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15 episodes with jody mayberry
2 episodes with jody mayberry
2 episodes with jody mayberry
Tune into the Level Up Claims podcast with host Galen Hair as he chats with podcast producer Jody Mayberry. Discover the power of niche podcasts and learn how Jody turned his passion into a thriving career. Whether you're podcasting for business growth or personal storytelling, be inspired to find your unique voice! Highlights The power of podcasting as a business tool. From financial analyst to park ranger to podcaster. Creating a podcast for park rangers. The evolution and resurgence of podcasting. Embracing niche podcasts for specific audiences. A podcast intended for an audience of one. Clarifying your podcast message and target audience. Different podcast formats: monologue, interview, and hosting star. The importance of consistent podcasting. Building a network through podcasting. Preparation for hosting interviews. Reordering questions to create a compelling narrative. The value of preparation and reading materials. The meaning of leveling up: self-awareness and continuous improvement. Episode Resources Connect with Galen M. Hair https://insuranceclaimhq.com hair@hairshunnarah.com https://levelupclaim.com/ Connect with Jody Maberry https://jodymaberry.com/about/
Jody Mayberry, the Host of the popular podcast The Park Leaders Show, returns to join Donald Forgione on the Tailgate to discuss getting and being a mentor. Donald shares how Jody is a mentor who taught him the ropes of being a podcaster. Join them as they discuss the power of getting and being a mentor. jody@jodymaberry.com donald@tailgate-talks.com
This episode of Starve the Doubts dives into Jody Mayberry's remarkable podcasting journey and its impact on his life. Jody and host Jared Easley explore the following key themes:The Spark of Podcasting: Jody recounts his early days on Starve the Doubt, which was instrumental in launching his successful podcast, Park Leader Show. He discusses overcoming self-doubt with Jared's encouragement.The Disney Connection: Jody's collaboration with Lee Cockerell (ex-Disney executive) led to their podcast Creating Disney Magic and the Cockrell Academy, fueling personal and professional growth and lasting relationships.The Influence of Dan Miller: Jody pays tribute to Dan Miller, sharing valuable life lessons about relationships, marriage, and kindness. This underlines Dan's impact on both Jody and Jared.Unexpected Opportunities: Jody highlights how podcasting opened doors to speaking, consulting, and travel, demonstrating its power for building authority and creating unforeseen possibilities.Personal Connection and Innovation: Jody's daily podcast for his son exemplifies how the medium can creatively foster connection.Reflection and Gratitude: Jody and Jared reflect on their growth, the impact of their work, and their enduring friendship. Jody acknowledges Jared's pivotal role in his journey and exudes optimism for the future.Key Takeaway: This podcast transcript showcases how podcasting can lead to profound personal and professional growth, foster connections, inspire others, and open doors to unexpected opportunities.Support the show
“Many organizations today are focused on whether or not people are following the process. They ask ‘Did you send the report?' versus ‘what results are you getting?'." It is hard to deny the power of leadership and culture on organizational success. During this conversation with Jody Mayberry we discuss the release of a the major movies, Barbie and Oppenheimer, and share our perspectives on their impact. That leads to a much bigger discussion around the movie "Air” and its reference to a Nike manifesto. The movie “Air” tells the story of Phil Knight, the CEO of Nike in the 80s, and the groundbreaking decision to create Air Jordans. What caught my attention the most was Phil Knight's Nike manifesto. This is a set of principles guiding the company's success. There were a number of key points I pulled from the manifesto. The most notable thing is the authenticity and practicality in which they were created and implemented In addition to the manifesto, this movie does a fantastic job reiterating the importance of memorable points for team decision-making. Some of the manifesto points include being on the offense all the time and prioritizing perfect results over perfect processes. Make sure to listen to this episode as we talk about how a powerful manifesto can shape a company's culture and drive its success. Whether you're a business leader or an aspiring entrepreneur, the lessons we pull from Phil Knight's Nike manifesto are sure to inspire you. Connect with Dan: www.dancockerell.com About Dan - https://dancockerell.com/about/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dancockerell/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dancockerell/ Facebook - www.facebook.com/dancockerellspeaker Episode Highlights [00:02:50] Nike's groundbreaking success with Air Jordans. [00:03:48] Phil Knight's manifesto guided company decisions. [00:07:35] Focus on results, not process; challenge norms. [00:12:41] Park ranger questions bureaucratic process, tests system. [00:15:16] "Disney Magic Bands: Battery-powered sensors at auto plaza." [00:17:01] Follow rules, live off land, find path [00:19:49] Deal with mistakes, don't wait or fear.
In case you're not familiar with Lee Cockerell, here's a quick snippet from his bio: Lee Cockerell is the former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World® Resort. “As the Senior Operating Executive for ten years Lee led a team of 40,000 Cast Members and was responsible for the operations of 20 resort hotels, 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, a shopping & entertainment village and the ESPN sports and recreation complex in addition to the ancillary operations which supported the number one vacation destination in the world.” When it comes to team-building and leadership techniques, Lee has one of the best resumés on the planet. A few weeks ago, I received a note from Lee saying that he had read my new book, Read This Or Die, and enjoyed it so much that he purchased multiple copies to send to friends and family. To receive a note like that from someone I respect and admire was both humbling, and inspiring. Lee also extended me the honor of being a guest on his Creating Disney Magic podcast (linked below), which is where this week's audio comes from. [00:00] Intro/explanation [00:14] Welcome back to the show [00:45] How Read This Or Die impacted Lee [02:39] The missing chapter [04:11] It's about the reader's challenges...not Ray's [05:44] Changing your input/output [06:55] Your wife's review (The Cranial-Rectral Extraction Method) [10:04] No need to wait for disaster [12:42] A lesson in brain science [13:48] A trip to Galaxy's Edge [15:25] More about "The letter" Links Creating Disney Magic Podcast - Lee Cockerell shares his wisdom and experience from his time as the Executive Vice President of Operations for Walt Disney World. Along with host Jody Maberry, Lee discusses how you can apply lessons in leadership, management, and customer service to create magic in your organization. LeeCockerell.com - The best place to get in touch with Lee. Learn more about his training, speaking, and mastermind group. How You Can Help Subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts or on Spotify, and give us a rating and review. Make sure you put your real name and website in the text of the review itself. We will definitely mention you on this show. Questions or comments? Connect with Ray on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Visit Ray's community on Facebook – This is a friendly group of writers, entrepreneurs, and coaches who share ideas and helpful advice.
"Build the relationship before you need it." In this episode of Creating Disney Magic, Jody and I discuss the significance of tackling problems promptly. It's the best way to reduce stress and improve relationships. Recognizing mistakes and apologizing immediately helps you manage your emotions and build trust with others. There is a difference between stress and distress. Distress causes issues due to a lack of control in situations. Make sure you take control and responsibility for your actions. That way you can set a positive example and promote mutual respect. It's the best way to foster better relationships in your personal and professional life. Other ways to get ahead of the problem: Develop swift problem-solving abilities to diminish stress and fortify connections. Understand the value of apologies in maintaining trust and respect. Differentiate stress from distress for tailored management solutions. Turn mistakes into chances to display moral fiber and dependability. Read The Main Street Leader newsletter for tips on advancing your profession. I know I get tired of being told the same ineffective solutions for reducing stress and improving relationships. If you want results it is important to discover new approaches. Jody and I know one of the best tools that will make a lasting impact is the Main Street Leader. Make sure to sign up to receive the newsletter so you don't miss out on more tips like what we share in this episode. And if you are looking to relax as a way to improve relationships, then make sure to call Magical Vacation Planners. Let them plan your next vacation. You can reach them at 407-442-2694. . "You can be right or you can have a relationship." Episode Highlights: 00:00:08 - Introduction, Lee Cockerell and Jody Mayberry introduce the podcast and discuss Lee's current 00:03:05 – manage your emotions and getting ahead of problems by apologizing quickly when you make a mistake. Build trust and relationships by taking responsibility for your actions. 00:07:19 – stress can help us grow, but distress, when we feel like we don't have control over a situation, can be harmful. Deal with problems quickly to avoid distress and maintain your mental health. 00:09:32 – sometimes it's worth having a relationship over being right. Apologizing and taking responsibility, even if you're right, can help maintain relationships and build trust. 00:13:16 - The Main Street Leader newsletter has been released in Portuguese and Spanish, in addition to English. The newsletter is designed to be implemented, and readers can learn from it to improve their business practices. It is available for less than $10 per month and offers a money-back guarantee. 00:15:53 - readers have reached out saying that implementing one lesson from The Main Street Leader has made a significant impact on their business practices. Resources The Cockerell Academy About Lee Cockerell Mainstreet Leader
In this episode of Come Rain or Shine, Jody Mayberry returns to discuss the importance of accountability through clear expectations. In a metrics-driven world, we often have expectations but sometimes lack the communication skills to convey them. Yet, as Dan explains, holding people accountable doesn't have to be complicated. Rather than direct from a distance, why not determine metrics and connection points to discuss those metrics? Why not ask yourself how you're setting goals with your team and if you're helping them know how to elevate performance? While scorecards and reviews can help depending on your areas, the bottom lines are simple: To build a team who continuously improves, you must help each member know their goals, check-ins, and deadlines. You must establish accountability through clear expectations. One way or another, have an accessible document that is more than available but engaged at strategic checkpoints throughout the year. Resources: About Dan: https://dancockerell.com/about/ Connect with Dan: www.dancockerell.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/dancockerell/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dancockerell/ Facebook - www.facebook.com/dancockerellspeaker Quotes: “Pick metrics that count.”
