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2 episodes with in bob
2 episodes with in bob
In today’s PorscheCooled Podcast Michael presents episode 35 of owner stories with Bob from the U.S. Bob’s 911s are all daily’s, driven year round in Alberta and Texas, all tracked, and all driven in severe winter weather. In Bob’s words “to get the real value out of it, to really enjoy it, you have to use it.” Bob has always been into cars enjoying some iconic ones along the way including a ‘90’s BMW 325i he purchased new. His first Porsche was a 997 C4S, his second a 991.1 C4 and his latest and third 911, the 991.2 GT3. This one is no different to the other 911s Bob has owned - daily driven, road and track , and thoroughly enjoyed. That’s what I call Porsche Passion. Welcome back to the PorscheCooled Podcast. Every Porsche tells a story and each owner has a different story to tell – that is what the PorscheCooled owner stories is all about. Follow Bob on Instagram @991C4 Michael (@michael.bath) owns a first generation 997 Carrera, comes from Australia and currently resides in Bahrain. Steve (@gtst3ve) is a Porsche owner and enthusiast from Sydney, Australia. This podcast is part of a series with Steve where two mates chat about all things Porsche. Thanks for listening. PorscheCooled Exclusive member Become a member of PorscheCooled and help support the Podcast. It will keep us talking! https://www.patreon.com/porschecooled The PorscheCooled Podcast is available everywhere you get your podcasts.
Marcia talks with CPA, Author, Money Expert & Comedian Bob Wheeler about how people deal with their money. He explains that many people need training on how to stop sabotaging their success with money. Overspending & not realizing how history repeats itself. In Bob's book The Money Nerve, he encourages people to be curious about their relationship with money so that it can be a positive change. Bob can be found at www.TheMoneyNerve.com where he has his book, quizzes, a course & his podcast. ********** Marcia can be found at www.TrajectoryBiz.com where she has 6 Tips to help increase your profits fast. **Please subscribe & ring the bell to get reminders about our weekly shows.
Sahara has such a cool story. Read her bio below for the details. This is a story of amazing love and commitment to seeing her husband's dream come true through publishing his works. Sahara Foley was born with a lust for the written word. Even at a young age, she could be found with her nose buried in her favorite books. Still, she never had the inclination to pen her own tales. Then she met her life-partner, Bob. They did everything together, fishing, camping, gardening. They even owned a small farmstead for a while. And they both loved reading. In Bob's case, he also loved writing. Yes, he was the writer of the family. Many nights Sahara came home from work and read the latest words he'd written that day. She fell in love with his stories and characters. One year, he made birthday cards from each of the characters from his Excalibur Series. Sahara convinced Bob to try publishing his stories. But in the late 1980's, the only way to get a book published was through traditional publishers. Alas, they never heard back from any, so Bob gave up his writing. After thirty years of being each other's other half, Bob left this world. Sucked into a void of grief, not knowing how to fill the hole left in her soul, Sahara remembered the cardboard box of handwritten manuscripts shoved away in a closet. She brought them back out into the light, and all those long-forgotten characters became her salvation. She gave them new life, and in the process, they saved her. So, even though Bob has passed on, they are still partners in publishing his amazing stories. Sahara hopes you enjoy them. Connect with Sahara Foley at: Norns Triad Publications: https://nornstriad.com/authors/sahara-foley/
Every once in a while both suns set on a womp rats tail, and today that womp rat is the year 2020. Let's send this Runaway Railway of a year into the great beyond with the Best Disney Thing of 2020 bracket: - We welcome our friend Michael to the show to help us do the dirty work of dissecting 2020! - Tess drops us a SCATHING email in response to the Best Disney Holiday Movie bracket. - The boys get a couple of bad beers as their Spoonfuls of Sugar, but Michael saves the day with crowd pleaser. - The surveyed demographic certainly brought out the hot takes to finish of 2020. - There wasn't much left over, but we reviewed a couple of 2020 Disney things that just Missed the Dance. - Powering through a memorable (or maybe not) Field of 16. - Chris comes after the 'Mandalorian' finale. - Taylor Swift's presence on Mouse Madness ends before it begins. - Some love for Beyoncé doing THE MOST in 'Black is King'. - Chris grills the cast of 'High School Musical' in regards to their 'Disney Family Singalong' performance. - Kyle rants on "yucking each other's yums." - In Bob, we trust. [DISCLAIMER: This episode was recorded before the release of 2020's 'Soul', so it was not included on this bracket] Got a rebuttal? Want to be a tiebreaker host? We'd love to hear from you: Email us at mousemadnesspodcast@gmail.com Tweet us @MouseMadnessPod Follow us on Instagram @MouseMadnessPod Chat with us on Discord: discord.gg/qwpqAWA Join or Facebook Community: fb.me/MouseMadnessPodcast
To celebrate Truetone’s 25th Anniversary, we sit down with founder and president, Bob Weil, to tell both his own story and that of the company he launched in 1995. The idea to launch a business began to germinate when Weil was using an off-the-shelf volume pedal that he wished had some sort of a visual indicator. Finding that no such pedal existed, he began learning about electronics, eventually starting Visual Sound and releasing the Visual Volume pedal in 1995. In Bob and Truetone’s joint 25-year story, we get everything from their first NAMM show, bankruptcy and rebirth, to the release of the flagship products Jekyll & Hyde, Route 66, H2O, and the 1 SPOT, as well as the eventual name change from Visual Sound to Truetone, the launch of the 1 SPOT Pro series, and why Bob decided to introduce the Truetone Lounge video series. We hope that after telling other's stories for years through the Truetone Lounge, you will enjoy getting to hear ours.
Summary: Today share their thoughts and pain points around letting people go. How do we keep kindness in mind when letting go of someone who isn’t meeting expectations? How soon should you fire someone when you feel that they’re not a good fit? When the time comes to have the difficult conversation, what does that conversation realistically look like? And how can you change your processes to create a deeper trust with your and avoid firing being a surprise all together? These are all the big questions we tackle today- stay tuned! Top 4 Curtain Pulls in this episode: One basic rule- “Hire Slow, Fire Fast!” This means that you are intentional about the investment and selection of a new employee, and quick to do what has to be done when someone isn’t right and you’ve exhausted all options. Your business needs to add massive value to your customers, and you can only do that if you have employees who add massive value to your business. Don’t let fear of confrontation turn into passive aggression towards an employee who’s not measuring up. When it’s time, you have to act. Other employees will notice your inaction, and that lack of action can lead to loss of respect to you as a leader. When hiring a new employee, be clear with what you need, and allow them to be involved in creating a role to fill those needs. This creates buy-in, and removes ambiguity. For more tips, discussion, and behind the scenes: Follow us on Instagram @AgencyPodcast Join our closed Facebook community for agency leaders About The Guys: Bob Hutchins: Founder of BuzzPlant, a digital agency that he ran from from 2000 -2017. He is also the author of 3 books. More on Bob: Bob on LinkedIn twitter.com/BobHutchins instagram.com/bwhutchins Bob on Facebook Brad Ayres: Founder of Anthem Republic, an award-winning ad agency. Brad’s knowledge has led some of the biggest brands in the world. Originally from Detroit, Brad is an OG in the ad agency world and has the wisdom and scars to prove it. Currently that knowledge is being applied to his boutique agency. More on Brad: Brad on LinkedIn Anthem Republic twitter.com/bradayres instagram.com/therealbradayres facebook.com/Bradayres Ken Ott: Co-Founder and Chief Growth Rebel of Metacake, an Ecommerce Growth Team for some of the world’s most influential brands with a mission to Grow Brands That Matter. Ken is also an author, speaker, and was nominated for an Emmy for his acting on the Metacake Youtube Channel (not really). More on Ken: Ken on LinkedIn Metacake - An Ecommerce Growth Team Growth Rebel TV twitter.com/iamKenOtt instagram.com/iamKenOtt facebook.com/iamKenOtt Show Notes: [1:03] Bob introduces this week’s episode- expressing that its a nerve-wracking one for him. [1:25] Brad shares a statistic, that 50% of business owners have to fire someone eventually. [1:47] Ken shares that he has had to fire people in the past, but that they try to avoid it at all costs. [2:14] Brad says that knowing when to let somebody go is one of the most challenging things you can deal with in business. [2:49] Brad continues, saying that layoffs or furloughs are a bit different because they are about a lack of business rather than the person individually. [3:40] Ken reflects on the way that you deliver the message, trying to find a way that will help the person as much as possible. [4:27] Brad pinpoints that the line is knowing when the employee is no longer helpful for the business. Many times they are like family, so it can be challenging to disconnect your emotions from the actual need in the business. He talks about the impact that letting someone go can have on the entire team, how it impacts morale if other employees feel that parts of the process were unfair or unfounded. [6:10] Brad asks Ken about his firing experiences. [6:23] Ken: “Hire slow, fire fast.” It’s important to bring on the right people, and realize that those personalities really matter and have a large impact. One bad egg will spoil everything, so applying filters is very important to ensure a cultural fit. It’s important that as an employee, you add more value than you take- just like the business itself! [8:13] Ken “When we’ve had to fire people, we give them the benefit of the doubt over and over again.” Part of the culture at Metacake is being able to talk to anyone about anything- talking to one another and being intentional about those feelings. Team 1-on-1’s are a bi-weekly thing, so issues get addressed frequently and are micro-adjustments instead of things getting out of hand. Typically there are a few talks with warnings and feedback [11:42] Brad says that using a sort of checklist of “red flags” for when people aren’t living up to expectations or requirements will help you to use less emotion and more logic. [12:40] Brad shares that he wants to be kind to people, “Sometimes it’s a real struggle, and I have let things go on longer than they should have.” [13:30] Brad continues. “I try to figure out what is the core reason that I feel like this person isn’t working out and try to really identify those core reasons and then see if it can be resolved in meetings.” If an employee doesn’t seem interested in growth, in working with you to improve themselves through coaching and feedback, then it’s probably important that you act on that rather than give them a year or two to make attempts at improvement. [14:40] Bob shares his experience with firing- on both sides, as an employee and an employer. Asking yourself if the person is capable of fixing or changing issues is important, but placing a limit on your empathy is important as well. [15:21] Bob “I always have to ask the fundamental question, is this person capable of doing what you’re expecting of them?” This isn’t a judgemental thing, but a capability thing. [16:01] Bob “I’ve let people stay on too long because I didn’t like the discomfort of my own emotions versus what was best for them and what was best for the company. So I was prioritizing my own comfort and my own discomfort rather than saying ‘What is best for this person.’” Ultimately, letting someone stay when they’re not the right fit isn’t doing them any favors. In Bob’s experience, none of the people who he’s let go have not gone on to do great