Podcasts about episode check

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2020 18:11

Since returning home from the 27-month trip around the world, many people ask us how we went about accomplishing such a big feat. It all started with having big goals and dreams, writing them down then setting out to accomplish them. In this episode of Passport Joy Travel Talk, we will discuss the process of setting goals as the new year begins, looking out and envisioning an unbelievable year, and making your ‘Best Me’ list. If you have some huge travel and life goals for 2020 but don’t have a system set for accomplishing them, this might be a good episode to check out. Main Topics Covered: Setting Huge Goals Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the details of POLICE: Brotherhood in Uniform Around the World Season 2 of World Barber Shop Adventures is on Amazon Prime. Check out the list of recommended books for 2020 from my high-performing peers. Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world.

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76: 2020 Hot List for Travel (What’s Matt's Favorite)

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Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2019 25:11

We get asked the question all of the time ‘what was our favorite place we visited?’ In this episode, I talk through my top list and where I would go in 2020 if I was starting all over. Hear about why I love Vietnam, New Zealand, India, Bali, Portugal, Poland, Japan, and Chile. I get into the details about how each is different and why you should consider them in 2020. Main Topics Covered: Top 2020 List Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the details at POLICE: Brotherhood in Uniform Around the World Season 2 of World Barber Shop Adventures on Amazon Prime Check out the list of recommended books for 2020 from my high-performing peers. Check out the two-part series on New Zealand (South Island) And New Zealand’s North Island (Road Trip Tips) Understand our point of view on Vietnam Travel Da Nang, Vietnam (Trip of a Lifetime) is one of our favorite locations in the world India is Incredible (2 Months Traveling 7+ Cities) We saw many parts of Vietnam with a Friend (Da Nang, Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Quy Nhon) The beauty of Phu Quoc (Fantasy Island of Vietnam) Hard to top the Beautiful Bali, Indonesia (4 Weeks in Travel Paradise) We loved our time in Japan Travel Part 1 (Our First 3 Weeks) Japan Travel Part 2 (Sumo Wrestling, Geisha, and the Countryside) A great option is Chile Travel – Santiago, Valparaiso, San Pedro de Atacama (& Other Beauty) Historical Poland (Warsaw, Krakow, Auschwitz) is a great trip One of the favorites and a planned trip to go back - Lisbon, Portugal Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world.

208 | Starting Over (feat Mary Marantz & Betsy McCue)

Creative Rising

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2019 74:02

[NARRATIVE] Mary Marantz has run a highly successful photography business for over a decade. In fact, it's the kind of thriving business that most wedding photographers dream of having.But she's decided to leave photography success behind and follow a calling she's had since she was five years old - write a book that will bring honor to where she's from.Betsy McCue ran a husband and wife wedding photography business for years, but when her husband suddenly passed away, she not only lost her life partner, she lost her business and her identity, too. In this very special episode, I'm telling two stories of two incredible women who are starting over - either by choice or not. One is a story of a writer with a calling, wrestling with her childhood while leaving a world of certainty behind for an entirely different world of being a newbie author. The other is a story of a photographer moving forward after a tragic loss, rediscovering her creative self, and building an entirely new business from scratch.Both are pictures of courage, strength, and wrestling with the hard parts of our stories. In this Episode:Check out Betsy McCue's lifestyle documentary work at:Betsy McCue Pictureshttps://www.betsymccuepictures.comFollow Mary Marantz's story on her podcast:The Mary Marantz Showhttps://marymarantz.com/themarymarantzshow(Her book "Dirt" is coming Fall 2020!)EPISODE MADE POSSIBLE BY: THINK TANK PHOTOhttp://creativerising.com/THINKTANKWe've used Think Tank camera bags for over a decade because their bags are so well built we NEVER have to replace them! We LOVELOVELOVE our Airport Security V3.0 rolling bag - this bag goes with us all over the world! Plus, we use our Retrospective shoulder bags at every single wedding and couldn't shoot without them. Use the link above and get a special camera bag accessory with any purchase!NEXT STEPS:JOIN OUR FREE CREATIVE RISING COMMUNITYhttps://www.facebook.com/groups/339344669485595/WANT BETTER BRIDES? TAKE THIS CLASS:https://dreamieclass.comLEAVE A REVIEW:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/creative-rising/id1464017907Reviews are how we get found! If you binge these episodes, then share the love!! Leave a review on iTunes so that other amazing photographers like you can find us, too.

EP31: Sober October is Over!!!

Postmodern Patriot Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 29, 2019

Missed the first Episode? Check it out hereSober October is over and we do the wrap up show to recap: – What it was like– Who Won?– Who Lost?I cover what it was like to partake in fitness, meditate, and avoid alcohol for 30...

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71: Cricket Star Chris Gayle’s Birthday in Kingston, Jamaica

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2019 27:11

Americans don’t grow up knowing about Cricket (2nd most popular sport in the world), so when I befriended Chris Gayle through social media about a year ago, I had no idea of his fanbase within the sport. All I knew was that we shared a common interest in cigars, having fun, and appreciated barbers (he enjoys World Barber Shop Adventures *now available on Amazon). Fast forward to his epic party celebrating his 40th birthday in Kingston, Jamaica, where I had the unique opportunity to stay in his home with his family for 5 nights. Not only did I get the chance to realize how super-famous he is around the world (there were people from every part attending his party), I got to see how extremely kind and giving he is. The Universe Boss (his nickname) is truly that. He has zero judgment of those he encounters, is considerate of his massive fanbase that is always asking for a photo, and is extremely humble for his global status. With our travels, I often talk about how amazing poor people are around the world that live on minimal incomes. The fact that they are happy even though they don’t have much. It was uplifting to see the other side of that spectrum. Someone that has it all and is comfortable with himself and makes those around him happy. Chris has abundance through his hard work, but he embraces it and shares it, always with his huge smile. Travel opens many doors. The Jamaican people were warm, welcoming, and a ton of fun. Not only did I have time sharing great conversations with Chris’ partner, brothers, and sister, but his circle of friends that traveled in from around the world were all amazing people. The chance to meet such upbeat, positive thinking, motivated people was an added bonus of the trip. Always stay open to random encounters. Engage with people you don’t know. You never know where it might lead. Main Topics Covered: Weekend at Chris Gayle’s 40th Birthday Celebration Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the details at POLICE: Brotherhood in Uniform Around the World Check out Chris Gayle’s House tour Video from the birthday celebration for Chris Gayle’s 40th birthday Check out Chris’ restaurant and nightclub the Triple Century Sports Bar We went to Fiction Nightclub on Saturday night. Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

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70: National News Coverage (Update Podcast + Small World Stories)

Psychologists Off The Clock: A Psychology Podcast About The Science And Practice Of Living Well

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2019 23:11

It was quite a week with the launch of the photography book POLICE: Brotherhood in Uniform Around the World. Getting featured on Fox & Friends nationally, as well as two local stations, was a blast in front of the camera. With orders being shipped and kind notes coming in, it was an exciting few days. With a trip to Jamaica soon to hang out with world-famous Cricket player Chris Gayle, it is sure to be another crazy week ahead. We reflect on all of that as well as tell stories of how small the world is in this week’s Passport Joy Travel Talk Podcast. Main Topics Covered: Update on the Crazy Week of News Interviews Jamaica Trip Ahead The World is Small Stories Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the details at POLICE: Brotherhood in Uniform Around the World Hanging out with world-famous Cricket player Chris Gayle in Jamaica. Fox & Friends First interviewed me about the photography book. We volunteered at an amazing surf lodge while in South Africa. Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world.

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Healthy Habits

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2019 53:25

If you care about your health but aren’t the type of person who loves to jump out of bed, hit the gym, and reward your efforts with a kale smoothie, this is the podcast episode for you! We all know what healthy behaviors are, but most of us struggle with how to engage in them, especially when they feel hard and unenjoyable. Join Debbie for an engaging discussion with Dr. Dayna Lee-Baggley, author of Healthy Habits Suck: How to Get Off the Couch and Live a Healthy Life….Even if You Don’t Want To, about evidence-based strategies on how to overcome the internal obstacles that make behavior change hard, and how to sustain lifelong healthy habits. Listen and Learn: Why healthy habits violate the hard-wiring of our “caveman brain” How linking health habits to values can make them more meaningful and build motivation The benefits of focusing on behaviors rather than outcomes to foster success What is a “smart goal” and how to make them work for you How to work with the thoughts and emotions that makes healthy habits hard About Dayna Lee-Baggley: Dayna Lee-Baggley, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and health-behaviors researcher based in Nova Scotia, Canada where she conducts research on behavior change, obesity, chronic disease, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Dr. Lee-Baggley holds appointments as an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Dalhousie University and as an adjunct professor in the Department of Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Saint Mary’s University. She is also the director of the Centre for Behaviour Change Research in Nova Scotia where she conducts research and training in chronic disease management. In addition, Dr. Lee Baggley is an internationally respected ACT trainer, has authored close to 40 peer-reviewed publications, and is the author of the book Healthy Habits Suck: How to Get Off the Couch and Live a Healthy Life….Even if You Don’t Want To. Resources: Healthy Habits Suck: How to Get Off the Couch and Live a Healthy Life….Even if You Don’t Want to Dayna’s Website (https://drleebaggley.com), where you can find out more about her research, training, and clinical practice. @DrLeeBaggley, Dayna’s Twitter account, where she tweets about healthy habits and tips for healthcare providers From Debbie and Diana’s Introduction to the Episode: Check out these Beeswax Wraps and Reusable Produce Bags recommended by Diana to reduce single-use plastic consumption! Debbie roasting broccoli to go with tofu and peanut sauce, as a move toward her values-based goal of a more plant-based diet! __________________________ Thank you for joining us on this episode of Psychologists Off The Clock. We appreciate your feedback. Please take a moment to leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts. It helps us spread the word to more folks like you! Subscribe for free where you listen to podcasts! Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Deezer, iHeartRadio

68: POLICE Around the World (Travel Photography Book)

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Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2019 10:13

This podcast is dedicated to describing the new self-published 180-page photography book POLICE: Brotherhood in Uniform Around the World which showcases police officers encountered during our 800-day journey around the world. 89 large-format color photographs from 60+ cities celebrate police who, while performing daily duties, paused to show off their uniforms proudly. Main Topics Covered: POLICE Photography Book Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the details at POLICE: Brotherhood in Uniform Around the World Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

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Delirium Episode 16 | 3 Cheese burgers VS 2 Sloppy joes

Delirium Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2019 77:58

If you like Carson being a goon, you'll love this episodeCheck out where we stream this liveZach's twitch : twitch.tv/dynosquadNick's twitch: twitch.tv/txppy_Our Temporary Website: http://deliriumpodcast.buzzsprout.com/Ask us questions on twitter to be on the next episode!https://twitter.com/DynoSquadtwitchhttps://twitter.com/TXPPY__https://twitter.com/PlebloELinks to music used:https://open.spotify.com/track/3KtIDH...https://soundcloud.com/omaure-1https://www.youtube.com/user/OmaureSupport the show (http://paypal.me/DynoSquad)

67: Long Term Travel Prep Part 3 (Future World Traveler Asks Questions)

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2019 29:57

Helping others achieve their travel dreams is a big part of what I plan to accomplish now that we have returned home. In this three-part series, I talk with a future world traveler as he has plans to set out with his wife for at least a year. In this episode, we talk to Shane about his trip and dreams, understand overtourism and how they might plan to avoid certain areas, and how to maximize their experiences in other cultures. If you are a potential long-term traveler with big dreams, you will find this episode of Passport Joy Travel Talk interesting as I answer questions from a listener who wants to see the world. Main Topics Covered: Shane's travel plans, how they plan to achieve their dream Overtourism Understanding the cultures on the road. Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. Nikki’s first published book - Passport Joy - can be found on the Kindle store on Amazon. Look through the TrustedHouseSitters website and get your discount by using our link Podcast 35: Overtourism (What!?!) Travel Backpack Carry On TSA (20 Tips to Pack Your Life) Best Travel Spots for 2019 (Places You May NOT Know) Financial Travel Tips (and Always Wearing the Same Clothes) Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

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66: Long Term Travel Prep Part 2 (Future World Traveler Asks Questions)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 31, 2019 32:42

Discussing travel with other jetsetters is one of our favorite things to do. In this three-part series, I talk with a future world traveler as he has plans to set out with his wife for at least a year. In this episode, we discuss safety concerns while traveling, packing tips to make the most out of a single backpack, and using tour guides to your advantage. If you are a potential long-term traveler with big dreams, you will find this episode of Passport Joy Travel Talk interesting as I answer questions from a listener who wants to see the world. Main Topics Covered: Security on the road Handling safety concerns Packing tips Using tour guides to your advantage Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. Nikki’s first published book - Passport Joy - can be found on the Kindle store on Amazon. Look through the TrustedHouseSitters website and get your discount by using our link Podcast 5: Staying Safe on the Road (Matt Gets Left at Sea) Lisbon, Portugal Podcast (Our Second Trip to the Romantic & Festive City) Travel Backpack Carry On TSA (20 Tips to Pack Your Life) Best Travel Spots for 2019 (Places You May NOT Know) Financial Travel Tips (and Always Wearing the Same Clothes) Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

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65: Long Term Travel Prep Part 1 (Future World Traveler Asks Questions)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2019 35:39

We love to be able to share our advice with other travel lovers around the world. In this three-part series, I talk with a future world traveler as he has plans to set out with his wife for at least a year. In this episode, we get to know Shane, talk about buying that first one-way tickets, understand the logistics of traveling full time, discuss saving money and the effective use of your travel time, and how we handled our finances from the road. If you are a potential long-term traveler with big dreams, you will find this episode of Passport Joy Travel Talk interesting as I answer questions from a listener who wants to see the world. Main Topics Covered: Introduction of Shane Where to Go and Why? Buying the first one-way ticket Logistics of the full journey Spending time on the road planning the next leg of the trip Saving money, going to the places that are on the bucket list Effective use of your travel time What did we do with our home? Financial and Banking hacks Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. Nikki’s first published book - Passport Joy - can be found on the Kindle store on Amazon. Look through the TrustedHouseSitters website and get your discount by using our link Why I decided to Quit My Job Lisbon, Portugal Podcast (Our Second Trip to the Romantic & Festive City) Saving Money on Travel Ideas (Short Trips or Long Vacations) Best Travel Spots for 2019 (Places You May NOT Know) Financial Travel Tips (and Always Wearing the Same Clothes) Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

64: Kindness from Strangers (Amazing Humans during our Travels)

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2019 35:29

It is hard to have a clear perspective of the world if you only hear negative stories perpetuated by the mainstream media. Travel does have some dangers, but at the core of it, there is a kindness that coats every corner of the world. In almost every city, we have found kindhearted people that have either opened their hearts or their homes. Many offered a meal, shared a story, helped us in a time of need, and shared a part of their culture with us. In this episode of Passport Joy Travel Talk, we open up about a few of the stories that touched our hearts as we travel this beautiful world. Main Topics Covered: Stories of Kindness Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. Nikki’s first published book - Passport Joy - can be found on the Kindle store on Amazon. A great way to give back and travel the world with Global GameChangers Look through the TrustedHouseSitters website and get your discount by using our link Day Trips from Cusco are a must when visiting Machu Picchu. If you are considering a trip to Africa, check out the post South Africa Guys’ Trip [Ultimate Adventure Travel]. Cambodia Travel (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Angkor Wat) Hong Kong: 96 Hour Travel Guide (Macau Included) Playing Poker in Vietnam [Millions at Stake] Why We Love Southeast Asia Saving Money on Travel Ideas (Short Trips or Long Vacations) Best Travel Spots for 2019 (Places You May NOT Know) Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

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63: A Few Lessons Learned (from Long Term Travel)

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2019 23:55

Being able to see the world as we did for 27 months gave us much to ponder as we returned home. In this episode of Passport Joy Travel Talk, we reflect on a few lessons learned from traveling, including our new ‘real world,’ patience, our fresh perspective, and building a global travel network. As we transition back to our normal life in Indianapolis, our views will likely adjust over time, but we wanted to share what we are thinking within the first few weeks. Main Topics Covered: A Few Lessons Learned Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. Nikki’s first published book - Passport Joy - can be found on the Kindle store on Amazon. Look through the TrustedHouseSitters website and get your discount by using our link Best Travel Spots for 2019 (Places You May NOT Know) Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

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60: New Zealand Part 2 (South Island)

Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2019 20:09

We heard about the natural beauty of the South Island of New Zealand from travelers around the world. They told us many times about the mountains, hills, lakes, and countless sheep. We began our trip in Christchurch, where we started our adventures around the South Island. We stayed in Lake Tekapo, Lake Wanaka, Queenstown, Ranfurly, and Dunedin. With our rental car fueled up, we took our time discovering the ins and outs of this wonderful country. We stopped many times to take photos along the way. Listen to this episode of Passport Joy Travel Talk to understand why ending our journey in New Zealand was the perfect way to wrap up our trip of a lifetime. Main Topics Covered: South Island New Zealand Travel Tips Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. Nikki’s first published book - Passport Joy - can be found on the Kindle store on Amazon. Our stay in Christchurch was fantastic with our host Ali. Very kind and inviting. Church of Good Shepherd is a beautiful spot for photos of the surrounding mountains and lake. The backpackers spot in Lake Tekapo was perfect. This tree in the lake in Wanaka is a unique photo opportunity. The Queenstown Hill is a great hiking trail and has the most beautiful views of the town. The Aspen Lodge Backpackers was an ideal accommodation in Queenstown for the price. Between Queenstown and Dunedin we stopped off at Hawkdun Lodge in Ranfurly. Be sure to check out the World Barber Shop Adventures episode from the chair in Queenstown. Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

59: New Zealand’s North Island (Road Trip Tips)

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2019 22:03

Road tripping through the North Island of New Zealand was more fun than we could have imagined. Taking in all of the beauty with the endless hills, wildlife on the farms, and scenic landscapes was a treat as we stopped for photos several times. Auckland offers a ton of great restaurants and nightlife for the city lovers while the rest of the trip was mostly town-sized communities surrounded by nature with jaw-dropping beauty. We visited Rotorua, Lake Taupo, and Wellington as we headed south with a few stops along the way. No matter how you decide to discover the North Island, you will have a blast driving in the gorgeous landscapes of New Zealand where every angle is a screen saver. Listen to the episode of Passport Joy Travel Talk as we give a few tips on how we made our road trip memorable. Main Topics Covered: New Zealand North Island Tips Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. Nikki’s first published book - Passport Joy - can be found on the Kindle store on Amazon. We really enjoyed staying in the Ponsonby district of Auckland for the wide variety of restaurants. Steven Adams is a famous NBA basketball player from Rotorua, New Zealand. The Redwoods in Whakarewarewa Redwood Forest are a must-visit location with several walks offered. Aorangi Peak Chinese Restaurant overlooks the city of Rotorua with a great view. Grab a coffee or dinner. Huka Falls and Craters of the Moon are a couple of great places to visit just outside of Lake Taupo. On the drive to Wellington we stopped at the Southward Car Museum and checked out the many rare vehicles on display. There are many walks and trails in and near Wellington including seeing the Red Rocks, going to the top of Mt Victoria for the view, or hugging the coast line in Oriental Bay. You can’t go wrong when visiting Cuba Street in Wellington and we found a favorite in the Hanging Ditch Pub. If you love tapas like we do, you will love Havana Bar in Wellington just off of Cuba Street. We had a blast hanging out with our host, Peter, and many of the people that attend the regular Tuesday Night Dinners in Wellington. Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

58: Fiji Islands (Tips for an Unforgettable Trip)

Get That Bread - A Value Investing Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2019 38:12

The Fiji Islands are high on everyone’s bucket list for good reasons. With unforgettable snorkeling, world-class hospitality, and gorgeous beaches, you will have the time of your life no matter accommodations you plan. In this episode, we will give travel tips on what we experienced with our friends and how it might help you in your adventure to the islands. Not only did we take advantage of having shark at our feet, swim in the best snorkel areas of our lives, and lay near the most beautiful water you can imagine, we also met local families, explored a waterfall, and watched a local rugby match. With my birthday celebration came a kava ceremony, dancers to traditional Fijian music, and a beach bonfire. We had a blast spending 10 days in Fiji and living it up. Please listen in as we share a few tips you might consider before having the trip of our life. Main Topics Covered: Fiji Islands Travel Tips Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. Nikki’s first published book - Passport Joy - can be found on the Kindle store on Amazon. If you plan on drinking alcohol while in Fiji you will want to take advantage of the prices at the airport. The public bus is available to take you where you need to go from Nadi Airport. It is much cheaper than a taxi but it is a tight squeeze. We stayed at the De Vos Private Residence in Maui Bay, Sigatoka, Fiji. We visited Biausevu Village where we enjoyed a private village tour and waterfall experience with Veronica’s Authentic Tours. We stayed at a great house near the Nadi Airport that had tons of space, a pool, and BBQ area. It was a great stay. I am addicted to the Rugby Sevens now and Fiji dominated when we watched in the HK7’s in April. We went to Lawaqa Park and watched local rugby. These guys are extremely tough. We had the time of our lives with the best snorkeling ever, unbelievable food, and amazing skippers with Coral Cats Sailing. We visited a great barber shop in Fiji called Nomu Barbershop and had an awesome time. The Fiji Airport is fantastic and the lounge access you have with Priority Pass gives you the chance to visit one of the best lounges in the world. Look through the TrustedHouseSitters website and get your discount by using our link Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

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Stock Analysis 2019 - NL Industries - A Substantial Discount to Net Asset Value - An Anomaly

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2019 19:23

Stock Analysis 2019 - NL Industries A Substantial Discount to Net Asset Value - An Anomaly For the Video Version of this Episode Check out our Youtube. http://bit.ly/2C4xqHP Financial Model Link: http://bit.ly/2UEEzK7 Episode Notes Link: http://bit.ly/2GhmPKR I discuss the substantial disconnect between the market price of NL Industries (ticker: NL) versus its net asset value (NAV), revealing at first glance what appears to be an asymmetric risk-reward opportunity. With the company's NAV estimated to be within the range of approximately $494 million to $605 million vs. NL' s market capitalization of $190 million, as of the date of this recording, this could be an interesting opportunity for the diversified value investor. The company's three assets are publicly traded companies: (1) Kronos Worldwide Inc. (ticker: KRO), (2) CompX Internatinoal (ticker: CIX), and (3) Vahli Inc. (ticker: VHI). One last note regarding NL, which I forgot to discuss in the video is that given it's relatively low valuation compared to its publicly traded assets, the prospective investor in NL shares is actually buying earnings for approximately 3.8x 2018 adjusted earnings whereas KRO's 2018 P/E is ~8.4x and CIX's P/E is ~12.3x (as of the date of this recording). So, the investor is buying the earnings of a publicly traded company at a cheaper price by going through the parent vs. buying directly. You can see more of this in the provided financial model. The link is below. HOWEVER, as an investor you must conduct your own research! I discuss the importance of why this is absolutely critical in this episode as well. There are real risks with any opportunity and they must be address. I discuss a number of major risks in this video. Please keep in mind that this content is purely for educational purposes. I believe it unwise to make any investment decision without first accessing the "primary sources" (i.e. 10-Q, 10-K, earnings releases, etc.). You can access them on the SEC website. Subscribers, Likes, and Reviews keep this podcast alive! Help us keep going folks! CONNECT WITH US Instagram: www.instagram.com/getbread_official Facebook: www.facebook.com/justmakinbread Twitter: https://twitter.com/justmakinbread Credits: Music: [Cosimo Fogg (201)] https://soundcloud.com/cosimo-fogg/ja...... [VII 초] https://soundcloud.com/viisecs/lo-fi... [rubensoxo] https://soundcloud.com/rubensoxo/chil... [dBrewin'] https://soundcloud.com/darian-brewer-... Find out more on the Get That Bread - A Value Investing Podcast website.

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57: Brisbane + Sydney (Living the Australian Life)

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2019 30:34

Spending almost three weeks in Brisbane and Sydney helped us truly understand the ins and outs of Australian life. We enjoyed our time with our two friends, Nick and Kathryn, and their kind family. BBQs, rugby, and laughter dominated our time in Brisbane. We had a chance to walk the coast in Redcliffe, get some ink like an Aussie, and cheer on the Lions. The wide range of bars and restaurants provided many chances to discover what the Brisbane nightlife is all about. Transitioning to Sydney and the beautiful Bondi Beach provided long walks along the coast, a surfer’s vibe, and many options for coffee or drinks. The Opera House is a world-renowned symbol of Australia, and it did not disappoint with its beauty. Walking around the downtown area gave us a chance to feel the diversity and big-city atmosphere that comes with the charm and kindness of the Australian people. We really enjoyed our time in these two major Australian cities, come along as we share a few tips and tricks we learned along the way. Main Topics Covered: Brisbane, Australia Travel Sydney, Australia Tips Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. Nikki’s first published book - Passport Joy - can be found on the Kindle store on Amazon. We enjoyed our time hanging out with our friends in several parts of Brisbane. Be sure to take your ID if you plan on going out after 10pm. We went to Michelton to visit a classic Brisbane barber shop at Aldo’s Barbershop. The TAB outlets around town make it easy to gamble on basically anything in the sports realm. Eat Street Northshore is a great way to discover a wide range of food options and listen to local live talent. The Treasury Casino is a classic casino with all of the typical game options, great party vibe, and live music on occasion. The Waterloo Hotel was a favorite bar hangout when we visited the Newstead area. Rugby is an important part of the Australian culture. We went to a Brisbane Lions game where they won 102-58. We ended up having our own wing challenge at Lord of the Wings. Getting an Opal Card is very important when you land in Sydney to save money on transportation. One of the best walks in the world can be found along the coastline in Sydney. Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

55: Tasmania Travel (Peaceful Australian Island)

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2019 23:30

Tasmania is a gorgeous island state of Australia off the southern coast of the mainland. We wish we could have stayed longer to enjoy the beauty of the wilderness, the peaceful town with plenty to do, and fun day tours to visit exotic animals. We loved walking around Hobart to visit boutiques, cafes, restaurants, and galleries. You can find plenty of shops in Salamanca Place, Battery Point, and all of the quaint neighborhoods of Hobart. Tasmania has a large port area with huge yachts, quiet beaches, and the Mona (Museum of Old and New Art) just a short private ferry away. Drinking a cold beer at the Cascade Brewery was a deliciously good choice. Our day trip out to Mt. Field National Park, Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, and Mt. Wellington was our highlight as we had a chance to experience the wilderness and interact with kangaroos, wombats, and the iconic Tasmanian devil. Main Topics Covered: Tasmania Travel Tips Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. Nikki’s first published book - Passport Joy - can be found on the Kindle store on Amazon. We had a fun night of live music at the Republic Bar in Hobart Relax and enjoy St. David’s Park where you might spot a few acrobats I got an awesome haircut at Bob’s Your Uncle Barber Shop Taste great local beer and a chance to tour the brewery at Cascade Brewery A great full-day experience with a talented professional guide at Tasmanian Wilderness Tour on Airbnb We interacted with a ton of animals (kangaroos, Tasmanian Devils, wombats, koalas) at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary We had a relaxing lunch, cold beer, and felt like a local at The Richmond Arms Hotel We failed to visit the Mona (Museum of Old and New Art) but you should definitely go. Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

54: Melbourne, Australia (Travel to the Great Ocean Road)

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2019 21:12

Arriving in Melbourne was exciting as we began our month traveling to a few cities in Australia. The large, beautiful city has a multicultural vibe with a ton of great restaurants, strong artist attitude, and a beautiful coastline. We walked for miles around the town taking in all of the beauty of St. Kilda, eating at a Japanese restaurant on Chapel Street, and enjoying the street art within every pocket of the city. The trip was topped off with the ride down Great Ocean Road to take endless photos of the gorgeous beaches and unforgettable landscape. Spotting bouncing kangaroos and sleeping koalas were a bonus that made the week in the city a great start to our adventures in the Land Down Under. Main Topics Covered: Melbourne, Australia Travel Tips Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. Nikki’s first published book - Passport Joy - can be found on the Kindle store on Amazon. Look through the TrustedHouseSitters website and get your discount by using our link Getting sick is sometimes part of your travel experience. Protect your investment with Travel Insurance. St. Kilda is a great area to stay when visiting Melbourne if you enjoy beaches, bars, and nightlife. Acland Street is vibrant with many shops and great restaurants. Blank Coworking is a great place to get your work done while on the road. A fun and inviting cowork space in St Kilda. The Myki Pass is the easiest way to get around Melbourne if you don’t want the hassle of renting a car. The Chapel Street precinct has fashion, fun, and a bunch of places to be seen in. A highlight in Melbourne. Crown Casino is a world-class casino. Believe me, I’ve been in all of them. The Great Ocean Road Tour is a MUST. With the wildlife sightings, driving along the gorgeous coastline, and the unforgettable photos at the 12 Apostles, you have to build it into your itinerary when visiting Melbourne. We went with Go West Tours for our visit and had a 5-star trip. Our guide Joel was fantastic. Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

53: Kolkata (Calcutta) India {23 Hours in the City of Joy}

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2019 26:57

We had the chance to spend 23 hours in Kolkata on a long layover from Hyderabad, India to Bangkok, Thailand, so we jumped on it. Based on a relationship that I had in the city, we set up a local guide who took us to a few authentic places that left us with a sense of how the people of Kolkata really live. We tested many of the excellent street food options including the chicken egg roll, puchkas, and bhapa doi. We road on the crowded train from the extremely busy Howrah Station. Visiting the College Street Coffee House is a must in Calcutta, so we made sure we sipped coffee in the busy upstairs hall. In and out of rickshaws, uber, and taxis, we saw the vibrant city and even had the chance to slow down for a shave with a street barber. We had a great time on our short visit in the former capital of India, please listen along on this fun episode of Passport Joy Travel Talk. Main Topics Covered: Kolkata (Calcutta) India Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. Nikki’s first published book - Passport Joy - can be found on the Kindle store on Amazon. Laying over in a city can be a great way to see it. We did the same in Doha, Qatar as well as Copenhagen, Denmark. Our personal guide in Kolkata was Pratik Jio - reach out to him if you visit the city as well. Being able to visit the Ganges was a big deal to both of us. Puchkas or Pani puri, are very tasty street food that you will find everywhere around the city. Carrom is a game we found walking the streets. It’s basically hitting checkers with your hand into four corners like the game pool. Bhapa Doi is made by blending yogurt and condensed milk. It becomes more tasteful with the garnishing of almonds and pistachios. College Street Coffee House is the most famous of Indian Coffee House branches in Kolkata. The Chicken Egg Roll was one of the best street foods I have ever eaten. I love paratha so to have a burrito style snack with that tasty combination was heaven in my mouth. The Howrah Station is the busiest railway station in India. It can be intense at times. The streets of Kolkata were chaotic and energizing. Many forms of transportation were fighting for space on the tight roads. Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

52: Hyderabad, India (Indian Wedding + Much More)

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2019 57:31

Having the chance to go back to Hyderabad, India for a wedding of our two friends, Preetham and Spandana, was an unforgettable experience. Not only did we have the opportunity to partake in the many ceremonies of the marriage including Sangeeth, Haldi, Groom’s Day, Bride’s Day, Mehndi, and the huge wedding event, we also visited Hitec City, Nalgonda, and Gandipet. The incredible visit included a trip out delivering invitations on a motorbike, dancing choreographed steps to Indian music, and making a trip for Toddy palm wine. The people were all incredibly kind from the families to our amazing hosts. We stayed with four different families, met kids on the streets playing cricket, and enjoyed late nights understanding the culture. This India trip will not be forgotten, and we hope you enjoy us telling our unique story of discovering more reasons why we love to travel so much in this episode of Passport Joy Travel Talk. Main Topics Covered: Hyderabad Nagole Hitec City Nalgonda Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. Nikki’s first published book - Passport Joy - can be found on the Kindle store on Amazon. Listen to our previous journey to India on Podcast 48: India is Incredible (2 Months Traveling 7+ Cities). Utilize the Pre-Paid Taxis ran by the government to give you peace of mind when you land at the airport in Hyderabad. Our outfits during the wedding festivities were outstanding. HITEC city is an area in Hyderabad focused on technology, engineering, and other sectors of economic growth. The Westin in HITEC was unbelievable with its great service and huge rooms. Toddy palm wine is what we went searching for on Sunday and it was a great trip. Our hosts, Jaya and Anthony, were amazingly kind. I compared tattoos with their mother one day. Sangeeth is the dance portion of the wedding festivities. Nalgonda was smaller version of Hyderabad and a fun town. We celebrated the bride’s day and Haldi at her home. Nikki got mehndi on her hands and forearms. The wedding was a bit early in the morning but a gorgeous ceremony. Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

51: Why We Love Southeast Asia

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2019 19:41

We have spent plenty of time during our journey in Southeast Asia. We love everything these countries have to offer travelers. The people, food, scooter lifestyle, gorgeous beaches, and affordability are all part of the reasons why we have stayed 7 months in this region that includes Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. We have still yet to see the beauty of Laos and the Philippines, but that will happen someday soon. In this episode of Passport Joy Travel Talk, we hope to give you a reason to visit these countries and discover why we have enjoyed it so much. Main Topics Covered: Why We Love Southeast Asia People, Food, Scooter, Cost Tech-friendly, Beaches, Belief System Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. Part of our love for Southeast Asia was because of our amazing time in Da Nang, Vietnam (Trip of a Lifetime). If you are looking for a great island trip head to Phu Quoc (Fantasy Island of Vietnam). World-class treatment can be found in the barber shop in Bali, Indonesia – World Barber Shop Adventures. The historic ruins and the vibrant cities are waiting to be discovered in Cambodia Travel (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Angkor Wat). There are endless great restaurants and cafes in Beautiful Bali, Indonesia (4 Weeks in Travel Paradise). Several of our favorite Southeast Asian locations made our Best Travel Spots for 2019 (Places You May NOT Know). Two places that are close together but worlds apart are Singapore and Kuala Lumpur Travel (2 Kinds of Awesome). If you are looking for a great time with your older friends, take a Thailand Adult Trip (Bars, Night Markets, & an Island). Traveling with friends is a lot of fun like when we did Vietnam with a Friend (Da Nang, Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Quy Nhon). Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

50: Da Nang, Vietnam (Trip of a Lifetime)

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2019 51:17

Da Nang is a fantastic city in Central Vietnam with a vibrant culture and gorgeous coastline. We have had the privilege of spending 50 days in this city over the last two years. We have gotten to know all of the great places to visit, fabulous restaurants, fun bars, and must-see sights around the city. Hoi An is only 30 minutes away and on everyone’s travel destination list. When my brother and his wife decided to visit us during our journey, we were excited to suggest Da Nang as the location to meet for their first international travel vacation. With the exciting scooter culture, extremely kind people, and tons of stuff to do, it is a great place to visit for any world adventurer. The cost-friendly prices are an added bonus. Join us for the fun podcast where we discuss why we love Da Nang, Vietnam so much and hope to come back again someday. Main Topics Covered: Da Nang, Vietnam Hoi An, Vietnam Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. My brother and his wife stayed at the Balcona Hotel and really enjoyed it. We have stayed at the Infinity Residencies several times and love the location, comfort, and owners. One of our favorite places to get a wide selection of Vietnamese food in My An is Kenta A great bar to enjoy drinks with ex-pats, travelers, and locals in My An is the Filling Station The beauty of My Khe Beach is endless. Our favorite spot to grab an authentic Bahn Xeo is at Miss Nhi’s. The Dragon Bridge is a great photo opportunity in Da Nang and a gorgeous landmark. Marble Mountain is an important part of the Da Nang travel experience. Amazing historic importance. Lady Buddha looks over the city and is a wonderful place to walk in peace and observe the beauty of the city. Monkey Mountain near InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort is a great place to get out scooter around. Apocalypse Now is a beautiful bar on the beach with great music and fantastic service. We visited one of the places that I have played poker in Vietnam. Con Market is an outdoor market selling goods (clothing, shoes, spices, anything you can think of) and a great place to understand the culture. We found a spot for the epic Scooter Mafia photo with the big buildings in the back. Hoa Cuong Wholesale Market is an authentic market that will give you deep insight into how business is done in Da Nang. One of my favorite barber shops in the world is Ky Lee Barber Shop in Da Nang. Hoi An a beautiful historic city of streams and lanterns. We picked up a few suits at Kimmy Tailor and were very pleased with the quality and exceptional service. Phi Banh Mi is my favorite banh mi spot in Hoi An and ended up getting three on my last visit. We attended the Super Bowl party at Dirty Fingers, an awesome sports bar in Da Nang near the coast. Taking the motorbikes to the Hai Van Pass was one of the most memorable times of our journey in Da Nang. Ho Dong Xanh Dong Nghe is a huge lake near mountains that was about an hour outside of Da Nang. We came across a dice game that had about 25 people betting on different animal faces on the dice. Chua Hung Quang Buddhist Temple was an unforgettable experience when the head monk brought us in for a Buddhist meal. Fire-Fly Mobile Bar is on the curbside near the front of Balcona Hotel and run by two young hustlers. A great bar to visit near the beach in Da Nang. Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

49: Fast vs Slow Travel (Which is Better?)

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2019 24:02

Is it best to stay in one city for a few days and then hop to the next city or is it better to stay longer to really understand the culture when traveling? How can you build your country-visited list if you are only in one country for a long time? Is it easier to save money by staying put in one place? Is slow travel more relaxing? Is fast travel more fun? We dive into all of the details and differences between fast and slow traveling and let you know what we find the most rewarding in this latest episode of Passport Joy Travel Talk. Main Topics Covered: Fast vs Slow Travel Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. We mixed slow and fast travel in Paracas, Peru (Plus an Ultimate Ica, Nazca Guide). While spending 10 days in Cusco we found The Best View of Machu Picchu- Climbing Huayna Picchu (An Epic Journey) We think you should definitely have slow travel in Cusco Peru (Ultimate Guide 2018 ) Our Northern Italy Road Trip Itinerary (9 Cities to See) is a journey we will always remember. I loved Playing Poker in Vietnam [Millions at Stake] in different cities around the country If you have time to visit, be sure to discover South Africa Guys’ Trip [Ultimate Adventure Travel] Finding barber chairs and culture in World Barber Shop Adventures We did a little of slow travel and fast travel when we found that India is Incredible (2 Months Traveling 7+ Cities) If you want to hear a list of our favorites, check out Best Travel Spots for 2019 (Places You May NOT Know) Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

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48: India is Incredible (2 Months Traveling 7+ Cities)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2019 61:10

Having the chance to spend two months traveling to a few different cities in India is something we will always remember about our journey around the world. Seeing the Taj Mahal outside of Delhi, celebrating two weddings, and exploring the wonder of Kerala are all experiences that will stay with us forever. Our time in Indore, Nagpur, and Bhopal were filled with excitement as they are non-traditional tourist location, but the families that took us in were kind, welcoming, and fantastic cooks. We enjoyed the bright colors and loud fireworks of Diwali and loved the amazing food from both north and south India. We took airplanes, buses, tuk-tuks, and trains, and spent time on longboats to canoe around the backwaters. From the Golden Temple to tea plantations, we enjoyed every minute of our journey through Incredible India! Main Topics Covered: Delhi and Agra Hyderabad - Traditional Wedding Nagpur, Indore, Bhopal Kerala Amritsar and Jammu Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. This was Matt’s third trip back to India and Nikki’s second. Agra and the Taj Mahal are as gorgeous as you see in all of the travel photos. The traveling India couple we met (Sidhika & Ritesh) can be found on Instagram at @sidritwanders. Being in Hyderabad for the wedding is something we will never forget. If you want to read the detail account on an Indian Wedding (Through Our American Eyes) dive into that post. Being in Indore for the Rajwada celebration for preparation of Diwali, the action was vibrant. I was interviewed by the Regional News Station which brought more attention, selfies, and photos. Nagpur, Indore, and Bhopal were outside of the typical tourist regions but still a great experience. The Kerala region is gorgeous, memorable, and exciting for many reasons. Here is a thorough list of the Kerala India Travel Guide (11 Epic Things To Do). This stay on Marari Beach was one of our most favorite in all our travels. Spending time with the children at Don Bosco will always be something we cherish about our journey. Be sure to check the holiday calendar for India before you go to make sure there are no major celebrations that will impact your trip. Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

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47: Saving Money Ideas (Short Trips or Long Vacations)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2019 42:27

Traveling for almost two years straight now on a budget has made us very smart about how we spend our money. In this podcast episode, we discuss all of the ways that we have saved on the road from creative accommodations, transportation, technology, and more. We have found ways to maximize our time in lounges and eliminate ATM fees. Wearing the same clothes for two years sucks but not if it is high quality. And what about a few things that we have learned about that we don’t do but still might be right for you? We share. Let’s save together and continue to discover the world. Main Topics Covered: How We Saved Money in 2 Years of Travel Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. Look through the TrustedHouseSitters website and get your discount by using our link Google Fi - the best phone plan for international travelers Priority Pass Global Lounge Access - the best way to travel the world and get airport lounge access Schwab is the best bank to use if you travel internationally as there are zero ATM fees Airbnb - The best way to travel anywhere in the world. Get your discount today. Mizzen and Main - The best pants available for traveling. Versatile, fashionable, and comfortable. Use your coupon today to get the best pants possible. Google Flights - the best way to understand what flights are available to make your journey easy and cheap. Skyscanner is the another great technology tool that will help you have the cheapest flights. Look at Credit Card offers that give you maximum benefits and points. Citi Prestige, Chase Sapphire, and Southwest Chase are a few of our favorites. Travel insurance can help you save a ton of money if the wrong thing hits you. WorkAway.info is a great website to find ways to volunteer your services to get free accomodations. Teach English to Chinese children for great rates. Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

46: Travel Myths to Ignore (Early 2019 Travel Plans)

Down Cellar Studio Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2019 43:19

People have all kinds of fears about traveling. We attempt to tell the truth on a few of the travel myths that are keeping people from engaging in the experiences of a lifetime. From street food to duty-free costs to transportation. You cannot believe all that you read and we hope to shed some light on the topics that might be holding you back. Don’t know the language? Worried about your age? Scared to take a bus? We discuss it in this episode of busting Travel Myths. We also give details on where we plan to travel to through May of this year. Main Topics Covered: Early 2019 Travel Plans Travel Myths to Ignore Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out all of the PARTNERS that have made our lives easy while traveling the world. Tommy John Underwear - Matt brought seven pairs of underwear on his journey - ALL Tommy John We breakdown our travel plans for 2019 but you can always find out where we are NOW here. The world is safer than ever and there is actually data to support it. There are all types of people in the world and we experienced that in Cambodia Travel (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Angkor Wat). Travel does not have to be expensive like we experienced in the Galapagos Islands on a Budget. Paracas, Peru was an incredible trip that helped us meet travelers of all ages. Transportation is not scary. We have taken busses, trains, tuk-tuks, and motorcycles. Even the bus ride hugging mountains on our way to Dhermi Albania (Incredible Beaches) was easy. The train while in Vietnam Travel to see the beauty of the countryside was awesome. The alcohol in Singapore can be crazy expensive. Grab a bottle at the airport when you land. American sports are not important around the world. Soccer is king. This blew my mind. Most notably the amazing time we had in Lisbon, Portugal. The Vietnam War by Ken Burns is an eye-opening documentary that helped us understand what the Vietnamese went through to help us interact better. First They Killed My Father about a child under the rule of the deadly Khmer Rouge in Cambodia is a moving documentary. Please remember, when you travel you are a GUEST in their country. Be courteous. Be kind. Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

Episode 153: New Year, New Goals, New Pattern!

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2019 53:38

Thank you for tuning in to Episode 153 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes with photos can be found on my website. This week's segments included: Off the Needles On the Needles From the Armchair KAL News Events Contest, News & Notes Life in Focus On a Happy Note Quote of the Week Thank you to this episode's sponsors: Lilliput Yarn Off the Needles I've been working on some design knitting- a worsted weight Tan House Brook hat! Can't wait to share more details soon. On the Needles Worsted Boxy Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted Superwash in Solstice Heather Colorway 26300 Dark blue with tints of black Needles: US 7 & US 8 Pattern: Worsted Boxy by Joji Locatelli Raw Honey Mitts Yarn: Cloudborn Wool Worsted Twist Colorway 27-003 (charcoal gray) Needles: US 5 (3.75mm) & 7 (4.5mm) Pattern: Raw Honey by Alicia Plummer $4.00 US (knit pattern) Diego Pattern: Lalylala 4seasons Halloween by Lydia Tresselt- 3 pattern combo, Diego-sugar skull, Frank- Frankenstein monster (already made), Brian is a Zombie with brain exposed (haven't made) Yarn: leftover worsted weight yarn Hook: B (2.25 mm) Cast on for Oisin before Christmas and completely forgot about it! Dan's 1st Felici Socks Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Pattern- OMG Heel by Megan Williams Yarn: Knit Picks Felici in the 8 Bit Colorway Winter Storm Hat Pattern: Winter Storm Hat by Gabrielle Vezina Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm) Yarn: King Cole Merino DK in the Irish Navy and Aran (cream) colorways From the Armchair 2018 Year in Review - Knit & Crochet Projects 84 FOs 23 pairs of socks 17 stuffed animals 10 shawls 6 hats ( 6 dishcloths 5 sweaters 4 blankets 3 Christmas Stockings 3 baby toys 2 pairs baby sandals 5 other 40 knit versus 44 crochet 19 things for me (same as 2017) 2018 Podcast/Knit Life in Review- Tune in to hear more 24 episodes Attended Vogue Knitting Live NYC & Rhinebeck Designed + published 2 new patterns: Jean Marie Shawl & Riley Rose Cowl Hosted 3 awesome KALs: Slay the Stash, Splash Pad & Pigskin Party Had a lot of fun with some other craft projects (detailed on the show) KAL News Slay the Stash 2019 Each month you can declare a skein of yarn to knit/crochet/weave to its very end. Let’s use up those older special skeins (purchased before 2019) - and maybe win a new beautiful skein of yarn from one of our sponsors along the way! Official Rules for 2019 Check out the January Post Use and follow #slaythestash2019 on Social Media Slay the Stash Sponsor List- 2019 January- Fish Belly Fiber Works February- KnitCircus Yarns March- Holly Press Fibers April- Fibernymph Dye Works May – Another Crafty Girl June- Flying Finn Yarns July- Sponsored by WindsweptMonique– yarn TBD August- Knit Style Yarns September- Artistic Lilly October – Infinite Twist November- 716 Knit December – Hypnotic Yarn Pigskin Party Wondering what this crazy KAL is? Check out this page which gives you the best overview with all necessary links. There’s also a helpful “Start Here” Thread in the Ravelry Group Check out the Rules but if you still have questions, come over to the Questions thread and ask. We’re happy to help. Put your Name on the Roster then claim your spot in the End Zone Dance Thread where you’ll track your points. Continue to update your post with all of the points you earn during the KAL For every 100 points, you’ll earn an entry into the drawing for the Grand Prizes Check out our amazing Sponsors; if you use their products, you’ll earn more points per FO Some of our Pro Shop Level Sponsors will be creating exclusive items for Pigskin Party participants. They may come out at different times and will likely be limited in quantities, so keep your eyes on this Exclusive Items thread in the group for all the latest news Scope out the prizes! Some will be given out during the KAL; some will be part of the Grand Prizes. Don’t forget to use #DCSPigskinParty18 on Instagram so we check out what you’re doing and you can be eligible for participation prizes. In this Episode: Check out Exclusive item thread!- something you like? get it now. After Super bowl wont' be available for 6 months. Tune in to see if you won a December participation or Interception prize WIPs Interception- details can be found here. If you have any questions, please post in the Questions Thread. Events Events in/around New England (or within driving distance) that you may want to check out. 10th Annual Slater Mill Knitting Weekend Fiber Art Marketplace- Pawtucket, RI- January 19 & 20, 10a-5p free admission Vogue Knitting Live New York, January 25-27, 2019 Farm Fiber Days at the Wayland Winter Farmers’ Market January 27 at Russell's Garden Center in Wayland, MA (March 3) The Seasonal Color Palette Natural Dye Workshop with Sasha Duerr at the Boston Public Market- February 9th 4 hours class $175 2nd Annual Boston Farm and Fiber Festival: February 10th at Boston Public Market 10a-5p 17th Annual New England Textile Arts Network's Spa Knit and Spin, February 23-25th in Freeport, ME Free Admission Knit North Yarn Crawl, North Shore, MA March 14-17 Contest, News & Notes News: Check out this Commuter Knitting in news story from CNN News: Please check out my first knitting pattern of 2019! Go with the Flo Would you like to test knit a worsted weight hat for me? PM me on Ravelry! Life in Focus I talk more about my 2019 plans, 2 major goals, and the habits I'll be employing to help me get there. Other things I keep in mind: Your past is your teacher not your fortune teller (what can you learn from previous attempts, failures etc) What can/what do I need to cut out? We often need to prioritize our goal over other less important things. Get clear about that up front. Think ahead to what challenges you'll face and think about how to get around that. Make a list of my fears. Writing them down helps! Be ok with failure. Learn from it and move on. If I miss one day or one workout or one healthy meal, get right back on track at the next possible opportunity. "Growth is not in perfection, but in quickening your recovery time when you inevitably act contrary to your highest interests." – Neil Strauss How I Track Progress Weekly Evernote Note. List Quarterly, Monthly and Weekly Goals at the top. Then start a To-Do list for the week. The "to-do's" I add can be removed, moved to the next week or completed as I see fit. Plan each week on Sunday, look at the calendar and plot out my open time. Daily journaling of progress I'm making towards my two goals- paired with my existing habit of writing down my daily plan for water/food and movement. On a Happy Note Had a lovely visit with my dear friend Laura over the New Year's Holiday weekend Watching: The Affair, Season 4. Escape at Dannemore. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Leah Remini; Scientology the Aftermath, Ray Donovan. The Mule (in theater) Purging and clean out after the holidays! New workout area I set up in the cellar! Tree still up! Quote of the Week Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. – Calvin Coolidge ------ Thank you for tuning in. Remember show notes for this episode can be found at www.downcellarstudio.com/153 If you have a moment to leave a review on Apple Podcasts, I'd greatly appreciate it. I can be found on Ravelry as BostonJen and I'd love it if you came over to join our lively and engaged Down Cellar Studio Ravelry Group. Check me out on Instagram at BostonJen1 if you want to see what I'm up to between episodes. Email me at downcellarstudio@gmail.com For website: Thank you for tuning in! Contact Information: Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Twitter: Instagram: BostonJen1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio!

233: Mary Poppins Returns, Y'all!

Skywalking Through Neverland: A Star Wars / Disney Fan Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 24, 2018 83:35

Mary Poppins Returns, y’all, and it’s time to dive into this Disney film with our review and experiences!! Martin Keeler (Fantha Tracks) joins us to discuss Mary Poppins Returns, as well as his experience at the London Premiere where he and his family walked alongside Meryl Streep. They also saw many other celebrities, including Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Martin shares a hot tip on how to walk the Red Carpet right! I share my experience from the Los Angeles press conference, including quotes from Director Rob Marshall, as well as Emily Blunt asking my about my outfit! This IS the Holiday Season, and this year there’s no Star Wars movie in theaters (*gasp*)! So we sing a little song entitled “12 Days of No Star Wars in December (What To Do??)” Please enjoy and have a HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!! Mary Poppins Returns Press Conference https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBe4T5FHbmU Links We Reference on this Episode Check out our podcast episode of Step In Time where we discuss the original 1964 Mary Poppins with voice actor Stephen Stanton Sarah's Mary Poppins Returns Review Sarah's Mary Poppins Returns Press Conference Piece

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42: Cambodia Travel (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, and Angkor Wat)

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2018 33:41

Our adventure to Cambodia included celebrating the Water Festival (Bon Om Touk) while in Phnom Penh, discovering the beauty of Siem Reap, and taking in the mystery of Angkor Wat. The massive celebration in the country’s capital city brought in over a million visitors and we had the chance to take in the festivities alongside them. Eating insects, watching the boat races, and hearing the fireworks were all part of the 3-day massive party. Our time in Siem Reap helped us understand why it is a backpackers heaven with many pubs, cheap dining options, and the bucket list mystery of Angkor Wat. The magnificent Temple from the 12th century will leave you asking questions of what was built. Our journey to Cambodia was amazing. Listen as we share what we learned along the way. Main Topics Covered: Cambodia High Level Phnom Penh Siem Reap Angkor Wat Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out our Amazon Store. We list all of the items we love there. Look through the TrustedHouseSitters website to find a great way to travel for free and get your discount by using our link Our condo in Phnom Penh through Airbnb was exceptional and we really enjoyed our stay there. When we were in Phnom Penh, we celebrated Bon Om Touk with the people around the country. I ate crickets and roaches because it was available ;) It wasn’t too bad either. The Tokyo Barber Shop is an awesome shop in Phnom Penh that really knows how to give a great treatment. Our stay at the Rose Apple Boutique Bed and Breakfast was great while in Siem Reap. It had all of the comforts that you could wish for. We really enjoyed working out at the Angkor Interfitness. It had awesome equipment, a yoga room, and a sauna. Angkor Wat has been high on my bucket list for a while based on all of the history. It is crazy how it lines up with other mystical sites around the world mathematically described in this short video. Be sure to have your complete legal names on all of your travel documents so you can leave the airport properly. Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

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#236 The Streetwise Center for Hebrew Learners

Streetwise Hebrew

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2018 9:43

Gather = lerakez. Center = merkaz. Concentrated = merukaz. Coordinator = merakez. All these words share a common Hebrew root: רכז. Put aside all possible distractions because today's episode is laser-focused on the root RKZ. Listen to the All-Hebrew Version of this Episode Check out TLV1's WhyWhyWhy! True Stories from Israel podcast New Words and Expressions: Rikuz - Concentration - ריכוז Yesh yetsirot retsinioyt she-mevakshot rikuz male be-ozniyot - There are serious works (of music), that demand full concentration, with earphones - יש יצירות רציניות שמבקשות ריכוז מלא באוזניות Ehad mi-kol asara yeladim sovel me-hafra’at keshev ve-rikuz - One in every 10 children suffers from ADD Attention deficit disorder - אחד מכל עשרה ילדים סובל מהפרעת קשב וריכוז Mahane rikuz - A concentration camp - מחנה ריכוז Lerakez - To gather, to assemble - לרכז Merakez - He gathers / Coordinator - מרכז Rakaz - Coordinator - רכז Merkaz - Center - מרכז Merukaz - Concentrated - מרוכז Ani be-emtsa mashehu, ani lo merukaz - I am in the middle of something, I cannot focus right now - אני באמצע משהו, אני לא מרוכז Amart she-ani tamid merukaz be-atsmi - You said that I am always concentrated on myself (self-centered) - אמרת שאני תמיד מרוכז בעצמי Gel super merukaz - Super concentrated laundry gel - ג’ל סופר מרוכז Lehitrakez be-mashehu - To concentrate on something - תתרכז במשהו Titrakez “retsach” - Try hard to concentrate - תתרכז רצח Titrakzi (f.), titrakzu (pl.) - Concentrate! - תתרכזי, תתרכזו Ani rotse she-ha-shavu’a nitrakez be-ze - This week I’d like us to focus on this - אני רוצה שהשבוע נתרכז בזה Lehitmaked - To focus - להתמקד Moked sherut lakochot - Customer service center - מוקד שירות לקוחות Merkazi - Central - מרכזי Ha-tahana ha-merkazit - The central bus station - התחנה המרכזית Playlist and Clips: Mati Caspi - Shirim be-mitz agvaniyot (lyrics) Hafra’at keshev ve-rikuz - ADD - TV1 Machane rikuz - Concentration Camp Nadav Guedj - Ulai Nedaber (lyrics on YouTube) Jel Merukaz - Concentrated gel commercial Anahnu ba-mapa - Titrakez, concentrate, imperative, masculine Zaguri Imperia - Titrakzi, concentrate, imperative, feminine Nestea - Titrakzu, concentrate, imperative, plural Ha-tahana ha-merkazit - The Central Bus Station (Kan TV) Lahakat Ha-nachal - Sarit Ha-saparit (lyrics) TLV1's WhyWhyWhy! Podcast

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41: Beautiful Bali, Indonesia (4 Weeks in Travel Paradise)

The Essential Oil Revolution –– Aromatherapy, DIY, and Healthy Living w/ Samantha Lee Wright

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2018 51:21

We had the luxury of spending four fantastic weeks in Bali, Indonesia. It was a location that was highly anticipated on our journey as we heard stories from other travelers and had seen its beauty in the movies several times. To be in Bali long enough that we found our favorite places to eat, where to work out, and get used to the daily scooter lifestyle was great. We took a couple of fun day trips, met several kind locals, and found out why people consider Bali ‘Heaven on Earth’. In this podcast episode, we cover why we hope to go back, our top places to visit on the island, and why you will want to add it near the top of your travel bucket list. Main Topics Covered: Bali, Indonesia Travel Tips Overview Whitewater Rafting and Enjoying Ubud Day Trip to Nusa Penida Links Mentioned in the Episode: Check out our Amazon Store. We list all of the items we love there. Birch Boys Coffee - This is the coffee and tea that we love so much we had it shipped to us for our travels. MooseJaw - A great website to get all of your adventure gear to have an excellent trip. Our amazing loft on Airbnb that we stayed in while in Bali (Seminyak) for 4 weeks. Be sure to use our Airbnb discount if you have never used Airbnb (our preferred way to travel) before. Our favorite restaurants during our time in Bali include: Zula - delicious vegan options with a ton of flavor. Hard to beat the service and food options. Tasty Vegan - an easy option with great pricing and delicious food. Off the busy road, in a hidden paradise. Warung Bunana - a great local place for amazing roti and curry. Batik Restaurant - great date night restaurant with a ton of amazing Thai food options. Chai'Ba Street Kitchen & Bar - Amazing, top-notch India cuisine. Local Flea Market with a lot of good deals in a very clean, welcoming atmosphere. Potato Head Beach Club - World class beach club with night options. La Favela - a great Brazilian-themed night spot for dancing, having a great time and hanging out with friends. Louis and Friends Fitness - our gym for the 4 weeks where we loved working out, sauna time, and great people. Our whitewater rafting trip in Ubud was hosted by the amazing adventure travel company Mason Adventures. Ubud Monkey Forest is a great way to enjoy time with Monkeys and see them in their ‘natural’ habitat. Tegalalang Rice Terraces - a chance to see how the farmers live in their beautiful surroundings. Also taste some coffee while you are there. While in Angel’s Billabong I found this fisherman attempting to catch over the side of a huge cliff. The views over Kelingking viewpoint on Nusa Penida are some of the most epic in the world. Sign up for our Newsletter to get the latest tips in Travel and hear about our weekly visits around the world

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140: FUM – A Healthy Alternative to Smoking and Vaping

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2018 28:20

Are you trying to quite smoking or vaping, or just looking for an easy, portable way to enjoy the benefits of essential oils? Tune in to learn all about the hand-crafted device that brings essential oil usage to a new level. We’ll also explore the myths and misconceptions about vaping, and explore some amazing essential oils to help with addiction and overall wellness. Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Check out FUM at https://www.fumpipes.com/ GIVEAWAY DETAILS! PRIZES INCLUDE: Win 5 ml Orange Vitality Oil 1 Deck of Essential Oil Flashcards from Everything But Oils 1 tote bag “Success is the only option because I like expensive oils,”from Everything But Oils + Our essential oil recipe ebook! Enter on Facebook: Post your recipe and tag @essential Oil Revolution Podcast https://www.facebook.com/samantha.revolutionoils Include the hashtags #revolutionoilspodcast and #diydugout Or Enter on Instagram Post your recipe and tag @lifebysamwright Include the hashtags #revolutionoilspodcast and #diydugout Previous DIY Dugout Submitters CAN reenter this contest Limit of 2 entries per person Must submit before Sept 30th midnight eastern time For U.S. residents only Sponsors: View our entire sponsor list at www.revolutinooilspodcast.com/sponsors This episode is sponsored by Thrive Market ---> For 25% off your first order + a FREE 30 day trial go to www.thrivemarket.com/revolution This episode is sponsored by Daily Harvest ——> Go to daily-harvest.com and use promo code REVOLUTION to get 3 cups free off your first box.

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Episode 089: Answering Your Questions on Time Management

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2018 27:43

As a coach to entrepreneurs and other transformational business leaders, I am often asked to share my tips for managing time better. The question, “How does a busy person really get it all done, without feeling so overwhelmed” is a common challenge in the small business community. So, in episode 89 of Amplify Your Success Podcast, discover the three time-management questions most asked by my coaching clients --- and my $18k worthy coaching advice! Be sure to join the conversation in the Amplify Your Success Community about what works for you! Key Takeaways When you don’t have enough time, why its important to dig deep and evaluate your real priorities. How to use “time blocking” to stay in flow, build productive momentum and get more done. What horse-trainers can teach us about stress, focus and the ability to use our minds more effectively. My favorite “task management” resources for tracking tasks, project plans and staying focused on the right activities. Why overwhelm starts in your mindset and thought patterns (and how liquify time actually helps you achieve more of your to-do list.) What an “adrenaline-junky” is and how this unhealthy pattern creates unnecessary stress on you, your team and keeps you feeling like you are falling behind Mentioned In this Episode: Check out Melanie Recommends for must-have business growth resources. Awaken Leadership Lab Amplify Your Success Community How to Liquefy Time To Get More Done, Episode 18 Making Decisions With Your Internal GPS, Episode 14 Podio Project Management Team Work Project Management Google Drive Asana Project Management

Episode 085: How to Simplify Your Business to Multiply Success

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2018 14:52

Entrepreneurs are famous for having lots of ideas, and being really overwhelmed with running their small business. Sometimes the best way to increase revenues and reach is to simplify your business offerings and operations. In episode 85 of Amplify Your Success Podcast, discover the hidden costs of a complicated business along with 3 simple questions to ask yourself to get better results fast. Be sure to join the conversation in the Amplify Your Success Community the benefits of a simplified business! Key Takeaways The missing ingredient in having multiple businesses that are profitable Why “multiple streams of income” can be an illusion (and keep you broke and overwhelmed in the process!) Two case studies of “simplify to multiply” business transformations Three questions to ask if you suspect your business has become complicated (and its losing money and you are way too stressed out!) Mentioned In this Episode: Check out Melanie Recommends for must-have business growth resources. Awaken Leadership Lab Amplify Your Success Community

Episode 084: 4 Mindset Upgrades To Radically Improve Revenues Now

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 23, 2018 16:34

When sales are down and you still have not reached your revenue goals, it's tempting to feel down. But this is the time to dig deep and do the inner work so that sales kick in again. This might surprise you but for entrepreneurs, your income will rarely exceed your personal development. Doing more of what doesn’t work just makes you feel overwhelmed! In episode 84 of Amplify Your Success Podcast, learn the 4 most important mindset shifts that can turn on the flow of money and kick that struggle habit to the curb. Be sure to join the conversation in the Amplify Your Success Community about the mindset of high-earners! Key Takeaways Signs you are addicted to struggle due to a scarcity mindset. How mindset is a key component to transforming your business AND money situation. The one thing you can do immediately to accelerate meaningful results. What it really means when you worry, blame others for your failures or criticizing other people’s success. The seductive side of struggle and why it can turn you into an adrenaline junky needing your next fix! Mentioned In this Episode: Check out Melanie Recommends for must-have business growth resources. Awaken Leadership Lab MoneyDNA 2.0 Money Transformation Program 3 Keys to Affording Your Business Growth, Ep 46 Amplify Your Success Community

Episode 083: Stop Pricing Yourself Out of Business

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Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2018 17:25

Every entrepreneur will be tempted at times to lower their prices, especially when sales have slowed and your current clients are balking at what you charge. But charging too little can have a disastrous impact on your business profits – can overtime can destroy your success. In episode 83 of Amplify Your Success Podcast, discover the signs you are charging too little for your services and products as well as two case studies on how a simple shift in pricing created a three times increase in monthly revenues. Be sure to join the conversation in the Amplify Your Success Community about pricing too! Key Takeaways The reason why it’s a good sign that your prospects challenge your pricing. A major benefit of working with less clients who are willing to pay you more 5 signs that you are charging less than you should (and how it’s costing you in your business.) How to not make a common rookie mistake in pricing (hint: it has to do with not feeling confident with you offering yet!) Mentioned In this Episode: Check out Melanie Recommends for must-have business growth resources. The Profit Show with Marcus Lemonis Awaken Leadership Lab Amplify Your Success Community

Episode 082: Should You Hire a Coach or Mentor?

Burnt Out to Lit Up: Healthcare, Stress, Burnout, Wellness, Self Care

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2018 13:33

When you join a coaching program, how do you know if you are hiring kind of mentor? There’s a significant distinction between someone who is a trained coach and someone who is a mentor. Knowing the difference can save you from making a $10,000 - $100,000 mistake. I’ve heard so many complaints about big name mentors over the years from business owners who felt they made a mistake. The truth is they just didn’t know what kind of mentor they really needed! In episode 82 of Amplify Your Success Podcast, I explain the distinction between a mentor, a coach and a mentor coach – and when you need to hire each type. Be sure to join the conversation in the Amplify Your Success Community about mentoring vs coaching! Key Takeaways The most important distinction between a mentor and a coach (knowing this can save you from making a costly investment mistake!) Why you need a coach AND a mentor at certain times during your business growth What a mentor coach is (and how it’s a powerful option when looking for a coach.) The one question to ask any mentor or coach you are considering working with Mentioned In this Episode: Check out Melanie Recommends for must-have business growth resources. Becoming Grace Under Pressure Episode 78 Awaken Leadership Lab Amplify Your Success Community

018: What Does Resilience Look Like?

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2018 27:23

We can’t control the world, but we can control how we think about it. - Walter Mischel.. What does it mean to be resilient? What are the 5 P’s to resilience? Building resilience requires a recipe. I share that recipe with you in this episodeCheck out the show notes for questions that follow up with some of the main points! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burntouttolitup/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/burntouttolitup Free Ten Tips for Occupational Therapists on Using Mindfulness Interventions: joyenergytime.mykajabi.com/p/ot-mindfulness-guide Free Stress + Burnout Guide for Healthcare Professionals: joyenergytime.mykajabi.com/p/free-guid…evised-page Support the Podcast! patreon.com/burntouttolitup Our website: joyenergytime.com/podcast

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Ep 36: From Fear to Flow with Karly Nimmo

Mother's Quest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2018 58:39

I’m honored and excited to bring you this Episode #36, the first of Season Three of the Mother’s Quest Podcast. If you had a chance to tune into the bonus episode I released last week, “Sprouting Seeds for Mother’s Quest,” you know that today’s episode marks what feels like a new chapter with the podcast and with what I call my E.P.I.C. Life. Through that episode, I reflected on the growth that’s happened in my life over the last year and also the places where I want to focus or deepen new learning. One area where I want to grow is in conquering limiting beliefs, fear of failure, and over-analysis and instead step forward with more freedom, authenticity and in a place of flow. I couldn’t ask for a better guide to kick-off the season with this mindset and to lead the way for all of us than Karly Nimmo. Karly is a No. 1 iTunes podcaster, with her two hit shows; Karlosophies and Keeping Good Company which she launched with her best friend Lisa Corduff. She’s a serial entrepreneur, mad creator, born communicator and killer storyteller with a knack for getting you to look at life from a different perspective. After finding herself hooked up to an ECG having a suspected heart attack, Karly took a good hard look at what was really important to her. And found it wasn’t all the trimmings. It was really quite simple. She wanted to slow down. Spend time with family and friends. Do work that she really cares about. On the work front, she started to let things go. One by one. Until two things were left: Speak. Write. And, that’s what you’ll find her doing today. Another woman who powerfully speaks and writes, and whose episode on Karly’s new podcast supported me in moving through some recent fear of speaking out myself, is Samantha Nolan-Smith. I knew I needed a special person to dedicate Karly’s episode, I’m so grateful that Samantha said yes, and was deeply moved by her dedication to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers of Australia, and her words about the truth-telling she’s experienced from Karly. In this episode, Karly and I talk about the ways that she has come through for me, helping me find my own truths, first when I was moving through uncertainty in the launch of the podcast, and later when I learned I hadn’t pressed record on an interview with Karly and Podcast Hall of Famer Elsie Escober. The resulting lesson from Karly on letting go, quantum psychics, and neural pathways thankfully was recorded (and you can download it if you’d like to listen) and it made that mistake priceless in what it helped me learn. Karly shares about her own E.P.I.C. life, how she got to where she is now, living in a state of authenticity doing what feels like her true purpose. And, she gives us two powerful challenges: the first to identify foundational commitments we can make to ourselves each day, and the second to explore how to go after doing our “best work” from a place of flow. I hope you leave this conversation, inspired as I did, to trust yourself and the mistakes that happen in your life, to bring you closer to the fullest expression of who you are and your authentic purpose. This episode dedicated by: Samantha Nolan-Smith, who supports women to be seen and heard in the world. You can find out more about her work at www.samanthanolansmith.com on Facebook or on Instagram. Topics Discussed in this Episode: How my big mistake on an interview with Karly and Elsie Escobar allowed me to reroute my neural pathways with Karly’s guidance The perspective shift that happens when we believe things happen for a reason, even if it doesn’t make sense at the time, and the idea that “nothing that is for you will go by you” Karly Nimmo’s nurturing mother, and the impact her mother had, catering to Karly’s father, on Karly’s determination to do differently The struggle of not fulfilling the life you imagined – and how to pick yourself up from failure Being vulnerable and revealing a full spectrum of emotions Honoring yourself, how important it is to prioritize yourself, and the idea of five foundational commitments Karly’s belief that our purpose is “being you” and her challenge to us to do our “best work” as the fullest expression of who we are This Week’s Challenge: Karly gives us a two-fold challenge: Identify and experiment with incorporating 5 Foundational Commitments to Yourself – these can be simple things, like making your bed, or having a daily cup of tea, that make you feel good each day. Reflect on this question…“Are you doing your best work?” If the answer is yes, go ahead and celebrate your achievement. If not, do some self-exploration and find where you can express your fullest potential and go “all in.” Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Check out Karly’s deeply personal podcast and her free-flowing conversations on: Karlosophies Keeping Good Company – Karly’s podcast with her best friend, Lisa Corduff You may follow Karly Nimmo in Facebook and Instagram She Podcasts, Ellie Escobar’s Podcast Ep 25: Change the Conversation: Podcasting as a Tool for Transformation with Elsie Escobar, the podcast episode that was possible because of the “mistake” I made that became a blessing Ep 115: Finally I’m Almost An Overnight Success from Karlosophies Bonus Audio: Original Conversation on Mistakes, Trust, and Neural Pathways EP 9: Samantha Nolan-Smith – Being Truly Visible from the Keeping Good Company Podcast Announcements: Virtual Mother’s Quest Circle Pilot I’m excited to announce that the first founding Mother’s Quest Virtual Circle has been filled. If you’re interested in a future circle, and want to receive notice when the applications open again, please add your name to this wait list. julie@mothersquest.com Mother’s Quest E.P.I.C. Life Check-In Would love to have you in our weekly E.P.I.C. Life Check-In on Tuesday, from 12N-1PM pm via Video on Zoom We’ll create connections within the Mother’s Quest community, reflect on how we feel along the E.P.I.C. Guideposts this week, and set an intention for the week. Time for personal introspection, group accountability and community-building all packed into one hour. Are you In? Let me know and I’ll make sure to send you the zoom link. www.mothersquest.com/community Help us Grow the Mother’s Quest Community If you’re finding value from the Mother’s Quest Podcast and would like to get more involved, please join us in the Mother’s Quest Facebook Group, help us find more like-minded mothers on a quest by spreading the word and sharing your favorite episodes, and make a donation or apply to dedicate an episode. You can also share your story on the Mother’s Quest Blog. Acknowledgements: A big THANK YOU to our “patrons” for helping to bring these conversations to myself and other mothers through financial and/or in-kind support: Samantha Nolan-Smith Jody Smith Emily Cretella of MotherHustle Collette Flanagan, founder of Mothers Against Police Brutality Titilayo Tinubu Ali of Own Your Expertise Carly Magnus Hurt Lizzy Russinko of This (Un)Scripted Life Suzanne Brown, author of Mompowerment Mara Berns Langer Mallory Schlabach of Marketing Magic for Entrepreneurs Katharine Earhart of Alesco Advisors Jessica Kupferman of She Podcasts Resistance Artist Jen Jenkins Dohner Genese Harris Tonya Rineer, founder of The Profit Party Liane Louie-Badua Cristin Downs of the Notable Woman Podcast Erin Kendall of Fit Mom Go Niko Osoteo of Bear Beat Productions Erik Newton of The Together Show Claire Fry Divya Silbermann Rachel Winter Caren and Debbie Lieberman Cameron Miranda Fran and David Lieberman Debbie and Alan Goore Jenise and Marianne of the Sustainable Living Podcast Support the Podcast If you’d like to make a contribution to Mother’s Quest to support Season Three of the Podcast and/or help provide coaching scholarships for mothers, follow this link to make a contribution. If you would like to “dedicate” an upcoming episode to a special mother in your life, email me at julie@mothersquest.com Mother’s Quest is a podcast for moms who are ready to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Join in for intimate conversations with a diverse group of inspiring mothers as they share how they are living an E.P.I.C. life, Engaging mindfully with their children (E), Passionately and Purposefully making a difference beyond their family (P), Investing in themselves (I), and Connecting to a strong support network (C). Join our community of mothers to light the way and sustain you on your quest at https://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersquest/

The Best Films of 2017

That Fat Guy Doesn't Know What He's Talking About!

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2018 149:03

Steven welcomes back Jared, Trish and Joe as they count down their choices for the best films of 2017.WARNING: We had serious audio issues with this episodeCheck out Steven, Trish & Joe's horror centric podcast "Another Night at Camp Blood": http://wolfbaneblooms.com/series/another-night-at-camp-blood/Check out Trish & Joe's blog "Noise & Nonsense": https://noiseandnonsense.wordpress.com/

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The Worst Films of 2017

That Fat Guy Doesn't Know What He's Talking About!

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2018 113:38

Steven welcomes back Jared and welcomes first-timers Trish and Joe to the show as the group counts down their choices for the worst films of 2017.WARNING: We had serious audio issues on this episodeCheck out Steven, Trish and Joe's horror centric podcast "Another Night at Camp Blood": http://wolfbaneblooms.com/series/another-night-at-camp-blood/Check out Trish and Joe's blog "Noise and Nonsense": http://noiseandnonsense.wordpress.com/

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075 - Ask the Expert - Design Bullseye

Small Biz Buzz, by Keap

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2017 16:22

We talk design methodology and user testing with James Archer & Stephanie Haworth. Listen to learn how to ensure your product and marketing are working you want them to. Mentioned in the Episode: Check out our Campaign Performance Tool to start testing your your marketing. 7 Reasons Why your A/B Split Tests Aren’t Working Split Testing Guide for Ecommerce Sites 30 Email Split Test Ideas to Boost Conversions How to Build a Culture of Experimentation James Archer on Design Thinking How to Do Graphic Design For Your Brand When You Have No Design Knowledge

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081: Make Menopause Better w/ Essential Oils

The Essential Oil Revolution –– Aromatherapy, DIY, and Healthy Living w/ Samantha Lee Wright

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2017 31:34

Menopause may be a normal part of a healthy woman’s lifecycle but it doesn’t have to be miserable! Learn some amazing tips about using essential oils that support a women’s health and vitality. Dr. Krystal is the CEO of Pure Balance Holistic Healing in Portsmouth, NH and Newburyport, MASS. She is physical therapist, craniosacral therapist, aromatherapist and overall holistic healing expert. Resources Mentioned in the Episode: •Check out iTovi and get your scanner for free with promo code REVOLUTION •Connect with Dr. Krystal •Dr. Krystal’sphone :603-387-3347 •Krystal’s Email: drkrystal@purebalancept.com •Free Everyday Aromatherapy Course •Deep Vitality Healing Program ⁃ Use PROMO CODE SAMANTHALOVE

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Using Your Strengths For Authenticity and Connection - With Strother Gaines

Down Cellar Studio Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2017 26:55

This Episode’s Focus on Strengths This week Lisa chats with Strother Gaines, where they talk about using your strengths to maximize the authentic "you" at work. Strother works with a lot of clients who feel trapped in other people's expectations. This interview will help you look at your innate talents and focus on who you are at your natural best. By doing that, you'll make stronger connections in your career because you're not working so hard at showing up like you think you're supposed to at the office. Strother and Lisa met a few years ago at a public speaking conference while talking about the “yes cat” Vine video that Lisa had not heard of. Since then, Strother keeps Lisa up on the latest viral videos like Yassss Cat, awesome texting abbreviations like TL;DR (too long didn’t read), and awesome made up words like Screlting. Strother's Top 5 Clifton StrengthsFinder Talent Themes: Individualization, Strategic, Significance, Communication, Activator Lisa’s Top 5 Clifton StrengthsFinder Talent Themes: Strategic, Maximizer, Positivity, Individualization, Woo Resources of the Episode Check out Strother’s get-to-know-him video and the full TEDx talk on Storytelling. Connect with him on his business site, But I’m A Unicorn Dammit, and his LinkedIn page. Strengths Tools You'll also find lots of StrengthsFinder, leadership, and team tools on our Strengths Resources page. Subscribe To The Lead Through Strengths Podcast To subscribe and review, here are your links for listening in iTunes and Stitcher Radio. You can also stream any episode right from this website. Subscribing is a great way to never miss an episode. Let the app notify you each week when the latest episode gets published. Here's a Full Transcript of the Interview Lisa Cummings: [00:00:09] You’re listening to Lead Through Strengths, where you’ll learn to apply your greatest strengths at work. I’m your host, Lisa Cummings, and I’ve gotta tell you, whether you’re leading your team or leading yourself, it's hard to find something more energizing and productive than using your natural talents every day at work. [00:00:26] And today, you’ll get to learn from my coach. He’s a TEDx speaker, he facilitates StrengthsFinder training, he specializes in authenticity, connection and storytelling. If you check out his coaching business at UnicornDammit.com – and, yes, you heard me right – he has this crazy name because he helps people make some giant integrations between different parts of their lives, like lawyers who just want to dance, programmers who wish they were potters, CFOs who are undercover yogis. So fun already, right? Strother out on his quest to find the unicorn qualities in people [00:01:02] I also love that he brings a million and one perspectives to the workplace scene. He’s done everything from professional speaking to sales management to segue tour guiding. His favorite hobby is directing theater, and he even integrates these amazing theatrical experiences into corporate events. I could gush on and on, yet you’re totally waiting for us to get on with the interview section of the show. [00:01:28] So, Strother Gaines, welcome. Strother Gaines: [00:01:30] Thank you so much for having me, Lisa. Lisa Cummings: [00:01:32] Let’s start with that by telling everyone your top five and which one you felt most authentically like you, when you first read your results. Strother Gaines: [00:01:41] Sure, yeah. My top five StrengthsFinder talent themes are Individualization, Strategic, Significance, Communication and Activator. And as far as the – if you’d ask me – pick one before I took the test, I would’ve said Communication would’ve been at the top somewhere. And there it is; it’s number four. Communication has always been such a huge part of my world personally, and professionally I majored in theater so you get trained in how to be a communicator. [00:02:06] I sang for a long time, both opera, musical theater, pop, things like that, so you get the diction and the different styles there. Communication’s always just been a huge part of my life and I would not be surprised to see it in the top five. Lisa Cummings: [00:02:19] So cool. I didn’t know about the opera part. Strother Gaines: [00:02:22] You know what, I didn’t love it. My undergrad asked me to sing opera because I was awarded a music scholarship because I had kind of a rare-ish vocal part. I was a lyric Italian tenor and opera was not my favorite thing, but if you’re going to give me a scholarship to do it, I suppose I will try. So I would do it and I’d sing the solo, and then I’d jump back into musical theater-land right on afterwards. Lisa Cummings: [00:02:47] When you said musical theater, you made me get back to thinking of dancing lawyers, and that sounds really fun and appealing. One question for you is, if we’re so attracted to these kind of ideas – dancing lawyers and CFOs who want to be yogis and people probably identify with parts of them that feel like that – why do you think it’s so hard then to just be our authentic selves at work? Strother Gaines: [00:03:10] In my experience there are lawyers who love what they do, and mazel tov to them, and I wish them all the happiness in the world. Oftentimes, though, when I interact with lawyers they often end up being English majors, who did it because it seemed like a good stable thing to do, but it wasn’t really the thing that they were super passionate about. However, you’re investing all of this time into cultivating a career in law that, once you make it into it, you go, “Well, I’m in it. Here we are and this is what we do now.” [00:03:36] And so you’re in this place where you’ve invested so much time and it’s sort of the sunk-cost fallacy, “I’d made it this far. I can’t really turn around now and open my yogurt stand like I would really like to.” So lawyers or high-ranking CFO, CTO, that type of group, they’ve spend so much time getting where they are that they feel they can’t turn and pivot at all. Lisa Cummings: [00:03:57] It makes me think about how even young in my career I used to show up at work with my librarian glasses on and put my hair back in a bun and make sure that I look like I should be taken seriously. And there was some disconnect about who I really was and who I thought I needed to show up as. [00:04:15] And that reminds me of your concept of connection at work as well, because I think those kind of behaviors make some sort of disconnection or wall between you and people, where they go, “Oh, that’s my work environment, and that’s my home environment.” And I remember you saying something about like, “I don’t want to have coffee with you with your work voice on. I just don’t want you to have a work voice.” Strother Gaines: [00:04:32] Totally. Lisa Cummings: [0:04:34] Say something about how you could apply natural talents and the natural you to the concept of being connected at work. Strother Gaines: [00:04:41] Yeah, so I think this is one of the reasons that I was so drawn to StrengthsFinder when you and I started; I’ve been guilty of it as well. I used to manage a spa, and when someone would call I had my normal, like, “Thank you for calling. This is Strother. How can I help you?” kind of voice that drops in that’s not really me, but is what you assume you’d like to hear when you hop on the phone with a spa. It needs to be a very specific style. [00:05:05] As an actor, I’m able to throw that type of thing up into the world and it still seem authentic, but it’s not actually who I am. So we just get really good at playing these roles for what you expect a lawyer to be, a dog walker to be, “What is the type of voice or persona that I should adopt for that role?” And when you adopt those personas you ignore so This meme makes Strother belly laugh! me of the unique things that make you you. [00:05:33] When I look at my top five, there were elements in the spa world that I could utilize but there are others that I sort of hid or just didn’t accentuate. And so I find that StrengthsFinder is such an interesting lens to look at things through because rather than trying to conform to a certain role, or the expectations of a certain role, you take who you are at your core, and make the role conform to you. [00:05:58] And if you have the flexibility of that, and you don’t have a boss who’s really concerned with making sure you fit that square peg into that round hole, then you actually end up being better and more engaging, and that connection with people is so much more genuine. I find that connection has been sort of the basis for me of all good professional things in my life, and I find that those are more impactful when that person is connecting with me as an actual person as opposed to a put-on version. [00:06:27] You kind of mentioned when you first started, and this is oftentimes for people when they first start a new career, they put their hair up, they put on the suit in the right way, they try and make sure that they puff up their chest just big enough that they seem impressive. And at the end of the day, that actually makes us tougher to connect with and so people just sort of fall off the back and aren’t as engaged with you. It’s a challenge though because it is sort of a cultural thing for us to try and put on the role as opposed to be ourselves within it. Lisa Cummings: [00:06:57] I wonder, how do you know when you’re not allowing people to connect with you and you’re giving off some vibe to them that they probably shouldn’t want to get to know you more? So how do you know when this is happening? What if you’re doing this and you’re not noticing? Strother Gaines: [00:07:14] Yeah, that’s a really good question. Sometimes we get so deep into the character. I’m going to diverge a little bit, and if I go too far off, just reel me back because it made me think of some backstory in theater that I’ve used a couple times. [00:07:29] So in theater I am not the best actor. I’m okay. I’m a better director, I’m a better producer, but on stage I’m okay. I have a couple of ticks that I’m not great at, and I’m not super great at inhabiting a character so that it feels real. It’s very clear that, “That’s Strother being a character,” as opposed to, “Well, that’s just the character.” [00:07:51] When I was training as a performer, I was even worse, as you can imagine, because I had no training, and one of my professors told me that I had penguin arms. And, basically, what that means is you cannot lift your elbow away from the side of your body. You’re gesticulating with your hands, they’re all over the place, you feel like you’re being big and broad – too bad there’s no visual, maybe I’ll send a little clip of me doing that – but your elbows are basically… Lisa Cummings: [00:08:18] Is it like your elbows are glued? Strother Gaines: [00:08:20] Yeah, exactly. They’re locked down to the side, and to you it feels like you’re being big but to an audience it looks like you’re just totally cramped into this little space. I could not get rid of that habit no matter how big I thought I was being, no matter how much I tried to push further, I was always in penguin arms, until I took a mask class. Example of commedia mask you'd wear in the mask class that Strother took in college [00:08:41] In mask class you get to put on – my favorite were Commedia masks which are Italian masks that are half of your face. So your mouth is still exposed but the top of your face is covered and stagnant in that one particular pose. [00:08:53] As soon as the mask goes on, you have this ability, or I found I had this ability, to finally lift my arms out because suddenly it wasn’t me. I was playing a character and it was super obvious for everyone who was watching that I was being Arlecchino, it’s one of the stock characters names. That was who that was on stage, and Arlecchino moves with these really big arms, and I could finally do it. [00:09:15] And then as I took that mask off, later, I had gained the ability to take my elbows away from my side. So through this mark work when I get to kind of play in this world where I am definitely putting something on, I developed the ability to finally step out of that box and be a little more authentic and a little bigger. [00:09:37] And so I find that people – a lot of people always especially when we talk about authenticity or being your best self, or things that, that are a little buzz worthy right now, they’re like, “Take off all your masks and make sure they go away,” I see this as, “If you’re going to use a mask use it intentionally to forward yourself and get comfortable.” [00:09:55] I think that one of the ways to start – here we are cycling back finally, we’ve made it back to your question originally – if you can notice that there’s a mask, even like a tiny disconnect that you have at work, and most of the time even if it’s embedded in yourself, you’ll start to catch it usually in a vocal pattern. You’ll find it in something that is just not what you do. [00:10:15] And sometimes it’s actually really helpful to get somebody who does know you. If you do answer a phone, can you have somebody call you and see? Does it sound like you? Are you able to catch it? Can you get somebody in your life who does know you are more authentically, to be around, or to look at some of your writing or things like that? [00:10:33] Most of the time, though, it will be just sort of a sudden revelation on your own part where you’re like, “Oh, God, I’ve got this mask on right now, and it’s my professional mask. It’s my let-me-be-really-important mask. It’s my here’s-this-thing-that-I-did mask. You judge that and not me.” You make a really good point because it can be really challenging to see when it’s happening. [00:10:54] But I always look for little elements of things that are just off of who you normally would be, and it’s really as kind of on you to catch it. And it can be challenging sometimes that’s why you have a coach or that’s why you have a teacher, or an instructor, or a mentor. They’re often the ones who will be able to see things on us that we miss. Lisa Cummings: [00:11:14] Such a good one. And I love using the people who really do know you well. I’ve certainly had that kind of feedback from, I know my sister, in seeing some early speaking videos, it’s like, oh, my God, I just crack up when I see that because it’s you being the formal you, or my husband in the pool last year saying something like, “I’m right here. You don’t have to do your training projection voice.” Strother Gaines: [00:11:35] Oh, God, I get that too, and they’re like, “We’re literally in the room with you.” And I’m like, “I’m so sorry.” Lisa Cummings: [00:11:40] [laughs] I just blame it on drumming too much and having hearing problems. Strother Gaines: [00:11:45] I think that’s fair. That’s fair, yeah. Lisa Cummings: [00:11:47] Yeah, it’s a good one. Now, all of this is making me think of personal career branding kind of topic as well, and I know you do a lot of work on the concept of storytelling. And so if we put that in the context of personal career branding, I wonder how someone in the audience could use their Strengths to consciously tell a story about who they are at their best? Strother Gaines: [00:12:08] I find that personal branding to be really fascinating. And there’s a personal and a professional benefit, I think, to knowing what your personal brand is, and being able to own it. When I look at mine, to pop out for me that helped me in my branding, Individualization and Significance. Having those pieces as context for the story, being able to say, “Okay, if these are my individual talents, these are the things that are easiest for me to call upon, how do I take that and accentuate them? How do I amplify these Strengths?” [00:12:43] For clients of mine, that is really one of my bigger things is to, once we’ve got the concept of who you are, what your Strengths are, I do prefer to focus on the Strengths I know that you’re on board with that methodology. It’s good to be aware of your weaknesses or the opportunities you have to overcome certain things. [00:12:59] But I feel like, especially when it comes to storytelling, you want to cater your story to those Strengths. So whether you are an entrepreneur, or an employee, or you’re working on a side hustle, it’s important to know, “These are the things that I want to lead with.” And if you can craft your story around the Strengths then it’s a more compelling story, and I’m more willing to come along with you on that story, than if you’re in the middle, or sort of muddling around, or, even worse, with some of the weaknesses or things you have to overcome. Lisa Cummings: [00:13:29] As you were talking about what you’re going to start with, I just couldn’t help but be sitting there with you at a networking event and how often people have to tell some story of who they are, “Who are you? What are you about?” Usually it’s, “What do you do?” I’m curious about these mini-storytelling moments that happen at work events or networking events. [00:13:53] And I know you do your Networking Under 40 and you lead these big events. So, gosh, I think I remember you saying something about a terrible story about your first networking event. So tell us about how storytelling plays in there. Give us the storytelling personal branding mixed up with networking. Strother Gaines: [00:14:11] It’s interesting because in networking we have this concept now, and, oh, if I could just kill it that would be wonderful, but everyone is like, “Well, what’s your elevator pitch? Or how do we squeeze you into 60 seconds?” And I just think that that’s such a terrible exercise. In a networking event, when you come up and you give me that pre-rehearsed little piece I am gone in the first three seconds because I know you’re not actually connecting with me: your story is boring, your story is contrived, and it has nothing to do with me, and it’s you pitching yourself to me. [00:14:40] Maybe if we are a perfect match business-wise I’m engaged, but realistically as soon as I hear someone switch into the elevator pitch mode I’m gone. Networking for me it’s a bit like Improv in that you have to just be super present with the person. I’m always more concerned with them than myself, and trying to drag stories out of them, that might be a little bit of my just natural Strengths coming out too. [00:15:06] I like to get people to tell me things about themselves and then I can take that and relate to something that I’ve had going on in my world, and then it’s an easier thing for them to connect with. If we can find places where the Venn diagram of our stories connect at a networking event, that’s when I actually care, and that’s when I’m going to continue to follow up with you. [00:15:25] The thing that I learned is everyone is terrible at it. If you go to a networking event and you look around, I guarantee nine out of ten people are terrified, or doing a really terrible job at hiding that they’re terrified. And so if you go into it and you go, “Oh, my God, everyone is terrible at this because nobody knows what they’re doing,” and you kind of acknowledge the elephant in the room, then it’s way easier. [00:15:47] If you go with no expectation and you’re just there to like connect and see and talk and experience, it’s so much easier than if you put all of this pressure on yourself to be the most impressive person in the room, or make sure you get 20 clients before you leave, or 10 business cards that you can follow up with. Lisa Cummings: [00:16:03] It sounds like this is one of the magic tips, is to find interesting things about other people to ask them about, be curious about, talk to them about. Can you give us some examples of things that others who are listening might look for? Like, I’ll just give you the example of if I see you – and for those of you listening, Strother wears this wooden bowties and they’re so unique. I’ve never even heard of them before, seeing it on Strother. Lisa's ode to Strother's wooden bow tie. It was fun to find in a little San Diego shop, but it won't be her go-to "approachability doodad." [00:16:34] So that is something where I think you just gave, I call it an approachability doodad. Now, so you wear this thing that makes it easy for other people to find you approachable and ask you about it, and those are the things I look out for in other people as well, because it just opens up and breaks the ice. So how about for you? What are a couple of things that you look for that you can be curious about and ask people about? Strother Gaines: [00:16:57] Yeah, totally. It’s funny you mentioned the bowtie because anytime I speak about networking I have three things that I feel – what did you call it? What was the doodad? I love that. Lisa Cummings: [00:17:08] The approachability doodad. Strother Gaines: [00:17:09] The approachability doodad. Love it. I’m going to take that. So my approachability doodads that I have, I always say it’s my beard, bowtie, and bracelet. And so I have my three Bs that I wear to any networking event, it’s a Miansai. It’s this beautiful little anchor. You have one, you’ve got a hook. I’ve got an anchor, you’ve got a hook. Lisa Cummings: [00:17:25] Right. Strother Gaines: [00:17:26] And people seems to really like it, and they’re like, “Oh, I really like your bracelet,” and that’s such a super easy in. The bowtie is really great because I can dramatically yank. It’s by a guy, the artist is SwitchWood here in D.C. You can rip the bowtie weighing out because you switch them in and out, they’re on magnets, and people are like, “Oh, my God, that’s so interesting.” And then my beard is just a big one and people are like, “Oh, it’s a cool beard. How long did that take?” So anything to make yourself approachable. [00:17:51] I think that there’s a fine line for people when do this, because sometimes it gets into the creepy territory of like, “Oh, your hair looks really pretty.” Like, “Hmm, now that’s not a good way to start this.” Start with something usually like the glasses, or an accessory, or shirt color, or the dress color, or something like that. Those are fine. [00:18:11] But as far as everything else goes, I do the access-ability doodads are wonderful. If you want to wear something like that out, I think that’s a really easy way for you to get responsible for giving people an in. Other ways, take the low-hanging fruit. If there is the one person sitting off by themselves, like almost certainly that person is dying for someone to come talk to them because they’re at a networking event. They came to talk to people but they’re feeling awkward, they’re not sure how to approach, so if you approach them, they’re like, “Oh, thank God.” So find the singular person, and that one is an easy one. [00:18:45] And then another tip that actually works, that people shake their heads when I say this, but it genuinely does, if you want to break into a group, stepping in and saying, “Mind if I join you?” It actually totally works because people are like, “Yeah, sure,” and they’ll step aside. It’s way better than doing that awkward hover where you’re standing like two feet behind the person to the side and trying to wiggle in. Lisa Cummings: [00:19:04] And kind of creepy. Strother Gaines: [00:19:05] Yeah. Lisa Cummings: [00:19:06] Two things you mentioned that sounded creepy – the standing off to the side, and I was imagining like the elevator eyes looking up to them, “Is there anything interesting that they’re wearing?” Strother Gaines: [00:19:16] Exactly. Where they’re like, “Let me see. Is this a thing? Oh, yeah, absolutely.” Networking, let’s own it, can feel creepy. It is a forced environment. We’re all thrown to this weird situation. The quicker you just knowledge that the better you are in it. Lisa Cummings: [00:19:30] Such good stuff. Now, speaking of the power to have big habits as an adult, I want to go to the total other end of the continuum. Yeah, it’s like networking at the more surface-level, first intros. Now let’s get into the real deep kind of human interactions that you experience when you’re coaching people. So you guys heard me mentioned in the intro that Strother is my coach. And I’m curious overall what is your favorite question when you’re going deep with people, that you ask of your coachees? Like what conversation topics really seem to move people the most? Strother Gaines: [00:20:06] I feel like if you took a cross section of all of my clients and anyone that I’ve ever done a facilitation with, the one thing that they sort of pair it back to me in almost like a mocking way but because I’d say it all the time and it works, is, “What’s that in service of?” And so if someone says, “Well, this is what I’m doing and this is what I think I’m going to do and here’s what my next plans.” And my follow-up question almost always is, “What’s that in service of?” [00:20:31] And that could easily be, “Well, why are you doing that?” But as a coach, one of the things that I try and avoid is something that comes along with the need to explain or justify. And when I say, “Well, why?” that makes somebody go, “Well, I have to defend that choice. I’m going to defend it. Like here’s what I will because I think that it’s a really good idea and I’ve done all this research and we’re kind of off the topic anyway.” But when I say, “What’s that in service of?” they have to tell me what they hope to gain from choosing that choice. [00:20:59] And so to make it very personal for you, you have a calendaring thing where you like to over-schedule quite a bit, and the question I ask is, “Well, what’s it in service of?” And you can answer right now, and I can say like most people would say something like, “Oh, to fit it all in because I know I have to get out there and always be a presence and always make sure that people know who I am and keep those relationships alive,” and whatever their reasoning is. [00:21:24] And then we ask, “Well, if that’s what that’s in service of, is that in line with your larger goals that we’re working on?” And usually with clients we’ll sort of address anywhere from one on a short end, to up to five or so primary goals that we’re working on, and we can take that action and see if it’s actually in service of the larger pieces. Lisa Cummings: [00:21:43] I love that you brought up calendaring because I hear it all the time from listeners as well, and because I’m totally happy to be transparent on the show because I’m always telling people to get as much time as possible in their Strengths zone. But even an overload of that, my calendar is overloaded with stuff in my Strength zone at times. Strother Gaines: [00:22:03] [laughs] At times. Lisa Cummings: [00:22:05] At times. [laughs] Many times. Not as much as last year though because I’ll tell you, you know, right, we know there are 24 maximum hours in a day, and Strother is not capable of giving you 36 or 38, but he did save me 266 hours of work in one calendar-related conversation last year. Because I remember you were challenging me in order to get some calendar time back, and when you asked me what it was in service of, I remember that I had said yes to too many things and one in particular was a gigantic contractual obligation. [00:22:42] I felt like it was in service of my integrity to follow up with what I had agreed to do, but once I got in, I was like, “Ugh, what did I do to myself?” And you challenged me to use my Strengths to get some massive calendar time back by not assuming I had to go about that work in a specific way, and you gave me some things to try doing that required less preparation, because I’m kind of an over-preparer, for those listening, and it saved me sooo many hours. [00:23:13] I think this is a great way to end on your concept of your Big C, Little C, and then I think they could apply it to themselves because you fill your calendar with things but you may not be fully aware of how you’re vetting those things. So let’s end with that. Strother Gaines: [00:23:30] Yeah, sure. So Big C, Little C is basically your big commitments and your little commitments. And your big commitments are those things that you would feel those high-minded ideals that you would hope that people would look at you and be like, “Oh, I bet Lisa is committed to music and her husband and the growth of the universe,” and all of these things that you would hope someone would look at and say, “Yes, that’s their big things.” [00:23:53] And your Little C is what you would actually see if we followed you around and you didn’t know for about 48 hours what would I, as an impartial observer, think your commitments were? And so is that Netflix? Is that the dog? Is that iPhone games? That used to be mine. I have since overcome some of those addictions, but nobody tell me any good games, because I will immediately jump right back in to them. [00:24:15] But when you’re being trailed anonymously for 48 hours, and this is an exercise you can do on your own, like look back at the past 48 hours, look at your calendar, look at the things you did, look at how you spent the time in between, big projects as well, and see, “Is this something that I seem committed to that’s actually taking up most of my time? Or am I actually living into my big commitments that I have?” [00:24:36] And so one of my commitments is the growth of my business. Did the things that I did today actually reflect that? And that’s your call to make. You get to decide if yes or no. But I find that that Big C, Little C is a nice way to sort of contextualize all of the things you’re doing and to tie it back to calendar time or fitting it all in why do we spend all of this time doing things that don’t actually move forward our larger goals. Sometimes it’s just we aren’t aware that we’re doing them. Lisa Cummings: [00:25:01] Some of the conversations, I think, that when we’re not looking in the mirror and it just feels like, “Well, this is an outside force, versus an inside force,” it makes it feel like the Big C is impossible. So the to-be-continued is follow up with the coach and go deep on this kind of stuff. Strother Gaines: [00:25:17] Yeah. Well, hello there. Lisa Cummings: [00:25:19] [laughs] Well, Strother, this has been so fun. So if they do want to reply to your, “Hello, there,” then where should they go find you? Strother Gaines: [00:25:28] Perfect. You can find me at UnicornDammit.com, you can email me at Strother, which you probably can’t say. It’ll be on your show notes, I’m sure. But it’s S-T-R-other, Strother@UnicornDammit.com. I’m happy to chat over there. Yeah, those are my primary spots. Also, if you happen to be in the D.C. area, I’m not an aegis here. We’re just a young professionals group under 40. We don’t check your ID, so come wherever I could be but we’d love to see you at one of our monthly events. It’s every third Thursday and you can check that out at NetworkUnder40.com. Lisa Cummings: [00:26:04] All right. If you can’t connect in D.C. then come on over to LeadThroughStrengths.com and we have some resources at LeadThroughStrengths.com/resources so you can connect with your team at work, and bring out your authentic best, and their authentic best. There are a bunch of tools there related to StrengthsFinder, strengths-focused leadership and on noticing what works about you and others so you can get more of what works in the workplace. [00:26:30] Thanks, everyone, for listening to Lead Through Strengths. Remember, using your strengths at work makes you a stronger performer at work. And if you’re putting a lopsided focus on fixing your weaknesses, you’re choosing the path of most resistance. So claim your authentic talents and share them with the world.

Episode 107: World of Difference

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2017 62:55

Thank you for tuning in to Episode 107 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. This week's segments included: Off the Needles On the Needles Brainstorming From the Armchair KAL News Events Contest, News & Notes Life in Focus On a Happy Note Quote of the Week Off the Needles Sunwalker Shawl Pattern: Sunwalker by Melanie Berg Yarn: Sun Valley Fibers MCS (Merino Cashmere Silk) Fingering in Kensington Colorway Needles: US 5 (3.75 mm) Modifications: Made it smaller than originally called for. Notes from this Ravelry Project Page as my guide. Did garter stitch for body instead of textured stitch. Teddy Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in brown & red Hook: C (2.75mm) Pattern: none Eyes & Nose from: 6060 on Etsy Heart Garland Pattern: Heart Garland by Sarah Anderson Yarn: Pussyhat leftover yarn- Tink Yarn, Cascade 220, other stash scraps Hook: H (5.0 mm) Idea from Andie of AndreSue Knits Video Podcast Works for Marce of Brown Berry Chronicles Video Podcast KAL #MakeWIPsNotWaste Mom’s 2017 Birthday Socks Yarn: Berry Colorful Yarnings- self striping Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm) Pattern: OMG Heel Sock by Megan Williams Bruins Hat Yarn: Knitters Brewing Company Sockaholic Fingering weigh yarn in Bruins Tailgate Party Colorway Pattern: None- see project page for details. Needles: US 5 & 6 On the Needles Dan’s New Year’s Socks Yarn: KFI Luxury Collection (MCN)- Color 604 Needles: US 2 (2.75mm) Pattern: OMG heel 52 stitches Journey Sweater Pattern: Journey by Alina Schneider $7 Yarn: Yarn Geek Fibers Whiz Bang (merino/bamboo worsted weight) Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm) Snowy January Socks Yarn: Bergere de France Goomy 50- Imprim Ciel Colorway US 1 (2.0mm) needles Pattern: OMG Heel Hexagon Scrappy Blanket Pattern: Instructions from this tutorial Yarn: leftover sock yarn Hook: D 3.25 mm Brainstorming Outfit for Millie's doll Kitkat hat for a friend Patriots Hat From the Armchair Podcasts: Teaknits Podcast video podcast hosted by Lauren (available on YouTube) Keep Calm and Carry Yarn Podcast hosted by Vivian and Alyson audio podcast available on iTunes & YouTube. Cohesive Home Podcast - audio podcast hosted by Kate & Melissa. Focusing on minimalism, slow, values based living, creativity, goal setting. Nourishing Real Talk - audio podcast hosted by Lindsey and Jenna. “Space for fearlessly authentic women and multi-passionate entrepreneurs who are all about living their lives and doing business on their own terms." Movies: Lion La La Land Moonlight Books: Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography KAL News 12 Months to Christmas KAL Click here to find about more about this KAL. Check out: Chat Thread & FO Thread First Quarter Prizes: Project Bag of Winner's Choice from She is Sew Whimsical on Etsy (contact: renee_schimel@charter.net) Sherlock Knits WIP’ing 2017 in the Butt Declare a WIP from 2016 or earlier within the first 5 days of the month, posting a photo of it in the thread. Finish the project by the end of the month, update your post with your FO photo and you'll be eligible to win a Ravelry downloadable pattern of your choosing up to $8. Pigskin Party ’16 Wondering what this crazy KAL is? Check out this page which gives you the best overview with all necessary links. Scope out the prizes! Thank you to our Pro Shop Sponsors! Berry Colorful Yarnings Bijou Basin Ranch Daizie Knits Fair Winds Farm Fiber Nymph Dye Works Knit Life Designs Knitcircus Yarns Knits4Comfort Knitters Brewing Company Knitty Kitty Bags Lilliput Yarn Media Peruana Designs One Geek To Craft Them All Pearl and Plum Plum Deluxe Tea Prairie Bag Works Sun Valley Fibers Sunsoaked Yarns The Yarn Sellar Yarn Geek Fibers Key Details Mentioned in this Episode- Check out the Sponsor Love Thread in our Ravelry Group. Tell us about your favorite Pigskin Party sponsors and be entered to win prizes. Announced the Knit Knight Designs Interception Winners Announced winners of the Bail Money for Greg Interception Events GoodReader Class - March 25 from 4-6p Stitch House in Dorchester, MA ($30) Contests, News and Notes World of Difference Shawl- my new shawl is available on Ravelry! Purchase it within the first 2 weeks and get it for 50% off! No coupon code required. Life in Focus Happiness Project 2017 January: Minimalism I gave a final recap of my experience focusing on Minimalism in January (experiences > stuff) Slow Home Podcast: Does Slow Living Have a Branding Problem? February: Memory keeping The Plan: Determine a sustainable plan for documenting memories through scrapbooking (paper and/or digital) in a creative, sharable way that doesn’t overwhelm me. Find, print and hang more photos in our home. Why? I scrapbooked 2005-2009 of my life and then again for part of 2013. I am so grateful to have documented the stories of that time in my life, especially as my nieces and nephews were born. I want to fill in the gaps and document those stories before I lose them. Kids were still so little then. So many cute photos, memories, milestones. funny things they said. I have boxes of photos & memorabilia my mother thoughtful saved for me. I want to organize it and purge what I don’t want and find a system for making this into something worth saving and sharing. I want to remember and celebrate my life. I want to share stories with my family and pass along wisdom where I can. What I've done so far Identify an approach- Stacy Julian, Library of Memories approach combined with Project Life divided page protectors Sort through childhood memorabilia based on these categories Assess finished scrapbooks. Sort through emails and journals. Momento app all to pull social media. Reorganize 2014 photos already printed into LOM approach. Started scrapbooking them! Working on Project Life App for 2017 and 2016 pho tos Resources Apps: Momento- access your social media feeds as a means for triggering journaling Google Photos Photo Fab {free} Class (explains how to use Google Photos) Becky Higgins Blog Post about Google Photos Pic Tap Go- for editing Podcasts: The Scrap Gals Modern Photo Solutions Live Inspired with Tracie Claiborne Websites + Blogs Simple Scrapper Project Life + Library of Memories Approaches Combined Ways to cope with sentimental things On A Happy Note 3 point protein shake — Almond Breeze Almond/Coconut Blend Milk (unsweetened), 1 scoop Whole Foods Vanilla Protein Powder, 2 tbsp PB2 Idea of being kind to your future self. I heard about this on the Happier podcast- Episode 101 Click here for the Wil Wheaton blog post I've been setting a weekly agenda in Evernote and it's helping me achieve more each week. Women's March Boston! I celebrated a belated Christmas with my niece Emelyn and nephew Oisin. They made me yarn ball tree and decorated frames for their school photos! Ice skating with friends! Going through my toys-ponies, barbies etc! Millie playing with my Barbies! Garret playing with his new dirt bike! We went to a friend's for dinner! Their daughter singing and dancing kept us entertained for hours! Google photos app Mom and Jeffs birthday dinner and family Karaoke! Quote of the Week Jane Goodall said: “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” ------ Contact Information: Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Twitter: Instagram & Periscope: BostonJen1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio!

Using Strengths For Task Swapping - With Jessica Rhodes

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2016 29:11

This Episode’s Focus on Strengths Jessica Rhodes joins us to show you how to apply your top strengths. She also shares some magical ideas for uncovering the natural talents of people on your team. You’ll find this episode especially useful if you’ve had your team take the StrengthsFinder survey, yet wondered how to actually apply strengths to real-world situations to improve and grow your business. Jessica is an inspiring guest, who encourages you to experiment. She helps you change things up, use your strengths to maximize potential, and to increase profitability. As we’re expanding our StrengthsFinder team in Austin, Texas and around the world, this interview was helpful for us too. It was a great mix of strengths-based development, hiring tips, and awesome chats about growing as a leader. What You’ll Learn Jessica shares these tips: Start with you. Understand both your strengths and weaknesses. Use your strengths to move you to where you want to go. And hire people who are strong in the areas where you’re weak. This leads to a well-rounded team (and keeps you from having to perform tasks you hate)! Use your strengths to achieve your goal. Jessica shares the first major goal she achieved after completing the StrengthsFinder Assessment. Knowing that she was going to be on maternity leave in nine months, she set the goal to have her company not only be surviving, but experiencing a strong level of growth, even while she was taking care of her family. Try Task Swapping. Find the right team members, and match their job responsibilities with their strengths. Hire And Quickly Experiment With Your Team’s Talents. Be willing to test out new responsibilities. Jessica switched things up with her employees after reading the StrengthsFinder 2.0 It has improved business performance and has helped the team enjoy their roles. For example: Sue did fine when she started, yet she really started exceling when she became the Director of Client Happiness. It was a perfect use of Sue’s Positivity, Woo, and Communication talent themes. Jessica also asked Sue to use those talents to create customer onboarding packets and to run their client gratitude program. Cathy did fine when she started, yet she really took off when Jessica started tapping into her natural talents. Jessica used Cathy’s Input and Learner talent themes when she made Cathy the official hub for software training on the team. It allowed Cathy to get energy from being a curator. Jessica helped her invest in her Developer and Strategic talents to create new systems and trainings that would serve the business in the long term. Make It Rain With Change. Realize that while some people enjoy doing the same task every day, others get easily bored. If an employee gets bored, change their responsibilities so that person has a high level of variety. Then watch to see how much that person’s productivity increases (and it will). Remember This Is The Beginning, Not The End. It’s more than just knowing your strengths. Jessica says that the results of the assessment are like a little bitty drip in a giant ocean. Once you have the results, then it’s important to use Show You Care. Value your employees and listen to them. Employees respond well when you’re investing in them. It makes them feel cared for and more loyal. Tap Into Their Quirks. Match employee strengths with tasks. They’ll be stronger at their jobs. And they’ll be happier, which will make you happy too. Jessica stressed learning, thinking, and “keeping your ears and eyes open” to see how things play out. Consider How Talents Impact Relationship Building. Match your team members with clients carefully. When teammates and clients are a good mix, you can create a positive bounce in your business. Create a Culture of Trust. Encourage employees to speak up when they’re unhappy about tasks. They’ll feel trusted to apply their own strengths and to work around their weaknesses. This helps you to implement change to keep them happy. It will keep your clients happy as well. Feel The Strengths Love. Use employee strengths to solve differences. Jessica shows how to use understanding of a fellow employee’s strengths and weakness to solve conflict in the office. Why Strengths? According to Jessica, the benefit of understanding and utilizing strengths-based development is that you’ll be happier! If you are around people who enjoy what they’re doing, you’ll be happy and have more positive results. Resource of the Episode Check out Jessica’s weekly web TV show, Interview Connection TV and listen to her weekly Rhodes to Success podcast. You can also follow her ideas on Facebook and Twitter. Remember, using your strengths and those of your employees will benefit everyone. Your company will grow. Your employees will be happy. You will be happy. And according to Gallup research, teams who focus on strengths improve their productivity as much as 21%. Subscribe To subscribe and review, here are your links for listening in iTunes and Stitcher Radio. You can also stream any episode right from the website. Subscribing is a great way to never miss an episode. Let the app notify you each week when the latest episode gets published.

Use Strengths To Create Customer Moments - With Mike Ganino

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2015 27:45

This Episode's Focus On StrengthsMike Ganino joins us to help you lead through your strengths at work. You'll find this episode especially useful if you manage a team and you're trying to create a better culture at work--one that your customers can feel too. You'll also love this episode if you're fun and you like people who are intelligent and charismatic at the same time. That's Mike! What You'll LearnMike shares wisdom on: How to create a culture change, even when you’re sitting around on milk crates with no budget or corporate support. Influencing what happens in moments of truth between employees and customers. You can do this by creating an environment that helps each person bring their best performance to work. It’s using their individual strengths to get the experience you want for your customers and employees. How to improve customer service without writing employee manuals and memos that say things like “you need to smile” - because making employees force a smile is just weird. Viktor Frankl “Man’s Search For Meaning” - Mike shares this nugget about Frankl being able to, in the darkest of humanity (a reference to his experience in concentration camps), act intentionally with the energy you bring to the team. Owning it. When you’re managing a team, it’s your team. You get to choose how you run your meeting. You get to decide whether to do it like everyone else, or to change some simple things so you can lead through your strengths. And in doing that, you can help your employees lead through theirs too. Meetings. He offers a tip to wrap up your meetings with one minute of appreciation. Just one minute. Do small things to change the temperature of the room. When you take time to notice what works, your team members will know what you want to see more of and they can give it to you. Doing more of what allows you to use your natural talents. That way, you’re building a personal brand. You’re getting known for work you love and you’re great at. That creates a virtuous circle for you because you end up getting more work that reflects what you’re great at. Live into your strengths and change your entire career trajectory by doing more of what you want to be doing. Applying this concept in non-corporate work environments (this is where people like to tell me that working from strengths won’t work in their industry). Mike shares a story with contrast where you’ll see that you don’t have to stop your expectations at, “I wish they’d stop coming in late because they’re hung over.” He used these techniques to transform restaurant cultures. The magical properties of applied improvisation. Mike and I are both big fans, students, and users of improv. He gives great pointers for using it in professional development, employee interviews, and even coaching and feedback. Resource of the Episode Check out the Viktor Frankl book “Man’s Search For Meaning.” And grab Mike's coaching, feedback, and improv tips on mike.tips. You can also follow his ideas on Twitter or Instagram. Remember, using your strengths at work makes you a stronger performer. If you’re focused on fixing your weaknesses, you’re choosing the path of most resistance. So claim your talents. Then share them with the world. And help your team do the same!

Steal The Show In Your Next Presentation At Work - With Michael Port

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2015 32:53

This Episode's Focus On Strengths Michael Port joins us to help you lead through your strengths in all of the performances in your corporate life. You'll find this especially useful if you give presentations, if you're interviewing for a job, or if you're delivering a speech in front of others. What You'll LearnYou'll see how working with a performer's mindset will boost your career. Michael shares wisdom on: How doing everything yourself will keep you from progressing in your career. Why you should never say "I'm happy to be here" or "let's get started" before you begin a talk. Connecting with the audience before the presentation to change the dynamic in a way that makes them want to have your back. Why natural talents without your investment and training...well, they're not doing you any good. How to be self-expressed, yet also able to flow from situation to situation with fluency. And why being a chameleon is actually being authentic. Learn why winging it in your next corporate presentation is a terrible idea, even if you're naturally gifted at thinking on your feet. How Stealing The Show is different from upstaging a teammate. Instead, Stealing The Show is making the whole show better for all of the performers involved. If you have jitters before speaking in front of people, he gives you some tips for focusing more on your audience rather than focusing on yourself and your anxiety. It actually takes the pressure off of you and allows you to get out of your own way. For job interviews, he offers you strategies for knowing what role the interviewer is trying to cast. And you'll even learn how to position yourself for a role you're less qualified in because you can contrast the "old way" of doing that role with the "new way" that puts you in a favorable light. Start your presentation-preparation with the audience in mind--to show them you know the world they're living in. How not asking for help will make you a mediocre performer. Secrets that usually only actors know--that they're not pretending to feel what you see on screen. They're actually feeling it. And that's what you need to do when you're presenting. Why "yes, and" lessons from improv will boost your career. And why you don't want to be the devil's advocate at work. Resource of the Episode Check out the book Steal The Show: From Speeches To Job Interviews To Deal-Closing Pitches, How To Guarantee A Standing Ovation For All Of The Performances In Your Life. Also, if you visit the Steal The Show website, there are great resources to download. You'll read Steal The Show and you'll want more of Michael. It's a bit addicting. So here are his other books: Book Yourself Solid Book Yourself Solid Illustrated (this is my favorite!) Beyond Booked Solid The Think Big Manifesto The Contrarian Effect: Why It Pays (Big) To Take Typical Sales Advice and Do The Opposite Remember, using your strengths at work makes you a stronger performer. If you’re focused on fixing your weaknesses, you’re choosing the path of most resistance. So claim your talents. And share them with the world. Read the full conversation: Lisa Cummings: Today you will experience a guest who is using his strengths in spades. Michael Port is joining me today to talk about stealing the show at your next job interview or corporate presentation and you might notice that the phrase ‘steal the show’ sounds a little bit like something an entertainer would do and it is, so Michael beautifully blends this experience he has as an actor with the business world in a way I don't think the business world has seen before. You guys might have seen him on Sex in the City or Law and Order or movies like the Pelican Brief and then in the business world you might be familiar with his marketing system “Book Yourself Solid” or speaker training called Heroic Public Speaking. And let me tell you guys, he is living the idea of using your strengths at work. So, speaking of that, Michael, can you talk a little bit about discovering work that just looks so natural on you when someone else sees it? I dare I say it kind of looks like you're living out your calling. Michael Port: I think that I've always worked in the areas that I'm strong because the areas that I'm weak in are really weak. I'm not kidding. One of the reasons that this idea of working within your strengths were so powerful to me early in my career is because I’m very dyslexic. Growing up I had a hard time with the systems that were presented in school. So the way things were taught didn't always make sense to me. I still can't spell to save my life. I have to ask my girlfriend how something is spelled, you know, the most basic things that I've written. But as of this show, I have written sixth books, which just goes to show you that you don't actually need to know how to spell it to write. And I got very, very good at identifying things I needed help with and developing relationships with people that could help me with those things. Michael Port: And this is important because what I have experienced is those who think that they need to do everything themselves have a hard time progressing in their career because they don't rely on other people or call for help from other people when they need it. So they end up mediocre in a number of different areas and the areas in which they could be exceptional, you know, they end up mediocre as well because they're not spending as much time in those areas. So for me as a performer, I had a natural talent for performing. And so I went to graduate school and got a master's at enacting at the Grad acting program at NYU and I did have to craft a set of skills that would allow me to exploit those talents because I think without training, talents are just talents; with training talents become a craft. Michael Cain, the wonderful actor says something to the effect of “Whether I have talent or not is not an issue, I’m a professional actor with a craft.” And that I think is something that we should all consider that it should have. Mastery with respect to skills is so important and it’s really helpful to focus on the areas where we're strong. The thing that's tricky for some people is that they need to present. They need to present themselves in job interviews, in promotional situations, interviews and trying to go in and get the job or get the job promotion, sales pitches, and leading meeting, etc. Lisa Cummings: So, let’s focus on meeting and corporate presentations on Michael Port: Sure. So the issue is, you know, some people feel that they are naturally gifted, that “I can wing it.” I go in and, or go give her a speech or presentation. I'll just quick on my feet. No problem. Others go nerve and said, “I don't know what to say. Uh, I'm, I'm kind of stiff.” Michael Port: And both of those groups face their own challenges. Let's start with the group that thinks that they have something special first; that group can get by and more often than not they end up average when they could be exceptional because they think that they are naturally talented, so they don't prepare. They don't spend much time rehearsing. They wing it. And when I meet somebody who's like that and I call them on it. I said, listen, you're not preparing, are you? You're just going and winging it. (and they say) “Yeah”. and I think you could be usually you can be better, don't you? I think, oh my god, you know, I figured, you know, I'm thinking on my feet. I can; I can charm the audience. And I was okay. I was fine, maybe even good, but until I really focused on rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing until I focused on rehearsing, I wasn't great and then that's when I became great when I put in the time because the work that you put into preparing for your meetings or for your interviews, that's what's most important and then of course staying in the moment during those meetings and interviews, it's not, you know, if we think we're going to rise to the occasion, we may actually fall flat. Michael Port: We generally don't rise to the occasion. Rather we fall back on our training Lisa Cummings: and it's a perfect example of your, what you said about investing in your talents and then you turn it into a craft by rehearsing, by putting the practice in. Michael Port: Absolutely. So anytime we have a meeting that we need to lead or an interview that we want to net. We want to make sure that we can demonstrate to the people in the room is that we know what the world looks like to them. That's very important that we start there because if we don't start there, they may not think we understand that, so they need to know that we understand that, so we always start with the way the world looks to them right now. Then we make sure that they know the promise that we're making, the promise that is inherit, is built into the meeting or the interview so that if they follow your lead, this is what will occur and they need to know the consequences of what will happen if they don't, if they don't achieve this promise, if they don't realize this promise, what are the consequences? How bad are they? And what do the rewards look like if they do? Lisa Cummings: And gave you some urgency when you combine those together? Michael Port: Absolutely. Act and urgency is such an important part of getting anything done, you know, moving forward in any way. Do we have urgency? So what does the world look like? What's the promise that you're making to them? What are the consequences of not following through on this and what are the rewards of following through on this? Lisa Cummings: It also sounds like that could be a strategy for that person who doesn't feel like they were born with jazz hands to dazzle and have charisma and they're a little more shy or they're nervous in front of audiences and they're saying, hey, come on Michael, you do this for a living. I'm totally uncomfortable in the spotlight. What do I do? It sounds like you go to apply what you just said to relate one to one and then build from there. What else do you offer that person? Michael Port: First of all, I’m nervous all the time, anyone who cares about what they're doing, maybe a little bit nervous, and often I hear advice to people that get nervous and don't think that they're naturally talented. They suggest that they focus on their breathing or that you a physical warm-up, relax a little bit. Those are great. Those are really important things to do. Get your instrument ready to perform, but here's the thing, the more that you focus on yourself, more internal you get before you present, often the more anxious you will be because you're thinking about you and how you look and how you're going to do when in fact, if you focus on the audience and what you're going to help them with, what you're going to do for them; if you focus on their needs, their desires, their goals, then you take the pressure off of yourself and it no longer is about you. It's about them and if it's about them, you get out of your own way and you are less likely to be as anxious. Lisa Cummings: That's one of those tips that sounds so obvious when you hear it, yet people don't do it and I see you do one thing masterfully that they could use, which is before you give a speech, you're out there relating one to one, to people in the audience so that they're not the big scary monster when they're. When you're up on stage, how do you go about that and how would you recommend doing that for someone who is trying to shake the stage fright and have a personal connection with the audience? Michael Port: If I give a speak at a convention center to 6,000 people, most people who are listening to probably not giving those kinds of speeches, so if you're giving a presentation to a room full of five people or 50 people want to try to shake the hand of every person in the room, look them in the eye, smile, make a connection before you present to them for a couple of reasons. One, it may relax you because you feel like you've gotten to know them. Two, they feel that they know you and they are going to give you more of themselves right from the beginning because if you are someone who they don't have a relationship, then they are more likely to sit back, cross their arms and say, all right, let me see what you got. But if they've shaken your hand, talk to you for just a few seconds. Even look me in the eye, smiled. They already feel an obligation towards you. Feel an obligation to you to listen to you right off the bat. Now if you don't serve them throughout the presentation, then they may sit back and cross their arms and go, hi, come on. But if you're focusing on them throughout and the promise that we're going to deliver to them, then it's likely that they will. Lisa Cummings: I could see that they want to have your back. If you've had a conversation, you have a different relationship with them just straight away. Michael Port: Of course they do. If they are going to sit there and listen to you, they'd much rather enjoy themselves than be bored. I mean, isn't that the case? Of course there's always somebody who just wants to be oppositional, but most people want to have a good time. So they want you to do a great job. I want you to serve that and they want you to have fun doing it. So here's the thing. Often people will start a presentation by saying, I'm really happy to be here. Really excited to be here, but I don't think you need to say that. I think you can just actually show them that you're happy to be there because, what's the alternative to being happy to be there? That you're really pissed that you're there. So just show that there's a lot of things that we often say at the beginning of the speech that is just filler and it actually makes the presenter to look weak. For example, they may you here present presenter say, all right, let's get started. Well, it started as soon as they saw you. It started even before if somebody introduced you with a Bio. So as soon as you're introduced, it's already started. So any filler that you might do, you can cut and get right to the heart of the matter. Lisa Cummings: Everything's an interview. You're always on stage at work. People are watching you a year before you decide to apply for the job and then you walk into a room where you're giving a presentation and eyes are on you very keenly because you’re the one who was about to deliver a message. It's a really great thing to think about that; people are always assessing. That's just what we do to discern as humans. Michael Port: Chapter three - in Steal the Show is about playing the right role, every situation. So this is specifically geared for people that need to perform in lots of different situations, not on a stage necessarily, but inside your organization you may need to play different roles with different people. Some people are superior in terms of their position, a supervisor, some people are subordinate, and you are a sort of, as a leader for some people are on the same pay scale, so to speak. Sometimes you have to deal with folks in the mailroom. Sometimes you have to deal with folks in the marketing department. Sometimes you have to deal with folks in the accounting department. Sometimes you have to deal with folks in the sales department and each department may have different culture, different sensibility, different types of personalities. And we've got to be able to move through all of these environments very comfortably. Michael Port: And if we learn how to play the role that is the right role for that situation, well, then we can excel because the people in those other environments, they feel more comfortable with you. They feel you get that. You understand that. And folks who are comfortable adopting different styles of behavior, playing different roles in different situations, often excel more quickly than those who only have one style of behavior, who are overly true to self. Now listen closely because this may seem like a confrontational idea, people like that because it seems like it's an authentic thing to do. However, if you are so true to yourself, you cannot easily flow from one situation to the next with different types of people where you need to play different roles. Then you generally get left out of those situations, but if you are chameleon like, then you are generally invited to more environments, more situations with different types of people. Now, here's the thing. The reason this is often confronting us, people say, yeah, that seems inauthentic, Michael. It seems like you know, a chameleon changes their colors depending on the environment that they're in. That's not authentic, but if you think about it, a chameleon is a hundred percent authentic. When an actual chameleon is at a green leaf? it actually turns green. It's not pretending to turn green. It has actually turned agree. If it is on a red leaf? It's actually turning red. It's not pretending to turn red, so It is absolutely authentic. Lisa Cummings: It's just a part. It's revealing. Michael Port: So you're amplifying. What you're doing is amplifying different parts of your personality so that you fit comfortably into these different situations. Lisa Cummings: It's perfectly aligned with what I talk about in strengths is there's a raw version and a mature version of your strengths and if you're mature enough in that strength and you've really invested in that talent, then when you show up, you can decide which strength to lead with based on the environment you're in so that you can show up your best and show your red when you need red and show your green when you need green. Michael Port: Exactly. Green is not called for in that situation or might make trouble for you, leave the green at home. Right? You know, sometimes you know, we walk around with a chip on our shoulders and want to make sure that everybody knows how we feel about every little thing and in fact that can be very counterproductive inside the corporate world because you may create conflict inadvertently, but you may create conflict based on some of the ideas you have or worldview or ways you feel about different situations that aren't really necessary to bring it up all the time. Now, I'm not saying in any way, shape or form that you should not be true to your values. Michael Port: This is important to me. Integrity is an essential fabric of my way of being that we should be true to our values, but this idea of being true to yourself in such a way that it creates rigidity? Well, that's a problem and that's very different than saying, you know what? I'm not going to jump over that fence into a place that says no trespassing because it's a nuclear waste site. Even if that's supposed to help my career, I'm not going to do. That's being true to your values. Here's the thing, just because you have a different value system doesn't mean you have to share it all the time. Lisa Cummings: It's such an important distinction because if it's really hot right now to talk about authenticity and authenticity is important, yet the definition of it is very loose. It depends on who you are and what you believe about it and I do hear a lot of people equate authenticity with sharing everything that comes to the tip of their tongue at every moment and that might be a really bad career move. Michael Port: I'm with you 100 percent. This buzzword as I just hear, authenticity, authenticity, authenticity and authenticity and yes, I think has become a problem because it means to some people like, hey, let me tell you about my date last night, man, she was hot. That is not something that needs to be discussed in the break room at the table. So that kind of authenticity is not called for, and this is performance. this one I'm talking about, like Shakespeare said, all the world's a stage and I think he hit the nail right on the head because what you share with people tells them something about you, and this is not just performance, is not just about speaking in front of people. Performance is about the way you walked into the break. Do you walk in with your head down looking at the floor or do you walk in with your shoulders back and your chest open and a big smile on your face that is performance and you're playing a role, but this is, you know, it's performance and the question is, are you the kind of performer that says yes to people and plays well with others and is part of an ensemble or are you the kind of performer that upstages people and stealing the show and upstaging people is very different. Michael Port: Stealing the show, it means that you have brought something to others that is extraordinary. That's special and what it does is it makes the whole show better, but it's not upstaging anybody else. Upstaging is trying to purposely hinder somebody else's performance. You've never going to do that. Lisa Cummings: I appreciate having the difference there because someone not familiar with the term may have thought, oh, that's, I don't know that I want to steal the show from someone. So you're very good to have the distinction. Now, here's a situation where maybe somebody thinks they should and I don't think so, but what about job interviews that gets people in a very competitive mindset. So I've loved hearing your perspective on competition and how that works. So what do's and don'ts would you suggest for stealing the show with a potential employer and they're just learning as much as they can about them, but they don't know as much as they would in a regular work environment where they've been an employee. Michael Port: Competition is fantastic, but not when you compete with others, you know, competition is something that drives us. And the question is, are you competitive in such a way that you are knocking other people down or are you competitive in such a way that you want to produce more because you're urgent, you have urgency and hopefully so when you're in a job interview situation, you want to look at what role are they trying to cast, this is important, what role are they trying to cast and how would you play that role? For example, when I left acting, the first interview I had was for a middle management position at a fitness club and I wanted to be the group exercise manager. I was teaching a spinning class because I raced bikes and that was a fun thing to do and I taught the class once a week, but I absolutely no experience in group exercise management whatsoever. Michael Port: I didn't tell any of the certifications that were required for that job. So I said, well, it doesn't seem like I have what they're asking for to play this role but let me see what I have done in my past that I could use to demonstrate that I could play this role. And I identified the way the role is currently played and then I crafted the way that I thought the role could be played better. So, for example, the way that they played this role currently is they would hire the top instructors in fitness to be the managers, which I didn't think turned out that well because they weren't necessarily managers. It was a different skill-set. So I presented the idea that the role should be cast with somebody that has management skill and understands performance and creating theatrical experiences. And they said, hmm, I hadn't thought about it that way. Michael Port: And I said, look, if you look at the managers that you have now in this particular department, you'll notice that there are payroll issues. People don't always get paid what they should when they should. There are often scheduling issues, dropped classes and they're often human resource issues. And I knew this because I had been teaching a class and I said, I think this is because the folks who are running these departments don't have experience in management. And I said that I have experienced because I was producing plays and tv commercials when I was acting and so I said, look, I understand budgeting, I understand production. I understand casting, which of course is important part of which is hiring and let me demonstrate why this will translate to what you have to do here. I also understand about creating theatrical experiences and all of these different classes should be theatrical experiences. That's what makes them so compelling to the members. I know I don't have this certification or that certification, but if you need them, I can get them in short order and guess what? They took a chance on me and within a short period of time, six months, in fact, I was running the division for the entire company throughout the country Lisa Cummings: It ties so beautifully with what you were talking about where you thought all about them. It's all about the audience. What do they care about? What are they trying to achieve? And you tied that into productivity for the company and then you linked into your strengths and leaned in on what you're great at and what you could offer. So the two things came together perfectly. Michael Port: Exactly right. One of those developing this character to play this role. I didn't pretend those anything other than I was. That's the key. When you go in for job interview, if you pretend you are anything other than you are, that's when you're inauthentic. That's when you're faking this role and a great performer never fakes their role. The most authentic performance in the world, the best performers in the world are the most authentic performers in the world. And often the most authentic performers in the world are the most authentic people. So if you look at actors like Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, these are honest performers. One of the reasons you love watching them is because they seem so real and they are real. They don't pretend to be feeling what they're feeling when they are having an emotional experience. They are actually feeling that, which is why you feel it. Michael Port: And so you don't want to pretend that you're, that you are somebody that you're not. You want to go in there and leverage what you have to turn it into what you want so you can play lots of different roles as long as you can see, take your strengths and the things that you've done and figure out a way to apply them to this new situation. And that is role play. That in part is also improvisation because you are responding to what is coming at you in the moment. So people often ask about preparation and say, well, you know, if I prepare too much, then I feel like, you know, I'm on, I'm going to be stiff. You know, how much should I prepare? And I say, you should prepare more than you think you should prepare. You know, if I asked somebody if they've rehearsed, you know, before they give a presentation and say, oh yeah, I went over to the hotel room a few times before I get it. Michael Port: That's not rehearsal. But one of the reasons that we are afraid of the rehearsals because we think we're going to get stuck in the patterns or in the exact process or protocol that we rehearsed in our presentation and that is only because we are not in the moment during that presentation or during that interview, but if you're so well prepared that you can throw out what you've prepared before you walk into the room and stay in the moment, then everything that you worked on, other thing that you prepared will come to you naturally and organically in that moment and if what we prepared doesn't apply to what's actually happening in the moment, because sometimes interviewers will throw things at you that you did not expect, you won't get stuck. You won't feel like you're trying to draw on something that you prepared even though it doesn't fit to the situation at hand. But rather you're in the moment and you're answering by saying “yes and” which is an important improper technique. We don't say no. We always say yes, and you try to come up with a response that is honest and organic to that situation. Lisa Cummings: What a way to whet the appetite. I'm big on improv. I take improv classes and love them. Michael Port: The second part of Steal the Show, introduce the performance principals, specifically principals that performers use to steal the show and how each of those principles can be used in everyday life for the nonactive, for real regular person and one of them is the principle of saying “yes and” which is what's something you learned on shore and improv class because if I'm doing, if you and I are doing an improv scene and you walk in the in the room were on the stage and say, oh my god, I broke my leg. I'm in so much pain. And I say, no, no, no, you're fine. You're fine. It just it's over. this scene is done. But obviously, oh my god, that's terrible. But you know what they said your hair looks fantastic and you say, I know it's because I was at the hair salon was getting a haircut. Then I colored my hair that you show the chemicals. I fell out of the chair, fell down, broke my leg. Well, now we've got somewhere to go. So saying yes, it says an important part of improvisation and so when you're in a meeting and somebody comes up with an idea that you're not crazy about, the default response is, yeah, but we got to worry about this as opposed to yes, and we can also think about this, and it changed the dynamic of the relationship the entire. Because you're not saying no to people. You're saying yes ad and you will then talk about some of the issues that may come up, but it's not a no, it's a yes. And if everybody in the room says “yes and” rather than no, you will change the feeling in the room, which of course changes the collaborative spirit, which then changes the results. What you produce in that room. Because I'm not just a former actor who writes books about business and give speeches. I run two very, very competitive companies. Two of the top companies in the industry and you know, we employ lots of people. We have tens of thousands of clients and customers around the world and we run our businesses the same way that we would work in an ensemble if we were performers and I have detailed all of that in Steal the Show. Lisa Cummings: It's such a beautiful tip and we can turn it into a challenge for the listener. So if you're a listener and you find yourself playing the devil's advocate all the time and meetings, challenge yourself for a week to get out there and instead say those two simple words, “yes and” make yourself follow on the sentence and build. Instead of breaking it down. Michael Port: It's one of my rules. Listen, if anybody in an interview for our company says they like to be the devil's advocate, they're out. They're gone. It doesn't mean we want, “yes people”. The devil's advocate just likes being oppositional and I don't want people who like being oppositional. I love when people find holes in our theories and the things that we're working on. They say “yes and” I have an idea of how we can plug that hole, but the devil's advocate doesn't devil's advocate. Now there's a hole there. That's where the devil's advocate, that we call them the DA. We don't want any idea is in the room. Lisa Cummings: Definitely using that one. That's great. Michael Port: That's actually in the book. This whole concept of the devil's advocate and the DA. Lisa Cummings: Who knew I was getting into that part. That's great. Well, dear readers, you might've guessed that the resource of the episode is Michael's book. The title is Steal the Show: from speeches to job interviews to deal closing pitches, how to guarantee a standing ovation for all the performances in your life. Michael, any other goodies you want to tell them about if they're interested in finding more about you because you know you write those books and they're like potato chips. Once you eat one, you're going to want another. So I'll link to all those in the show notes as well. Your other five bestselling titles. Michael Port: That's fantastic. So stealtheshow.com. I've got lots of bonuses, free videos to watch on performance, lots of downloads, tips, cheat sheets, etc. So to stealtheshow.com, you can pick those up and of course buy the book, you'll love it. I promise.

Stop Selling Your Ideas At Work - With Ian Altman

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2015 22:44

This Episode's Focus On StrengthsIan Altman joined me to bust the myth that you're always selling ideas at work. In this episode, you'll see instead how you should stop trying to persuade and convince. Stop trying to push your solution. Stop focusing on your value. And start focusing on their problems. Start serving them from their perspective. What You'll LearnIt's only after standing in their shoes that you can understand if you're a good fit anyway. You'll see how flipping your perspective can avert disaster and ensure results. Ian shares wisdom that will help you: Present to senior executive in a way that feels relevant to them. Understand the ancient, mythical creature called empathy. Stop selling your ideas. Stop persuading. Stop trying to convince. He offers you a better way. Get your customer to convince you that their issues are painful enough that they're worth solving. Hear the song "Dancin' In The Streets" in your head for the rest of your day today. Focus on fit--and whether you have solutions for problems your audience cares about. Changing your finish line with clients to the results the other party is looking for rather than the moment you get your "yes". Get more high-five-worthy moments with clients. Find out why you should stop asking, "who else needs to be involved in this decision?" Get a Quadrant more magic that the ones from Gartner: 1) Issue 2) Impact & Importance 3) Results 4) Others Impacted Avoid feeling like you're making ATM transactions with your customer. See how Ian grew and sold businesses that impressed even Dr. Evil. Resource of the Episode Check out the book Same Side Selling when you're ready to go deeper. Read the Full Conversation: Lisa Cummings: Today you're going to get tips for selling your ideas at work - and how to do that while using your strengths. Lisa Cummings: If you've ever felt frustrated when the person you're trying to influence just doesn't get it and you feel totally stuck and things like arm wrestling and Roshambo are the only things you've come to as a way to end the stalemate. Well, if you've ever wished for it to be easier than that, you're going to love our guest today. Ian Altman is joining to help you sell your ideas at work. So I first met Ian at an event for public speakers and he reeled me right in. He has this really easy communication style. He fills up the room with his big old smile and intelligence and wit, and you can get a piece of this personality every week on Forbes. If you read his articles there and then there's a book, Same Side Selling his book is just excellent and although I'm not going to give it away for you here in the intro and spoil your read, I'll tell you that it will flip your views on a lot of things you've been taught your whole career. So after today's chat you'll see why people like Seth Godin and Dan Pink recommend Ian. So Ian, thanks for joining. Ian Altman: Thanks, Lisa. Lisa Cummings: Alrighty. And as you know, the show is all about exploring your natural talents, how to find them, how to leverage them, what it's like when you actually do that. So if you think back over your personal career, can you kick us off with just sharing one of your favorite peak experiences where you were personally selling your ideas at work? And you totally nailed it. Ian Altman: I can probably think of more examples where I didn't nail it. And that's the thing that I think for most people to understand is that it's natural for us to stumble when we're trying to sell stuff. And I think that were way more successful when we're trying to solve things for other people and most people have a natural ability or natural strength to try and help solve challenges for other people. And this notion of selling becomes really uncomfortable. And so most of the experiences I look back on when we were really successful either selling things to clients or selling things internally, all we really trying to do with solving the underlying problem for somebody and sometimes they got paid for that. Sometimes we were just gaining adoption by other people and getting their buy-in to our ideas. But it mostly came down to helping the other person to understand how what we were really trying to do was help them. Lisa Cummings: I really like that because people get so scared when I say, here's something like selling your ideas. Even if they're not thinking about themselves in a sales role, they get a little bit nervous with you flipping that around and just saying, hey look, you can get in the shoes of your customer and do something for the other person. Solve something for the other. You can actually totally nail it even when your whole approach is all about them. Ian Altman: That's absolutely it. I mean, I think about, let's say you're an HR professional and HR professionals trying to convince the senior executive they should do something that's in the best interest of their business and usually the HR person feels like they're on this on unattainable mission to convince this person they should do something that the HR person knows is actually in the best interest of the business and what if instead they said, look, you know, I know we've been struggling with retention. I know I've been struggling to attract the right people and I've come up with some strategies that will help us do that better. Now all of a sudden, the senior executive says, Oh, well what? You should totally do that. Why didn't you start yesterday? But if you said, oh, here's this training program that I want to do, the senior executive business sitting around saying, man, I wonder if we can do more training, training and be good. If we just took all of the people were paying and had them spend dedicated time in a training session, that would be awesome. That's not what's going on, but if you can present your ideas in ways that get you and the other person on the same side trying to solve the same puzzle metaphorically, and obviously it leads to less adversarial tension because you're both trying to achieve the same thing. Lisa Cummings: You have that concept in your book, right - the adversarial trap. If you applied it in your workplace, the same side thing would absolutely apply. How do they do more of that? How do they understand the other side so that they can be more influential with their ideas? Ian Altman: Well, there's a concept that isn't new and I certainly didn't invent it called empathy and so and it sounds funny to mention that way, but usually what happens is we as professionals are so focused on what we're trying to accomplish, then it's easy for us to forget the other person's perspective. So for example, when I'm teaching people about sales and selling, what I always ask them is, “okay, so what do you think is going through your customer's mind right now? What do you think your customers thinking and feeling right now?” And the answer I usually get from salespeople is one of two answers. Either I have no idea or the compound I have no idea, and why would I care. The most in the most advanced people that people are the most successful? I say, what do you think your customers thinking at that moment? And they'll talk for 10 minutes about exactly what's going through their client's mind and you start to realize that the people who were most successful have that empathy. They can see themselves in their customers' shoes, in the other party's shoes. They know exactly how they're feeling and then their co building a plan to achieve success instead of, I'm here, let me force this on you. Oh, you don't like it? Maybe I'll say it louder and then that'll work and it just doesn't play out very well. Lisa Cummings: Let's take the concept of empathy. Now that we're remembering that exists, right? And say, okay, they are beginning to plan for this conversation. They're going to focus on the fit and understand how to persuade the customer or future customer to do business with them. One thing I hear people feel tough in the reconciliation is they think, okay, how am I going to incorporate my unique talents and strenghs into this relationship and make it all about them at the same time? How do you pull that together when it feels like a paradox? Ian Altman: Well, there's a few different things. One is that we have to be careful that we're not trying to persuade. In fact, what I would say is any time you're trying to exercise influence, what we're really trying to get to is the truth as quickly as possible because let's say for example, that using that, that silly HR example I gave, let's say the other person really isn't that interested in retention recruitment. They're not really concerned about their individuals on their team. Then they're probably not what you tell them. They're not going to be sold on this idea because they really don't care. So the first thing we have to do is get the other people to convince us that they have something that's worth solving and that they have whatever their issue is that you're talking about, they feel has enough impact. Is this important to solve, to make it worth your time to help them find a solution? Once you get to that point where now you're both in agreement that this is worth solving, now all you're doing is saying, okay, the first thing you're doing in terms of fit is saying, am I well suited to help them solve this? And if so, now I just have to illustrate how and why I am, so part of it comes down to you may have a disconnect where someone is asking you to do something you're not really good at, and that's when you need to be honest and say, you know what? We may need some other help for this because otherwise you end up putting yourself in a position where you're probably going to fail and we don't like to fail, and the people working with us don't like to see us fail. Lisa Cummings: It's big. Your concept that, really, your goal is not to persuade. You need to understand. And if you can't be convinced and they're not convinced that this is a fit, then you'd be a fool to move forward. That's a really powerful shift in thinking right there. Ian Altman: You're absolutely right. Here's the interesting part of it is that when I'm coaching people on the selling side, the hardest thing to an understanding as they say, so what if I talked to the client and it doesn't seem like their issue is that impactful for them and is that important to solve. Then what do I do? And I say, well then first you can share third party stories to say, well, here's why this thing is important to other people. And they still might say, yeah, you know, I can see why that's important other people, but it's really not to me, and if they don't get it, then don't try and be a missionary trying to convert these people to your way of thinking. Just realize that, okay, this probably isn't going to work out so well, right? It's just not a good fit because even on the selling side, people will say, well, so I talked to this client, men, I know we could help them, but they don't seem to care and they're not really interested in this. What should I do? Like what do I do next? I said, you move on. You could have someone who actually cares. Lisa Cummings: Let's say you’ve focused on the fit and the fit is there, and then you're in the deeper relationship with the client and the initial ideas there. How do you avoid making it feel like a one-time transaction with them? Ian Altman: In what I teach, we spend a lot of time talking about the idea of results. What I mean by that is that, so let's say, you know, pick any scenario. You're trying to get someone to agree to do something just because they've agreed to do something and exchange whatever the currency is. So if you're selling something, they exchange money. If they're investing in a program internally, it might be investing their time. Just because they actually complete the transaction doesn't mean they've achieved success. So usually what happens is the person who's trying to do the persuading, the person who's doing the “selling” of their ideas often sees the commitment, the contract, the sale, the decision as the finish line. But the other party doesn't see it that way. The other party sees the decision as an incidental step toward achieving the results they're looking for. And so the way that you focus on making sure that people see the bigger picture is now what you do is you ask them, okay, let's say that we started this program. How would we know six months out, 18 months out whether or not we were successful, what would we notice? What would we measure to let us know that we were successful? And now the other person you're talking to feels like you have the same goal as them, which is to achieve the results, not just get the decision or the sale. Lisa Cummings: I love the questions. What would we notice? How do you go about getting inside so that you can notice together? And so what I mean by that is a lot of times they'll ask about the measure of success and then in six months they check in and say, you know, how did that metric turn out? And let's see if the trend line is up into the right. So how do you get the relationship rolling in a way that you can be noticing those things together as a relationship rather than a check-in? Ian Altman: I love that question because it demonstrates that you're focused on actually them achieving those results because it's not just how do we know now you're saying how are we actually going to measure it together? And so that dialogue says, not only. So how would we know if we were successful? And someone says, oh, this would be it. Then you'll ask a question like, so what might happen that would lead to us not achieving those results? And now the person says, for example, let's say it was a training program you were selling to them and the person says, well, I mean, I guess if people didn't come to the program and then if they didn't commit the time for follow through and reinforcement. Okay, what are some of the things that we can do together to make sure that those things don't happen? Because obviously we want to achieve success and they usually scratch their head a little bit, especially if their scalp is dry. Ian Altman: And then, all of a sudden now you're building a strategy and a plan together that keeps you involved going forward and it's easy for you to say, look, so it sounds like somebody that's on a regular basis how about I check in with you in three or four weeks and just make sure we're accomplishing those things because my sense is if we're accomplishing those every three to four weeks, then we're probably going to see those results six months out. Now, if you're constantly involved in ensuring that your partner in essence is successful, then you have an ongoing dialogue and anytime something comes up, you're the first person that's right there. And when your clients see you deliver amazing results, that can be an internal, external client. Now all of a sudden they're way more inclined to work with you because not only did they buy your idea or whatever it is your selling, but you actually helped them ensure that they got results. And thankfully so many people miss that, that when you do it, it seems extraordinary. Even though all you're doing is just delivering what you said you would. Lisa Cummings: Now, how does this dynamic shift when you're doing the same thing we just talked about and it's the internal senior executive you've been having this conversation with? Ian Altman: It doesn't change; honestly it doesn't change at all. I mean that's. That's the whole beauty of this is that it's not so much a sale because keep in mind I'm trying to do is get them to do, be on the same page with us on the same side in terms of what we're trying to accomplish and sometimes that means that we need to move them closer to us and sometimes we need to move ourselves closer to them, but it's a collaborative process and whether that's an internal senior executive who you're partnering with to accomplish something or someone externally; think about it. The COO of the company or the CEO, do they want to spend time with the people who get their buy in on an idea and then don't deliver? Or do they want to constantly go back to the person who not only executed but ensure that the business got the results that we're looking for, so those are the people who advance the most through their career. Those are the people who excel. Those are the people who get those promotions. Those are the salespeople who are at the top of their game because it's so easy for their customer internally or externally to trust that they're going to see results with them. Lisa Cummings: You brought all kinds of layers to my mind here about the idea of people wanting to get promoted and advance their career and the idea of getting closer to that person that they've been doing this work with. I tell my audience all the time to listen hard, to understand the other person's situation better, know what makes them tick, know what other options they have other than the choice that you've been talking about as you've gone through the process together and it's really difficult for people. It's like people go through their careers getting better and better at pontificating and kind of worse at really hearing what's going on with the other party. So if you apply all this stuff to just some sort of simple negotiation, let's say with an internal colleague at work, how do you craft some of those same side questions or the thought processes to be able to listen and hear them better? Ian Altman: A lot of it is having a structure around it. So on the selling side of the world, we break it down in these four quadrants. So what we say is that anytime we're speaking with somebody, we want to focus on the issue that they're facing, which would be, if you think about four quadrants, like a sheet of paper, you draw a vertical line down the center and horizontal line across. So now you have two squares in the top, two squares on the bottom, and the idea is that in the upper left you would write the word issue. In the upper right, you would write the words impact and importance. In the lower left, you'll write results in the lower right, you'll write others impacted and let me explain what's in each of those quadrants. So the issue is the surface level goal of the person you talked to. Ian Altman: So someone says, oh, we're looking to put in x, Y, z program into the business. Great. Now on the impact side, which the upper right, we're going to ask questions like, so what happens if we don't achieve that? What if we don't hit the deadline? What if this thing got deferred and we didn't accomplish it? Because what we're trying to figure out is what's the consequence to the organization of not solving that issue? Then in the lower left where we have results, we take notes that centered around how we're going to measure success together. So let's say we do this project six months after we're done, how are we going to know if we were successful? What are we going to see that we can measure that tells us both that we've achieved a high five worthy moment is I like to call it. So how do we know that we're both singing Kumbaya and dance in the streets? Because we did something amazing Lisa Cummings: That ear worm is going to be in my head all day long now. And everyone listening. “Dancing in the streets” Ian Altman: Then in the lower right, we put others impacted and the reason we put others is that, especially in sales and really in every type of business transaction, oftentimes what happens is we're dealing with one individual and we assume that they're the only person impacted. And then the 11th hour somebody gets inserted into the process we didn't even hear about and they derail the whole process. And we're like, man, what happened? Where this person come from? And if we said, well, who else is involved in the decision? You never get an honest answer because the person you're dealing with doesn't want you to think that they don't have full authority. But instead after you talk about impact and after you talk about results, if you say, well, so, so who else stands to lose the most? Would that impact you get those people? Okay, well who else is probably going to be most excited about these results? Ian Altman: And guess what? The people who are going to be impacted the most on the negative and the positive side, they're going to be involved with you like it or not, so you may as well figure that out early on in the process. Now in that upper right quadrant, that idea of impact and importance, the difference in impact and important is impact is kind of quantifiable measure of what happens if you don't solve it. Importance is a outcome of a simple question which is compared to other things on your plate. How important is it to solve this issue? And if someone tells you that it's not that important, don't waste your time on it because it's not important to them, then it doesn't need to be important to you. Lisa Cummings: I love this quadrant and there are so many pieces of depth in here. If you really dissect it and I hope everyone listening will go grab the book and see and be dissecting things as simple as that comment you just made about others and the typical question, who else needs to be involved in this decision that gets you nowhere and the way that you reframed that and gave alternative ways to get to the same thing that could completely kill your deal or make it great? You have so many nuances in the stuff that you just said that we could talk about for another hour. Ian Altman: Let me give you just one little, one little piece of perspective. When I asked him who else needs to be involved in this decision? My finish line is the decision. When I say who else stands the most to gain from these results, who else is going to want to put in their two cents into how we measure the results? Now I'm focused on the real end goal, which is the results and it's a much more comfortable question for the other person to answer because we're in alignment with what should be important to them Lisa Cummings: And once again it's because you framed the question in a way that it's something they care about instead of something that you care about. Ian Altman: When you say it that way, it's like, well, it sounds really obvious and it's amazing how few people do it this way. Lisa Cummings: I don't know that in all of the sales calls I've attended in my life, I've ever heard anyone frame it like that. There are so many nuggets of Ian Altman genius, that you'll get when you follow his work, so no one here would be surprised to hear that Ian, he started, he sold and grew companies worldwide to values have more than a billion dollars. That's like 1 billion with a b. So yes, I'm doing Austin powers thing with my fingers right now. Your contribution to this conversation is this great visual of the quadrant and mine is Austin Powers movie. He hit those numbers and did these genius brilliant billion dollar things by using the ideas that you started to learn about in this show. What’s the best way to connect with you and dive into your work? Ian Altman: The easiest way is if you just remember it grow my revenue. So on twitter it's growmyrevenue, the website is growmyrevenue.com, the podcast that launches starting the end of September is growmyrevenue business cast. And so, if you think “grow my revenue”, if that's important to you then I'm easy to find. My website is https://www.ianaltman.com/ Lisa Cummings: Easy. “Like Sunday morning guys”. Ian Altman: Oh no, we got all these musical things are going to be singing all day now. Lisa Cummings: I mean we're helping people dance in the streets. And it's a beautiful thing when you can have that magical moment. Yes. So thanks everyone for reading Lead Through Strengths. Remember that using your strengths at work makes you a stronger performer and now Ian has given you a way to also incorporate interests and strengths of your audience. So if you're always focused on fixing weaknesses at work or filling in these gaps are on the path of most resistance. So claim your talents and your clients and share them with the world.

Build Extraordinary Relationships Through Strengths with Jason Treu

That Fat Guy Doesn't Know What He's Talking About!

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2015 29:36

This Episode’s Focus On Strengths Jason Treu joined me to chat about using your natural talents to build better relationships at work. He gives lots of ideas for building real connections. What You’ll Learn Jason reminds us that business is not the only thing about your life. And he translates it into asking simple questions like, “what do you have planned for this weekend?” Those questions can build rapport very quickly. It’s about being human. And getting beyond conversations about spreadsheets. And he shares ideas on: Tapping into emotions (don’t worry, you don’t have to be a walking Hallmark card). Rapport, likability, and trust – getting beyond the surface in small talk so you can get to know a person. Being magnetic and irresistible, even when you feel awkward or quiet. Listening. I mean listening actively. And not thinking about your next topic while your conversation partner is still talking. Spreading the contagion of high fives. Allowing vulnerable moments. Stop trying to be perfectly perfect. Build on people’s ideas with a “yes, and” philosophy. Learn how to lead through a person’s strengths to be a better manager. Why you should consider offering the gift of a book (and Jason did this for me–what a delightful surprise to receive a book as a gift). Jason, if you’re reading this, I’m digging right in to Give and Take. Thank you for walking your talk! Resource of the Episode Check out Jason’s book Social Wealth when you’re ready to go deeper on these topics. Subscribe To subscribe and review, here are your links for listening in iTunes and Stitcher radio. Subscribing is a great way to never miss an episode – let the app notify you each week when the latest question gets published. You can also stream any episode live on the website. Just click through the title you like and there will be a player waiting for you on each page. See you there! Episode URL http://pinchyourselfcareers.com/build-extraordinary-relationships-through-your-strengths-with-jason-treu/ Read the full Conversation: Lisa Cummings: Today you'll get some ideas on how to make career transitions and how to increase your success through the relationships you nurture and you'll get to do all of this with Jason Treu. So Jason is the author of a book called Social Wealth, and just like the title implies, the wealth part, it's not about the blinky kind of currency, it's about building extraordinary relationships and that's why it's social wealth. So Jason, thanks for joining. Jason Treu: It will. Thanks for having me on. Lisa, in speaking to your fantastic tribe. Lisa Cummings: They are fantastic and as you know, these fantastic people are all about exploring their strengths, how to find them, leverage them, and what it's like. What's your life is like when you do that. So let's give him just a little glimpse of your life before getting into your expertise. So think about your life and a peak experience or a peak moment where you can think about when you were in your relationship flow and can you tell us about what that was like for you? Jason Treu: Well, before I found the job that I have now been in business and executive coach, I was working as a marketing executive and I noticed that when I was on the road and doing roadshows with my usually my CEO of the company, I was with, you know, I'd be on fire. I would just be so passionate because I'd be speaking to different people. We'd be evangelists to whether it's financial analysts or media or customers or whatever it is. And I just be loving it. And you're right. And that was when I was in my peak because connecting and belonging are my core emotions, are my top emotions. And so having that ability to connect and feel that belonging and be passionate about speaking and evangelizing with something that I really got me excited in my life. Lisa Cummings: And I love that. You know, that the connecting and belonging matters for you. How did you find those values and how have you come to that to determine that those matter that much to you? Jason Treu: Well, one of the things is finding your purpose, so people typically mixed up a mission statement with a purpose because they say to themselves, well, my purpose is to help entrepreneurs or help you know my clients do better work, or whatever it is, but that's something external to you and everything external to you will let you down. So if you have your purpose outside of yourself, what happens with people as they go through some precipitative crashes in their life? Because eventually when that purpose lets you down, whether it's something you've unconsciously made or consciously, you really go through some significant trauma. But if your purpose is inside you, you don't. And when you attach it to emotion and your top emotions and figure that out, life really opens up for you. And how you really do that as an exercise. You know, you go back and recall your earliest happiest memories in your life. And from those you can extract your emotions that are in each of those memories. And then ask yourself what emotion would you rather feel and you can really uncover that. And what's really great about that is that although as you age, you will want your different experiences will be different. The structure and form of bad emotions will not. And so then when you can say to yourself, am I living my emotion? Am I living my purpose? And that's a little bit more than that, but that's really an easy way of taking a look at it for someone. So to see what they're doing. Because the problem for me in my job before was I was great when I was connecting and belonging, but I was, as I was going up the corporate ladder, I was sitting in my office more and more about myself and I was dissatisfied more and more so I realized at some point I connected the dots and realize well I'm better with people and I need to be with people all the time and not just part of the time. Lisa Cummings: Yeah, and your hitting on a topic and getting into things like emotion. I love that you brought that up straight away here because a lot of people shy away from that and the corporate space and they're afraid to talk about it or use that word and I think that one thing that's important as, hey, there are a lot of emotions that go well beyond the hallmark kind of emotions. I mean you might go through that exercise and recount all of the times where you just felt jubilant because you were riding your bike faster than anyone else on your street or because you won a track meet or something like that and you can start tracing back those. And those are emotions too. So that's cool to hear that terminology in this context because a lot of people shy away from it. Jason Treu: Yeah. And I think the great thing about it, I have a client of mine who's a CEO of a large company here in Dallas and he is extremely unemotional. His father was in the police force in Boston area and you know, they never showed emotion and I went through exercises like that earlier on with him and you know, probably like a month ago and then I working with about three months. He's like, I got to tell you a story, and I'm like, okay. And he was like, he told me he dropped off his daughter at summer camp and as he drove away, he cried for the first time in 25 years. Oh Wow. And he felt so good. And the ability, he said, the ability for him to actually open up to people, be more vulnerable, be authentic speak his truth and be generous, has transformed his ability to lead, manage and actually run his entire organization, which is a very large company. And I thought that, you know, that's a really critical thing because when you're not in touch with your emotions, you don't understand what drives you, you really become lost because you can't connect to other people. People don't buy facts and figures. They buy emotions and buying could mean anything, any part of the organization, right? It's everyone's selling something right and idea of thought or to a client partner or supplier, etc. Lisa Cummings: Yeah, and let's talk about that part where you get into the other. So building relationships, it's great if you can feel your own emotions and also watch what other people are feeling because it's going to inform you about how your connection. So okay. One of your key principles I've heard you talk about is that your career potential, your success happens because of your relationships with other people. So give us a tip on making the brand-new connections and not feeling awkward about it. Jason Treu: Right? So the building blocks of any relationships are rapport, likability, and trust and how you build a relationship quickly or you can take an existing relationship significantly farther is on the rapport side. You have to start tapping into people's emotions because emotions are what runs people. That's why they do everything that they do. So I find that people ask questions to other people that are just surface level questions. You know, where do you work, what are you doing or how's your weekend? And that's fine, but if you never get any farther than surface level, you will never really get to know a person and that's going to hurt you in your career because people make promotion decisions, they give you money, they do everything because they like you. And the more passionate they feel about you, the more they're going to advocate for you in anything that they do. Jason Treu: So in an easy way to ask this, I've done this to strangers all the time, is I ask people, what are you passionate about? What projects are you working on that you're passionate about? And in fact, I did that a month ago to a woman. I was at a charity event and I asked her, you know, what's, what are you passionate about? And she told me she's passionate about, you know, cancer, charity events. And I was like, well gee, that's awesome. I am too. And my mom had leukemia and I told the story about how she almost died and etc. And you know, this woman just lit up. She didn't. She told me a story about her sister having breast cancer and literally in a couple of minutes later she was crying and I'm sitting there and I gave her a hug and she introduced me to her friends like, this is the greatest guy you got to meet him, and so we carried on a conversation and all that. Jason Treu: My conversation between me and her was less than 10 minutes. Right? And then I created an emotional connection at that point that I could have done anything else. And in top of that, what you do then is you ask a person, well, what do you need any help with that? Are you having any challenges around that passion in your life? And then you can actually help people with the things they actually care about the most. And if you can do that, people will do anything for you, right? Because one, if you lead with giving, people know that you don't have a scorecard and the only people that don't have score cards with them are people in their inner circle. The closest people to them. And also there's a thing called the law of reciprocity. Meaning, people don't like to get things too far out of whack typically, so when someone gives the other person many times will at least give back in match that in that relationship and get back to even. So either way you can get pretty far and take relationships pretty quickly or take existing ones and really move them forward quickly. Lisa Cummings: Yeah. So okay. There's a situation that I keep hearing happening with the audience and they will buy what you're saying and when it comes to their peers and where they get tripped up is with exec senior executives that they want to build a relationship with, but for some reason the hierarchy gets this thing all out of whack for them. So let's say because you mentioned promotional opportunity in there, so that’s what prompted me to think about this. I keep hearing at where suddenly people feel more awkward or they feel that the opener that they might be pushing. Strangely if they come in and they're trying to make emotional connections. So when somebody is approaching a senior executive, they don't yet know who would be in a promotional power kind of situation or even just an org chart kind of power situation in their company. What would you do if anything that's different or would you do it totally the same? Say you're nervous around that person. How do you work through that? What's your first step? Jason Treu: I realized they're human beings too and they’re having a connection with me too. You need to understand that you have to learn about them. Right? And the business is not the only defining thing; their personal life really is and what their passions are. So I think a great thing is I ask people all the time is what did you do this weekend? What's on your agenda for the week? Right? Something like that. So I can try to find some things that they might really like, that I can find some common ground and build rapport quickly with them. Especially if I don't have very much time because at least you can build some quick rapport with that. The other thing that you can do is some more technique on mirroring and matching them, and that's a very powerful way because most communication is nonverbal, so you can, if you mirror how someone is, speaks, the tone of their voice, if it's high or low, if they're animated, not animated on the space in between them to make sure you have the proper space. Jason Treu: If you can actually match their movements a little bit, you don't need to be like mirroring every possible thing, but the more that you can do, the more helpful it will be because people like people that are like themselves or the people that they want to be like. So you need to build that rapport on both sides of it, the verbal and nonverbal because then it's a way a quicker way to build a relationship that matters for them. Right? And how they see you in view and you because people make snap decisions really quickly. So you want to go in there and do that in plus most people are not really interested in the other person, right? Or they're trying to ask them business questions or they're trying to get it and they're trying to an angle and when you try to do that, the other person knows because again, most of communication is nonverbal so people know when you're trying to get something from them or you're trying to run your own agenda on them. I try to go into with a contribution mindset, like how can I help someone else and how can I get to know them? Right. And that is what I'm always acting like in everything that I do and everyone I meet. Lisa Cummings: Yeah, I love those. And I like the weekend one because it's easy. It's repeatable. I mean, if you give someone that tip alone and they go ask five people that same question, then they have something also to follow up and take the conversation beyond later because you can say, hey, how'd your triathlon go that weekend? Or how was your son's play? And then it fuels future conversations as well. And then on the mirroring part, one of the simplest of all of those is the kind of the pace and the tone of that person. So that's an easy one. If it's too much mentally to handle having all sorts of things to watch, for just the pace of their conversation. Trying to match that and bring it up a level or down a level can really be helpful. Jason Treu: The other thing to do too is that if you know, something I think often we don't do is trying to do that little bit extra. Like perhaps you find out when their birthday is and you know, you give them a card or perhaps that you decided to get a book and just buy a book and you know, write a little note saying, I thought you might like this book and you know what? You may not even know what they like, but if you go find a business book that you really enjoy, odds are that person will. And even if they never even read it, the fact that you were thoughtful and did something like that, you're immediately going to stand out because you know what, no one does that. I've talked to senior execs all over the place. I've asked them that question because I bring people books know, and I ask. So when's the last time someone's brought your book? Never, Jason Treu: You know. And that's the question. That's almost always the answer. Never. Or it will be someone that they know really, really well. So if you're an organization you want to stand out, why would you not do something like that? Because it's a $10 investment in your future and it's an easy thing to do for other people and, you know, you won't ever be wrong because someone will least appreciate the thought. And that's what matters the most. Lisa Cummings: Yes. And it could really go well as an opportunity to notice something that you appreciate about their leadership style, where if you read this and say, hey, when I read this, I thought of you. It's almost as if you contribute it as an author. And then they realize, of course they liked the generosity and that you thought of them and that you would, you know, get grab a book for them. All of that is great and you noticed something that they're doing well and you're reinforcing their strengths and just because they are a higher level in the org chart, then you are at that point, doesn't mean they don't like to be appreciated as well. And those things they stick in the memory. Jason Treu: Yeah, because often as a pretty lonely existence because my clients that are that level, you know, they have no one to talk to, right? Because they have a board over them or they're on the board and the people on the leadership team like, you know, that's a difficult challenging conversations. They can share something but people below in the organization, they really can't. Right. So they're often very alone and lonely in that role. And so they want people to actually embrace them. And I think the way to do that as well have been talking about today and realize that they're not sitting on some high mountain and they want to be a part of something else in the organization itself is just filling a role that makes it many times very challenging to do so. Lisa Cummings: I like how this topic is really getting into a feeling of being a magnetic person and in a lot of ways you're doing that by offering that same sentiment out to someone else. And I think you've gone as far as calling it irresistible, like you believe anybody could be irresistible. So for a lot of people when they hear that term, that feels way far away from where they are today. So what are a couple of steps? Let's just start with the first one. What do you do out of the gates? When you don't feel like an irresistible person, you want to build better relationships at work with all the people around you. Get us a starting point, Jason Treu: Listen. You know, very few people actually listen. How many people do you know are thinking about the answer? And everyone listening, ask yourself, how many times are you really listening to someone or are you finding the answer in your head before they finished the sentence? Right? And I think being an active listener is one of the skill-sets that seems so simple in like, oh yeah, how can they make a difference? But it makes all the difference in the world because when you actually listen to someone and give them positive feedback, it's amazing what can happen, right? And be an active listener along the way because you know they have feelings too and they have emotions and I think that's something that is really important to do in the process. The other thing is just be excited. Be passionate and be enthusiastic. You know what I mean? Jason Treu: They've proven that happiness and enthusiasm is contagious so you can actually change someone's state right in front of you by being happy, enthusiastic, and being excited. And I do it all at a time and prove it out. My friends were. I go anywhere what I do anything or done it all the time in organization. I might go in and I've hired five people and it's wonderful, right? If I see a client's really down, I get always more exciting and I’ll five them, or I'll do something just because I want to get them excited. You know what? Instantaneously their state changes and if you're around in doing something like that with people, that's amazing. I think the other thing is what we don't do is actually share vulnerable moments with other people and we don't really tell them about ourselves. We try to be perfectly perfect instead of imperfectly perfect. And when you actually are vulnerable and authentic with people, you make it okay for them to be dumb selves around you because they don't need to worry about being perfect. So I love to lead with being vulnerable and telling stories about things that are going on in my own life or things that are not going well so I can actually create a level of… it's not even beyond rapport. It's that emotional connection as a human being and what's going on and people's struggles. Right, and that again, then and you can listen to what they're saying and you don't solve it. You don't know. You don't need to come up with a solution or try to fix it. All you need to do is be empathetic and listen. Right, and a lot of times that's the best thing because sometimes when you're offering solutions and trying to help people, people look at it as you're not really listening. You're trying to fix them. Lisa Cummings: Yeah, I love the phrase “perfectly imperfect” too, and that sharing that stuff is. It's not about the thing itself, it's that you're willing to share the story and that you've become human to them and then you get the emotional connection and the listen thing. Let's back up to that because, this is big and there are many factors. There's obviously the huge number of distractions that people have that keep them from listening and then when I've been around people are trying to listen better, I've also noticed that one thing that's missing from the equation is actually acknowledging back that they actually heard what the person said. I mean, they might be watching, they might be hearing the words yet kind of to that point of pre planning what you're going to say next, even if they're trying to focus intently, just bringing the conversation through instead of it being a choppy, you know, you're saying your part. I'm saying my part. So I think that's another good step is acknowledging, oh, I loved, oh, okay. Here's a perfect example. Let's get real meta here when you said perfectly imperfect. And I said, oh, I love that phrase. Perfectly imperfect. This is a small way of listening and paraphrasing what you said yet it's at least acknowledging I heard that and I made some meaning out of it and let's break it down a little bit more. Jason Treu: Yes, and that's the thing, that important point, if you can bring part of what their content of what they just said to you back into your first statement or two that will make the other person's feel like they've been heard and that you actually listened to them because otherwise you wouldn't have been able to do it. And that's like that's what they call active listening. Right? Versus focusing on what you're going to say and getting out what you need and not in just asking them a question, not because you want to hear what they have to say but more because you want to get your point made. Lisa Cummings: Exactly, and I noticed something that in the way that you hold a conversation personally that you say a lot of yes and not literally. You do a lot of “yes, and” and that can be another great one and listening that you're modeling is instead of saying sometimes you're going to disagree with somebody and instead of jumping right in with your defense or your butts or your other way to view things can say yes, I see where you're coming from on x and here's another way we could also consider it. And that is a way to throw in another perspective without shutting down what that person said. And I love how you've been modeling that here. Jason Treu: Yeah, that's important thing. “Yes, and”, and the other thing too, for managers out there I think is really helpful to do is when someone comes to you with a problem or a challenge, you spend five percent on the challenge and making sure you define specifically what it is, but 95 percent of the solution and what I tell people all the time is when someone comes into your office or your cube or wherever it may be an ask a question, you should ask back, okay, well what are three suggestions to solve this problem? Right? Or what are a couple ways that you believe they can solve the problem? And if they say to you, well, I don't really know, then I say to them, well, if you did know, what would you say? And if the person continually doesn't give an answer saying, well, you know what? I tell them to come back when you have some things; are there some ways that you think you could possibly solve it, right? And it doesn't have to be right, but I want to know that you actually thought this through more and you force people. It's like fishing, right? If you teach people to fish, they can continually do that, but if you give them this fish will always need your help and when people walk away from that conversation and they've solved their own problem, he feels smarter and they feel like, wow, like that's awesome. Like I can do this on my own. right, and that's a really powerful way, again, to build an irresistible brand for yourself and other people because people want to be around those people because you're lifting them up, right and you're helping them and it's a fantastic way and very few people do that. Jason Treu: Most managers give the solution and they say, well, no, that's not right. Do it this way. Right? Well, the other person then feels like they walked away and that they were broken or they did the wrong way and it will because the manager didn't take the time which would have helped the manager have a better relationship and the employee be way more motivated and proactive moving forward because they're excited about being in a learning environment where you know where being wrong isn't panelized. What's wrong is not having any thought or any idea and not communicating it forward. Lisa Cummings: And it's such a fun skill to practice as a manager because it's actually easier to ask back and the tendency is, okay, well yeah, I have an idea in my mind I could offer up this advice and instead of doing that, I love how you did the three options. That's cool too because the person who's coming in with a problem, they might have an idea of a solution. They probably feel stuck, but they have a solution that they don't love yet. Or they would have taken action and started solving it, so to say what are a few options? It gets them feeling open enough that they could throw out bad options and then it's good options and then work through them. So that's a really cool too. Jason Treu: And if you're a manager, what you can’t say back, let's say someone throws out an idea and you're like, wow, that's not really right. You can say to someone, you know, I can see how you could think that that can be an option. Right? And you know, and then you can sort of guide them by asking another question. We'll have you have you thought or considered, you know, doing x, y, or z, right? And you can lead them down the path by asking them questions and having the other person then give answers back, right? In guiding them through the question sets to get to the answer right then. And then you can say to him, see, you knew the answer, right? I may have had to help guide you a little bit, but all along you had the answer inside of you. So I want you to continually start looking inside of yourself because you're a smart, motivated, intelligent individual, and you can do anything you want if you set your mind to it. Right? And I helped you a little bit along this process, but now you see that you can do this yourself, right? So I'll be excited next time when you come to me and we go through this process and we see how much quicker you're going to get to the solution. It's got way more motivating. Someone was walking out of an office like that or somebody who's been told the answer, what do you think is going to motivate and get people excited? Right, Lisa Cummings: Right. Obviously the second one, and it also, if you tie this to strengths, it's such a beautiful way to have a conversation because everybody problem solve a little differently. We have different thoughts, patterns of thoughts and behaviors and that influences how we solve problems and how we process what's going on around the world. So when you as a leader asks somebody else how they're thinking through the issue, you're helping them use their strengths to solve the problem and you're also learning how they think and then you're learning how to lead in a way that supports that person individually. So it does so much beyond even just getting the answer to the problem; it really does help you individualize your style to that person. Jason Treu: Yeah, I think it's really important. And you know, the last thing for managers to. I think it's important to really understand your employees and understand where they're at, because you know one of the challenges I've been finding, I was just doing some sales training a few weeks ago and I was talking to people and I was doing more inner work than I was doing actual strengths that they would be using in the external world. What I found when people were coming to me, marital problems, some people had abuse other things that had gone on in their life and this is the things that were holding them back. So I think we've got to realize that when people walk into a business or organization or work remotely or whatever they're going to do, they don't leave their personal life at the door. It goes with them. So you have to get to know people. Jason Treu: You have to understand what people are doing and you have to support them and be empathetic and possibly even get them help because that's affecting their work performance and affecting the bottom line. And if you try to gloss over that, you're missing a huge opportunity to uplift people and really improve the bottom line. Because people who are more happy and motivated work harder because when you are in a negative mindset or sad or frustrated or angry; the first thing to go with self-discipline and momentum and motivation. Every time. You've heard this before, people say, well, I'm not motivated. I'm not this, I'm not that. Well, you know, one, if you get happy, excited or really joyful in your life, you're going to be more motivated. The other thing is you've got to take action in your life, but you're less likely to take action when you're in a negative place. Lisa Cummings: Yes! And there are stats from Gallup that they've put out and have studied this really deeply and those who focus on their strengths and focus on what's right about them in the workplace are six times as engaged with their work. So it's a significant difference in the way that you feel. Jason Treu: Yeah, and I think that's how you find out your strengths a lot of the times too is you know, you got to help people figure those out and see where their challenges are as well. Right? And help them with their own blind spots and weak spots and help them alleviate those or bring those up, work around it. Right. And figure those out. And I think that these are ways for you as a manager and also to manage up and you can see that in other people as well, once you get more in tune with them on an emotional level and started connecting with them and they've done all the studies that the managers today that are succeeding and the people they lead are succeeding because they have vulnerability and authenticity; they are key leadership traits because end of the day, that's what influences other people. And that's what creates charisma. That's what creates persuasion and at the end of the day that creates leadership. Lisa Cummings: So I know a lot of people are going to want to get their hands on social wealth because there'll be thinking about the charisma and building their leadership and building those relationship skills. So for everybody who wants to get more of Jason, where can they find you, where can they find your book and how can they dig into your stuff? Jason Treu: So you can go to https://jasontreu.com/(updated, February 2019) it's all one word and you can find my coaching. There are tons of free guides on branding, networking, you know, how to email busy people. There's tons of things and self-development as well and there's stuff on my coaching as well there. And then you can go there also to Amazon to get my book and audio book. Lisa Cummings: Wonderful. And that is called Social Wealth. So thanks so much for joining Jason. This has been really cool to look at relationships and emotional connections. Jason Treu: Well, thanks a lot. At least I appreciate the opportunity to speak with you and your audience and know they're all fantastic and just go out and take on the world.

The Little Mermaid & the Beginning of the Disney Renaissance

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2015 71:03

Ever want to hear about the beginning of the Disney Renaissacnce? Well, here's your chance! Steven talks about The Little Mermaid & the other 4 films that made up the first half of the Disney Renaissance.I apologize for the audio quality in this episodeCheck out Steven's horror centric podcast "Another Night at Camp Blood": http://wolfbaneblooms.com/series/another-night-at-camp-blood/

disney renaissance little mermaid episode check camp blood another night

QA 24 – What is the Best Strategy for Using Pinterest?

Online Business Q&A w/ S&J

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2015 10:45

Welcome to the Flipped Lifestyle y'all! In today’s Q&A, we are helping you using Pinterest to maximize exposure of all your content. Do you have a question you want answered on our podcast? We would love to help you! Click here to ask your question! Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Check out this post on Pinterest Verify your Pinterest account Elementary Librarian Canva tutorial – 5 simple steps for all your image creation needs Do you have a question about online business that you would like to have answered on a future episode of the Q&A with S&J Flipped Lifestyle Podcast? If you do, it’s super easy to submit your question. All you have to do is text the letters “QASJ” to the number 38470 and we will send you a text message back with a link to our website where you can submit your question. That’s “QASJ” to the number 38470. Send us your text and we will shoot you a link back where you can ask your question and maybe you can be featured on a future episode. If you are outside the United States or near a computer, you can also submit your question over on our website at FlippedLifestyle.com/QASJ.

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#10: Storybook Circus (Phase 1) & Fantasyland Construction (March 2012)

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Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2012 13:11

Welcome to Sam's Disney Diary Episode #10 -- Storybook Circus (Phase 1) and Fantasyland Construction (as of March 13, 2012) Since the original announcement of the Walt Disney World Fantasyland expansion, the majority of the focus has been on the new Fantasyland Forest and rightfully so. In my opinion, lost in the excitement is Storybook Circus. Sure, the dual Dumbo's with interactive queue has gotten lots of attention, but Storybook Circus is much bigger than that!! The theme and attention to detail are just amazing. The original concept art and map from the D23 Expo just couldn't show the amount of detail. We have been teased with concept art and the models for long enough, and it's finally time to see the real thing. Storybook Circus is much more than a new Barnstormer and relocated Dumbo! I was lucky enough to be at the Magic Kingdom on the second day of the Storybook Circus soft openeing... This video is from that trip. Thanks for reading, and thanks for watching!!! Like this Episode? Check out www.SamsDisneyDiary.com and the youtube channel at www.youtube.com/SamsDisneyDiary get all the latest on twitter @SamsDisneyDiary, and be a friend on Facebook at Facebook.com/SamsDisneyDiary For the full blog and video “Storybook Circus (Phase 1) and Fantasyland Construction (as of March 13, 2012)” visit http://wp.me/p1QRCX-1A

#9: Disneyland Fantasmic!

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2012 30:06

Welcome to Sam's Disney Diary Episode #9 -- Disneyland's Fantasmic! (Like this Episode? Check out the youtube channel at www.youtube.com/SamsDisneyDiary and follow me on twitter @SamsDisneyDiary) In an attempt to reenergize the Disneyland Rivers of America area in the early 90s, Disneyland entertainment introduced a nighttime spectacular. The show would feature fireworks, live actors, fire, music, water effects, boats and rafts along with mist screen projectors showcasing Disney Animation. In order to accommodate the large scale project, the rivers of America along with Tom Sawyer Island needed to be reworked... This construction, including: draining the rivers of America, removing part of Tom Sawyer Island and constructing a terrace of walkways and viewing areas along the rivers of America. Most important the new terrace should not be noticed during daylight hours. In addition a multipurpose building needed to be constructed on Tom Sawyer Island, that building would double as the fantastic stage and show building for the nightly performance. The Disneyland Fantasmic show is 22 minutes long and according to Disney has an audience capacity of about 10,000 guest standing along the banks of the Rivers of America, standing in Frontierland and New Orleans Square. There are a small number of "seats" that can be reserved with the "Fantasmic VIP Dessert Package". I've experienced that package personally, the desserts are just OK, and you are essentially purchasing a seat for the show. If having a seat is worth $50 go for it, otherwise skip it. Fantasmic includes a Cast of 51 performers and 50 crew, the 51 performers will use 341 costumes. Most of the show takes place on the River of America; the main stage by day is the rest area in front of the Cider Mill on Tom Sawyer Island. At night it transforms into the main stage including a 20foot by 20 foot trap door which is part of the Maieficent and dragon effects. The Three main mist screens are each 30 feet tall by 50 feet wide and feature HD projections originating from projects hidden in the island. Both the Mark Twain steamboat and the Columbia Watercraft sailing shop have roles in the show. The show also features three show barges and six additional barges used for pyrotechnic effects. Some other cool facts: KAA the Snake is 100 Feet long. Peter Pans Crocodile is 25 Feet long, 12 feet wide and 17 feet tall. Ursula the sea with is 20 feet tall and 32 feet wide and the dragon is 45 feet tall! Walt Disney World should take note, the Disneyland dragon is by FAR superior to the Walt Disney World version!!! The Disneyland version was the only fantasmic show until Walt Disney Worlds Hollywood studios premiered a similar (but not exact) show in October 1998, followed by a third in 2011 at Tokyo Disney Sea. Hope you enjoy as much as I did putting the video together.... Follow Me on Twitter @SamsDisneyDiary email at SamsDisneyDiary@Mail.com and subscribe to the YouTube Channel at Youtube.com/SamsDisneyDiary For the full blog and video “Disneyland Fantasmic!” visit http://wp.me/p1QRCX-1A

#7: Disneyland Main Street and the Fire House 5 + 2

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Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2012 18:39

Welcome to Sam's Disney Diary Episode #7 -- Disneyland Main Street and the Fire House 5 + 2 (Like this Episode? Check out the youtube channel at www.youtube.com/SamsDisneyDiary and follow me on twitter @SamsDisneyDiary) Episode #7 is once again from Disneyland. This time I take a quick look at Main Street USA, specifically the left side as you walk toward the castle. Main Street in Disneyland is similar but different from the Main Street in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Sure, It's smaller but the details are incredible, The Penny Arcade and the Carnation Café are wonderful, and at the time of editing both closed for refurbishment. Here is hoping the penny arcade games get even better and keep the nostalgia of the time period. I wrap up with a look at the Firehouse Five + 2 Disneyland band, and original and a must see. You never know who is going to help out with the show! Follow Me on Twitter @SamsDisneyDiary email at SamsDisneyDiary@Mail.com and subscribe to the YouTube Channel at Youtube.com/SamsDisneyDiary For the full blog and video “Disneyland Main Street and the Fire House 5 + 2” visit http://wp.me/p1QRCX-18

#6: Christmas at the Disneyland Hotel and Grand Californian

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Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2011 27:28

Welcome to Sam's Disney Diary Episode #6 -- Christmas at the Disneyland Hotel and Disney's Grand Californian. (Like this Episode? Check out the youtube channel at www.youtube.com/SamsDisneyDiary and follow me on twitter @SamsDisneyDiary) Visiting the Disneyland resort during the holiday season is purely magical. The transition at the Haunted Mansion (See Episode #3) and the overlay at It's a Small World are obvious examples of Holiday theming. In addition, the hotels of Disneyland and Downtown Disney are great example of the "Disney" decorating detail. I had the opportunity to visit the Disneyland Hotel and Grand Californian, I did my best to capture the best of both. I included some bonus material of the Grand Californian carolers, hope you enjoy. Follow Me on Twitter @SamsDisneyDiary email at SamsDisneyDiary@Mail.com and subscribe to the YouTube Channel at Youtube.com/SamsDisneyDiary For the full blog and video “Christmas at the Disneyland Hotel and Grand Californian” visit http://wp.me/p1QRCX-Y

#5: The Little Mermaid: Ariels Undersea Adventure