. Can you just identify, leave no trace, I know you talked a little bit about that, but in a nutshell, what does that mean for people when they say when it regards to human waste and toilet paper and their trash?    Lauren Chu: (15:28) Sure. Toilet paper is kind of one of my favorite things to talk about in a funny way. So leave no trace principles are kind of these ethics, it's a kind of a code of ethics that people who travel outdoors and visit these backcountry areas should abide by. And again, the idea is that you leave a place the way that you found it in the way that you would like to find it. And so it means taking only pictures and not leaving garbage. And toilet paper is a, is an interesting one. It seems so light and so fragile and so many people just kind of leave it on the trail. I mean, the number of times that I've come across toilet paper on the trail is, it's just, I can't even, can't even articulate how frustrated it makes me.    Lauren Chu: (16:14) Toilet paper takes, I think around three years to biodegrade and that's in the most fertile environment, like in dirt or in like a forest full of mulch and full of leaves and wet leaves.  But you should really never be leaving toilet paper on the ground. You pack it in and you pack it out. So you just bring a little Baggie with you and you do your thing and then you put the toilet paper in the bag and carry it with you. It shouldn't be buried, it shouldn't be left. And if you don't want to see it on the trail, certainly don't leave it for other people to find.    Kit Parks: (16:48) Right. And actually when people say, “Oh, I bury it”.  But actually animals, will go dig that up too.   Lauren Chu:  Exactly. Exactly.    Kit Parks:  And speaking of like the biodegrading, one of the most irritating times I was up, I was in the little town of Cassis, France and there was this huge, huge cliff bluff that was just like a straight up hike to get up there. And I'm up there first thing in the morning, I got the whole thing to myself. It's absolutely beautiful except for all along the path was toilet paper because it hardly ever rains. So it doesn't decompose and it was disgusting.    Lauren Chu:  That's right. So anyway, I always tell people, bring a baggy, label it trash so you don’t get confused.  And then when you get to town you can dump it and use a fresh bag if you want. You never have to go in it, you know? So it's not a big deal.    Kit Parks:  Yeah, there's even some places now when I interviewed Mike of about rafting the Colorado River, they had to brown bag… they even had to pack out all of their human waste. That's exactly it. Yeah. And so is that common in many places or is that just in some of the really fragile places are parks?    Lauren Chu: (17:50) I would say that's kind of the but is it practice everywhere? No, and you know, in, in Canada or in Ontario anyway, in the places that I spend time, can you tripping in the summer there's what we call “Treasure Boxes”.  And so they're little... they're set up by, you know, Ontario parks or parks Canada and they’re boxes for you to use as a toilet. And so this is kind of their way of focusing on only putting human waste in one place. And so please use those treasure boxes. They're there for a reason.    Kit Parks:  I'd never heard about that before. That's new news. Cool. Cool. So overall do you have some overall thoughts about our impact in the world doing adventure travel?    Lauren Chu: (18:47) Again, I think I just want to kind of balance the idea of risk because taking risk is fantastic. Like I said, I think we should keep doing it. I think everybody needs to push themselves out of their comfort zone and seek these experiences in nature that for, for the past few decades, we've kind of forgotten in a lot of ways.  So that's one side of it. And then, and my, I guess my final thoughts are the more conversations we have and the more we hold each other accountable when it comes to safety and sustainability and adventure travel, we can certainly work towards a type of traveler and in a world and an industry that is sustainable and collaborative and mutually beneficial to everybody involved. And I think we'll get there and I think we can work to get there. And I'm excited to be a part of this new movement of travelers who care.    Kit Parks:  So Lauren you've got the Ridgeline Report. Can you tell us a little bit about that? And I'll put links to all of Lauren's website and blog on the show notes and on the website at adventuretravelshowpodcast.com/sustainability.  And so Lauren, can you tell us a little bit about the Ridgeline Report and whatever else you're up to?    Lauren Chu: (19:37) Yeah, sure. So, The Ridgeline Report is my personal blog and on it I kind of talk about hiking and biking and camping in Canada and around the world. But I do try to kind of provide a lot of resources for people around sustainability and safety. So, you know, I've got a bit on leave no trace principles and how to apply them in reality and just bits on hiking etiquette and, and all that sort of good stuff. So that's what's there.    Kit Parks: Well, I'll be sure, like I said, I'll be sure to link to all that. Lauren, I sure appreciate you coming on the show. Thanks so much.   Lauren Chu: (20:42)Thank you so much for having me. It's been a pleasure.    Kit Parks: Our thanks to Lauren for coming on the show. She’s given us a lot to think about and to chew on as we plan our future adventures. Some questions we need to ask ourselves: are we considering the impact that we're making on both the local culture and the environment when we do our adventures and what are some of the things that we can do to have a positive impact and minimize our negative impacts?    Kit Parks: (20:51) I'm going to have tips both from Lauren and from other research on the website, adventuretravelshowpodcast.com/sustainability and of course newsletter subscribers will get the monthly, once a month newsletter that it's going to come automatically. I would like to ask you, this is an important topic to please share this with with your fellow adventurers. It gives us all food for thought about where we stand and what kind of impact we're going to have in the future. In fact, next up I'm going to explore a little bit deeper and we're going to talk about manners. We're going to talk about outdoor and wilderness etiquette. There's lots of things that we're doing right and there's a lot of things we'd be not even realized that we're doing wrong. So we’ll drill down into that so everybody understands what is considered good manners out in the wild, our public lands are getting crowded, shoot for that matter, the whole world is getting crowded and if we all just play nice together, just like our parents taught us, then these beautiful and fragile lands will continue to inspire folks for generations to come. We just all need to work together and to think before we do and consciously choose to have a positive impact, Lauren will be right that we will get there in the future. Again, lots to think about today.    Kit Parks: (22:00) Next up on the companion show podcast, the Active Travel Adventures podcast. We're going to Acadia National Park and I'm super excited to share that with you. So that'll be coming up next week and again, the following week we'll be learning our manners in the wild and until then, thanks for listening. This is Kit Parks, Adventure On!