things- no one has ended up on the street or starving. So the fears of the worst happening never came to fruition, and now he sees that he can trust his instincts more. [17:07] Bob “When something doesn’t work out, and you know it’s not going to work out, The person needs to be in a better fit... By not doing it, you’re holding back what’s best for that person.” [18:19] Ken talks about how he attempts to make sure that things aren’t a true surprise when you have to let someone go. “You can’t let your own desire for comfort or your fear of discomfort stop you from doing what’s best for everybody.” [19:49] Brad says that sometimes people are doing great and making money for the company, but are super disruptive to the culture or morale. And other times they just aren’t capable of doing the job. He talks about having benchmarks for signs that he needs to make a decision about someone’s employment. “If I can replace an employee who’s a pretty significant role and within a week or two I don’t feel them being gone… like the business doesn’t feel them being gone… then I know they haven’t made themselves valuable for my business. [21:40] Brad says another thing he’s struggled with is, when you fire someone do you walk them out the door? How do you figure out the timing, etc? [22:30] Ken says that many mentors have suggested that when you let someone go, they go right then. No two weeks situation, etc. If they’re already not adding to the value of the business, there is no reason for them to have any motivation left once you give them a two weeks notice, etc. It’s best for you to just let them go right there. [23:13] Brad says that it’s especially difficult if the employee is a higher-level person who holds a lot of “keys” in the business- you need a time frame to get those keys handed over beforehand. [24:10] Ken shares that letting people go is never just a quick, straightforward process. You’ve got to create a “nice” transition for your employees and for the employee you’re letting go. Knowing what a transition looks like for any given role beforehand is super helpful. [25:27] Brad shares that he let someone go and had a client asking about the person two weeks later. The client was a bit incredulous, asking why they weren’t told and Brad reflects on that circumstance, saying that it’s important to create that line of communication with the clients as well. Your employees have built those relationships, and if one of those links in the relational change is suddenly gone, it can have potential to harm the client relationship. [27:00] Bob asks Brad about statistics- turnover within the agency world in particular. He asks if the creative aspect of things makes it more challenging to let someone go, because the reasons could be more nuanced instead of task-oriented. [29:19] Bob continues, that creatives can be some of the hardest people to let go because the opinions and reasons can be very subjective. [29:34] Ken agrees, saying that you have to own where those measurements are for yourself and your business. A startup vs a well-established business makes a big difference, as the needs can change as the company changes and grows. [30:31] Brad stresses the importance of processes, so that employees can understand what to do in order to grow. Having a system in place where coaching and processes to learn to grow is SO helpful- because if you don’t, you’re insisting that they go off and do those things themselves. Which ultimately will take away from the energy they have to offer your business. Brad says that often people WANT to be coached, to improve and add value, but aren’t clear on the processes or how to make that happen. If they understand the rules, the processes, and have the support to get there, most people will rise to it. [32:39] Ken talks about how there are roles that are really clear, and some that are more ambiguous. And so when someone new comes in, letting them know exactly what their roles will be and how to measure their success, that’s being proactive and helping you to avoid difficulties down the line. [33:55] Bob talks about studies in Europe that say that when you give an employee or a team the ability to craft their responsibility, they end up being much happier and have a sense of accomplishment. Rather than a list of responsibilities when you hire someone, give them a list and bullet points of what you need, and let them take part in figuring out how they can fill that need. [35:42] Brad talks about how his tendency towards passive-aggression means that he often feels quick to judge. [36:49] Brad continues, that if you start to notice yourself being critical of an employee, you need to dig deeper into that. “You should check yourself- you should say ‘Why am I critical? Is it a personality? Or am I not happy with their performance?” [37:56] Bob says that he tends towards cynicism, or flippant criticism and identifying the worst in the situation as a passive-aggressive move. [39:10] Brad talks about his fear with creatives, that if he lets someone go that the fire of creativity and passion will dim and make them think that this isn’t their career path, etc. Sometimes it’s just a matter of things not being a good fit, so it’s important to know where the line is between not being a good fit right now, versus just being a bad employee. [40:16] Ken “Obviously there’s a passion in each person, and there’s a purpose or many purposes in people. So helping them get to that is how you get to those places where at some point that person is going to be thriving. And how do you get there?” [41:00] Bob talks about our last guest speaker, a former employee of Brad who disappeared for a few years then came back with an incredible story and path that he’s created for himself. [42:06] Bob talks about seeing the true skill set and giftings in everyone, and trying to call those out in your employees. “...if it doesn’t work out, that’s okay. Give them the freedom to fly.” He reflects on being a business owner and having a “God Complex” and the responsibility of taking care of your employees. [43:23] Bob: “You never will be, no matter how good you think you are, the provider and source of someone’s livelihood… on one level yes you write their paycheck, but at the end of the day the universe is very big, the people are very skilled, and they will land somewhere and they will be taken care of.” [44:10] Ken talks about leadership and seeking true wisdom, having the wisdom to know when someone is hanging around too long, if the expectations are too high on one end or the other. [45:17] Ken continues, saying that you have to be on a journey of leadership and seeking wisdom from mentors, because there is a lot hanging in the balance for a smaller company or startup especially. The rest of your team will begin to lose respect for you when you let things go on for too long. [47:40] Bob talks about when the process of letting someone go is really draining or unhealthy for you mentally, and what it might look like if you remove yourself from that process altogether. [48:37] Ken mentions some great HR companies that can help you frame those conversations and lay out what it may look like to make a transition, and he has had great experiences with them. Think through what your processes will look like for these situations- consider having someone to guide you through the legal protection aspect of things. [50:15] Ken says that ultimately, when you do this you have to do it in love. As cheesy as that sounds, ask yourself “How can I serve this person through this?” Serving people doesn’t always mean making them happy!
Hey guys! You don't want to miss this reflection. Bob Waliszewski shares his meditation on the 23rd Psalm. Many of us have read the psalm, some probably can recite from memory, but I bet you, like Bob, have overlooked an essential part of David's song, the part that says someone else has a stake in our lives. In Bob's many years as a youth pastor, director at Focus on the Family, public speaker and more, Bob reminds us that God's word always reveals something new to us and at the right time in the right season. We encourage you to listen in, and we hope that whether life is good or bad, we are reminded that there is Someone else invested in our lives. God, the Creator Loving Father, takes us on paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Not for our name's sake. It's easy to strive in life for our own glory. But Bob reminds us that the outcome of our current pain and struggles is only temporary, and can often time point us more to our purpose. If what Bob shares is a bit foreign to you, and /or you have questions about what a relationship with Jesus means, then we encourage you to reach out on a DM @thetalkingstorypodcast. Thank you to our sponsor www.moimoimarket.com: A one stop shop for products of purpose
“We are both in this radical honesty together where...we have a structure that's going to hold us as we evolve and change together and as individuals...I witnessed that many people don't feel safe to evolve and change and be themselves. So if you can't change with the people around you, I don't know that you are allowing yourself to change.” Alexandra Jamieson Today, I’m excited to speak with Alexandra Jamieson of Super Size Me fame. For two decades, Alexandra has worked professionally as a coach, driving creative women to build their visions for success. She is also an award-winning author, a podcast host, and an artist. She says she is on this earth to help others be rid of imposter syndrome and claim their worth (and wealth!). In today’s episode, we speak about effective communication, couples’ coaching, and meeting snacks. Listen in to find out how to hone your communication skills like a professional musician mastering their instrument and why a movement break is like MiracleGro for your brain. Show Highlights [0:55] Supersize Me & going viral for quitting veganism. [5:05] The tiny thing that makes couples communicate effectively. [14:51] Why effective communication is like playing an instrument. [18:10] How going to bed angry can actually benefit your relationship. [29:35] No more conference cookies. [34:52] The All-In Method. [37:56] Alexandra’s challenge for the listener. Links | Resources Alexandra on LinkedIn Radical Alignment: A book about difficult conversations Alexandra’s podcast, Her Rules Radio, on Stitcher About the Guest For 20 years, Alexandra has coached creators, founders, and leaders on the rise to use their strengths, values, intuition, and creative thinking to achieve success on their own terms. She loves championing women and their creative visions by helping them feel worthy of their desires, allowing them to begin bringing their visions to reality and transforming the world. Outside of her coaching work, Alexandra has hosted her #1 podcast Her Rules Radio for 6 years and written 5 best-selling books. You also may know her as co-producer and co-star of the Oscar-nominated documentary Super Size Me. About Voltage Control Voltage Control is a facilitation agency that helps teams work better together with custom-designed meetings and workshops, both in-person and virtual. Our master facilitators offer trusted guidance and custom coaching to companies who want to transform ineffective meetings, reignite stalled projects, and cut through assumptions. Based in Austin, Voltage Control designs and leads public and private workshops that range from small meetings to large conference-style gatherings. Share An Episode of Control The Room Apple Podcasts Spotify Android Stitcher Engage Control The Room Voltage Control on the Web Contact Voltage Control Intro: Welcome to the Control the Room Podcast, a series devoted to the exploration of meeting culture and uncovering cures for the common meeting. Some meetings have tight control, and others are loose. To control the room means achieving outcomes while striking a balance between imposing and removing structure, asserting and distributing power, leaning in and leaning out, all in the service of having a truly magical meeting. Douglas: Today I’m with Alexandra Jamieson, coproducer and costar of Super Size Me. Today we're here to talk about her fifth book that's upcoming, will be released in August, called Radical Alignment. Welcome to the show, Alexandra. Alexandra: Thank you so much for having me. Douglas: So, for starters, I'd love to hear about how you got started in the work you do. Alexandra: It's been a long and tangled road to be an author and coach. I've been an author and