Are you interested in starting your own podcast? Well this week (and next week) is for you! I had the privilege of interviewing Jody Mayberry about all of the ins and outs of launching a podcast and why you should do it. Jody is an expert in the podcast industry, so he releases a ton of advice. Enjoy!
It's time for Round 6 of our irreverent book club Whatcha Readin'?. Jeff, Christie and guest hosts get together to deliver fantastic, life-changing, thought provoking book recommendations from renowned and more obscure sales thinkers. This week we have 2 guest clubbers! Camille Clemens is a Ph.D and Licensed Clinical Psychologist for the US Department of Veteran's Affairs. James Christman is an account executive for Teradata in San Diego. He is helping companies rise above today's analytics landscape and invest in answers. On today's podcast... 1:21 - Our irreverent book club format 3:22 - Oprah SuperSoul Conversations featuring Dr. Brene Brown and the anatomy of trust. 4:56 - The 7 Letters to Building Trust: Braving 13:13 - Your boundaries underscore your commitment to a customer 15:38 - How did I get here? Who am I and maybe more importantly who do I want to be? 19:53 - Why are we salespeople? 22:56 - Why this show remains free 26:53 - Camille recommends the podcast If Disney Ran Your Life with Jeff Hill and Jody Mayberry 27:32 - Is the "why" really in the journey? 30:00 - The biggest mistake you can make is thinking you have it figured out 33:15 - "When did you hear 'no', and if you didn't hear 'no', then how did you know that you couldn't have sold more?" Don't forget to subscribe rate and review our podcast. It only takes a second and helps us make more podcasts for you. The Why and The Buy is part of the Sell or Die Podcast Network. Subscribe to these other amazing network podcasts! Sell or Die Hidden Stories with Jeremy Fulkerson Wheelbarrow Profits Women Your Mother Warned You About
Sometimes our biggest challenge as video producers is identifying what it is that our clients really need and want. You might have all sorts of skills that you can offer, but if it’s not what they’re looking for than it doesn’t really matter. This is not always the easiest task. Jody Mayberry has discovered how to use his unique story to help clients realize how he can help them. Jody Maberry is a bonafide storyteller and the happiest podcaster on earth. This served him well for the eight years that he worked as a park ranger. By combining his extensive background as a ranger as well as his experience in marketing Jody knows what to do to make your clients the heroes of their story rather than merely the recipients of the product you create for them. In addition to all this, Jody is a master podcast host, with a whopping eight podcasts going on. In this conversation, Jody walks us through different ways that we can be using stories to help our clients by adding value to their lives. We talk about how this can also help you find and identify your ideal clients using the park ranger business method. First, though, Jody tells his own amazing story of how he transitioned from working in the public sector to his current success in helping private businesses. As a natural storyteller, Jody wonderfully explains how you can best serve your clients and keep them happy and engaged through what he learned while serving visitors to the parks. This involves putting yourself in front of the people who really need your help and offering them what they truly need while exceeding their expectations. How do you identify your clients’ biggest needs? Do you ever use your own story in this? Tell me about it in the comments! In this episode: Identifying who it is you can help and how it’s different for everyone Why it’s better to offer one thing well than tons of different things that are not part of your message The importance of embracing the title of “expert” in your business and industry Why it’s essential to remember that you are only a small piece of your customer’s story How vital your own story is to growing your business and connecting with your clients Quotes: “In every business, there are some things that are similar. Whether you’re a podcaster, a copywriter, or in video, if you’re a small business, there are some things that don’t change. Details change, sure. But some of the things you’re going to need to look for and do are going to be the same. Creative work will cover whatever your niche is.” [12:22] “If you’re going to make a corporate video for somebody, you’re just a small piece of the bigger story that they’re working on. You have to understand that and realize how you fit into that. That will actually let you help them more.” [18:31] “You have to remember to tell your story in a way that makes their story better.” [37:33] “Try to find that one thing that keeps showing up. That’s the piece that you can put out in front. That will help you help other people because you will then be able to connect with them a little quicker.” [43:56] Links: Get notified about new Studio Sherpas training! Find Jody Maberry online Follow Jody on Instagram | Facebook | Twitter The Jody Maberry Show Great Escape Radio podcast Creating Disney Magic podcast Studio Sherpas Episode 118 with Lee Cockerell Additional Links: Check out the full show notes page Do you have something to share on this podcast? Fill out this form here. Be sure to take the Studio Sherpas survey for a chance to win some incredible prizes (if we do say so ourselves!) Stay up to date with everything we're doing at Studio Sherpas Tune into our weekly Facebook Lives Follow Studio Sherpas on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram If you haven't already, we'd love it if you would take 1 minute to leave us a review on iTunes!
“Authenticity over everything.”—Anonymous In this episode, host Jody Mayberry talks with Breakfast Stock Club Creator, Bonnie Caton. When Jody last spoke with Bonnie she was in Buenos Aires. You can listen to her last podcast episode here. Since then she’s backpacked through the Andes in Patagonia and spent a month in Bali. Now she’s back in Portland, Oregon and focusing on what’s new in photography. Jody asks Bonnie about a recent newsletter she wrote for Great Escape Publishing about a huge new trend in photography… how fake is out and real is in. “One of the things we talked about at our stock photography workshop in Provence, France was the trend of creating real photos versus the cheesy fake photos traditionally used for stock photography,” says Bonnie. “We’ve all seen perfect stock photos with a lineup of business people jumping in the air or perfect models set against white backgrounds.” But now, stock agencies want authentic looking photos. They want real people—not models—doing real jobs. “As a photographer, this takes the pressure off and makes stock photography a lot more fun!” Bonnie shares her experience in the Provence workshop and her tips for creating authentic photos. Keep up with the latest trends in stock photography by subscribing to Bonnie’s weekly Breakfast Stock Club newsletter. You can sign up for free at: www.greatescapepublishing.com/breakfaststock.
In this week’s episode, Sara Anna speaks with Jody Mayberry, a podcasting expert whose various podcast episodes have been downloaded more than 1.5 million times. Jody gives us the scoop on how he went from financial analyst to park ranger to online business owner. He also walks us through how faith in your purpose can help you push past fear! Resources shared in this episode: Visit Jody’s website to learn more about his work: http://jodymaberry.com/ Sign up to be notified when Jody’s Podcast Launcher opens enrollment: http://jodymaberry.com/podcast-launcher/ Sign up for Sara Anna Powers’ Magnetic Messaging™ Program: https://saraannapowers.mykajabi.com/p/magneticmessaging Snag Sara Anna’s Stellar Sales Page Template for free! https://annapowers.lpages.co/stellar-sales-page/
Aaron Schmookler, Co-Founder and Trainer at The Yes Works, joins me, Jen Spencer to discuss collaboration, culture, the importance of building relationships and more on this episode of The Allbound Podcast. Jen: Welcome to The Allbound Podcast. I'm Jen Spencer, and today I'm joined by Aaron Schmookler, Co-Founder and Trainer at The Yes Works. Welcome, Aaron. Aaron: Well, thank you, Jen. It's an honor to be here. Jen: Well, I'm glad to have you. I've gotten to learn a little bit more about The Yes Works and I think that's a really good place to start. Would you mind just telling our listeners a little bit about The Yes Works? Aaron: Sure, if I can take a page from Simon Sinek's book, I'll tell you why we exist. A little more than three years ago, my wife called me on the phone and she said, "I'm pregnant," and my relationship changed. And certainly, my relationship with her changed. But what I'm referring to is my relationship with the rest of the world changed and that actually changed a lot more profoundly. I started looking at everything in terms of, "How will this be for my daughter and how is that going to be for my daughter?" And one of the things that struck me the hardest is the work culture that we live in. The TGIF bumper stickers and the "I Hate Monday" mugs and the fact that when you ask somebody how they're doing, a very common answer is, "I'll be better in an hour and a half when I get off work." It became immediately intolerable to me that we live in this culture where my daughter is more likely to find affinity with people when she enters the workforce by hating work, rather than in taking pride in the work that she does and the honor that it is to make a contribution. So I set about to try to figure out, "What can I do to make a change in the entirety of work culture in our country, if not the world?" I took that tiny little ambition and started this company with a friend. Our mission is to make work good for people and to make people good for work. And more specifically, we do that by training teams to work effectively together, to communicate and collaborate like nobody's business. Jen: Great, well, hold on. So you're saying that the rest of the world isn't as obsessed with work as I am? I mean, I absolutely love my job. I can't even imagine going into work every day and not being 100% in love with what I'm doing. So I'm glad that you're helping people get to that place because it's a great place to be. Aaron: Yeah, it is. One of the things that I love about it is, clearly people like you and me gravitate together. So we can actually start to form the idea or the impression that everybody is like us. But in fact, the statistics say that the majority of people do not like work, hate their jobs, hate their bosses, want to quit. There are very scary statistics out there. Jen: I'm sure. When I look at kind of how you represent yourself and your role at The Yes Works, you're a Co-Founder and Trainer. But you also refer to yourself as a Company Culture Engineer, a Team Building Improv Trainer, a Keynote Interactive Speaker. I got to ask, what exactly does a Team Building Improv Trainer do? Aaron: Well, thanks for asking. We work with leaders to help them lighten up the interpersonal machinery in their companies. So we have a training model that's based on tools and techniques of theater improvisation. We use those tools and techniques to drill the teams that we're working with to help them build powerful communication and collaboration habits. It's not about information. I'm sure you have experiences like I do. I'm not too ashamed to admit that my wife and I occasionally raise our voices with one another. We don't do that because we know that it's a good idea, in fact, we do that despite the fact that we know that it's not a good idea. But when we're under duress some of our worst habits come out. So we help teams to develop good habits so that even under duress, you're ready and able to do what's effective. Then we help sales teams to transform sales habitually from something you do to people to something you do in collaboration with buyers. And that also is a matter of having good interpersonal habits. Jen: Absolutely. You mentioned something that definitely piqued my interest. You said the word “theater”, I don't know if you know this about me, but my career got started actually as a high school English and theater arts teacher. I was a theater kid growing up and played a lot of improv games over the years. So what I'd like to know is where do you see the role of an improviser's mindset when it comes to partnership and sales and co-selling together? I'd love to know more about that. Aaron: Sure. Well I think Asher and Liz from the Avalara said it really well in an episode that they did with you on this podcast. I don't remember exactly what they said, but they said that they really pursue and work to generate deeper relationships with their partners. They do things socially with them. They work on the relationship, it's not just about the transactions. One of the core principles of improv is the idea that it's never about the thing, it's always about the relationship. So you and I for example, right now we're making a podcast. We're talking about partnership and we're talking about business. At the same time, and more importantly, we're building a relationship. The things that I say on your podcast in the long run, for your business, and for mine, and for our relationship, are going to be more important in terms of how they help to construct or destroy the relationship that we have together. So if I start tearing apart things that are important to you, that's going to be destructive to our relationship, and if I affirm things that are important to you that's going to build our relationship. Jen: Right. And I guess, from the improv perspective, there's only so much preparation that you can do, right? So let's talk more about theater. This is great. So if you're in a stage play there's a script and you follow that script. And you think about in sales there's a mentality of following a sales script, following something that's been pre-written for you to lead to success. In improv it's much more give and take, you have to be a good listener. You have to really collaborate with that partner that you are on stage with, or in this case, that you're working with. So I love that. I'm actually kind of upset with myself that I didn't make that connection before now, but I appreciate you shedding a light on this. Aaron: Well, let's take it even further. Certainly, I think there are a lot of people out there who know, "Okay, it's good to know what it is that I'm going to be talking about, it's good to have a script to fall back on." I think most sales people these days know that you can't just straight up follow your script. Jen: Right. Aaron: But they still may have an outline laid out for them, which I think is also a really great idea. But what do you do when the prospect in front of you doesn't want to follow those steps? Are you simply going to push? Are you going to ignore the fact that they keep trying to steer the conversation in a different direction? Are you going to hear them ask for something that is against policy and just simply say, "No" and the conversation is over at that point? Or do you have the flexibility of mind to do something different, to go in the directions that they want to go? A sales guy at BP asked me once, “What do you do when a prospect hijacks the conversation in a sales call?" For me, the question itself is an oxymoron. I can't have the sales conversation hijacked. I'm there to serve the needs of my buyer or my prospect if I can in any way. Even if they start talking about the weather halfway through the conversation, they can't hijack the conversation. I instead would probably ask questions after that like, “We were talking about these problems that you're having with your business, tell me how the weather connects to that?" Rather than saying, “It's so cloudy, I really would like to see the sun too, but let's get back to the topic at hand, I only have 30 minutes." If we go back to that principle that I was talking about earlier, remember it's never about the thing, it's always about the relationship. I've now done something to deteriorate the relationship. I have essentially rejected what in improvisation we call their offer. The offer that they made was, “I want to talk about the weather." Now, that doesn't mean that I'm going to talk about the weather. I'm not here to talk about the weather. I am going to validate that there is a relevant reason that the weather came up. The customer isn't always right, but the customer is always valid. Jen: That's a good point. What you're talking about here I feel is very collaborative, and communication is collaborative. Actually, I have a quote from you about collaboration, it's just kind of something that stuck with me. You said, “When collaboration is defined by those who don't understand it everyone loses. Collaboration is an ad hoc or hodgepodge. True collaboration is systematic and effective, it creates that which no individual would have created on their own because there's more information among us than there is collected between us. And some problems are solved, some ideas are generated only when your peanut butter is mixed with my chocolate." Maybe I really liked it because I was hungry, I don't know. But I love this picture that you've painted about what collaboration truly is. I would love to hear from you how have you seen this really put into practice when you talk about selling and working with channel partners? When there are people who are really selling on your behalf and they're not on your payroll, they're not within your four walls, they might be across the world from you, how do you effectively collaborate with them? Aaron: Well, I think it starts with having an open mind. The greatest insights and the greatest innovations are not always revolutionary, there are more often smaller evolutions. For example, Airbnb, which created a revolution was itself a small evolution on things that were already out there. So it starts with having an open mind, our brains are an incredible association making machine. It really is associations that create innovation, and there's a reason that the words “partnership” and “association” are almost synonyms. The idea of making connections between different ideas, and the word for making connections between different people, both is association. So when your mind is relaxed we make associations. Archimedes solved this incredible problem of determining the gold content of the crown in the famous story where he said, “Eureka.", not while he was agonizing over the problem, though he spent time doing that. But when he finally took a break from the problem and immersed himself in the tub and the water level rose he shouted, “Eureka," and the solution to the problem of measuring the gold and the crown was in displacement. So he made this association between the water level rising in his bathtub, and the water level rising if you were to immerse a crown in a measured beaker. So what does this have to do with partners and channels? Well, it has to do in part with how to identify partners, how to identify potential channels, and what is going to be the nature of the partnership. So I think we have ideas about who would make a good partner for our company, we make ideas about how our product relates to other products, but those ideas are most often what our executive mind was able to come up with. The executive part of the brain, the one that agonizes over problems, is not nearly as effective at making creative associations as a much looser network called the “default mode network”, which comes alive when we play and that executive mind is distracted, the editor is distracted. For example, if you're networking among people who serve the same people that you do and you've got only your executive mind on, you're going to miss incredible associations if your mind is narrowly focused. Jen: Let's talk about that for a second because there was a piece that you wrote where you talked about how the best networking night of your life was when you were in a large room full of business people for two hours and you left without a single substantial lead and you said it was one of the best nights, right? A lot of sales people might say, “Well, that sounds horrible." So why was that experience one of the best networking nights of your life when you left without any leads? I mean, don't we go to networking events to get leads? Aaron: Great, okay. If you go to networking events to get leads you're doing it wrong. It's not a lead getting event, there's a reason it's called the networking event, it is an event for building your network. If you think about any network, it's not that the hub, you or me, is connected to everyone in the network. It's that there is this living, breathing, series of connections. Like this is connected to that, connected to that, connected to that, connected to that, connected to that, or I am connected to you or connected to that other person, connected to that other person. LinkedIn is, in fact, a really good example of this, it shows you whether you're a 1st connection, 2nd connection, 3rd connection or further. It was a great night of networking for me because I tightened the weave. I went out and made a lot of connections, I connected myself to other people...none of whom were leads but that doesn't mean that the connection is any less present. I also connected people that I was meeting with to people who were already in my network, so I expanded my network and also tightened the weave. The night in question that I wrote a blog article about hasn't yet led to any business that I can trace. There was a similar networking event that I went to about a month later that I could have just as easily written about. At this similar event, I made a ton of connections for someone in my network named Rhonda, who happened to also be at that event and we were walking our separate ways. I kept meeting people whom I knew she should meet, and so I would grab them by the elbow, gently, and say, “You've got to meet my friend Rhonda, she's doing stuff that you're going to want to know about." And I would walk them across the room and find Rhonda, and I connected her probably to 10 different people that I met that evening. So none of that is likely to come back to me, none of those people are likely leads for me, but she wrote a Facebook post that mentioned me and talked about how many people I had connected her to and somebody else responded to that and said, “That's the kind of guy I want to meet” and so I met somebody else named Trisha. Now, Trisha is like I am, an associative thinker and a connector. We met simply through me connecting Rhonda to a lot of people and Rhonda finding it remarkable. Rhonda remarked and Trisha then wanted to meet me. Trisha has now connected me to people who are definitely going to do business with me, in fact, I've already served some of the people in Trisha's network. That is the kind of thing that happens when you're out there. So I went to a couple of networking events, and I went and gave because that's what there was for me to do that day. I'm not saying that I never get leads when I'm actively networking, I also certainly have my eyes open for that but it's not my sole purpose. Jen: One of the things you're talking about makes me think about the way that I treat my partners. We have a partner program here at Allbound and my goal is that I want to know as much as I can about my partners. I want to know where they shine, who they can help, what's going to make things better for them, so that I can help make those connections for them, and I have to say I am somewhat selfish because I know that that's going to ultimately come back to me in some way, shape or form, right? But the idea of being this networker I think is very much aligned with building a partner ecosystem where you have a number of individuals and entities that are working together and collaborating to help solve a customer's problem ultimately, and that's why we have the hashtag #NeverSellAlone. So I definitely see that connection. The other thing that you're talking about is very cultural. You've talked a lot about this, “Got Your Back” culture, about the six different levels of commitment with this idea of “I've got your back”. I think it's really interesting, and I think it could be applied to determining the kind of relationships that partners have and the levels of practice that even align with partner tiers. I'd love if you could explain a little bit about what those levels of supportive behavior look like in this idea of the “Got Your Back” culture. Aaron: I've talked about six levels of the got your back mentality, and that's really not even all there are, there are more, and I won't go through all six. I will point out something that you were just talking about, trying to support and understand how to help your partners thrive is a way of having their back. To tie it into networking...there are two ways of doing it wrong. One is to go out and be a go-giver, and just give and give and give. You also have your mind narrowed to, “How can I make everybody else's lives better?" And if you don't also have your mind open to, “And what's in this for me?" you're going to miss all those opportunities and you're going to fail that way as well. So what I hear you saying that I really applaud is that you've got your mind open for how to generate value between you. Sometimes that value is generated in the form of creating for them and sometimes it's in the realm of creating for you, and sometimes it's in the realm of creating for both of you. So that's a pretty advanced, “got your back" level of play. In the article that I think you're talking about I started with level one of “got your back” which is, “I'm not going to throw you under the bus." I think that when we get in bed with the wrong partners and the people who are really in it for themselves, when there's a problem, when there's a customer complaint, if you're in bed with the wrong partner who only operates at this level of “I won't throw you under the bus," when there's duress, maybe they will throw you under the bus and say, “That's not our fault that's Jen's fault. Jen over there at Allbound created this problem that you're having." Level one would be really even under duress, you're not going to throw them under the bus. Level two, gets up to, “If you're in distress I'm going to help you out." Now let's skip some levels. The really high level of play in, “got your back" that you were talking about is really knowing what are your strengths, what are your weaknesses as my partner, and as a part of my team. This isn't about transaction, this is about really aligning to support our customers. I'm going to develop my skills, I'm going to develop the features of my product to complement yours, I'm going to find resources to eradicate the weaknesses between us and really serve our customers to the best of our ability. I'll look for ways to fill in the gaps, I may even look for ways to bring in third partners that are going to fill in the gaps that really are outside our areas of expertise. And I've always got my mind on that question of, “How do we build value between us?" Not just for me, not just for you, but how do we build value between us in ways that really support our mission? Jen: I think it's a really powerful message. I think many of us have experienced managers, internally, that always have your back, that will always go to bat for you, and managers that will be the first to throw you under the bus, right? And that can be extremely crippling to an organization. If you think about that mentality extended exponentially to an entire partner organization that maybe has 10, 100, 1000, sales reps and all the damage that can be done by literally throwing that partner under the bus. I know I've seen it, I've seen it in organizations I worked in. People pass the buck and want to blame the partner, whether it's the reseller blaming the vendor, or the vendor blaming the implementor, there's a lot of accountability that's being passed around. So I think that that's an extremely powerful behavior, and if you can harness it and you can focus it in the in the right place, you can get to that higher level like you were talking about. I think it's really exceptional to think about. Aaron: When anybody throws somebody under the bus, everybody loses. If I throw you under the bus Jen, I get a momentary sense of winning because I've dodged a bullet, but what happens if you and I are partners is the first person who loses is actually the customer. Nobody is actually addressing the customer's problem, nobody is solving whatever it is that I threw you under the bus for. So the customer loses and you obviously lose because the customer now thinks ill of you. And in the end, I also lose because now you don't trust me, and if the customer has a brain in their head they also don't trust me because they just watched me throw you under the bus. Even if they didn't watch me throw you under the bus, they did notice that I didn't solve their problem. I was listening to another podcast recently by a friend of mine, Jody Mayberry, who was talking about his experience at Disney. He went there with his kids and forgot to connect his day pass to his ticket or something like that. He had failed to follow directions, and that led to him having a problem getting into a certain attraction. And instead of pointing a finger at him and saying, “Okay, you did this, you're going to have to go fix it." or instead of sending him to customer service, the Disney employee that he first encountered took that problem on themselves and said, “Your problem is now my problem" and stuck with him for 10 minutes until the problem was resolved. Compare that to the kind of customer service experience that we usually have. For example, if I were to call my CRM right now, it would drive me nuts if they did not have the proper customer service and passed me from one company to the next because some kind of software integration wasn't working properly. We've all had experiences like that, even if it's just between departments within a single company. If the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing it's a customer service nightmare. On a rare occasion you might get somebody who says, “I'm going to stay on the phone with you, I'm going to be the shepherd of your problem. Even if I can't solve it I am going to stick with you until we find a solution." That's somebody having your back as a consumer, it's having the back of your own company by making sure consumers have a seamless experience, and it's having the back of the partners of that company so that everybody comes out smelling like roses. Problems are inevitable. No client that any of us wants is going to expect a problem-free solution, all we want is somebody to say, “Your problem is my problem, we're going to get this solved." Jen: Absolutely, I think you're 100% right there. Now, I have one more official question for you. A lot of people who listen to the show are building partner programs, maybe they've got small programs and they're really looking to expand and it's a strategic initiative for them within the next year. What advice would you give to leaders that are looking to grow their partner programs? I mean, we've kind of served them quite a bit of food for thought today, if they can walk away with one thing, what would you like the one thing to be? Aaron: Well, I'll tell you a quick story, I know I can get a little long winded. I met a woman recently with a company called Big Smarty, and what they do is they take executive teams through an intensive process in a boardroom to revamp their mission, vision and values so that everything is aligned and passions are re-engaged and the company has fresh life breathed into it. I thought she'd be a fun person to meet, but while having a conversation with her we found together that there's this kind of incredible chemistry between her product and ours. If we were to go in before she begins with her work around the table, and do the kind of mind loosening stuff that we do, her work is going to be much more efficient and potentially even more powerful than it already is. Now, I didn't go into that conversation looking for a partner, I just went into that conversation looking for sparks because the person who introduced us said, “Hey, there are going to be sparks. I don't know what the connection is I just know I met you and I met her, there are going to be sparks here." So to answer your question more explicitly, go expand and tighten the weave of your network, keep your mind open. There is a time for narrow focused deliberate purpose and there is a time for broad thinking and just allowing the loose connections in the default mode network of your mind to play and make connections that your intellectual mind, your editor, never would be able to make. It's actually hard work for me to shut off my critic, to shut off that editor, to shut off the executive mind, but there are always rewards when I do. So don't stop charging but do take breaks. Jen: Great advice and I'll have to take that to heart. I think I'm very guilty of that editor mind so I'm going to be more conscious of that. Thank you, this has been so great. You listen to the podcast, so you know I'm going to ask you a bunch of personal questions. So I'm not going to ask you permission to do it, we're just going to get right into it, okay? Aaron: Yeah. Jen: So, first question I have for you is what is your favorite city? Aaron: No question is easy for me until I actually have to go there, but I'm going to say Jerusalem. Jen: Oh, I haven't heard that yet. Okay, so I have to ask, why? Aaron: It is unlike any other city I have ever been in, it's got all of the modern constructions that that we're used to and it's also got this incredible antiquity. But the antiquity isn't a museum, the antiquity is still a living thriving part of the city. So, for example, there's a market in the Old City of Jerusalem that's hardly wide enough to walk down with people hawking their wares just as it would have been ages and ages ago. Jen: Very cool. I haven't been there yet, but I hope it's someplace that I'll be able to travel to at least once in my life, that's a very interesting favorite city. My next question is are you an animal lover? Aaron: Yes. Jen: Do you have pets? Aaron: Actually, I have a service dog. I'm grateful for the ways in which my life has been made easier and less painful through the service of an animal, and I've had pets my whole life so I love them all. Jen: Wonderful. Okay, question number three, Mac or PC. Aaron: For me, PC. I like to learn new things but my brain was trained on a PC and all my attention goes to learning new things in other areas. I'm not opposed to Macs, I've just chosen not to spend my time learning that language. Jen: Makes perfect sense. All right, last question. Let's say I was able to offer you an all expenses paid trip, where would it be to? Aaron: My wife has been talking since I met her about how we should go to Italy together and we haven't made that happen yet, so that would probably be it. Jen: All right. Well, I have been Italy, I haven't been to Jerusalem but I've been to Italy and it is beautiful. I don't know if I'm ever going to have all of the funds to send all my podcast guests on all of their all expenses paid trips, so in the event that I can't do that for you, I do encourage you to take that trip. But thank you so much for sharing some of your insights with us Aaron, it was so great. A little bit of a departure from what we normally get into but I loved kind of being up in this very cerebral space with you, it was awesome. If any of our listeners would like to reach out to you personally, what's the best way that they can get hold of you? Aaron: There are a few ways, probably the most effective ways are LinkedIn or email. On LinkedIn I'm Aaron Schmookler, and that's S-C-H-M O-O-K-L-E-R, and I promise I'm the only one there. Or you can email me, my email is Aaron, A-A-R-O-N, aaron@theyesworks.com. Jen: Wonderful. Well, thank you, everybody for tuning in. There were a lot of different blogs and articles I've referenced, so we'll be including those in the show notes so you'll have a quick link to access them. Thank you, again, Aaron, and to everyone else, we'll catch you next week on an all new episode of The Allbound Podcast. Man: Thanks for tuning into The Allbound Podcast. For past episodes and additional resources visit the resource center at allbound.com. And remember, #NeverSellAlone.
Great Escape Radio Episode #63: Skill vs Equipment “Investment in your skill brings confidence and confidence brings opportunities.” – Lori Allen Great Escape Radio Host, Jody Mayberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen discuss the basics of getting started in photography: what equipment you need and which investment is more important—the investment in your skill or investment in equipment. At Great Escape Publishing’s recent Photography Workshop in San Diego, Lori received a lot of questions about cameras. She brings forward some of those questions and answers them for listeners. “Nobody asks a chef what kind of pots they use,” says Lori. “Nobody eats a good meal and says ‘man, this guy must have a great set of pots,’ but, when people see a great picture, they want to know what kind of camera it was taken with.” Lori breaks down what you’re buying when you choose a camera… Cameras do affect the image quality – there is some truth to that. But it’s not as much as people think. When you’re buying a camera, you’re buying a few things: Durability Weather sealing Performance in low light Possibly image stabilization Possibly shutter speed What a lot of people don’t realize is that a lot of the creative affects you see in an amazing photograph are coming from the lens and not the camera body. “People spend the bulk of their research on the camera body but shoot with a crappy lens. But you should really do more research on the lens.” Lori’s recommendations for camera equipment differ from those you’ll find in a Google search. Her recommendations will be… Light in weight Easy to navigate through the viewfinder Efficient with respect to battery usage—she doesn’t want to lug around tons of extra batteries Designed with the ISO and aperture settings on the outside of the camera instead of hidden in a menu somewhere A brand with a great line of lenses And, it won’t cost anywhere near the $8,000 a professional photographer would spend on a camera. Listen in to hear which brands Lori loves—and those she doesn’t. You’ll also get her tips for what matters most…an investment in your skills or an investment in equipment. To check out Lori’s photography equipment recommendations go to https://www.greatescapepublishing.com/how-to-buy-the-right-camera/. For information on how to sell your photos, visit www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/photography.
Great Escape Radio Episode 46 – Telling Stories Through Photos “Tell me the facts and I’ll learn. Tell me the truth and I’ll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.” – Native American Proverb Subscribing to Great Escape Publishing’s newsletter, The Right Way to Travel, is a great way to get ideas and tips for your photography and travel writing. Sign up for free at: http://www.greatescapepublishing.com/subscribe/?src=podcast. Great Escape Radio host, Jody Mayberry talks with Great Escape Publishing photographer, Bonnie Caton, about telling stories through photos. Stories are one of our most ancient forms of communication and Bonnie shares with us how stories can be told from photos… “Photos can just be pretty: photos of flowers or sunsets. But when you see a photo with a story embedded in it, the photo draws you in. You’re intrigued and try to figure out what is happening in the photo.” Bonnie works with new photographers at Great Escape Publishing all the time and she shares how a photographer can move from just snapping photos to creating stories in their photos. “When people are first starting to take photos, they typically take photos of lots of stuff. That’s fine, it’s part of the experimenting process. But when you think about the story behind the photo, you create better photos.” Bonnie’s main photography income has come from client photos: headshots, weddings, and family portraits. By getting to know the people before she takes the photos, she captures their personalities in the photos… tells their stories. And the same is true for photos of places… Bonnie’s practice of telling stories through her photos has led her to travel writing. Listen in and see how the photos she has taken have given her a flurry of story ideas that she can pitch to travel magazines. Subscribing to Great Escape Publishing’s newsletter, The Right Way to Travel, is another great way to get ideas and tips for your photography and travel writing. You can sign up for free at: http://www.greatescapepublishing.com/subscribe/?src=podcast.
Great Escape Publishing Episode 35 - Camera Buying Tips For more information on the different markets where you can sell your photos and how much you can expect to make, visit www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/photography “There’s a difference between good photographs and saleable photographs. At Great Escape Publishing, we focus on saleable photographs.” – Lori Allen On this episode, host Jody Mayberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen, talk about the best cameras to buy if you want to get started with photography. Lori explains what you need to get started… “At Great Escape Publishing we talk about taking photos that you can sell. We’re not talking about you becoming a full-time photographer where you’ll be watching an amazing landscape for 300 days until you get that one perfect image you’re going to hang on your wall and hopefully win some kind of prize. It’s about selling simple, everyday images: things like travel photos, photos of your home, family photos, headshots, baby pictures, and food.” There’s a difference in what you need for taking saleable photos and it depends on what you plan to use the photos for: fine art, magazines, stock photography, etc. They all want something different and what matters is how you process the images you take. “The biggest mistake people make when they buy a camera is to go to a place like Costco or Best Buy to buy what’s on sale. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with Costco or Best Buy, it’s just that the salesperson typically wants to sell you a kit—and you’re better off just buying the camera body and then getting your lens at another place and time,” says Lori. Just like there’s no car that’s right for everyone, there’s no camera that’s right for every single person. Some key things to consider in choosing a camera… ***It has to be a camera you will take with you—not too heavy, bulky, or so expensive that you’re worried about it getting damaged or stolen ***It has to have a good enough sensor ***It’s the lens that really makes the difference “The lens is a better investment than the camera in your photography.” How can you find the right camera? Listen in to learn more about the cameras and lenses Lori recommends and her tips for purchasing them for less. And for more information on the different markets where you can sell your photos and how much you can expect to make in each, visit www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/photography
Great Escape Radio Episode #34 - Introduction to Travel Videos “The market for travel videos is wide open right now – don’t miss this opportunity.” Lori Allen For more information on how to get started creating travel videos, visit www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/video/ As a follow up to Melanie Wood’s success story from podcast 33, host Jody Mayberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen, take a deeper look at the process of creating travel videos. “Most people think travel videos require a long learning curve and a lot of expensive equipment, but that’s just not the case,” explains Lori. Although the travel video market seems new, it’s been around for a while. And with the video capability of smart phones, it’s easy to get started taking videos. Here are some opportunities that are available… “Companies are using videos for promotion on their websites. These companies can be anything from a hotel promoting its amenities to a destination promoting an activity like zip lining in Costa Rica or a safari in Africa.” Opportunity is great. Demand is great. And, it doesn’t require as much training or equipment as you would think. Lori also discusses the crossover between travel photography and travel videography… “A great example of using both photography and videography is a story about Bonnie Caton. While traveling in Thailand watching the festival of lights, Bonnie was taking photos of the release of thousands of lanterns into the dark sky. She also videotaped the event bringing the emotion of the moment into focus.” Lori shares tips on getting started – where and how to build your portfolio and grow from there. For more information on how to get started creating travel videos, visit www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/video/
Great Escape Radio Episode #33 – Get Paid to Create Travel Videos “Just do it!” – Nike and Melanie Wood For more information on how to get started creating travel videos, visit www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/video/ Great Escape Radio host, Jody Mayberry, talks with Melanie Wood about her success in creating travel videos and a few mishaps along the way in this week’s podcast. It started with a choice. Melanie had attended several Great Escape Publishing workshops and was considering going to a Great Escape Publishing photography workshop in Portland, Oregon. At the same time, she also had the opportunity to go on a photography expedition to Peru. “I wasn’t sure if I should choose the workshop, the trip to Peru or choose neither and save money,” says Melanie. It turns out, Melanie didn’t have to choose after all. A friend of hers, Vera, who leads tours to various destinations presented her with an offer that would make everything work. Vera asked Melanie to go on a trip to Peru and do travel videos for her. As part of the deal she offered to knock $2,000 off the price of the trip, cover her in country airfare and cover any meals not included in the tour package. In exchange, Melanie would create testimonial videos on the trip. To prepare for the trip, Melanie signed up for the Ultimate Money-Making Photography workshop, added an extra day for the videography class –, and then used what she learned to create videos on the trip to Peru. “My first thought was ‘who was I to be taking travel videos for this company’,” says Melanie. “The previous videos were so professional; I wasn’t sure I could do it.” Despite her doubts, she prepared herself and just did it. For more information on how to get started creating travel videos, visit www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/video/
Great Escape Radio Episode #32 – The First Step to Success “Tools, skills, determination and courage come second – the decision comes first.” – Lori Allen On this episode host Jody Mayberry speaks with Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen about the most important things when learning anything new or accomplishing any goal. Lori has just returned from the Ultimate Travel Writing Workshop in New Orleans where she was inspired by the attendees and their enthusiasm. She offers this insight… “I’ve always had this idea that we need a combination of skills, tools and determination to achieve our goals. But before all of those things happen there has to be a decision.” Lori shares the story of her young daughter who – despite never haven taken swimming lessons – made the decision to learn to swim one day. She kept at it until she actually swam across the pool without any tools, skills or lessons – she did it just because she had decided that she was going to learn to swim that day. The experience with her young daughter reminded Lori that tools, skills, determination, and courage come second – the decision comes first. Great Escape Publishing workshops provide the tools and skills necessary to reach your goals. Making the decision to attend a workshop is acting on your decision to become a writer or photographer and that’s what makes the difference. It's not always the best writers, the people who travel the most, or the people who seek out adventure who find the most success. None of those things are actually as important as deciding that you are going to be a writer and then just doing it. Skills and tools come later. You just need to get ready and make the decision to start. To figure out what programs and skills would work for you, go to www.greatescapepublishing.com look up travel writing, photography, micro-gigs, import/export or blogging. Check out all the programs and see which one calls to you – then you’ll know which direction to go.
Great Escape Radio Episode 30: Travel Editor’s Pet Peeves “A large part of success is just not screwing it up!” – Lori Allen This week in part two of a three-part series with the editors’ panel from the recent Ultimate Travel Writers’ Workshop in New Orleans, host Jody Mayberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen, pose the question: What are some of your pet peeves in working with freelancers? Lori explains… “It’s really just about following the rules. As a travel writer, you’re not just competing against other writers who write travel articles. You’re also competing against other freelancers who are sending editors the wrong stuff in the wrong way and the wrong format. About 80% of freelancers don’t follow the rules…and that gives you an advantage if you just don’t screw it up!” A highlight at the Ultimate Travel Writers’ Workshop each year is the editors’ panel. A group of editors from a variety of publications are on hand to discuss what they need from freelancers and what they don’t like. For more background on the editors that were in New Orleans this year, listen in to our previous podcast episode. When it comes to this year’s panel, it’s the little things that make a big difference… ***Like addressing an editor as a Mr., even when their website photo clearly shows she is a female… ***Or freelancers who get a great assignment and then miss the deadline… The list goes on. In fact, this portion of the editors’ panel almost becomes an editors’ therapy session as they vent their frustrations! Jennifer Stevens, Editor-in-Chief for International Living and the architect of the Ultimate Travel Writer’s Program for GEP, is the panel moderator. And, as an editor, she can’t help but chime in too… “What drives me crazy is assigning a story to a writer and then receiving a horribly written article. And I can’t send it back or trash it because I NEED the piece for the magazine. I end up rewriting it to make it a nice article. The writer gets paid, gets a byline and then goes on to submit queries to other editors using the piece I rewrote as a writing sample. I feel bad because some very nice overworked editor is going to get screwed!” Listen in for more freelance writing blunders and how you can avoid making the same mistakes. And to get more information on what it takes to be a travel writer, go to www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/travelwriting. You can also put your name on the hotlist for next year’s Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop here. We’ll announce details next Spring. Tune in next week for part three of our series on the editors’ panel.
Great Escape Publishing Radio – Episode #28: Great Escape Publishing Events! “Sitting on the red sand dunes in Namibia and watching the sun come up, it almost feels like you shouldn’t be allowed to see something so beautiful – it’s that amazing.” - Lori Allen To learn more about the workshops and expeditions offered by Great Escape Publishing go to http://www.greatescapepublishing.com/menu/?type=event and check out the events listed. Host, Jody Mayberry, talks with Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen, about the amazing live events Great Escape Publishing offers. “There’s a difference between education and training,” explains Lori. “Education is what you get when you read a book. Training is what you get when you are actively doing whatever it is you’re learning and someone is there to provide feedback.” The home study programs offered by Great Escape Publishing will give you the education you need to get started in travel writing or photography. But the live workshops and expeditions will give you the training you need to excel. With feedback you learn faster, differently and your skill improves immensely. GEP offers a number of live events each year. Some are in the USA and others are in exotic international destinations. And there’s a difference between the workshops offered and the expeditions. Lori explains… “Workshops are exactly what they sound like. We get a hotel conference room, bring a group of instructors in and a large group of participants and we hunker down and work on stuff. Typically, there will be three days of listening to presentations and on one of those days the participants will go out into the field to either take photos or to find a story to write – depending on whether it’s a photography or travel writing workshop. And we give them feedback in small groups to improve their skills.” Expeditions are exactly what they sound like, too… “On an expedition, we get in a jeep or on a train and we go someplace. We’re in the field the vast majority of the day: waking up at sunrise for the perfect photos or finding the right time of day to capture the light in a particular destinations. Expeditions are smaller, usually about 9 participants or possibly up to 16 for places like Tanzania where we’ll rent out an entire camp.” Traveling with a GEP expedition means experiencing things like the Yi Peng Festival of Lanterns in Thailand, or the Hot Air Balloon Festival in New Mexico. When you travel with Great Escape Publishing on an expedition you can expect these things… ***Fun ***Time to play ***Learning or improving your skills ***Expect to be amazed As Lori says… “The world is covered with these amazing and beautiful places and events and experiences and if you go with your camera, it feels like you’re playing.” Great Escape Publishing expeditions are different than typical photo safaris for several reasons… ***Beginners are welcome ***It’s not a tour, you will actually experience unique events ***You’ll learn how to sell the photos you take To learn more about the workshops and expeditions offered by Great Escape Publishing go to http://www.greatescapepublishing.com/menu/?type=event and check out the events listed. TIP: These events sell out quickly. It’s best to add your name to the workshop alert list on that page to get upcoming event announcements.
Great Escape Radio Episode #25: Securing that press trip! “This travel writing life of mine has snowballed into an amazing adventure. I’m living it and even I can’t believe how amazing it is sometimes.” – Terri Marshall For more about how you can get started with travel writing today, visit: www.greatescapepublishing.com/travelwriting. This week on Great Escape Radio, host Jody Mayberry talks with travel writer, Terri Marshall, about how to secure FAM, or press trips. Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen introduces us to Terri… “First of all let me say I love Terri. She is a genuine nice person. I love that she loves adventure and she’s up for anything. Terri has done everything from harvesting cacao in Belize to driving a reindeer sleigh in Norway. She’s taken her kids and even her grandkids on some of her press trips.” Terri explains what a FAM trip is… “FAM stands for familiarization which basically means that a public relations firm or tourism representative will organize a trip for travel writers and bloggers that showcases their destination. Sometimes these are group trips and other times they are individual trips.” While the common perception is that you have to have a lot of articles published and be a well-known travel writer to get invited on a press trip, Terri says that is changing. “Today FAM trips are often comprised of a blend of traditional journalists, bloggers and social media influencers.” Terri shares how she landed her first FAM trip locally, with just two articles published and offers some tips for securing FAM trip invitations… “It’s really about networking and building a reputation within the travel writing industry as someone who is serious about writing. You typically start with complimentary meals or passes to attractions and build from there.” When Terri started out she had a full-time career as a tax accountant and could only accept FAM trips on weekends or when she had vacation time. Now that she’s writing full-time and has years of experience, she can be more selective about which trips she accepts and often has press trips designed specifically for her in locations all over the world. Terri’s best tip for continuing to receive FAM trip invitations… “Remember you are not on vacation. You are on the trip to cover a destination. Take notes, photos and always behave professionally.” Press play for more about Terri’s experiences on this week’s episode of Great Escape Radio. For more about how you can get started with travel writing today, visit: www.greatescapepublishing.com/travelwriting.
Great Escape Radio Podcast #24: Times have changed “All of your struggles are not forever, they’re just for now.” Lori Allen If you’d like to learn more about Great Escape Publishing’s programs, Lori suggests starting with the travel writing program. You can find more information and a video to see if travel writing is right for you here: www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/travelwriting. This week host, Jody Mayberry and Great Escape Publishing Director, Lori Allen, talk more about last episode’s interview with Jeff Kontur and the concept of figuring out what works for you. Lori shares with us more about the DC Social Summit where she met Jeff Kontur… “The idea behind the DC Area Social was to invite people in the area to come in and meet us and learn about our events and products and then to have drinks and socialize. We’ve found that our most successful members are the ones who have formed networks with other writers and photographers.” Since Great Escape Publishing began, Lori has noted trends that come and go. In the past… Travel writers and photographers were separate It wasn’t acceptable for you to pursue your passion – you were expected to have a real job Great Escape Publishing workshops gave attendees access to the professional and inside info from editors Today… Travel writers are taking photos and photographers are writing about travel Now, it is acceptable to follow your passions instead of having a “real job” Great Escape Publishing workshops still give attendees access to the professionals and inside info from the editors, but there is a new trend – an added benefit: networking among the attendees “Networking is HUGE now. We noticed this trend starting after the 2011 travel workshop in Chicago when a group of women set up a Facebook group to stay connected with other attendees for encouragement, inspiration and to share ideas. Patti Morrow and Terri Marshall were in that initial group and look at them now, they’ve got hundreds of bylines. Patti quit her job as a lobbyist, Terri quit her job as a tax accountant and they are both writing full-time.” In Podcast #23, Jeff Kontur talked about his “Italian pasta concept of experimentation,” which involves throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks. For him, most everything has stuck… Lori’s take on that – “It’s a real testament to the times that we’re in right now. Previously we didn’t have all these opportunities, you had to pick something. But that’s changing and evolving over time. Now, you can try all kinds of things and then decide what works for you.” Most importantly… Follow your heart Follow what is the most fun for you to do Or go forward with all of your options and allow yourself to be multifaceted If something doesn’t work, just go back to something else. If you’d like to learn more about Great Escape Publishing’s programs, Lori suggests starting with the travel writing program. You can find more information and a video to see if travel writing is right for you here: www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/travelwriting.
Great Escape Radio - Podcast #23: Winners quit all the time “Winners quit all the time, but they quit without fanfare. Winners are quick to realize what isn’t working for them and to move on to something else.” – Jeff Kontur If you’d like to learn more about Great Escape Publishing’s programs, Lori suggests starting with the travel writing program. You can find more information and a video to see if travel writing is for you here: www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/travelwriting. This week, host Jody Mayberry interviews Great Escape Publishing member, Jeff Kontur about his experience with GEP and their programs. GEP Director, Lori Allen introduces us to Jeff… “I first met Jeff at our DC Social Summit. This is an event we created to bring people together in the Washington DC area to help them get to know us and create networks with other writers and photographers in the DC area.” GEP members with the greatest success tend to be the ones who have formed networks with other writers and photographers. It provides a support system for encouragement and sharing ideas. Even though this was Jeff’s first live event, he had already tried several of GEP’s programs-- Leading Tours for Fun and Profit, Breakfast Stock Club, Photography and Travel Writing—and has had some success with all of them Jeff calls it his “Italian pasta concept of experimentation,” which involves throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks. For him, most everything has stuck… He’s led two tours in the last year and had some success selling his photos to a variety of markets, but he’s recently realized that travel writing is where he’d like to focus his time. He’s already had 17 articles published over 8 years and taken two press trips that were comped to Canada’s Bay of Fundy and Trinidad and Tobago, while just dabbling with writing on the side. But doing this interview has prompted him to step up his game. He says, “I’m excited to find out what will happen now that I’ve decided to take this seriously.” He offers this insight… “I think that in American culture we were all brought up with the idea that winners never quit. But it’s not true. Winners quit all the time. But they quit without fanfare. Winners will try something and see right away and see that it isn’t for them.” Because he is a bit of a dabbler, he approaches things somewhat casually, so it takes him a while to let go of things that aren’t worth his time, but he’s ready to zero in on writing now because it’s what he loves. His advice to others… “Zero in on the things you love and that you can feel passionate about. Even if something is working, be prepared to let it go in favor of something that works better.” When a lot of things work, you’re forced to narrow it down. If you’d like to learn more about Great Escape Publishing’s programs, Lori suggests starting with the travel writing program. You can find more information and a video to see if travel writing is for you here: www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/travelwriting.
Great Escape Radio - Podcast #22: The Tapestry of Success “Life is like a tapestry, on one side it’s beautiful and seamless and perfectly woven together. But when you flip it over it’s a jumble of strings. “- Metaphor inspired by Corrie Ten Boom For more information about how you can get started with travel writing, visit: www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/travelwriting. Jody Mayberry, host of Great Escape Radio, sits down with Lori Allen, Director of Great Escape Publishing, to talk about what’s really involved in finding success with travel writing, photography or any new venture. Lori tells the story of the funeral for a friend’s grandmother… “This lady was extraordinary. She was well-known and loved by her community. Her family loved her…she had lived a truly extraordinary life. In describing her the preacher said, ‘Life is like a tapestry, on one side it’s beautiful and seamless and perfectly woven together. But when you flip it over it’s a jumble of strings’ – I love that metaphor because it is true about all successful people. Celebrities look fabulous walking down the red carpet – but we don’t see the work the hair stylist, make-up artists and designers put into bringing that look together. The same is true of Great Escape Publishing workshop instructors and success stories. It’s like an iceberg… what we see is about 20 percent of what’s there, it’s the other 80 percent underneath the water that really matters.” People see the beautiful tapestry that someone has done and they want to take a short cut to get that tapestry for themselves. And while there is no substitute for hard work, you can work smarter, especially when getting started with travel writing or photography… You can… …Get feedback from a professional who is doing what you want to do …Follow the path of a professional in your chosen field Lori says, “There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. You don’t have to learn your camera and how to take better pictures all by yourself. There are classes and professionals who can help you.” And it’s always important to remember these points from past episodes… ***Happiness is found in the process of being creative – something proven in studies based on the happiness attributed to various levels of income – it’s not all about the money. ***The process of learning to create photos, write stories, and even traveling to destinations to gain perspective is what makes the journey special. ***Putting one foot in front of the other is the key to becoming successful ***It’s the journey from the start to the end that creates happiness. “Often when people look at all the things we have to offer at Great Escape Publishing and on other websites, it’s overwhelming. It’s important to remember that life is a bundle of strings. Just getting started is the key – it doesn’t matter where you end up, just do SOMETHING!” You can start creating your own tapestry today with travel writing, by visiting this link: www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/travelwriting. There you’ll find a video about Great Escape Publishing’s most successful members, how they got started and how you can model their success.
Great Escape Radio – Podcast #21: What Keeps People from Accomplishing Big Things? “One thing you have to realize is there is no such thing as failure. Failures are just road signs that lead you to more successes”. – Oprah Winfrey For more information on getting started with travel writing, go to www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/travelwriting and for information on getting started with photography, go to www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/photography. In this week’s episode, Lori Allen, Director of Great Escape Publishing, talks with Great Escape Radio host, Jody Mayberry, about what keeps people from accomplishing big things in travel writing, photography, and in life. Lori says, “We buy into this dream of becoming a travel writer or seeing our photos on a billboard or a magazine and it is that dream that helps you reach the end goal. The idea of that dream governs all of your actions.” Great Escape Publishing’s programs provide the steps to becoming a travel writer or photographer but sometimes there are things that hold people back from getting started… …Fears …Responsibilities …Monetary decisions …Personal challenges “Sometimes the step is right in front of you, but you may be confused as to how to accomplish it,” explains Lori. Lori suggest these steps for achieving goals… …When you open the door and it’s the wrong door, listen to your gut and know it isn’t a failure – it’s a road sign. …Success isn’t achieved in setting a goal, it is achieved in the ability to put one step on top of the next and when you hit a road sign, turn in the other direction and keep going. …You know what is possible for you because you’ve done it – build on that to reach your goals. Successful author and speaker, Tony Robbins says the secret to success is finding someone who is doing what you want to do and follow their lead. Great Escape Publishing has so many success stories and so many road maps…somewhere in there is your step. And as Lori says… “Don’t get so wrapped up in taking the steps that you forget to enjoy the world of travel writing and photography. Get out there, make mistakes, get messy, try new wine, meet new friends, have fun with it.” For more information on getting started with travel writing, go to www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/travelwriting and for information on getting started with photography, go to www.greatescapepublishing.com/start/photography.
GEP Podcast #15 “Planes are meant to fly – people are meant to build things.” – Lori Allen For more about how you can get started with travel writing today, visit: www.greatescapepublishing.com/travelwriting. Great Escape Radio Episode 15: It’s all about the journey This week on Great Escape Radio our host, Jody Mayberry, chats with Great Escape Director, Lori Allen, about following through on our ideas. And Lori brings up an important lesson she learned while studying for her pilot’s license… “I had this great idea to become a pilot, but the truth is I was a little scared of the plane…” Lori explains. “But my instructor always said planes are meant to fly. They aren’t meant to sit on the ground or taxi around the airport – they are built to fly.” And Lori believes the same is true of people… She says, “Planes are meant to fly and people are meant to build things.” And she sees this often in the people she works with through Great Escape Publishing. Many come to GEP as they begin retirement. They’ve spent a lifetime building a career and once that is gone they are often looking for something else to build. Building something doesn’t mean you have to start a second career working long hours as an accountant, plumber or any of the traditional jobs. It often means building something creative – like a second career as a photographer or travel writer. But it is important to also remember that what you start out thinking you want to do can change direction – it is the journey that offers the challenge. Lori offers these tips for the journey to mastery… …Start with an idea …Take one step toward your goal …Every single day take one more step toward your goal …If your direction changes, go with it “Getting started is the hardest part, but it is important to keep moving forward. And it’s also important to expect turns along the way that could lead you in another direction.” Lori has seen this with people who come to Great Escape Publishing thinking they want to be a travel writer, but then they decide it’s really photography that they love…and vice versa. “Putting one foot in front of the other allows you to deviate from your original plan and follow the detours that lead you to your destination.” While Lori never got that pilot’s license, she has no regrets. She put one foot in front of the other and that led her to Great Escape Publishing where she is building programs that inspire others. Lori’s advice to someone looking for a place to get started… “Start with travel writing. You can start where you live, you don’t need any special equipment and anyone can do it.” For more about how you can get started with travel writing today, visit: www.greatescapepublishing.com/travelwriting.
Jambeaux, everyone!!! Harambe! Welcome to another episode of the Magic Our Way podcast. We are a New Orleans based Disney fan podcast. We appreciate your listening to our show and we hope it brings a smile to your face. We also appreciate your feedback and are committed to listening to our audience. On today’s show, we have Kevin, Danny, Lee-an agent of www.magicalmomentsvacations.com, and Eli of www.ivorycomics.com. Please note: the Magic Our Way Podcast is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company or its entities. All opinions expressed therein are solely those of the Magic Our Way podcast. No animals were harmed in the making of this podcast. We have two segments for you on this episode of the Magic Our Way podcast. First up, we have our Guest Services segment in which we address comments, questions, suggestions, etc from you, the listener. On this episode, we recognize the following MOWicans. Mr. MOWnonymous Captain Stan Google Play TuneIn Radio Mad Hatter Radio Harry Bernstein Kirk Landry Rick Suero Thank you for communicating with us and we look forward to hearing from you again. Fellow MOWicans, ladies, and gentlemen!!! In the HUB, we get a chance to talk with our updated Lee!!! That’s right, we received an email saying that it was time to upgrade our Lee and, without hesitation, Kevin went ahead and did it. So, on this show, we present Lee 2.0, Mr. Lee Cockerell: Executive Vice President of Walt Disney World Operations, retired, PART DEUX. If you are not familiar with Lee Cockerell, please proceed to www.leecockerell.com. Here are some things you might be familiar with that are related to him: Disney Institute EuroDisney, aka Disneyland Paris, from 1992-1993 Walt Disney World from 1993-2006 Creating Magic... 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney He has a window on Main Street!!! and much, much MORE! The Magic Our Way boys interview him in the only way we know how, AS OURSELVES!!! We ask Lee the questions we want to know and talk about things that we want to talk about. Thankfully, Lee was very generous with his time. We look forward to one day meeting this man in person and sharing in a glass of wine and good conversation with him. It was a sincere pleasure to have been given the opportunity to speak with him (thank you Jody Mayberry) and we hope you enjoy the first half of our discussion with Lee Cockerell. Want to hear more from our Lee 2.0? Make sure you check out MOW#115, the first part!!! What did you think about our discussion? Any comments? Share them at show@magicourway.com. For more audio, video, and live content subscribe to the FREE Magic Our Way podcast. - iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, & Blubrry. Follow us at the following: Google+ - http://bit.ly/21bAfyV Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/magicourway Twitter - https://twitter.com/MagicOurWay Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/magicourway/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/magicourway/ Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/c/MagicOurWayPodcast To learn more about the show, visit http://magicourway.com Leave a VOICEMAIL or send us a TEXT at 1-815-MOWICAN (669-4226). Give us a listen, ya’ heard! Click the link to listen now. Thanks for watching and listening! -Danny, Kevin, Lee, & Eli
Think being a park ranger is about as far from the business world as you can get? Think again. Jody Maberry says the time he spent as a park ranger gave him a solid education in public relations, public speaking, negotiation, and the customer experience. He traded the cubicle for the great outdoors, got his MBA, and discovered that not only could business lesson be applied to the parks system but the parks had lessons to share with the business world too. A master storyteller, he’s the host of the Park Leaders podcast, hosts the Creating Disney Magic podcast with former Disney exec Lee Cockerell, and has recently launched the Jody Maberry Show. For help finding the work that fits you, enroll in our 8-day video course at figureitout.co!
Jambeaux, everyone!!! Harambe! Welcome to another episode of the Magic Our Way podcast. We are a New Orleans based Disney fan podcast. We appreciate your listening to our show and we hope it brings a smile to your face. We also appreciate your feedback and are committed to listening to our audience. On today’s show, we have Kevin, Danny, and Eli of www.ivorycomics.com. Please note: the Magic Our Way Podcast is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company or its entities. All opinions expressed therein are solely those of the Magic Our Way podcast. No animals were harmed in the making of this podcast. Fellow MOWicans, ladies, and gentlemen, it is a HUB show today!!! In the HUB,we get a chance to talk with our updated Lee!!! That’s right, we received an email saying that it was time to upgrade our Lee and, without hesitation, Kevin went ahead and did it. So, on this show, we present Lee 2.0, Mr. Lee Cockerell: Executive Vice President of Walt Disney World Operations, retired. If you are not familiar with Lee Cockerell, please proceed to www.leecockerell.com. Here are some things you might be familiar with that are related to him: Disney Institute EuroDisney, aka Disneyland Paris, from 1992-1993 Walt Disney World from 1993-2006 Creating Magic... 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney He has a window on Main Street!!! and much, much MORE! The Magic Our Way boys interview him in the only way we know how, AS OURSELVES!!! We ask Lee the questions we want to know and talk about things that we want to talk about. Thankfully, Lee was very generous with his time. We look forward to one day meeting this man in person and sharing in a glass of wine and good conversation with him. It was a sincere pleasure to have been given the opportunity to speak with him (thank you Jody Mayberry) and we hope you enjoy the first half of our discussion with Lee Cockerell. Want to hear more from our Lee 2.0? Stayed subscribed for part two!!! What did you think about our discussion? Any comments? Share them at magicourway@gmail.com. For more audio, video, and live content subscribe to the FREE Magic Our Way podcast. - iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, & Blubrry. Follow us at the following: Google+ - http://bit.ly/21bAfyV Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/magicourway Twitter - https://twitter.com/MagicOurWay Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/magicourway/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/magicourway/ Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/c/MagicOurWayPodcast To learn more about the show, visit http://magicourway.com Leave a VOICEMAIL or send us a TEXT at 1-815-MOWICAN (669-4226). Give us a listen, ya’ heard! Click the link to listen now. Thanks for watching and listening! -Danny, Kevin, Lee, & Eli
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