How do I hold my employees and coworkers accountable? If you're struggling to come up with the answer to this global question, then you're asking the wrong person. ASK THEM! Here's a simple strategy how to hold people accountable with just two simple questions.

 Initial Exchange Offerings – BitMEX Blog  Microsoft Launches Decentralized Identity Tool on Bitcoin Blockchain - CoinDesk  EBay Ads Tell World It Will (Finally) Accept ‘Virtual Currency’  Starbucks, Nordstrom And Whole Foods Now Accept Bitcoin. Just Don’t Ask Them.  South Korean Internet Giant Kakao’s Blockchain Platform to Launch in June  

We think we know about our clients. In the financial service business, I hear so many advisors generalizing about what their clients want.  Often, they will say people are afraid of running out of money. The only way to know what our clients want is to; ASK THEM!!   #BigEarsWins

Episode 3: Creating a Loved One's Story - 3 Steps to Get Started 1. Ask Them! - Explain why you want to do this with them 2. Make the Time :) - How much time am I talking about & how to fit it in 3. Your First Session - what to expect and what to do Link to the Work with Someone You Love Course https://www.thelegacyrecorder.com/telltheirstory Let me know if you have any questions! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/legacyrecorder/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/legacyrecorder/support

Recently I shared cart close strategies, but I left out ONE that is a bit over the top but crazy effective. Not something I’ve shared before. The secret is to CALL THEM. Yes, call them. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Email Template: mattmcwilliams.com/phonecall Watch TheAffiliateGuy.TV: http://www.theaffiliateguy.tv            How I Currently Make $3,874 a Week Without Creating a Single Product: http://www.mattmcwilliams.com/watch Take our Affiliate Marketing Survey: http://www.mattmcwilliams.com/affsurvey Ask Me a Question here: http://www.asktheaffiliateguy.com/              All our recommended affiliate programs:  http://www.mattmcwilliams.com/whatsup Your First 100 Affiliates Report: http://www.mattmcwilliams.com/first100 Think about how that makes them feel. So WHO do you call and HOW do you get their numbers? Well, let’s say you have 500 optins. All you know is their first name and email. Well, you first take out the people who already bought the product. That’s 20 people. Down to 480. Then you take out the people who never clicked to the sales page. That gets us down to 300 or so. Then take out the people who only clicked once. That eliminates another 150-ish. Down to about 30% of optins, or 150 people. Target THEM! How do you get the phone numbers? 1. If buyers and you use a CRM, boom. 2. WhitePages.com - reverse lookup by email, etc. 3. ASK THEM! If you want the template I use to get more than 50% of my optins on the phone, go to mattmcwilliams.com/phonecall and I’ll send it to you. for free.

So you’ve hired a new Virtual Assistant and it’s time to take your business to the next level. Delegating task, freeing up time and having someone to regularly brush ideas off of is a clear improvement. That said, just because you hire someone doesn’t mean that you will build an effective business relationship. Communication is the key. Keep the following tips in mind so that you create a work environment built on trust and respect with a team mentality. 1. Build trust by getting to know your VA on a personal, but professional level. 2. Ask for their opinions. 3. Be Flexible with Their Schedule. 4. Be Patient and Understanding. 5. Stay Humble and Ask for Constructive Criticism. 6. Ask for Confirmation. 7. Give Compliments and Praise (when appropriate). 8. Ask Them to Create Tasks For You. 9. Share the Same Playing Field. Your VA sees you as their CLIENT. 10. Ask them how you can help or what is holding them back from completing their tasks. Contact Info: Website: https://www.libertyvas.com/ Don’t Miss an Episode! Subscribe here: www.LibertyEntrepreneurs.com/season1 PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW ON YOUR FAVORITE PLATFORM! Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/c/LibertyEntrepreneurs iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/liberty-entrepreneurs/id1057809945?mt=2 Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/liberty-entrepreneurs Stitcher Radio: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/liberty-entrepreneurs-podcast TuneIn Radio: http://tunein.com/radio/Liberty-Entrepreneurs-Podcast-p805213/ Google Play: https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Iqp3bpqbhske6s6476yfy2yyylu Player.fm: https://player.fm/series/liberty-entrepreneurs