a coach for over a decade—as you said, this is my fifth book—and I really started in the health-and-wellness world. And we were about the same age when you and I both discovered we had these massive health issues in our mid-20s and that food was the answer. So I dove deep. I'm a two-feet-in kind of person. I discovered food is healing, food is medicine. Went to culinary school, became a vegan chef, did catering, etc.. And right around that time, I met my now ex. But we made the movie Super Size Me together. He ate nothing but McDonald's for a month, for anybody who remembers that. He got really sick, and I put him on my vegan detox plan afterwards to, like, clean up his liver, his high cholesterol, all the stuff that happened to him so quickly from eating terrible fast food all the time. And I was also a budding health coach. I was working with people one on one to help them figure out their nutritional needs but also their emotional eating life. So it was a very interesting mix of coaching techniques that I was bringing to people. But after being vegan for a decade, I started to get really sick again. I was chronically anemic. I had all these health concerns, and I really tried everything in the vegan framework to fix it. But it turns out I am one of those people that has to eat things like chicken liver and organ meat. That's the only way my body can absorb iron. So I had this kind of infamous coming out as no longer vegan that went viral. You know, we all want our stuff to go viral, Doug, but this I really didn't want anybody to see it. I was like, I just have to be honest. I had written three vegan cookbooks at this point, so it was a bit of a shift, you could say. And it really blew up in, first, a very kind of over-the-top, extreme way, like people wishing me death, losing friends because I wasn't vegan anymore. And that also led to my fourth book called Women, Food, and Desire, which is this real examination of women's cravings and our relationship with our bodies. And around that time, I was now getting divorced from Super Size Me husband, and I met Bob, my new husband. I stepped it up, upgraded a little bit. And Bob came from this design and agile consulting, facilitation world, and I have been in the coaching world for just over 10 years at that point, and we began to realize as our relationship grew that we were talking about a lot of the same things. Even though I was doing kind of life coaching, health coaching, he was doing real, like, solid business design kind of consulting, it was like, we’re using a lot of the same tools to help people figure out what they want, what they need, what the challenges are, and move forward. So that's kind of the seed that led to this book that has some really powerful tools at the heart of it. Douglas: That's amazing. I echo that similar sentiment in my journey at Voltage Control, just as a facilitator, not wanting to just be too dogmatic or aligned with one specific discipline. And the more I sought out and the more I learned in all these different silos that there is quite a bit that's common, but there are some stuff that people were doing a little differently. And when you combine those things together, you can get these real awesome, emergent qualities that you wouldn’t have otherwise. So, I'm curious. Can you tell a story or is there a tool in particular that when you think about the fact that you came together, that the sum’s greater than the combining of the parts, per se. Alexandra: By the request of some of our friends, we actually led a couple of couples workshops. And I'll be honest. It was usually the women, like, dragging their boyfriends or husbands to come to these workshops. And we realized they were there for very different reasons. One person wanted one experience, and one person was there for a completely different reason. And so Bob had this kind of tool from his past life. I think he was also a newspaper design director. Anyway, he said, “You know what, we don’t need to get on the same page. We need to get into alignment.” And we started teaching this very simple conversation tool to put all the information out on the table. Why are you here? What do you want? What are you worried about? etc.. And after a couple of workshops, we realized, like nothing else from those workshops really took off, but this one simple conversation structure that we taught, people kept texting us and emailing us and saying, “What was that four-step thing that you took us through, again? because I have this other conversation that I need to have.” So over the course of the next two years, people kept bugging us for this thing. We're a little slow on the uptake. I’m like, “All right. Let's just put this in a Google Doc because then we can stop explaining it to everybody. We can just say ‘Here it is; here it is; here it is.’” But we kept getting these incredible stories from our friends who were using it, that it was helping them in their marriage, that it was helping them with negotiations at work, that they were using it like Bob was using it, teaching it in these high-level, CEO boardroom kind of situations. And then the CEO would say, “That was amazing. I'm taking that home to my husband, and we’re going to use that conversation at home.” So I was like, “Oh, my goodness, this one little thing,” sometimes it's just this tiny thing that people keep asking for. We didn't even see how valuable it was. And that's the genesis of this whole project, this book. Douglas: So what are these four steps? You've got me very curious. Alexandra: So it's a really simple, guided conversation that helps two or more people get really clear and develop just a deeper understanding of or appreciation for each other. It really creates team psychological safety. And there's some very specific things about that in terms of how you run it, right? You're the facilitator guy, so you totally get it. There's some ground rules that you got to set up. You got to set the stage. And, you know, one thing is, I always tell people, first, never say to someone, “We need to talk.” That's the wrong way to introduce any kind of conversation. Douglas: That’ll ruin the rest of my day. All I can think about is, “What are we talking about? What things?” Alexandra: So, think about how you want to invite someone to a conversation or a meeting. Have a comfortable, distraction-free place. And believe me, we use this in business and in our personal lives, so we're very clear to make sure everybody is well rested. We do not do meetings at the end of the day. We just don't. Make sure you're fed. Make sure no one has had even one glass of alcohol. Those are three very basic things. Because we are human animals, our bodies are very much aligned with our brains. And if we're not fed, if we've had even a little booze, and if we're exhausted, we're not going to be present or clear. So think about those things before you get to an important conversation. And then, get clear about what the point is. “What are we talking about and why?” And just, we're very specific. “Okay, we're going to talk about project x so we can become a great team, or we're discussing our summer vacation so that we can both have a wonderful time.” That level of clarity. And then, you go into the conversation. A minute ago I said team psychological safety, and one of the things that we’ve learned in all of our practice and all of our research is that there is a real inequality of power in most rooms. There’s somebody who's got the power, and there's somebody—and there's extroverts and introverts. So we actually request that you time everyone, that everybody gets two or four minutes per share so that it is very equal. And some people have—it's funny. In Bob and my relationship, he's an incredible verbal processor. He talks it out and gets clear. And I actually need to sit and be quiet for up to 15 seconds sometimes to know what I'm going to say. But when you have a timer and no one else is speaking, there's no crosstalk. It’s like, “Okay, I’ve got this space where I can just relax and think about what it is that I need to say.” So give each person the same amount of time. That is true equality. And then, you go into the four-part conversation. So that's all the set up. And you each share your intentions, concerns, boundaries, and dreams. And you can think of intentions of, why do you want to be a part of this project? Why can this project support your personal values or your goals? What led you to get involved in this? So what are your intentions in being a part of this? And it can be super simple, like, “I want to have fun. I want to learn something, and I want to make money.” And again, you all go around; you all share the same amount of time. And then you go into your concerns. And this is where we encourage you to start being very vulnerable in the spirit of, let's really try to discover who we are. And luckily, the human brain is incredibly good at coming up with fears and worries and concerns. In fact, it's probably the best thing that our brains are good at. And let’s tap into it. Let’s tap into that negativity bias that we have. Because actually, when you say your worries and concerns out loud in a safe space, and let's really set up these conversations like, “I want to know what you really think. You're not going to get penalized for this. Let's not take anything personally in this room,” when you say it out loud, your brain hears it, and it actually has the effect of calming down your amygdala. Your nervous system can chill out a bit. And that way you can actually get clear and calm, which leads to better decision making by the end of it. Douglas: Well, there's a lot there to unpack. Not only the setting—the one big one is setting the initial conditions. You know, you talked a lot about being well fed, no alcohol, a comfortable space. The invitation, I think, is so critical. And I love that you use that word. Liberating Structures talks a lot about crafting a really good invitation. I think there's some real beauty in that word because it's not that we're telling you what to do. We're inviting you in. It's very open. And also, I love this notion of starting with gratitude and appreciation. Kudos for that because there's some really great design elements at play in that activity. And when you think about the components that kind of came into this, how did you end up developing that? What did you draw inspiration from? Was it just like you just sat down and it just kind of came to you, or was there a process to kind of develop it and refine it? Alexandra: So Bob and I have been through so many trainings and coaching programs over the years, before we even came together as a couple. When we started teaching these couples workshops, there was the seed of it. It was like, “Okay, why are we here, and what challenges could we have in getting to what you want?” Those kind of—I mean, those seem like pretty basic questions. But it took some time using it and then teaching it in other settings and boardrooms and with my clients, etc., that we’re like, “Oh, it needs to be this order: intentions, concerns, boundaries, and dreams.” It took a little time to figure out kind of the magical recipe. Like, you don't want to add the salt at the end of a recipe. It’s got to go in at the beginning so that it can spread throughout. So it really became clear through doing it what the order needed to be. Douglas: I love that you say that, because we're big believers that facilitation requires practice and you have to develop those skills and you have to get comfortable, and a lot of it has to do with confidence. And, you know, it's similar to a musician that’s improving, right? You had to get so comfortable with your instrument that you can perform in a very rigid style. Then you're able to, then, let go and kind of flow with the moment and find what lands. Can you tell any stories about some of the formulas that you tried that just didn't work out and why, and what the lessons to learn from that would be? Alexandra: Actually, I want to go back to what you just said about playing an instrument. We really describe this four-part structure, we’re like, this is playing scales. You know, every great musician still practices their scales. You go dah, dah, dah, dah, right? We do one, two, three, four. And then, eventually, you can improvise. We're now so practiced with it, we'll just—let's say we had a conversation two weeks ago about visiting the in-laws, and now one of us comes up with, “Oh, you know what, I have a new boundary.” We can just, like, drop into that conversation at point C instead of point A again. So we have this shared vocabulary where we're kind of always in the conversation about different topics. And that's just— What's really, really helpful—I'll tell you what my life was like before I learned how to have tough conversations using this structure was I just didn't have tough conversations. I just avoided hard topics. This has given me a sense of—like you said, you have to become confident as a facilitator—I just become confident. Okay, I have four buckets to put all my thoughts and feelings in. And now I know that the science to a good conversation is coming back to the topic, not letting it get off and create—I think that's one of the reasons why I avoided emotional or high-stakes conversations, because I thought I'm going to have to prove everything I believe is right and have logical arguments for everything, and somebody is going to win, and somebody's going to lose. With this structure, it's like, no, we're just in information-gathering zone. And we develop empathy for each other through it, which is so important. That's like the sweet spot of alignment. Douglas: Yeah. That’s amazing. I was thinking a bit about this notion of being afraid to have some of those conversations, and maybe it's not like people might hear that and think, “Oh, I'm daunted by all this fear,” but sometimes it's just subconscious, right? Sometimes we don't even entertain the thought, because our brains are protecting us from that thing that we're deeply fearful of or just avoiding. And I recently saw some really awesome facilitation guides. It was a guide, but it contained some prompts. And it was written by DiAngelo, who is the author of White Fragility, and these prompts were for basically starting conversations that are hard to start. And she called them silence breakers. And as you talked about being more equipped to have these conversations now, it got me really excited. It reminded me of this notion of silence breakers. And I think it's really important and it's amazing to hear that your work is headed in that same direction. So as folks start to think about being able to open up in this way or what that experience is like, what should they consider or how should they—what are some things that they need to keep in mind? Alexandra: I’m so glad you asked that. So we covered intentions and concerns, the first two steps. The third one is boundaries. And that is a very challenging topic for people to come up with answers for. What are my boundaries? And it's not like ordering off a menu, where I’m going to say something and it's a demand of, this is what you're going to do for me or this is what I must have. Think of it like, what are the things I need, the conditions that help me show up to be my best? What are the way—think of them as starter boundaries, right? Take the pressure off of things to be perfect. Think of it as, what do you need to be your personal best? What will help keep us from reaching burn out? What rules or standards help us work together best? One of the things we discovered, and I cannot believe it took me until my 40s to realize this, but do not start an important conversation at bedtime. Don’t. Just don’t. It's okay to go to bed angry or unclear, truly. That has been a game changer in my marriage. And I've seen it happen in the workplace, too. People are like, “We have to figure this out today. We're staying until it's done.” Actually, everybody's exhausted, and nobody is going to show up and be their best right now, so it's okay for us to take a break and for us to honor the exhaustion that's present. Douglas: Yeah, I love this notion of boundaries. I'm a big fan of compartmentalization, so what is the right way to—like, where do we put this thought, and what's important right now in this moment? And if we can constrain things and really just kind of neatly package them up, then we can better be in service of the work that we're doing. Maybe we need to put some things aside. Maybe some things are off limits. That's really, really awesome. The thing that I'm curious about is, just to get your reaction to this idea of honoring yourself, and authentic relating, they have this notion—well, this ground rule—of honoring yourself. So if someone asks something of you, because this is very deeply relating kind of work that they're doing, and so someone could ask you a very personal question because we're trying to build connection, and so there's this notion of, if you don't feel comfortable, then just pass. And so only contribute at the level that you feel comfortable contributing. I think there's some beauty in that. And it's similar to this being gracious with each other. Alexandra: Well, there’s two things that you're reminding me of that I think are so important. Generally, in the room, if there is a designated leader in a work situation, that might be more obvious, right? Like, the team leader or the C-suite-level person. But in our relationship, perhaps the leader could be considered the person who's bringing this topic up. So they're leading the initial situation. That person, we realized, they need to be the most brave. They need to be the most courageous and the most vulnerable. They need to set the tone for, like, “I am going to be super vulnerable here. I'm really going to share my heart and my truth here,” so that everybody else is like, “Oh, wow. Okay. This person has been really vulnerable. I'm going to maybe go an inch further in sharing my truth now.” So that's one aspect. But the other one is we really encourage—and this is something I do personally all the time—I go through these four steps by myself, and I write out my thoughts. And we will often—I've definitely coached my clients to do this. We've even done it as a couple, even though we've used this hundreds of times now. We will, like, “Okay, you know what, tomorrow we're going to talk about this topic,” to give ourselves some time to think about our intentions, concerns, boundaries, and dreams, before we meet so that we just have some time to gather our thoughts and maybe be more coherent in how we express ourselves. And that is very compassionate and very thoughtful, because not everyone is a verbal processor. Some people need to write it out or take a walk and think about it first. Why not give people a little more time if you're able to? Douglas: Absolutely. And we often think about multisensory experiences because there's kind of a myth that some people are visual learners and some people are auditory learners. The fact of the matter is we all learn through many different forms, and in any given moment, we may be more attuned to a different style, and we kind of need it all. And so if we as workshop facilitators and designers want the best out of our participants, we need to consider those things. So I think that's really fantastic. And we've even been asking people to do that silent solo work as part of the workshop, because, frankly, people are jam-packed schedules and are super busy, so the pre-work rarely gets done. So to be in service of those people, like you say, that are slower or need more reflection time, just bake it in. And the people that don't need it, well, they'll be fine. Alexandra: Yeah. You can doodle— Douglas: Yes, exactly. Alexandra: —while the rest of us write. Douglas: That’s right. So I wanted to come back to this comment you made about being authentic. And I think it might have been in the preshow chatter. But when you brought it up, it was around this notion of, you had this strong pull to be true to the brand you've built and true to this identity that was out in the world, and being authentic to your body, to your DNA, to your cellular—like, everything that was physical about your situation was screaming that you needed to behave in a certain way. If you were going to be authentic to that, you had to leave some other stuff behind. In fact, potentially friends and it could have had an impact on livelihood. And that must've been a really challenging moment. And if I really compare it to some of the challenges other people face, it trivializes some of these situations people find themselves in, yet they can't be authentic. And I think it's just may be a beacon to those that are in meetings and not being authentic, because the best way to get to where you want to go and to build strong teams is to be authentic. Sure, you can be a role model in the work that you've already done. But are there any tactics or things people can think about as to how they can really tap into what it means to be authentic for them? Alexandra: And I can't understress how—and this is true for me and my life. You know, I am myself, and you may have a very different, unique experience. But when I feel I am living inauthentically, I am just incapable of being happy. You know, there was a year and a half where I was hiding that I was eating meat. My business was suffering. My energy was suffering. Everything about my life felt frustrating. And I would rather blow up my life by being really honest, and not honest in a way like, I’m going to tell you what I really think about you. No. Me being honest to myself. I would rather have to deal with the repercussions of that. But I tell you how I've been able to—I mean, since I met Bob and since we've been using this format of communication, I feel so incredibly safe and held because we are both in this radical honesty together where it's very clear, like, we're allowed to evolve and change, and we have a structure that's going to hold us as we evolve and change together and as individuals. I didn't have that in my first marriage, and I witnessed that many people don't feel safe to evolve and change and be themselves. So if you can't change with the people around you, I don't know that you are allowing yourself to change. Douglas: Yeah. That's interesting because I think that applies deeply inside teams, too, especially as we find ourselves in more and more complex situations. We're not in the days of the factory, where things are repeatable and the same widgets coming down the assembly line every day, one day after the other, or we can just follow a recipe. And so the change itself is changing, and teams have to be able to adapt. And I think the willingness to reinvent the team and be different tomorrow than we were yesterday is really important. Alexandra: And the last step of the four-part conversation is probably the most important, and it definitely needs to happen at the end, which is you share your dreams. And this is very specific. If this goes incredibly well, what will be true for you as an individual, for us as a team, for the people impacted around us? How will you feel? What will have shifted? You really get into best-case scenario, imagination land, and you start to feel the oxytocin flowing, the connection. And when I hear from you what your dreams are, and I really feel you connected to that, it's almost impossible for me to not want that for you, too. And it really, even if there are concerns and boundaries which seem to be in conflict, and you know that you've got some figuring out to do after this conversation, the dreams brings you all back together. Okay, how can we work together to make this work? It's a really foundational. Douglas: I'm going to switch gears a little bit, though. Food's been a pretty core part of your life, and it's hard to do work and it's hard to meet as a team without eating, without having food. And when we met in person, when we had workshops in real life, we had to think about, what's for lunch, and what's the catering, what are we going to order? And that's not as much of a concern anymore. In fact, I've seen some jokes around the Internet. I think it was a lady. Her husband was attending a virtual conference. And so she prepared a bunch of horrible food for his virtual-conference experience. So like, soggy wraps. Yeah, exactly. Dry chicken, soggy wraps. Alexandra: Really bad chicken. Douglas: Had some pudding in a little cocktail dish. But all joking aside, what is your recommendation, as a health coach, for teams that are wanting to think about, what is a great workshop diet? What should they be thinking about eating when they're wanting to concentrate more, to work together, stay focused? Alexandra: I'm so glad you brought this up. This is one of my favorite things to talk about. No conference cookies. Just keep the sugar out of it. Seriously. It does not help in the long run. Everybody crashes. Fruit, for sure. Have some of those natural sugars. Have some in-season, good-quality fruits. Variety of things. People do need a little bit sugar. But if you eat two cookies, half an hour, hour from now, you're worthless. Douglas: As a diabetic, I've had to dive into a lot of this stuff. And the thing that really clicked for me, it's okay if you have a little sugar. It's okay if you have some fat. But when you mix fat and sugar, that's doing a major whammy on you. And I think that's where desserts really kill us. And it’s like if you're eating fruit, it's literally no fat and it has fiber, which is good. It's going to slow down absorption. But man, the fat actually hijacks your system, and you absorb the sugar slower, but it really hits you harder on the end because your body can't pull it down as fast because it really stays with you a lot longer and just, I mean, it really does a number on you. And that's where the cookies are different than the fruit. Alexandra: Yeah. So I recommend, get the sodas out of the room. Have iced tea. Caffeine, I think, is the drug that we all got to keep in the room, in some form, but have it be unsweetened stuff if at all possible. And have high-protein stuff. Have good-quality meats and veggies. Keep the sugar as much out of the room as possible. And the other side of it is it's not just about the food that we eat. You've got to include movement breaks regularly. Do not make people sit for an hour, even. Do some kind of, “All right, everybody’s going to stand up, and we're going to stretch at the 30-minute mark.” It releases BDNF in the brain, brain-derived neurotrophic factor. It's like Miracle-Gro for your brain. It really gets you back up. Do a little bit of breathing exercises. That's as important as what you eat. Douglas: Yeah. I love that. We love the stretch-and-share fun activity, and especially in the virtual space, because cadence and turn taking can be strange and foreign, and you can't just go around the circle. So, yeah. Getting out of the chair. And as a facilitator, I think it's really important to really model that behavior and encourage it, and make sure that people know that, man, this is serious stuff, Zoom fatigue and other things. It's not only the—you talked about the benefits of getting the movement so that it's improving our thinking and that we're coming with better ideas. But there's actually a negative consequence of not doing some of this stuff, making sure people don't just use the breaks as an opportunity to say, “I’ll tab over their email and just start doing more text stuff.” Excellent. Alexandra: Yeah. Douglas: I want to talk a little bit about differentiated learning and just to hear a little bit about the work that you're doing around supporting folks that might have different needs. And so when you're working through some of this alignment stuff, do you ever run into situations where maybe someone's struggling with concerns or boundaries? And how do you help those individuals that just maybe need a little something different than the rest of the group? Alexandra: That's a really great question. And I can actually bring an example from my 13-year-old son. He has dyslexia and ADHD. So he thinks differently than I do. His brain just works differently. And I find that breaking it up into actually two or three versions of the same conversation over the space of a couple days. Like, I pre-set the scene, day one. “Hey, we need to talk about,” like we just did today, “We need to talk about going back to school in the fall because we don't know what schools are going to look like here in New York City. There's all kinds of ideas, and nobody knows what's up. And we know there's a couple of options on the table. So here's what I know so far. Do you have any concerns or questions about that before we talk about it in a couple of days with your dad? Just to drop it in there and ask him the open-ended questions so that in the background it's running. His brain can be prepared to think about it in a day or two. Douglas: I love that. I always talk about the best workshop homework is where they don't really have to do anything, but they’re doing it. Alexandra: Yeah. Douglas: Right? Because if it's just enough to plant the seed in their subconscious, they're going to be able to participate more deeply when the time comes, versus giving them a bunch of busy work or having them go do things that require present, hands-on stuff, which no one does. Alexandra: Yeah, yeah. I've learned so much from being his mom and helping him learn to think and me understanding how he thinks. And I've been working with women as a success-in-life coach for over 10 years, and 10 years as a health coach before that. And I just realized that different people need different versions of the same question. Actually, in the book Radical Alignment, we give dozens of options for different scenarios. We talk about how people have used the, we call it, the all-in method. Those four steps are the all-in method. People have used it to plan their weddings, like, huge multi-continent weddings, and they planned with this. But people also use it for their design teams, and they use it in H.R., and they use it at home. So through the book, there's just dozens of ways to ask the same question, depending on your circumstances. So be willing to be flexible and curious. What’s another way I could ask this? Douglas: Wow. I love this notion of, what is another way I could ask this? And I think the hallmark of a great listener, a great conversation, is fantastic questions. So what are some of your favorite questions? Alexandra: I actually really love the dreams questions. What are you doing, and what would be the most amazing outcome for this? I don't think we often get the opportunity to really dream big and share it out loud in a way where we're not going to get shot down. So like, the “Oh, you, Pollyanna,” or “You're crazy.” I'm also an artist. I come from a family of artists. It's kind of a miracle that any of us became artists, considering this culture we live in that is so down on artists. Like, “Oh, you better have a backup plan,” or “You're going to be a starving artist.” You know, those ideas just get woven into the culture. So I love the invitation. Just say, like, “What would you like for Radical Alignment to happen when it publishes?” I’m like, “I would love it to be a New York Times’ bestseller. I want this in every middle school in America. I want every eighth grader learning how to have tough conversations in a way where they feel capable.” Like, that is my dream. That’s absolutely my dream. Douglas: That's phenomenal. So good. And let's talk a little bit about—one of my favorite questions is, if you can make meetings better, any average meeting—because as you know, I'm on a mission to rid the world of horrible meetings— Alexandra: God bless you. Douglas: —if you were to do one thing or just change one thing about meetings, what would it be? Alexandra: For people to feel really safe to be themselves. I think people are dying for an opportunity to really be safe, to be themselves, and be accepted. I mean, that's the bottom line. Douglas: So I'd love to end with a message to the listener. So if there is anything that you’d want to leave them with, what might it be? Alexandra: I want to invite you to try to bring structure to your conversat—I know I sound a little over the top, but this has truly changed so much about my life. It has changed decades-old family dysfunction, and it has changed my work and how successful my business is. Bring this structure to try it. Try this four-part conversation. Try it a few times. It has absolutely changed my life, my friends’ lives. The woman who wrote the foreword, she will inspire the heck out of you. An entrepreneur, who is a mom of five, she's, like, “This saved my marriage.” I’m like, that’s a great testimonial for this book. Bring a little structure to your conversations, a little bit more professional structure to your intimate conversations, and a little bit more vulnerable intimacy to your professional conversations. Douglas: It's been a pleasure chatting with you today and hearing about your approach and your structure. I'm a huge fan of structure, and this falls right in with the work we do and what I love to talk about. So it was a tremendous pleasure chatting with you today. And one last piece of housecleaning. How can folks find you? How can they get the book? I know it's not quite out yet. Give us a little bit to go on. Alexandra: We would love people to go preorder the book, actually. You can go to radicalalignmentbook.com. Listen, if you buy one or a couple copies and you just give us your little order number on the website, you get a free workshop with us. If you get 10 or more copies of the book, you get an eight-week training with me and my husband. So go to radicalalignmentbook.com, order the books there from wherever you love to get books. We are going to help you use this in your life and in your business beautifully. Douglas: Excellent. And amazon.com, other suppliers as well. Alexandra: Amazon, Kindle, Audible, your local independent bookstore, you can order it all through radicalalignmentbook.com. Douglas: Radicalalignmentbook.com. So incredible. And I wish you the best of luck. I hope you do make the New York Times’ bestseller list. And again, it was a real pleasure to have you on the show. Alexandra: Thank you. Outro: Thanks for joining me for another episode of Control the Room. Don't forget to subscribe to receive updates when new episodes are released. If you want more, head over to our blog, where I post weekly articles and resources about working bett
To celebrate Truetone’s 25th Anniversary, we sit down with founder and president, Bob Weil, to tell both his own story and that of the company he launched in 1995. The idea to launch a business began to germinate when Weil was using an off-the-shelf volume pedal that he wished had some sort of a visual indicator. Finding that no such pedal existed, he began learning about electronics, eventually starting Visual Sound and releasing the Visual Volume pedal in 1995. In Bob and Truetone’s joint 25-year story, we get everything from their first NAMM show, bankruptcy and rebirth, to the release of the flagship products Jekyll & Hyde, Route 66, H2O, and the 1 SPOT, as well as the eventual name change from Visual Sound to Truetone, the launch of the 1 SPOT Pro series, and why Bob decided to introduce the Truetone Lounge video series. We hope that after telling other's stories for years through the Truetone Lounge, you will enjoy getting to hear ours.
In Bob's interview of Bryan Caplan (in episode #91), they briefly discussed Bryan's essay criticizing Austrian economics. At listener request, in this episode Bob goes solo to give a much more comprehensive analysis of why he (Bob) remained an Austrian economist, even after seeing top-notch neoclassicals in action during his own time in grad school. Mentioned in the Episode and Other Links of Interest: Bob Murphy Show ep. 91 (https://www.bobmurphyshow.com/episodes/ep-91-bryan-caplan-defends-open-borders-and-his-critique-of-austrian-economics/) , the interview with Bryan Caplan. Bryan Caplan's essay, "Why I Am Not an Austrian Economist." (https://econfaculty.gmu.edu/bcaplan/whyaust.htm) A compilation of responses (https://mises.org/wire/caplan-and-responses) to Caplan. Part 3 (https://www.bobmurphyshow.com/episodes/ep-31-capital-and-interest-in-the-austrian-tradition-part-3-of-3/) of Bob's series on Capital & Interest theory, which has links to the first 2 in the series. Bob's "sushi article" (https://mises.org/library/importance-capital-theory) (responding to Krugman and Cowen's critiques of Austrian business cycle theory). Links (https://consultingbyrpm.com/blog/2011/07/my-heretical-and-pathbreaking-work-on-austrian-interest-theory.html) to Bob's dissertation and also a paper on multiple interest rates. Bob's article explaining Hotelling's principle (https://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2008/Murphyoil.html) for an exhaustible resource. Arnold Kling on "recalculation." (https://www.econlib.org/archives/2010/07/the_recalculati_2.html) David R. Henderson talking about cardinal vs. ordinal utility (https://www.econlib.org/archives/2015/05/murphy_on_inter.html) . Help support (http://bobmurphyshow.com/contribute) the Bob Murphy Show. The audio production for this episode was provided by Podsworth Media (http://podsworth.com/) .
Networking Effectively and Creating a Sphere of Influence The idea of networking effectively and creating a sphere of influence is nothing new in sales. It's a facet of sales that everybody understands and executes. Networking is one sure way of meeting new people, building relationships, and it eventually opens doors for opportunities. Likky Lavji has been meeting people and building relationships for 30 years. He built and grew his IT company based on his referral network. By the time he sold his company, he had ample knowledge about how to do the business. Now, he's sharing his knowledge with others. The old methods of doing business Face-to-face meetings and getting to know people before starting the business are old methods of doing business. Today, people depend on social media to grow their business. We are bombarded with social diversions making us adept in communicating using social media platforms. The downside to that is it's becoming more difficult for many to have conversations face-to-face. As salespeople, we need to combine old and new methods to make it work. It's great to go back to the basics. Look at your existing base of connections and get to know them. Identify your best clients from your database, the ones who not only bring in revenue but referrals as well. Once you've identified your clients, you can start building your sphere of influence. Creating your sphere of influence is easy to do. You need to know your people and reach out to the people they know as well. In a networking event, look for the person who has people around them. Find an opportunity to start a conversation and be authentic. Don't force anything. It has to be organic. Likky once stuttered and it held him back. With the help of Bob Burg, the author of The Go-Giver Way, he was able to move past his stuttering. Building relationships It's normal to have some level of fear when talking to strangers in a networking event, or anywhere else. However, that fear can be overcome. You need to veer away from the misconceptions of others. Put those aside and just be who you are. People fear networking because of the notion they have to sell. Change that mindset and think of networking as meeting people and making friends. Build connections allows people to get to know you and like you. As these relationships are built, they will get to trust you and your business, which can lead to referrals. #SalesSkills Don't go into sales mode right away. Likky uses the acronym F.O.R.M. to start conversations: F - Family. Everybody wants to talk about their family. Some people even have their family photos in their wallets. You can talk about their dogs too. O - Occupation. You can ask about their occupation. For example, ask them how they got into their business. R - Recreation. Find your common ground and talk about their hobbies and interests. M - Message. These are the things you stand for. Listen to what they say Build meaningful conversation and listen to their response. Ask more questions about their interests. It doesn't matter if they don't ask you questions because this isn't about you. Make sure they do all the talking. Bob uses 10 field questions when meeting new people such as, “What do you enjoy most about your profession?” and “Describe the strangest thing you've experienced in your business.” People get excited when talking about these things. It's your job to hear and understand what they're saying. Show empathy and put yourself in their shoes. Understand what they're going through. Listen well, take notes and follow-up. In Bob's book, he suggested listening with the back of your neck. This means listening to what they're saying and putting everything aside. All the words would go through your mouth, your face, through your ears, and to the back of your neck. There's nothing else present except for those words coming into you. Giving out business cards isn't the best way to execute networking effectively and creating a sphere of influence. Whenever Likky sees he may need to give away his business card,he tries to avoid it. Connect them to others In networking effectively and creating a sphere of influence, another way to do this is by giving referrals to someone else When you meet people in a networking event, ask them who their ideal customers are and you will see there are others in the room who have the same audience that they have. Refer them to those people and help them make a connection. They will learn to trust you because you helped grow their business. Don't worry if the referral sources aren't 100% successful. All you need to do is make the introduction and let them have the conversation. If they want to do something for you in return, then talk to them about the kind of customers you are looking for. Consider having a meeting with them first so they know who you are and what you want. You'll also get to know who they are, their centers of influence.. If you meet somebody and you promise them something, always make sure to follow through within 24 hours, either by email or follow-up, because they may forget you beyond that time frame. A handwritten letter or card is also a great idea in networking effectively and creating a sphere of influence. Start building relationships and connections before you start selling. The more relationships you build, the more people know what you do, and the easier it will be to get referrals and make business happen. When it comes to building your sales income and boosting your sales, developing the skills of appointment setting. It pays more than the skill of closing sales. The secret to mastering the art of appointment setting is persistence, being assertive, and being polite and professional. “Networking Effectively and Creating a Sphere of Influence” episode resources Connect with Likky Lavji and visit his site. He has a free workshop coming up and you can check it on www.salespitchmastery.com/register. For other sales concerns, you can also reach out to Donald via LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Use these practical sales tips and let him know how they work for you. This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It's a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can also call us at (561) 570-5077. The episode is also brought to you by Sales Live Miami. It's an event put on by a group of friends and it's designed to help sellers and sales leaders improve their sales game. It's going to be this November 4-5, 2019 in Miami, Florida. We hope to see you there! You can find more about this event on The Sales Evangelist website. We'd love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound.
On today's episode, we are joined live in D.C. by Bob Garfield. Bob is a legendary ad critic, Organizer of PURPLE Project for Democracy, and Host of NPR's On the Media.Today, you'll learn: How advertising has changed through the 2010s with the rise of influencers and pervasive UGC How the different mediums and types of content available to consume evolve the original framework of "the relationship era," where the focus is on building trust and relatable experiences Industries of particular note when it comes to highs and lows of "the relationship era" In Bob's opinion, some of the most memorable public brand/consumer interactions in recent memory The origins of PURPLE and plans for its future Tips on how to become more authentic Be sure to stay subscribed for more content and thought leadership like this, and do please leave a rating and review on iTunes if you like what you hear.Reach out to Adam Conner on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjconner/ or via email at adam.conner@govivoom.com with suggestions for guests, content, or general interest/feedback.Find more at https://www.podcast.vivoom.co/.Enjoy!Music: "Streetview" by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA 4.0)
My guest today is Tim Dennis. As well as being President of Miranda Musical Society, and Director of their current production Jesus Christ Superstar, Tim is an avid reader. I thought it would be a novel idea to talk to Tim about books more specifically about books that musicals have been based on. Tim is part of a multi generation musical theatre family; we discussed this wonderful ‘hobby’ of community theatre and the part it has played in his life. We spoke about our favourite musicals that are based on books, books that should be made into musicals and of course the ever popular fantastic Fast Five. Currently in the final week of rehearsals of Jesus Christ Superstar let’s check in with Tim Dennis, discuss the Top 5 Musicals based on books and see if everything’s alright. Yes. Everything’s fine! FANTASTIX BITS IN THE INTERVIEW Who was Tim canoodling with on a Barricade in Les Mis? Paul’s one and only butch role Which Miranda Musical Society show is frequently touted as a favourite? Which show did Tim fall in love with, hearing just the first 3 bars of the soundtrack? “In Bob we trust” Which book had Tim NOT read before he saw the musical? The top selling book of all time that did NOT make it into the Top 5 Books that Tim and Paul would love to see made into Musicals Quotable quote “ the collaborative JOY of an all-consuming hobby” Tim’s Top 5 Wicked les Miserables Into The Woods Man of La Mancha Oliver 5.01. Little Women Paul’s Top 5 The Wizard of Oz Les Miserables Seussical Matilda Man of La Mancha THINGS TO CHECK OUT AFTER THIS EPISODE (SHOW NOTES) Tickets on sale now for Jesus Christ Superstar – directed by Tim Dennis Miranda Musical Society – Les Miserable (coming soon) As always thank you for listening! Love Fantastix? Support the show! Join the conversation in our Fantastix Cast & Crew Community Group on Facebook Follow our Facebook Page Leave a rating or review in iTunes Keep listening: Subscribe via iTunes Subscribe via Spotify Subscribe via Stitcher
Robert Kegan, the author of The Evolving Self and In Over Our Heads, explores the vital role of interior development in creating a more inclusive and integrated world, as well as the importance of the appropriate use of discriminating awareness. Robert Kegan is a founding member of Integral Institute and the author of the critically acclaimed books The Evolving Self, In Over Our Heads, and How the Way We Talk Can Change the Way We Work. Bob is also the first-ever Meehan Professor of Adult Learning and Professional Development at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. As the holder of this endowed chair, Bob has the official support of HGSE to pursue developmental studies for the rest of his career. This is significant. For the past several decades developmental studies have fallen upon some hard times in academia. For many, to have a developmental view is to be hierarchical—and to be hierarchical is to be oppressive, regressive, patriarchal, and a direct contributor to the suffering of untold millions. The fact the HGSE has decided to so clearly support Bob’s work is a welcome sign that the winds may be shifting. It’s important to note that there are (at least) two significantly different ways that “hierarchy” can be understood: as it exists in the exterior structure of a society and as it exists in the interior structure of an individual. Historically, enormous abuses of power have occurred by those at the top of a societal hierarchy—but those who would do so are by definition not at the higher stages of the interior, developmental hierarchy. Psychologically, people grow through stages of increasing competence, care, and concern. Each stage transcends and includes the function of what came before, but excludes an exclusive identity with that function. In Bob’s work he outlines Five Orders of Consciousness: First Order: Impulsive—Perceives and responds by emotion. Second Order: Imperial—Motivated solely by one’s desires. Third Order: Interpersonal—Defined by the group. Fourth Order: Institutional—Self directed, self authoring. Fifth Order: Interindividual—Interpenetration of self systems. Loosely, one can think of the first and second orders as egocentric (me), the third order as ethnocentric (us), and the fourth and fifth orders as worldcentric (all of us). If one grows from egocentric to ethnocentric, one doesn’t stop caring about oneself, but that care and concern is now extended to one’s family, community, nation, and so on. Likewise with the growth from ethnocentric to worldcentric, that care is now extended to all people regardless of race, class, creed, gender, etc. As Bob and Ken discuss, an important element of worldcentric consciousness is the contributions of postmodernism, including feminism, civil rights, and, among other things, the understanding that a substantial amount of human knowledge is context dependant and culturally bound. But postmodernism then stepped beyond what it had evidence for and claimed that all knowledge was relative, and therefore nothing could be said to be better than anything else. In fact, a fellow researcher, Clare Graves, called this level of development relativistic (Spiral Dynamics green), which research has shown accounts for about 20% of the American population. But as Ken points out, that means that about 20% of the population has gotten confused about how to make conscious, explicit judgments. Most of the people in this group would agree that a worldcentric embrace of all cultures is better than ethnocentric racism, but postmodern relativism won’t be able tell them why it’s okay to think this way. When all judgments have been outlawed, even sensible examples of discriminating awareness rightly applied have nothing to stand on. Originally published on 12/20/2004
Robert Kegan, the author of The Evolving Self and In Over Our Heads, explores the vital role of interior development in creating a more inclusive and integrated world, as well as the importance of the appropriate use of discriminating awareness. Robert Kegan is a founding member of Integral Institute and the author of the critically acclaimed books The Evolving Self, In Over Our Heads, and How the Way We Talk Can Change the Way We Work. Bob is also the first-ever Meehan Professor of Adult Learning and Professional Development at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. As the holder of this endowed chair, Bob has the official support of HGSE to pursue developmental studies for the rest of his career. This is significant. For the past several decades developmental studies have fallen upon some hard times in academia. For many, to have a developmental view is to be hierarchical—and to be hierarchical is to be oppressive, regressive, patriarchal, and a direct contributor to the suffering of untold millions. The fact the HGSE has decided to so clearly support Bob’s work is a welcome sign that the winds may be shifting. It’s important to note that there are (at least) two significantly different ways that “hierarchy” can be understood: as it exists in the exterior structure of a society and as it exists in the interior structure of an individual. Historically, enormous abuses of power have occurred by those at the top of a societal hierarchy—but those who would do so are by definition not at the higher stages of the interior, developmental hierarchy. Psychologically, people grow through stages of increasing competence, care, and concern. Each stage transcends and includes the function of what came before, but excludes an exclusive identity with that function. In Bob’s work he outlines Five Orders of Consciousness: First Order: Impulsive—Perceives and responds by emotion. Second Order: Imperial—Motivated solely by one’s desires. Third Order: Interpersonal—Defined by the group. Fourth Order: Institutional—Self directed, self authoring. Fifth Order: Interindividual—Interpenetration of self systems. Loosely, one can think of the first and second orders as egocentric (me), the third order as ethnocentric (us), and the fourth and fifth orders as worldcentric (all of us). If one grows from egocentric to ethnocentric, one doesn’t stop caring about oneself, but that care and concern is now extended to one’s family, community, nation, and so on. Likewise with the growth from ethnocentric to worldcentric, that care is now extended to all people regardless of race, class, creed, gender, etc. As Bob and Ken discuss, an important element of worldcentric consciousness is the contributions of postmodernism, including feminism, civil rights, and, among other things, the understanding that a substantial amount of human knowledge is context dependant and culturally bound. But postmodernism then stepped beyond what it had evidence for and claimed that all knowledge was relative, and therefore nothing could be said to be better than anything else. In fact, a fellow researcher, Clare Graves, called this level of development relativistic (Spiral Dynamics green), which research has shown accounts for about 20% of the American population. But as Ken points out, that means that about 20% of the population has gotten confused about how to make conscious, explicit judgments. Most of the people in this group would agree that a worldcentric embrace of all cultures is better than ethnocentric racism, but postmodern relativism won’t be able tell them why it’s okay to think this way. When all judgments have been outlawed, even sensible examples of discriminating awareness rightly applied have nothing to stand on. Originally published on 12/20/2004
Expert home inspector Bob Cantu joins us once again today to discuss a few more points regarding the home inspection process. Buying a Southwest Florida Home? Search all Homes for Sale Selling a Southwest Florida Home? Click here for a Home Value ReportIf you’ve ever had any questions about the home inspection process, today is your lucky day. Because so many viewers ask us to explain how home inspections work here in sunny Southwest Florida, we decided it was time to address the subject with the help of expert inspector Bob Cantu. In Bob’s words, a home inspection is a “general overview of the home’s condition.” Inspectors will examine a property’s roof, plumbing, electrical systems, air conditioning, and more. Home inspections are meant to uncover any structural, mechanical, or safety issues a property may have. In our area, insurance inspections, like wind mitigation inspections, are also a major part of this process. If a home passes a wind mitigation inspection, it’s owner can be credited for a discounted insurance rate. Homes with features designed to help them withstand high winds are far more likely to do well in such an inspection. For instance, insurance companies will only offer credits on properties with three nails in their hurricane strap. Updating a home’s roof or adding hurricane shutters to doors and windows can also help.“The work of inspectors like Bob is so critical to the real estate process. ” Moving on, we also wanted to ask Bob about some of the deal breakers that tend to be uncovered in an inspection. According to him, bad roofs, faulty electrical panels, and poor plumbing are three of the most common issues that cause buyers to back away from a deal after the inspection. That isn’t to say that these issues will always lead to the collapse of a sale, though. Buyers and sellers may certainly negotiate repairs based on the findings within the inspection report. Home inspections exist to make sure that a property’s issues, especially ones not immediately visible to the naked eye, do not remain undetected and unresolved. Sometimes, identifying these issues requires inspectors to use specialized tools like an infrared camera—which can be used to find leaks. And when issues like leaks go unnoticed, they can evolve into an even worse, even costlier problem down the line. This is why the work of inspectors like Bob is so critical to the real estate process.If you’d like to reach Bob, you can give him a call at (239) 340-6700 or email him at bob@ahandyhi.com. And, as always, if you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to reach out to our team. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Robert Stasio leads Dreamit’s SecureTech vertical where he sets overall strategic focus, expands the customer network, and works daily with securetech startups from around the world helping them refine their positioning and go-to-market strategy. In addition, they assist startups to think through how to scale sales and operations and map out their capital needs along with how to raise their next round. Robert Stasio - Demand in the Private Sector During Bob's educational path he received a BS in Mathematical Physics and holds a Master’s degree in Intelligence Studies. He also completed numerous U.S. Department of Defense professional education courses focusing on intelligence operations. Bob holds various technical certifications, including CISSP, a globally recognized standard of achievement in the cybersecurity industry. Bob joined the Army in 2001 during ROTC in college. He then branched into Military Intelligence as an officer. Bob new they would be deployed to Iraq during 2004-2005 so they trained Korean linguists and turned them into Arabic linguists for deep intelligence. After they returned, General Alexander and his team plucked him out and Bob then helped NSA stand up one of the Army’s first dedicated cyber units. It was then that he knew there was potential and demand in the private sector. “I saw the need to take this skill set and go into the private sector.” – Robert Stasio Before joining Dreamit, Bob held multiple roles at IBM Security, leading efforts in Cyber Operations and Threat Hunting. Prior to IBM, Bob worked in the private sector, leading threat intelligence programs at Bloomberg and global financial firms. He also has deep government experience having held positions at NSA’s Cyber Center, U.S. Cyber Command, U.S. Army’s Signals Intelligence Corps, the FAA, and NASA. Bob served as a U.S. Army officer and is a recipient of numerous military awards, including the Bronze Star and Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. Bob is also a Truman National Security Fellow, Brookings Institution Council on U.S. and Italy Fellow, and serves on the advisory boards of multiple startups. Lessons Learned Many lessons were learned when Robert Stasio started his own venture. He had the skill set, a great idea, the demand and knew technologically how it would work. Bob had no experience in running a company and did not have a MBA. Therefore he reached out to others who had previously started their own business for advice and help when he started his company. Bob started with a service only business. He learned quickly that the hockey stick approach and trying to scale your business through a service only mindset is almost impossible to do. “Services only can take you so far. In that type of mindset it can only scale so much. It is not a venture backed business model. It is not a scalable business model from a scalability perspective.” – Robert Stasio Vision of Excellence and Profitability The goal should be to run a good company and be profitable. In Bob's business they are looking for market validation and revenue of the product or offering you are trying to scale not the services revenue. His advice to entrepreneurs is to grow your company by getting customers and by getting revenue. Bob recommends getting feedback and quickly and cheaply as possible during the startup process. “Most startups fail because they run out of revenue.”-Robert Stasio To hear the rest of Robert Stasio’s transition from the Army to civilian entrepreneur, download and listen to the rest of the episode. Don’t forget to leave us a 5-star rating and review if you enjoyed the show. We would love to hear from you! Check out these links for Robert Stasio Dreamit.com LinkedIn Robert Stasio: bob@dreamit.com Download Joe Crane’s Top 7 Paths to Freedom or get it on your mobile device. Text VETERAN to 38470. Join the Veteran on the Move on Facebook!
Ever thought of going to a training session on how to invest in multi-family real estate? You may not have the money to go, but you can’t afford not to go! Today, my guest is Bob Bowman, a real estate investor. He attended Ball State University to major in education and become a teacher. Eventually, he realized he wanted to be in business. He learned how to sell and talk to people, as well as create business where there was none. He made a lot of money - for the company he was working for at the time. After several years, he got tired of working for a company and making money for other people. He dreamed about working for himself in real estate. Bob began buying single-family homes. He would buy, renovate, and lease them - and found it to be a great way to make money. Around 2007-2008, the market changed and Bob realized he needed to start selling these homes. He lost his net worth and income. He needed to reinvent himself and started looking into investing in apartments. Topics on Today’s Episode: How Bob learned how to raise money for real estate deals. After all, you need money to buy real estate. Create an elevator pitch as a selling technique. This is your moment to shine! Educate yourself, as well as generate discussions and relationships to learn about what you want to do. In Bob’s case, it was apartments. Bob learned about how to get deals, how to talk to brokers, and underwriting when it comes to apartments. Also, he got a coach to help educate him. Corleone Method: When you are good at raising capital, it gives you power when talking to brokers and others. You can act competent. When subscribing for a deal and looking to get a commitment, it should be 2.5X the money you need. As you build a database of investors, it gets easier to raise money. You need to build relationships where they know and trust you. If you can’t raise money, you will never reach your full potential. No matter who you are talking to, you need to be a strong underwriter and know your business and market. Take care of your investors through underwriting, and know your numbers! Is it a good deal? Or, a great deal? You need to be confident enough to be able to discuss and decide. You can always say, “No.” When spreadsheets are spread around, formulas are changes and not calculated correctly. The results aren’t what you are going to get in your investment. Bob created a software product, called Commercial Underwriter - Simple Input, Sophisticated Output, for underwriting apartments and commercial real estate. It is a simple, yet comprehensive tool that shows how an investment will perform. One of the enhancements for the product will be the ability to create a professional property package for investors, which will save you a lot of time. Bob’s Method of Success: Educate yourself, mastermind and surround yourself with like-minded people, teach others, take action, and become a strong underwriter. If you want to get ahead, help others through a hand-up, not a hand-out. Money comes first, and protect your capital. Plus, find a partner who complements what you do and shares the risks. Links and Resources Mentioned: Bob (bob_bowman@outlook.com or 321-239-0647); Commercial Underwriter; Diane Bowman Carleton Sheets and Russ Whitney Dave Lindahl Xerox, IBM, Canon, and Linear Harvard Club Fortune 500 Shark Tank Don’t forget to download my Free Workshop Quickstart Video Series, and if you like what you have heard please leave a review on iTunes. Text the word MONEY to 408-500-1127 to get my free private money program and credibility kit for single family.
Not only does Bob Schneider (professional musician and wicked Creative) share his navigation of emotion as he writes music, in this in-depth conversation he also shares personal information about his therapy and recovery with Sue Marriott. He goes on to describe mediocre versus great therapy, how to train your critical brain like your dog, and taking in tons of information like a whale and spitting out “song turds” from his unconscious. Blending anecdotal stories, neuroscience and attachment theory, this interview both entertains and educates. This is a soft Part 2 to our previous Episode 44: (https://www.therapistuncensored.com/tu44/) If you like this you’ll like that! Bonus section: Sue discusses and you get to hear an extended excerpt of Schneider’s song, “Let the Light In” from an attachment perspective at the end of this episode so stay tuned…. About Bob Schneider: He has won more Austin Music Awards than any other musician, including Best Songwriter, Best Funk Band, Best Bluegrass Band, Best Alternative/Punk Band, Best Musician, Best None of the Above Band J, Best Male Vocals and of course Musician of the Year too many times to count. Let’s be clear, this does not complete his awards list. He’s also an artist and poet aka Wicked Creative, as you can tell he’s an Austin legend. But as you’ll hear in the intro song, “you can call him Bob.” Batman (Live at the Paramount) and Ready Let’s Roll (King Kong) excerpts before and after intro. 2:45 – Bob’s process of song writing and performing when he writes, identify the moment when something pings emotionally and keep heading in that direction. Hot/cold game 4:35 – Left brain and right brain functions, top-bottom processing when creating music. The unexpected is what makes music compelling. Specific feelings of excitement when experiencing something you haven’t experienced before. 7:30 – Music allows you to process life experiences or interpret internal thoughts 11:15 – Excitement comes from the unexpected because our brains as anticipation machines. Oxytocin discussed. Sober song writing. Mindfulness – Just write! 20:50 – Trying to write something profound will prevent you from doing so. Just let the creative part of you do what it wants to do, splash paint etc. Bob believes it’s an amalgamation of everything we’ve sucked in, he’s a whale spitting out song turds. J 23:45 – Bob’s shares his drive to keep writing. Dissociation from feelings and engaging sensitivity in the world. 28:30 – Very personal story of baby by the gutter as a “coherent narrative,” an outcome of self-acceptance and acceptance of others. Mediocre therapists versus fantastic therapists. Acceptance of our imperfections in relationships, goal for those who were raised in less-than-stellar household environments. 36:00 – Bob’s songs: “The Effect”, “The World Exploded Into Love”, “Changing Your Mind” 38:42 – Focus on your self-relationship above everything else. “Stay on your own postage stamp.” Bob shares his experience in therapy. Group therapy allows for side mirrors and references that make you more understanding that these are shared human experiences. In Bob’s experience, group therapy allowed him to grow up from immature emotional reactions. 49:34 – Beginning of wrap up. Bob’s 17-year Monday night residency continues at the Saxon Pub 8:30pm-10:00pm. 51:20 – “Big Blue Sea” and “Let the Light In” Bob’s music shows his emotions, but might not lyrically be based in reality. 1:01:09 – Bonus Episode discussing his song, Let the Light In (Radio Edit), from an attachment perspective. Extended excerpt plays(but you gotta listen to the whole song it’s awesome!) Phew that was FUN! (All music played w/ permission from... Support this podcast
Today I have Bob Menard, owner of the Ball and Chain Forge, which is mainly a custom architectural blacksmith shop in Portland Maine. He has been in business since 1990. He is also the editor of the NEB’s quarterly newsletter. Today we talk about his beginnings, production work, 180 lb plant hooks, what the ….and collaborative artwork projects. Bob also gives us some golden nuggets about business insurance for blacksmiths. Today’s episode sponsorship provided on behalf of New England Blacksmiths, the ABANA affiliate serving Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Rhode Island. Check us out at http://www.newenglandblacksmiths.org/ In fact they have an event comping up called the Age of Iron at Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, MA it’s happening the 1st weekend in August, 5th and 6th for the whole weekend. And here’s an insider’s tip for my listeners, any visitor that says they are there for the "Blacksmithing demonstrations", or for the "Age of Iron" will get the discounted group rate for admission to the village, this includes all exhibits, not just the Blacksmithing demo. For more details of this event go to their website www.hancockshakervillage.org For further details contact Cindy Dickinson at the village, she’s the education director cdickinson@hancockshakervillage.org or DM @HayBudden on Twitter or Instagram, Stephen Conner. What We Talked About Bob grew up with horses as a child and was always fascinated with the farrier that came over to shoe the horses, mainly the fact that he could produce a fire on the back of his truck. Then in high school, as a sophomore, there was an Early American History class where Bob and 30 other students built a log cabin settlement on the school grounds. During the construction of this cabin, Bob volunteered to learn how to make some of the hardware needed by using the industrial arts department’s anvil, a gas fired blast furnace and 2 books by Alex Bealer and Alex Weygers, The Complete Blacksmith. Bob started to sell his forged wares very soon after learning the trade, in fact, he sold the second piece he ever made to his high school’s cafeteria manager. Bob continued to grow his business for 15 years and then discovered the New England Blacksmith’s group and ABANA. Bob started selling trinkets at a local shop called “The Candle and Mug”, he developed a line of pieces that were candle centric. Bob still has his notes from these early designs. In Bob’s shop today, they are making custom architectural ironwork, such as gates, fencing, railings etc. Art fabrication is another lucrative income for his shop, this is when an artist comes to him with their sculpture design and hires them to fabricate it. Bob talks about business insurance for blacksmiths due to two recent blacksmith shop fires. He advises having your equipment properly insured for the value of it in today’s dollars. Bob teaches a few classes through the NEB teaching facility and at other well-known craft schools, such as the Adirondack Folk School. Mokume Gane is another focused technique that Bob has been studying and is now teaching students. Guest Links Bob Menard’s business website - http://www.ballandchainforge.com Bob’s YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/MySmithx New England Blacksmiths website - newenglandblacksmiths.com A Big Thank You to today’s sponsor – New England Blacksmiths If you enjoyed this episode, I would love it if you would support the show by: telling your friends. sharing this episode using the social sharing buttons below. subscribing to the show and leaving a rating and review in iTunes. Not sure how? Just follow these simple steps here or watch the short video tutorial, http://youtu.be/rq4OCyRGjHc?list=UUH3MfNZLXlKgionAs6kMT_Q subscribing to the show in Stitcher, http://www.stitcher.com/s?fid=54499&refid=stpr Thanks so much for your support!
Well Folks, it's been a long time coming, but here at last is Episode 5 of the Global Drum Network podcast. This time we're taking a long, hard look at the visceral, epic percussive art that is TAIKO DRUMMING, as practised by the mighty MUGENKYO TAIKO DRUMMERS. They're Europe's only touring Taiko ensemble, and they're thunderously good. In Bob's exclusive interview, Mugenkyo's founder NEIL MACKIE gives us the lowdown on all things Taiko, the group itself and he takes us on a walk-through of the individual instruments ontsage prior to curtain-up. Coming up next month is DON POWELL of glam rock giants SLADE ( and it's not even CHRISTMAAAASSS!! ). Get your platform boots on for that one!
Think about this for a moment. What if you could actually remember every year, every month, every day and practically every single minute of your entire life? Are you one who never forgets a face? What if you could put a name with every one of those faces? And besides remembering their name, you could also remember their birthday, their anniversary, even their phone numbers? Meet Bob Petrella. Bob is currently one of only 20 people in the world diagnosed with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory or more commonly referred to as HSAM. Who is Bob Petrella - The Memory Man University of California at Irvine researchers have recently explored this extremely unusual phenomena and they have discovered that an individual with HSAM has a brain that is actually seven times larger than the average person. The results of their intensive studies reveal that an HSAM individual has a nearly infinite potential to store and recall vast amounts of detailed information. In 2008, a team of doctors and researchers at UC Irvine identified Bob Petrella as the fourth person (at the time) known to have the rare condition of HSAM. Currently, Bob and a handful of others believed to have HSAM are participating in a new series of studies at UC Irvine in an attempt to try and find a link between the memory retention found in HSAM individuals versus the debilitating memory loss triggered by devastating diseases such as Alzheimer's and Dementia. Unlike other people with advanced memory conditions, such as an autism or savant syndrome, who use calendrical calculation, individuals with HSAM rely heavily on their personal "mental calendar." Unlike average people who store important information in the cell phones, like numbers, dates, reminders, directions, etc., those with HSAM merely "look up" the needed information -- somewhere in their brains. In Bob's case, when he is presented with virtually any date from the past 50 years, he most likely will remember precisely where he was, what he was doing that day, and, if applicable, what world or national events that may have occurred that day or closely around that time.
The idea for Zombie Sex Bar 2090 arose from an earlier collaboration between the producer and chief writer, Bob Ketchum, and the director, Matt Sargent. Both acted and produced plots for the local cable TV show, Busgroup Follies. At the time, Bob was an instructor at Rocky Mountain College and was instrumental in recruiting Sargent to the show. "The show," Sargent observes, "had some of the craziest plots imaginable. In one, I played a Mozart-level scatologist at Yellowstone Park, and could tell the breed of an animal and its stress level blindfolded. In fact, park rangers do use scat for determining animal stress levels in the park." Besides creating the show, Busgroup Follies, Bob received a Puffin Grant Award for the art he was developing at his local Billings retreat, Prototopia. "The unusual structural designs Bob was working on - including a plywood and sheet metal replica of the Two Towers caught the interest of the foundation, but equally important, these structures are now serving as perfect sets for our movie production. When we were looking for land to develop Prototopia, we wanted an area that looked as post-apocalyptic as possible - and we found it." Bob is the author of 4 novels, which are equally strange and post-apocalyptic as the concepts he has been developing for Zombie Sex Bar. "It's not merely that Bob has a new angle on zombies, but the trilogy he has in mind required a detailed look at the next 70 years (to 2090). Discussing it with Bob is like entering a Tolkien-like world. It is very detailed and full of side-splitting comedy and satire. In Bob's future, I'm afraid we are going to die - - - laughing." Learn more at http://zombiesexbar.com
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