Today, I want to cover a topic that people ask a lot and that is how to build a business as a single mom, or dad.    We all have such busy schedules today and finding time to do anything extra can seem impossible at times.   But, as they say, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.   If you want to own your life, own your time, and to some degree, own your income, then you must MAKE the time and get very focused and serious about your time and calendar.   I did a previous show on this and it can be found at -   http://JackieUlmer.com/011       Success is about a few simple things -   Contact, Invite, Present, Follow Up, Sponsor, Train and Duplicate     Sounds oversimplified but it is true.   These are all business skills that can be developed.   So, let’s get into how to do this.   I recently received an email from a new team partner, looking to use online methods to build her business, who said -     I'm a recently divorced single mother of four daughters and my desire is to not only be the breadwinner in my household, but to make a great income while being a WAHM, like you.  I was a WAHM when I was married and I want to do better financially as a WAHM now than when I was married.  Can you show me how?       My answer is - You bet! Nothing I have done over the last 20 years is a secret or anything that anyone else “Can’t” do. It’s more often been a case of what others WON’T do to be successful. There are no tricks OTHER THAN -    Be very clear on your why;  be very clear on your commitment;  Talk to your family about your goals and involve them in the process. never quit on a bad day;  be consistent;  put your blinders on and avoid the distraction of bright shiny objects.  Study, learn and master the business skills needed to be successful. Talk to at least 2 people a day about your business, even if you are getting started using the internet as a tool.   As far as the online piece of it, there is nothing magical in any system that's being "sold" out there! Success takes hard work, period! Immerse yourself in the journey and have fun!   We must master the skill of finding out what another person really wants before we jump into sharing the details of what we offer.   This takes time and practice. Almost all of us start this process feeling a little rusty, like a fish out of water. It’s most often not something we have done before, so it’s normal to feel uncomfortable.   Start to get over this by becoming authentically interested in finding out why another person might also be interested in pursuing this journey with you.   Learn good success language to start and finish the process.   http://StreetSmartScripts.com   Set realistic goals and expectations for yourself. The financial side of this is so important.   As part of this email, this question was also asked -   I'd like to make six figures within 12 months. This goal means I need to earn $300 per day online starting now.   My answer to that -      That's a great goal to have out there, AND, it’s important to be realistic. Do you make 6 figures now? I only ask because there is a mindset shift that has to happen for most people to get there. Most people who want to climb Mt Everest won't make it the first year they start training. Even if they went full time and took massive action, it IS a process. Don't let that deter you. Just be realistic and again, focus on being consistent.    Setting too big of a goal can almost be worse than setting no goal at all, especially when it throws us into fear and scarcity mode, even subconsciously.    When someone has not really earned anything yet from their business, and then they need to be earning $300 a DAY right now, yikes!   That is most likely a Mt Everest type of goal.   First of all, one must understand the timeline of success and how momentum and growth occurs in this business.   You have to create momentum, and that doesn't happen overnight. The steps you take your first three months may not yield much in terms of tangible results. But, there is stuff going on behind the scenes that you don't know about! I promise. People begin watching and evaluating.   What you earn daily in month one will not be the same as month 3 or 6 and so on, if you are being consistent and are creating growth.   Your team members also must begin creating momentum to create the type of growth you are looking for. And, it can be a time process for them as well.   Think of your own story. Did you take action right away? What did your first few weeks or months look like in the business? Where did you excel? Where did you stumble? Have you had a pattern of starting and stopping, starting and stopping?   Expect that some on your team are going to do this as well. It’s not until we get a core group of builders on the team that things REALLY begin to happen, without us being the “driver” all of the time.   Let’s cover the specifics that must be consistent that I mentioned at the beginning -   Be very clear on your why; seriously, without a strong, powerful, compelling “must have” why, it is SO easy to procrastinate and ultimately give up, and blame a lot of things outside of our control for our lack of success. If you have not clearly defined a powerful why that compels, and I mean compels you to take action each day, that will be your #1 stumbling block and I encourage you to do that NOW, before you take a single other step.     Be very clear on your commitment; commitment involves making a decision. It’s not about hoping, wishing and just thinking about it. Look at other areas of your life and commitments you have made or not made. I like to use the gym as an example. Or diet, weight loss, fitness, etc.   It’s no mystery what it take to get in shape, lose weight and such. For most who are failing in this area, it’s just simply a lack of COMMITMENT, and follow through.   So, be honest with yourself and your level of commitment.   Thinking about your business is NOT the same as working your business although it can lull us into thinking that we are spending all this time and getting no where.   Talk to your family about your goals and involve them in the process. Explain why you are building your business and what they can expect from you; what you need from them; and open it up for questions. ASK THEM to assist and support you. Listen to my previous show on ways to involve them.   http://JackieUlmer.com/011    Never quit on a bad day; always give yourself the space of 24 hours to re-evaluate anything. Quitting is MUCH easier than seeing the job through.     Be consistent; this is much like commitment. Just do it!     Put your blinders on and avoid the distraction of bright shiny objects.  This can be such a challenge and the reality is that only YOU can control it. Always ask - is this moving me closer to my goal. And, if so, how? Here is a tip - there are NO secrets. I don’t care what new company, new online system, social media plan and so on, that comes along. There is no flip to switch or overnight success way of doing things. Whatever it is takes work.  My 20 years in this profession has proven this over and over.       Study, learn and master the business skills needed to be successful. We started with that, and these include -   Contact, Invite, Present, Follow Up, Sponsor, Train and Duplicate   http://JackieUlmer.com/004       Talk to at least 2 people a day about your business, even if you are getting started using the internet as a tool. While you are learning to  generate leads online, you still need to be contacting new people. Don’t use this as a reason to stop doing business building activities, just because you are developing a blog and so on.   Look at it this way - let’s say you have a jewelry store and you are moving to a new location. You don’t stop selling from the old location, or opening the store daily while the new one is being built. Or at least I hope not!     In closing, just remember that we all have the same 24 hours in the day, even as a single parent. Please go back and listen to my show on this topic at -   http://JackieUlmer.com/011   The requirements of success don’t change. The steps don’t change. We all most often need to burn some midnight oil to make the transition we want. I can’t tell you how many times I went to bed, then got up at midnight, and worked until 2am and then went back to bed while I was learning the skills of the internet.   IT wasn’t ideal, but I knew for sure that those 2 hours were MINE and there would be no distractions from family or household stuff at that hour! Looking back, I don’t miss that sleep I didn’t get and I am SO glad I did it. Was it worth it? Absolutely. And, it takes discipline, I know.     Or get up earlier in the day. Think of the military. They have a slogan that goes something like - we get more done before the sun comes up than most people do all day….   All great things happen outside of our comfort zone!      ACTION ITEMS FOR YOU   Look at your calendar and see where you can create time for your business.   Determine your skill level at contacting, inviting and so on and see where you might need improvement and take steps to do just that - improve.   Schedule time to sit down with your family and discuss your plans, your commitment and how they can be involved!   BELIEVE that you can do it, because you CAN!     Show notes are at http://JackieUlmer.com/071       Questions for the podcast?    http://JackieUlmer.com/question    Has this been helpful? I would REALLY appreciate it if you would rate the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher, or wherever you listen.   Just go to  JackieUlmer.com/iTunes - click to view in iTunes and you’ll see the link to reviews   And, share the link with friends and team partners!   On Stitcher -   JackieUlmer.com/stitcher     I truly appreciate it and you!   I'll see you on next week's podcast

https://www.thesaleswhisperer.com/podcast http://MakeEverySale.com * Humans are predictable and complicated * Great salespeople are good with human behavior and psychology * You may have an intuitive sense and are unconsciously competent * Humans follow rules of thumb, "heuristics" * We don't want to think too much and that's a good thing * The human brain only has access to so much glucose so it works to conserve energy * Can I eat it? Can I have sex with it? Will it kill me? * Look at habits: physical and mental * Conditioned responses * Easy to create a habit * When you react to a stimulus a bit of dopamine is released * Take an existing habit and make that response the stimulus for the new habit * It has to be something easy * Remove the nerves * Maybe the first habit is to remove the nerves * The more you know about yourself the better the engagement will go * Breathe to calm yourself * Maybe you need to increase your energy to increase your focus * Become more self-aware * Detach and notice what went well * Have a routine * Fear and hope * Authenticity helps * Millennials don't care how you look just bring authenticity * Habit or value-based buying decision * There are different parts of the brain that make these decisions * They are mutually-exclusive * If they are buying out of habit DO NOT introduce anything new to them * If they are making a value-based buying decision, help them become confident * A single neuron fires to make this happen * Give them enough information, but not too much * Get the indications from them to determine their confidence * ASK THEM! Ask better questions! * Close first, then present! * One tip: identify one habit you have that is preventing you from having success Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-sales-podcast/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy