Podcast appearances and mentions of Ken Blanchard

On this episode of The Jon Gordon Podcast, I sit down with Rafi Kohan, author, cultural observer, and the mind behind Trash Talk: The Only Book About Destroying Your Rivals That Isn't Total Garbage.   What started as a casual Zoom between new friends quickly turned into a lively deep dive into the world of competitive banter, all captured here in real time. Together, Rafi and I explore the fascinating, untold science and history of trash talk. He breaks down why trash talk is more than just gamesmanship on the field, it's a fundamental part of human behavior, threaded through ancient stories from the Bible to the Homeric poems, and alive in everything from politics to playgrounds. We get into how trash talk manipulates attention, anxiety, motivation, and even performance, and why some of the world's greatest athletes and public figures use it to their advantage.   Rafi shares wild stories, including some next-level antics from a soccer goalie who turned mental distraction into an art form, reveals why even the most positive folks can't resist a little friendly ribbing (looking at you, Ken Blanchard), and reflects on how the lessons of trash talking stretch far beyond sports, touching on politics, performance, resilience, and even moral character. We also riff on modern-day masters of the craft (think Muhammad Ali to Donald Trump) and the fine line between competition that lifts us up versus rivalry that tears us down. If you've ever wondered why we talk smack, how to handle it when it happens, or what it really says about us, you'll find insight and plenty of laughs in this episode.   Whether you're a serious competitor, a sports fan, or someone who's just curious about why people do what they do, this conversation brings fresh perspective, energy, and practical takeaways on embracing pressure, building grit, and becoming the kind of rival that makes everyone better. And yes, there's a little trash talk between us too. If you want to rethink the way you handle challenges, on the court, at work, or in life, this episode is for you.   Rafi Kohan is an award-winning sports journalist and dynamic keynote speaker. He is the author, most recently, of Trash Talk: The Only Book About Destroying Your Rivals That Isn't Total Garbage, which explores the phenomenon of verbal gamesmanship in sports, and everywhere, and what it reveals about our ability to perform under pressure.    About Rafi,   Kohan's first book, The Arena, is a wide-ranging examination of the modern American sports stadium and was a finalist for the 2018 PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing. Previously, Kohan has served as deputy editor at the New York Observer and as executive editorial director for the Atlantic's creative marketing studio. His writing has appeared in numerous publications, including GQ, the New York Times, Men's Journal, Rolling Stone, and the Wall Street Journal, among many others, and his thought leadership on the surprising benefits of trash talk has been featured on Fast Company, Scientific American, NPR's Science Friday, BBC's Unexpected Elements, and Re:Thinking with Adam Grant.   Here's a few additional resources for you… Follow me on Instagram: @JonGordon11 Order my new book 'The 7 Commitments of a Great Team' today! Every week, I send out a free Positive Tip newsletter via email. It's advice for your life, work and team. You can sign up now here and catch up on past newsletters. Join me for my Day of Development! You'll learn proven strategies to develop confidence, improve your leadership and build a connected and committed team. You'll leave with an action plan to supercharge your growth and results. It's time to Create your Positive Advantage. Get details and sign up here. Do you feel called to do more? Would you like to impact more people as a leader, writer, speaker, coach and trainer? Get Jon Gordon Certified if you want to be mentored by me and my team to teach my proven frameworks principles, and programs for businesses, sports, education, healthcare!

Do you want to bring out the best in your people while also maximizing your bottom line? In this episode, former WD-40 Company CEO Garry Ridge explains how leaders can build dedicated teams and drive phenomenal success by following Aristotle's principle, “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” YOU WILL LEARN:· The ‘dumbass' leadership philosophy.· The 4 pillars of a fearless tribe.· The impact of values on organizational success. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: thelearningmoment.net “Any Dumbass Can Do It,” by Garry Ridge “Helping People Win at Work,” by Ken Blanchard and Garry Ridge “To Be Honest,” by Ron A. Carucci “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten,” by Robert FulghumNOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE: “Anything of value comes from learning.” – Garry Ridge “People are happy when they know they're making a difference and they're respected for doing that.” – Garry Ridge “Dumbassery is a superpower, and the dumbassery really is you as the leader deflating your ego and making sure your role is to bring out the best of everybody else.” – Garry Ridge “Let's get rid of the word failure, and let's talk about ‘We don't make mistakes in our organization. We have learning moments.'” – Garry Ridge “It's not about you; it's about the people you have the privilege to lead.” – Garry Ridge itsagoodlife.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this powerhouse panel hosted by Faith Crosgrove and Alex Chrisman, real estate leaders Katie O'Keefe and Carlos Pichardo reveal the secrets behind building a thriving referral-based real estate business. From the value of community involvement to the role of CRMs, events, and digital tools, this episode is packed with actionable advice for agents at every stage. Whether you're new to the industry or ready to scale your brokerage, you'll learn exactly how to deepen relationships and keep referrals flowing.   What you'll learn from this episode Strategies to build trust through consistent client engagement and value-driven follow-up Why community involvement and charity events generate long-term referrals The art of asking for business without sounding salesy Tech tools, CRMs, and AI platforms that keep you top of mind How to future-proof your business in a rapidly changing real estate landscape   Resources mentioned in this episode Business Network International ChatGPT Homebot myhomeIQ Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles | Paperback and Hardcover The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller | Paperback and Kindle   About Katie O'KeefeKatie O'Keefe, owner and broker of Dream Realty, has been helping buyers and sellers achieve their real estate goals for over 20 years. With a passion for people and a deep understanding of the market, Katie specializes in making the buying or selling process enjoyable, empowering, and far less overwhelming. Her boutique approach allows for exceptional service and competitive commission rates, all while turning clients into lifelong friends.   About Carlos PichardoCarlos Pichardo is the broker-owner of CAP Real Estate in the DMV area, DC, Maryland, Virginia, and an expert in referral growth, client education, and first-time homebuyer programs. With a background in telecom and a strong reputation for service, Carlos has become the go-to agent for multigenerational families.   Connect with Katie Website: Dream Realty LinkedIn: Katie O Keefe   Connect with Carlos Website: CAP Real Estate, LLC LinkedIn: Carlos Pichardo   Connect With UsLove what you're hearing? Don't miss an episode! Follow us on our social media channels and stay connected. Explore more on our website: www.alltechnational.com/podcast Stay updated with our newsletter: www.mochoumil.com Follow Mo on LinkedIn: Mo Choumil Stop waiting on underwriter emails or callbacks—TitleGPT.ai gives you instant, reliable answers to your title questions. Whether it's underwriting, compliance, or tricky closings, the information you need is just a click away. No more delays—work smarter, close faster. Try it now at www.TitleGPT.ai. Closing more deals starts with more appointments. At Alltech National Title, our inside sales team works behind the scenes to fill your pipeline, so you can focus on building relationships and closing business. No more cold calling—just real opportunities. Get started at AlltechNationalTitle.com. Extra hands without extra overhead—that's Safi Virtual. Our trained virtual assistants specialize in the title industry, handling admin work, client communication, and data entry so you can stay focused on closing deals. Scale smarter and work faster at SafiVirtual.com.

Brian has worked in book publishing, public relations, and marketing for three decades, having helped thousands of authors, from first-time, self-published writers to New York Times best-selling authors, including Dr. Ruth, Stephen Covey, Ken Blanchard, Mark Victor Hansen, and Comedian George Wallace, . A published author and an award-winning blogger (http://www.bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com), Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, he now resides in Westchester, NY.

What if better leadership could start with just one minute?In this solo episode of The Landscaper's Guide, Jack Jostes unpacks his top takeaways from Ken Blanchard's The New One Minute Manager. It's a tiny book with immense value, especially for landscaping company owners who are training managers, growing their team, and trying to get better results without micromanaging.Jack shares how he's using this framework at Ramblin Jackson to train middle managers, increase clarity, and scale more smoothly.Here's what you'll learn:⏱️ The “one-minute goals” approach to getting aligned on weekly expectations

In this episode, join host Tiana Zhao, FSA, CERA, to explore the principles of “The New One Minute Manager” by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson.

I met Robert Lorenzo Lee through my membership program (which you should be a part of!). As soon as we started talking, I knew I wanted to more of his story. This dude has multiple restaurants under his belt in different categories of culinary delights. You gotta listen to this one if you're in the food biz or if you just want to hear an amazing story.   Things mentioned in the show: Travis Peters- https://increaseministries.com/  How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie- https://amzn.to/42zic9c  Ken Blanchard- https://amzn.to/4jfB97C  Twelve o'Clock High (movie)- https://amzn.to/3G1nvq2    --- Check out Dr. Dave's Streams of Income at: www.drdavidpowers.com   www.instagram.com/drdavidpowers  www.youtube.com/@streamsofincomebydrdave  --- Join the Streams of Income community at www.facebook.com/groups/streamsofincomedream  --- Check out Passive Income Engines to find your own Streams of Income at www.SelfCoachYourself.com --- Check out my best-selling books: Rapid Skill Development 101- https://amzn.to/3J0oDJ0 Streams of Income with Ryan Reger- https://amzn.to/3SDhDHg Strangest Secret Challenge- https://amzn.to/3xiJmVO --- This page contains affiliate links. This means that if you click a link and buy one of the products on this page, I may receive a commission (at no extra cost to you!) This doesn't affect our opinions or our reviews. Everything we do is to benefit you as the reader, so all of our reviews are as honest and unbiased as possible. --- #passiveincome #sidehustle #cryptocurrency #richlife

Within teams, organizations, and interpersonal relationships, creating an environment in which everyone feels free to express their ideas and opinions is crucial for achieving optimal results. However, people often hesitate to say what's really on their minds, particularly if they believe that it may conflict with widely held views or expectations. The key to communicating more skillfully lies in finding your authentic voice, or the one that supports who you need to be in order to best serve a situation.  As the founder of Abella Consulting and Say It Skillfully Inc., Molly Tschang empowers senior management teams to win as one. With expertise in over 80 mergers and acquisitions, she has guided executives through the intricate human dynamics of transformational change and growth. Molly hosts the popular Say It Skillfully podcast and video series, and is a TEDx speaker and member of Marshall Goldsmith's 100 Coaches. She serves on the boards of several privately held companies and the Cornell Engineering College Council, and is a strong advocate of social enterprise. Molly's first book with co-author Marshall Goldsmith, forwarded by Ken Blanchard, is titled, “Say It Skillfully: Speak Up. Make Your Words Matter. Win Together.” Her mission is to ensure that everyone is seen, heard, and understood to work better, work together, and drive real impact. In Episode 230 of The Mindset Game® podcast, Molly discusses the following: Common fears that may prevent people from speaking up, and actionable strategies for overcoming them A framework for getting grounded within yourself to identify who you authentically need to be in a given situation, tuning into others to see how they may be experiencing the situation, and coming together as a team in order to have more constructive conversations Practical tips for enhancing your communication skills — particularly when navigating challenging conversations To download Molly's mini-audiobook, “Say It Skillfully: The Me-You-We Framework,” visit https://sayitskillfully.zoundy.com/me-you-we, or visit https://www.sayitskillfully.com to access her other resources.  To learn more about The Mindset Game® podcast, visit www.TheMindsetGame.com. To subscribe to The Mindset Game® podcast or leave a review, please visit https://apple.co/3oAnR8I. 

Ronald A. Alexander, PhD, MFT, SEP (Somatic Experiencing Practitioner) is a Creativity and Communication Consultant, and an Executive and Leadership Coach, with a private psychotherapy practice working with individuals, couples, families, and groups in Santa Monica, California. He is the Executive Director of the OpenMind® Training Institute, a leading-edge organization that offers personal and professional training programs in core creativity, mind-body therapies, transformational leadership, and mindfulness meditation. For more than forty-four years, Alexander has been a trainer of healthcare professionals in North America, as well as in Europe, Russia, Japan, China, and Australia. As a Mindfulness and Zen Buddhist practitioner, he specializes in utilizing mindfulness meditation in his professional and corporate work to help people transform their lives by accessing the mind states that open the portal to their core creativity.Alexander is a leading pioneer in the fields of Mindfulness Based Mind-Body Therapies, Gestalt Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, Ericksonian Mind-Body Therapies, Holistic Psychology, and Integrative and Behavioral Medicine. He is a long-time extension faculty member of the UCLA Departments of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Entertainment, a lecturer in the David Geffen School of Medicine, and an adjunct faculty member at Pacifica Graduate Institute and Pepperdine Universities. Alexander received his SEP Certificate from the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute in Boulder Colorado. He consulted with and received treatment from Milton H Erickson MD. He personally trained with Ernest Rossi and Steven Gilligan in Ericksonian Hypnotherapy as well as with Daniel P. Brown of the Harvard Medical Cambridge Hospital professional training's seminars in hypnosis and hypno-analysis. He trained with and was certified by the Los Angeles Gestalt Therapy Institute and with Erving and Miriam Polster PhD of the Gestalt Training Center of La Jolla. He also received training and supervision in Contemporary Gestalt and Family Therapies, Psychoanalytic Self-Psychology, Relational and Object Relations Therapies.Dr. Ronald Alexander, PhD is a leading Creativity and Communication Coach, International Clinical Trainer, Executive and Leadership Coach, with a private practice in Santa Monica, California. He is the originator of the OpenMind Training® Institute, a leading edge organization that offers personal and professional training programs in mindfulness based mind-body therapies, transformational leadership, and meditation. His unique method combines ancient wisdom teachings with Leadership Coaching and Core Creativity into a comprehensive integrated, behaviorally effective mind-body program. This system combines techniques that support strategies of personal, clinical, and corporate excellence and growth.Alexander's extensive training includes core creativity, conflict management, Gestalt therapy, leadership and organizational development, and vision and strategic planning. He pioneered the early values and vision-based models for current day leadership and professional coaching. He specializes in Mind-Body therapies and has been studying and teaching Mindfulness Meditation, Creative Visualization and Transpersonal Psychology since 1970. Alexander studied with and was influenced by noted leaders in these fields such as Ken Blanchard, Werner Erhard, Warren Bennis, Umberto Materana and Francesco Variela, and was one of the grandfathers of coaching along with Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins and Jack Canfield.To learn more about Dr. Ron and his work, visithttps://ronaldalexander.com

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Episode #625: Anthony Consigli - Digging Graves, Playing Football at Harvard, Learning From Failure, Taking Big Chances, & Growing a Business From $3 Million to $4 Billion Anthony's great-grandfather came from Italy and he was a stone mason. He had 6 sons. He gave each a trade. His grandfather had a business mind. Then WWII came. 4 brothers went and fought. His grandfather and blind uncle stayed back to run the business. He brought his son into it (Anthony's dad) he was a heavy equipment operator. And did business leadership work after it. Hard Work: Born in 1967, 2nd oldest of 5 kids. Grew up in the 1970's remembering his dad always working 2 jobs including Saturdays as a heavy equipment operator in construction with side jobs at night, his mom as a night nurse with his grandmother watching them during the day. Hard work and work ethic were drilled into them by their dad, grandfather, and uncles who all were in construction. All had stoic personalities. Anthony started working full-time in the Summer, Saturdays, and school vacations in the 7th grade when he was 12. Cleaning the mortar off bricks from demolished buildings so that they could be reused, then digging and covering graves by hand at a bunch of local cemeteries.  Chopping wood and burning the rubber off electrical wire from demolished buildings so we could bring the copper to the scrap yard for cash. It was not your typical childhood but I can see now it gave me incredible life lessons at an early age that allowed me to flourish in business and be a strong leader. Anthony was a gravedigger -I was a big part of the business because it was a consistent revenue stream. Regardless of a recession, people were going to die. For that reason, his dad and grandfather never wanted to give it up. Anthony dug them by hand, year-round. When I was in high school I was in charge of laying out the graves to be dug for the recently deceased. As the Catholic Church was not known for great record keeping the coordinates were often confused. I would cut the sod, save it and then start digging; 7.5' long, 4 foot wide, about 5.5'deep. I had to take 22 wheelbarrows of dirt and wheel them up a plank onto a truck as that was the displacement from the coffin and concrete box. One night the phone rang at the house. My dad yelled at me to tell me I had buried the body in the wrong place. He may have had a few expletives in there. The next morning, I spent the day digging a new hole, moving the box to the new grave, and then filling in both graves while the family watched. I tried blaming the priest but this was a losing battle. Lessons like this taught us accountability. Own it. Do what you say you are going to do and clean up your own messes. Dump Truck Story - When I was 14  I was helping to demolish the interiors of an old convent and we were throwing all the old cinder blocks into a dump truck. My grandfather didn't have anyone available to go dump the truck so he showed me the different lever and buttons; the clutch, the PTO, and gears, and told me where to go dump the truck. I knew a little about how to drive standard but had never driven a dump truck so he told me to leave it in first gear. I drove down the Main Street of the town with a long line of traffic behind me as I was going about 5 miles per hour. I got to the dump site, got the truck in position, enacted the PTO let my foot off the clutch, and got the dump body to start raising. I remember being so proud of myself. Like I had made it as a man. All of a sudden the truck jerked up violently and before I knew what happened the truck cab was in the air and the truck was upright vertically. I had forgotten to open the tailgate so the load had shifted and flipped the truck. There were no cell phones so I walked about a mile back to the site very embarrassed to call my grandfather. Construction has no shortage of occasions to be humbled as there are so many changing dynamics at hand all the time. But at the same time, being thrown into situations like this gave me this incredible tolerance for risk.  It was embarrassing but you could overcome that embarrassment. 1997 - Anthony became the CEO. $3m business at that time. Anthony pushed for bigger work. 25 people at the company then. 2024 - $3.4B 2,400 employees. What happened? One big thing is a concept/book called Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard. Construction at the time was low bid, hard knuckles, people flipping the table, throw staplers. It wasn't friendly. It started to get more professional over time. “Raving fans makes sense to me. Apply how you treat people in hospitality to construction. We work hard on client service skills. Being really professional. There is so much repeat business. That was harder than I expected it to be. Clients were rewarding us work over and over again. We were nice people to deal with. Raving fans stayed with us. We've done a lot of jobs at Harvard or hospital systems. We've earned that reputation. I came into the business during a bad recession. That bruised me. I had to tell people I couldn't pay them. I worried about where money would come from.” The significance of their logo? The arch… The Arch is our logo and helps support these values. The arch is from the oldest surviving picture of our great grandfather who was a simple, hardworking, stone mason building this big stone arch. The arch denotes teamwork as you can't do it alone. It symbolizes forward progress, quality, and craft. All stuff we want to be associated with. Take Big Chances – We got through the first recession knowing we needed to be larger to be able to withstand the ups and downs of the economic cycle. We started taking some chances on some larger jobs with more demanding clients which was extremely stressful as we had no idea what we were doing. It was new territory.  This is where all the humbling experiences as a kid like digging graves helped as it gave me the courage to take some risks.  Failure isn't final and you can push through mistakes.  Football at Harvard - Learned more on the football field than in any classroom. Discipline to a process. All the players at Harvard are there for the love of the game. I was admitted to Harvard with OK grades, but I could snap a football and block.  I was surprised at the time Harvard accepted me.  Looking back on it now, I should have been shocked as I was a meathead.   At the same time, I think my blue-collar work history in a small family business, my being an Eagle Scout, and generally smart kid all helped. Harvard changed me in good ways despite my best efforts not to let Harvard change me in bad ways.  I had this perception of blue-blood kids walking around with ascots and monocles or hippies protesting every earthly transgression on the planet.  But that is not what I found.  I made the best friends of my life; incredible diversity with kids from every socio-economic strata you could think of.  Our team had a kid who was in an LA street gang and a kid who worked summers second shift in a limestone mill outside of Pittsburgh yet at the same time had a kid who was fifth generation Harvard who was just a nice guy.  Really smart but normal kids.  As much as I didn't want to change, I needed to change; be more open-minded, more curious, have better dressing and grooming habits, and manners. It meant being able to engage in meaningful conversation on heady topics; not Hulk Hogan and the WWF or how tough Chuck Norris was.  I would always say that I didn't learn much in the classroom at Harvard but that's not fair.  Liberal arts education is a bit under fire right now but it has served me well.  I learned more through exposure to different people, other students smarter than me who were in random conversations and late-night debates. I learned more on the football field as I learned more about resilience, how to lose, and how to prepare.  The liberal arts education gave me an appreciation for continued curiosity, learning, and study which may be a more important skill than any in a fast-changing world.  It was the well-roundedness I needed. Leadership in Construction - Leadership means different things to different people. It can be easy in some settings. In football, all the players wanted to play. For a job site in South Boston, you walk onto a job site, you have 300-400 that don't want to be there, some don't speak English, then we get a union group, or an architect has other ideas, then traffic, weather, and things you can't control. It's hard for a leader to keep everybody working in the same direction. That's a huge leadership task. I was thinking about that. A construction superintendent at 6 am is thinking about all of this stuff.  What makes someone good at that job? Sense of urgency, align and motivate hundreds of people, great planners, organized. Had a former Marine Vietnam Seargent who was great. A gym teacher who's awesome, he's in NYC with a job several city blocks. High sense of urgency, detail-oriented, motivates and aligns people. We do personality testing, and we've got a lot of people who are lower A and just as successful as higher A personalities. Such team players. Can put a team together. We like people who have played sports. Hiking – About 12 years ago, Anthony, his brother, son, and a few guys went out to hike a 10,000-footer in Colorado.  They met their guide who was this little, old dude who looked like he smoked pot fairly regularly.  As they looked to get started, Anthony asked him for the trail map and he said he didn't have one.  “How do you know how to get to the top?" He pointed to the top of the mountain and said “It's right up there, we just need to keep going up." But when they were at the top, Anthony realized it was just an analogy for their business. We just needed to keep taking one more step up. ESOP - Consigli implemented an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) to make the company entirely employee-owned, fostering a culture of accountability, shared responsibility, and pride among their teammates, where employees directly benefit from the company's success and feel a stronger sense of ownership in decision-making; essentially, it aimed to create a more engaged and motivated employee base by giving them a stake in the company's performance.

Garry Ridge served as Chairman and CEO of WD-40 Company for 25 years. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of San Diego, where he teaches the principles and practices of corporate culture in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership program. His newest book is “Any Dumbass Can Do It.”Garry's philosophy on company culture is based on Aristotle's quote – “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” Turning that into action, he believes that all leaders can create a workplace where you go to work each day, make a contribution to something bigger than yourself, learn something new, feel safe, are protected, and are provided freedom by a set of values and go home happy!He is passionate about the learning and empowering organizational culture he has helped establish at the WD-40 Company. In 2009, he co-authored a book with Ken Blanchard outlining his effective leadership techniques, titled “Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy Called ‘Don't Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A.” A native of Australia, Mr. Ridge holds a certificate in Modern Retailing and a Master of Science in Executive Leadership from the University of San Diego. www.thelearningmoment.net

Mentors. Chances are slim you have someone who really fills the role. These days people will tend to cite their favorite authors and philosophers and influences as their mentors. And to that degree, I'd say that almost everyone in my life “mentors” me, as I learn from everyone. But I really define a mentor as someone who literally knows you and is invested in helping guide you. We used to have this in families where we lived in a village and closely amongst family and friends. We had grandparents, aunts and uncles and even neighbors who were truly involved in our lives. Today, we are isolated. A few years ago I sat down with Ken Blanchard, famous business and personal leader. Ken authored The One Minute Manager which is a business classic and has sold more than 15 million copies. But this conversation wasn't about management. It was about mentoring. Ken became the mentor for Claire Diaz-Ortiz, who is an author, speaker and innovation advisor who was an early employee at Twitter. She was named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company and called “The Woman Who Got the Pope on Twitter.” Clair  is an award-winning author of eight books that have been published in more than a dozen countries. But the story here is Ken became a mentor to Claire, and together they co-authored a book titled, One Minute Mentoring: How to Find and Work With a Mentor - and Why You'll Benefit from Being One. Ken asked Claire to do this book with him because he not only personally mentors her, but she in turn mentors him in regards to the younger generation. It makes an incredibly valuable perspective on the need, value and opportunity of mentoring. I bring this back because at the age of 53, I found a true mentor in my life, and it has been transformational.  My core devotion is to finding deep fulfillment in life, and helping others find find it as well. When I'm not on this microphone I'm working with people as a life coach and often applying what fulfills them into their work and business. Connect with me at kevinmiller.co or email me at kmiller@kevinmiller.co. Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Use my promo code WHATDRIVESYOU for 10% off on any CleanMyMac's subscription plans Join millions of Americans reaching their financial goals—starting at just $3/month! Get $25 towards your first stock purchase at get.stash.com/DRIVE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What you focus on is what you get more of." - Cindy Zurchin In this episode, host Ana Melikian speaks with Dr. Cindy Zurchin, a visionary leader with over 30 years of experience in transforming workplace culture, about the power of creating fun and thriving work environments. Cindy enlightens us on how incorporating trust, positivity, and innovation into workplace culture can lead to enhanced productivity and satisfaction. Ana and Cindy delve into the challenges many face in traditional toxic workspaces and the steps one can take to shift from a culture of negativity to one of encouragement and growth. Cindy shares her own journey from adopting a tough management style to embracing servant leadership, highlighting the significance of building a people-centric organization. She presents her proven strategies encapsulated in the "Raise the BAR" initiative, focusing on Building trust, Activating positivity, and Redirecting mistakes. Listeners will gain valuable insights on how to initiate positive changes in their environments, from small business settings to large organizations, and the importance of recognition and gratitude in cultivating a healthy work culture. Motivation, acknowledgment, and the implementation of servant leadership are at the core of Cindy's approach, promising not only improved business outcomes but also a more fulfilling professional life. Let's dive in! This week on the MINDSET ZONE: 00:00 Recognizing Employees: The Power of Acknowledgment 00:28 Introduction to the Mindset Zone 01:06 Meet Cindy Surgeon: Transforming Workplace Culture 01:29 The Vision of a Fun Workplace 04:25 Understanding Toxic Workplaces 06:04 Cindy's Personal Journey in Leadership 12:17 From Toxic to Thriving: Real-Life Transformations 15:18 Raise the BAR: Building Trust and Positivity 18:23 Advice for Leaders: Changing Toxic Work Cultures 24:47 Conclusion: Creating a Thriving Work Culture About The Guest Dr. Cindy Zurchin has over 30 years of leadership experience as a motivational speaker, trainer, and author. She earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership from Duquesne University and has additional certifications from prestigious programs such as “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” and “Leading Change.”  Cindy has held various educational leadership positions, including Teacher, Principal, and Superintendent, overseeing a $62 million budget and 500 staff members. She transformed a struggling school into a nationwide success by applying the leadership principles detailed in her book, “The Whale Done! School,” co-authored with Ken Blanchard. Her signature approach focuses on fostering vibrant school environments for students, teachers, and parents.  As a consultant for the Blanchard Institute, Cindy collaborated with educators and parents nationwide, building trust in school communities, particularly in California, where her models gained rapid acceptance. She has been featured in Principal Magazine and TribLive.com.  Cindy is currently the CEO of her consulting firm. She resides in Pittsburgh with her husband, John, and is a proud mother of two grown sons. She advocates for trust, resilience, and success through strategic action. Connect with: Linkedin.com/in/cindyzurchin/ drcindyzurchin.com Resources: Book: The Whale Done! School: Transforming a School's Culture by Catching Students Doing Things Right Related Content: Expand What's Possible

In this first part of a two-part series, Mike and Kristen dive into Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara. While it might not seem like a traditional leadership book at first glance, it's packed with lessons for anyone serving customers or managing teams. Mike brings a unique perspective to this discussion, having spent 17 years in the restaurant industry before transitioning to senior living. He shares personal insights about the intense world of restaurants, where excellence isn't just encouraged—it's demanded every single day. The conversation weaves through Guidara's journey from young food runner to co-owner of one of the world's most celebrated restaurants, revealing how exceptional service can transform not just businesses, but the lives of everyone they touch.Highlights:Service vs. hospitality: service is the technical side while hospitality is about making people feel cared for"Enlightened Hospitality" prioritizes employees over guests and investors"Grace notes" are small unexpected gestures that elevate the hospitality experienceLanguage creates culture through phrases like "constant gentle pressure" and "be the swan"The "Rule of 95/5": manage 95% of budget responsibly to allow 5% for "foolish spending" that enhances experiencesWill's 30-minute daily meetings transformed restaurant culture by creating consistency and celebrating winsLeaders should give more praise than criticism and address issues immediatelyDifferent approaches are needed for employees who are trying versus those who aren'tHospitality applies beyond restaurants—three-quarters of GDP comes from service industriesLinks & Resources Mentioned:Unreasonable Hospitality by Will GuidaraKitchen Confidential by Anthony BourdainJiro Dreams of Sushi (film)The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson The Bear (TV show)Get your FREE 5 Day Leadership Reset Challenge guide here: https://llpod.link/challengePodcast Website: www.loveandleadershippod.comInstagram: @loveleaderpodFollow us on LinkedIn!Kristen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenbsharkey/ Mike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-s-364970111/Learn more about Kristen's leadership coaching and facilitation services: http://www.emboldify.com

Este podcast es sobre algo que para mi es clave en el ejercicio del liderazgo y de cualquier emprendedor que quiera brindar un servicio o producto extraordinario en este mundo: pedir feedback, preguntarle a quienes nos rodean qué creen que estamos haciendo bien y qué creen que deberíamos mejorar. ¿Hay que pedirle feedback a todos? ¿Cómo hacerlo de la mejor manera? Estos fueron los principales temas del episodio: 01:13- Ejemplo del escalador 01:55- Algunos consejos para dar feedback 03:25- Consejos para recibir feedback05:40- Criterios a tener en cuenta para dar feedback06:59- Conclusiones finalesAbrazá un propósito. ¡Desafía al mundo e inspirá a otros!Recordá que si querés enviarnos tus preguntas, consultas o sugerencias podés hacerlo a podcast@emprendeconproposito.com.arTambién podés seguirnos en las otras redes:Web: emprendeconproposito.com.ar IG: @sebasosaemprende YT: Emprende con propósito Te dejo algunas ideas principales el podcast por si querés guardarte un resumen: “El feedback es el desayuno de los campeones”, como dice Ken Blanchard. Pero muchas veces el feedback es difícil de dar y difícil de recibir. Es algo que buscos practicar con Dotti y que creo que quienes trabajan a nuestro lado sienten y notan que somos de pedir feedback. ¿Alguna vez te preguntaste cómo uno sabe cómo mejorar? ¿Qué tiene que mejorar? Esta es una de las respuestas: el feedback.Una investigación de The Psychology of Optimal Experience 1990 señala que el mejor feedback es el que se da inmediato. En el libro de Henry cloud, “The power of the others” hay un capítulo que habla de este tema. En ese capítulo el autor termina por deducir que el cerebro necesita saber cómo le está yendo para adaptarse y hacerlo mejor. Algunos tips para pedir feedback: No esperar ver a alguien fracasar dar una opinión, hacerlo en el momento, mientras el emprendedor todavía puede adaptarse. Para que el feedback sea útil, tiene que ser bueno. Esa persona que te da el feedback, tiene que ser tu aliada y sobre todo debe querer que te vaya bien. Para lograr que nos den feedback hay que ser VULNERABLE, sino la gente tampoco quiere darnos su opinión. Si te hablan y no escuchás, en algún momento van a dejar de hacerlo. ¿Cómo deben ser las personas a las que les pedimos feedback? Tienen que preocuparse por nosotros, tienen que ser  honestas y tienen que tener ganas de que nosotros solucionemos nuestros problemas. No deben ser hirientes en la forma en la que dan esa devolución. Como recibidores de ese feedback, debemos estar abiertos y entrenados, escuchar y asimilar lo que nos dicen para desarrollar el autocontrol que conduce a un gran crecimiento. “No podemos cambiar lo que no sabemos que necesitamos cambiar”. Según Henry Cloud, cuando recibimos feedback una dosis de adrenalina inunda nuestro cerebro, produciendo ansiedad y literalmente nos quedamos en blanco. Siempre que estamos en modo de lucha o huida, no podemos absorber comentarios y mejorar nuestro autocontrol y aprendizaje. Para aprender y crecer, tenemos que aceptar los comentarios. El cerebro necesita mucho amor, seguridad y buenos sentimientos para poder manejar las entradas negativas y usarlas. Es importante recordar esto cuando estás recibiendo comentarios, pero también es fundamental si sos vos quien los da. #feedback #devolucion #equipo #trabajoenequipo #aliados #emprenderacompañado #emprenderenequipo #elpoderdelotro #henrycloud

Often I tell you about guests I first met at the podcast event known as Podapalooza. This time we have another such guest. He is Jessper Maquindang. He tells us that, although he doesn't remember the event, his mother tells him that at the age of five he told her that when he grew up he wanted to be a leader. He tells us that he always had a fascination for leaders and the study of leadership. When he attended USC he attained an Executive Master's degree in leadership. Jessper was born and raised in California and lives in the state today.   Since graduating he has experienced observing and working in large and small companies. A number of years ago he formed his own consulting company, FamiLEAD  Management Consulting.   During our episode Jessper and I talk a great deal about leadership. He describes what makes a good leader in today's corporate and thriving world. His observations and lessons are quite poignant and I would say relevant to all of us. Jessper discusses how leadership has evolved and how today good leaders consciously work to build solid teams and spend much less time bossing people around and flaunting their power.   Another fact about Jessper is that he grew up with Asthma. Even so, he worked through the condition and today has run a number of full marathons. He also loves to travel and has visited all fifty states in the U.S.   Clearly Jessper is quite unstoppable and as you listen to our conversation he will tell you how you can become more unstoppable too.       About the Guest:   Jessper Maquindang, a seasoned leader with a rich experience spanning over 12 years, is the owner of FamiLEAD Management Consulting, helping leaders and managers build effective teams. His leadership journey is marked by his commitment to fostering workplace cultures that champion collaboration and innovation. Driven by a passion for creative brainstorming and continuous improvement, Jessper is always on the lookout for fresh ideas and novel approaches.   As an alumnus of the University of Southern California, Jessper holds an Executive Master's Degree in Leadership.  His leadership impact has been recognized with the “40 Under Forty” award in Santa Clarita Valley, a testament to his significant contributions to the community.   Jessper's influence extends beyond his immediate professional sphere. Jessper has served on the executive board of JCI USA (Junior Chamber International, USA), a national organization dedicated to providing leadership development opportunities for young people. He continues to guide future leaders as a mentor at his alma mater, the University of Southern California. Jessper has also served on the boards of an advanced Toastmasters club and the Southern California chapter of the National Speakers Association (NSA SoCal).   When he's not leading teams or coaching leaders, Jessper immerses himself in training for marathons, delving into business books, and traveling around the country. In spite of growing up with asthma, Jessper has become a 15-time marathon runner. His story is one of passion, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.   Ways to connect with Jessper:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmaquindang Website: https://www.famileadconsulting.com Jessper's personal story: https://signalscv.com/2024/07/once-an-asthma-victim-now-a-marathon-runner/   About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/   https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, a pleasant hello to you, wherever you happen to be today. Welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected, which is more fun. Meet I am your host. Mike Hingson, we're really glad that you're here with us today and today, well, we're going to what, what has to be a California podcast, because our guest jes Jessper Maquindang is from California. He's a USC graduate. So was my wife. He lives in Santa Clarita, so he's over the mountains from where we live. He has degrees in leadership. He's a marathon runner, and that, after a story that he'll tell you in just a little bit growing up, had some challenges regarding that, but nevertheless, he is here, and we're here, and we're glad that all of you are here with us. So Jessper, welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're really glad you're here. Michael,   Jessper Maquindang ** 02:22 thank you for having me. I'm excited to join you today. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 02:26 glad you're really here. Well, why don't we start by you telling us a little bit about kind of the early Jessper growing up and all that sort of thing. Absolutely,   Jessper Maquindang ** 02:34 it starts with a memory, and a memory from my mother, and she shared it a few years ago, and I myself don't remember that memory myself, but she told me when I was about five or six, I went up to her and said, When I grow up, I want to be a leader. When I grow up, I want to be a leader. Now, when you think about it, it sounds really neat for a five or six year old to want to be a leader when they grow up, but when you reflect deeply, what does a five or six year old know about leadership? It's such an advanced topic for someone that age, I might as well said mom, when I grow up, I want to study microeconomics, but that was my journey. I don't remember that memory, but she had shared it with me a few years ago, but I realized over the years, various leadership opportunities just fell into my lap. I remember at a young age, serving the community, volunteering that was ingrained within me so supporting nonprofits as I grew older. When I went to college, I was involved in extracurricular activities such as student government and new student orientation. And after I graduated, I landed in a travel company where I was promoted to a supervisory role, where I did get first hand experience in leading a team. And then over the years, I was just so inspired by what I did, I went back to school, went to USC for my Executive Master's degree in leadership, learn more about those best practices in the field. And after I graduated, I landed in a fortune 500 management development program where I had the opportunity to get a peek of what the operations look like for a larger company, and I can take those insights and pretty much share them anywhere. But overall, just looking at my background and the experiences that I've gained over the years, I've come to learn that leadership is really that opportunity to learn and grow from your experiences and share that experience with others. So I would say that's the early journey of the younger Jasper McCune,   Michael Hingson ** 04:50 well, certainly relevant by any standard. I I love talking about leadership. I've been very deeply involved. With it most of my life, starting in sales and then sales management and owning my own company and being a senior manager for other companies as well. And one of the things that I love to say is and I've read about leaders, and I've read books about leadership and studied them and so on, but I love to say that I have learned more about leadership and teamwork and trust and motivation from working with eight guide dogs than I've ever learned from Ken Blanchard and Tony Robbins and all those folks, because it becomes very personal and the additional challenge that someone like I have is that I work with and build a team with someone who doesn't speak the same language I do. And we have to learn to communicate, and we have to learn to build trust. The value is and the the wonderful part of it is working with dogs, they're more open to trust than we tend to be, and so I can see how to develop a trusting relationship and then make it happen. Dogs love unconditionally, I do believe that, but they don't trust unconditionally. And I was even asked yesterday, how long does it take to really develop a good, strong relationship with your guide dogs? And I'd say it takes a good year to truly develop the seamless, teaming relationship that one wants, and it takes a lot of work. So I stand by I learn more from dogs than I have from other sources. Michael, that   Jessper Maquindang ** 06:40 is such an interesting insight. I didn't even think about the leadership connection between dog and humans, and when you brought that up, that gave me another perspective to think about.   Michael Hingson ** 06:52 And well, the the issue is that the purpose of a guide dog is to make sure that we walk safely. It's my job to know where to go and how to get there. So we each have a job to do, and our jobs, although they interrelate, are different, and so someone has to be the leader of the team. And dogs really want us to be the leaders. They look to us. They recognize that value when we carry it out. Well, it works in a wonderful way. So for me, working with a guide dog and developing that relationship means that I need to be confident and tell the dog what I want the dog to do, like turn left, right, go forward, or whatever, and also recognize that the dog has some authority to do things such as, let's say we're at a street corner and I suddenly tell the dog to go forward, and the dog doesn't go. I need to respect the fact that there's probably a reason that the dog didn't go. That is to say, very rarely do guide dogs really get distracted. And when they do get distracted, I mean, if a bird flies right in front of their nose, they're going to see it, but I can tell that, and I know what's happening. But primarily, when a dog doesn't do what I expect it to do, it's because of a service called Intelligent Disobedience. That is to say, the dog has the authority not to do what I want if it feels it's going to put us in danger. So I'm at the street corner and I tell the dog to go forward, and the dog won't go probably today, that is because there's a quiet car or hybrid vehicle coming down the road, and I don't hear it, but the dog sees it, and the dog going, on, I'm not going to get out there and get either of us hit, and they have the authority to do that. So as I said, we each have a job to do in the process, and we have to carry out those those processes well. And the dog looks to Me for guidance, to know when it's doing its job well. And likewise, I have to observe the dog communicate with the dog when the dog's not feeling well, or feeling unhappy, or whatever. I'm the one that has to interpret that and act as the team leader, the confess II, the spiritual guide, if you will, for the for the team, and so many other things. And there is also so much to learn from working with dogs like dogs don't do, what if, when a dog works or does whatever it does, is doing it in the moment. So dogs don't do a lot of what if, hence, they don't tend to have the same kind of fears that we do, because we What if everything, and we never seem to learn how to be introspective and recognize that we should really only worry about the things that we can control and stop worrying about everything else, because it's not going to do us any good. And so we worry about everything. And we develop so many fears that really are a problem. I talk about that in the new book that's that I've written, called Live like a guide dog. It's all about learning to control fear, but it's about the lessons I learned in that regard from eight dogs. And it is fascinating. Yeah, there's a lot to learn from dogs, if we would, but try   Jessper Maquindang ** 10:21 very great insight and leadership well, so you wanted   Michael Hingson ** 10:25 to be a leader from five or six years old, and you obviously did things to kind of make that happen or get attracted to it. So tell me about when you went to USC or your college days, and how did leadership interact or become a part of what you did there? That's   Jessper Maquindang ** 10:46 right. So when I went to USC, I wanted to learn more about the field, because when I was a supervisor at my first job, I had the opportunity to really learn what works and what doesn't work, and I wanted to expand on that. And when I was at USC, we were reading books from such great authors like Marshall Goldsmith, other sources that give us another perspective of what leadership really means. And in today's world, we've moved on from traditional leadership, where you see a manager being very demanding and showing high levels of authority. We want to moved on to that today, leadership is more about empathy and really supporting the growth and development of the people that work for you, the people that report to you. It's all about making sure as a team, we're all working together to achieve our goals, instead of having one person send their demands and expect everyone to follow those days are not effective today and as we move forward into the future, what I've learned about leadership, and especially at USC, leadership, is being more adaptable and supportive with the people that we work with.   Michael Hingson ** 12:12 How many leaders or what kind of percentage of people do you think really understand that, as opposed to being a boss and continuing to just try to exert their authority. Based   Jessper Maquindang ** 12:25 on my experience, I would say more and more people are embracing this new form of leadership where we are supportive, there are still leaders and managers that are attracted to their power. They're not effective as they could be. But on the other hand, the leaders who are embracing this constructive form of leadership where other people are getting the opportunity to share their voices, they're getting better results compared to managers who are showing off their authority and being bossy and stepping on the foot of other people and not really giving them a voice. So I would say there are more people who are embracing more adaptable and supportive form of leadership.   Michael Hingson ** 13:13 What are some of the basic characteristics that you would define that exist in leaders today, what makes you a leader?   Jessper Maquindang ** 13:23 So with leadership, there are four Super skills that make a leader effective, and the four Super skills are public speaking, public listening, private speaking and private listening. So for public speaking, it's what we do know about people going up on stage, not literally, but they can be in front of the boardroom at a meeting and really sharing the direction of where everyone needs to go. I know there are some people who are nervous about the idea of public speaking. You don't have to necessarily like it. You don't have to Love Public Speaking. You can even despise it. But as a leader, it does get to a point where other people look up to you to display and promote the vision and direction of where the team is going, and that's where people will depend on you as a leader to really express that direction, and the next one is public listening, and that is where a leader has the courage to step aside and give other people the stage, and again, not the literal stage, but they could be At the office in front of everyone else or along the same table, but the idea behind public listening is to give your team members the opportunity to share their voice, share their perspectives, share their thoughts. Because when it comes to leadership, the leader does not. Really have to be the only one throwing all those ideas out there and perspectives demands. It's important to give other people that opportunity to really share what's on their mind. And then next is private speaking. And for that, I know, when people hear private speaking, does that mean a leader hides in the corner and start talking? Starts talking to themselves? No, not necessarily. What private speaking means to me is it's a phrase I use for coaching and mentoring, those one on one conversations with your employers, with your team members, with your staff. I call it private speaking because those conversations should be held in private. Whatever you and your team member shares with you, for example, it's it wouldn't be fair to say, oh, everyone did you? Did you know what Michael told me today? He said, this, this and this, again, when it comes to coaching and mentoring, you want to respect the privacy of those conversations, because your employees will share information that you would not get publicly. And lastly, it is private listening, and for this, a leader is really spending the time to discover their capabilities from within. So for some people, that comes in the form of meditation, where they're really being in the moment, present and just listening to the voice within themselves, also an effective way for private listening to occur and learn more about yourself is to take leadership development assistance, where you are seeing firsthand the strengths and the areas that you can work on, giving you the opportunity to really reflect and see how you can be a more effective leader. So the four Super skills of an effective leader is public speaking, public listening, private speaking and private listening.   Michael Hingson ** 16:56 I like the way you put all of that, and I like especially when you're talking about private listening, meditating, and really stepping back and becoming more self, analytical and introspective. That's something that we talk about a lot in live like a guide dog, because you will develop your mind. I guess the best way to put is heal developing your mind if you use it, and one of the best ways to use it is to look at what you do. Look at yourself. I encourage people at the end of the day to take a step back and look at what happened today, and look at what worked what didn't work. Don't ever regard something as a failure. It's a learning experience. But I think we gotta get away from negativity. For years, I used to use the term, I'm my own worst critic, and I realized literally, just over the last year, wrong thing to say, I'm my own best teacher, because I'm the only one who can really teach me. Other people can give me information, but I'm the one that has to internalize it. And so the fact is that I would rather look at it from a positive standpoint. That is, I'm my own best teacher than anything else, and I should look at everything that happens during the day to see what I can learn from and even the things that went well, could I have done it even better? And look at how all of that comes together? And I think that it's it's so important that we deal with ourselves in that way, because that helps us develop a much better mindset of how to move forward in the future, and it also helps cut back on fears, because invariably, you're going to think about things like, Why was I afraid of that today? Oh, maybe I really shouldn't have been because I didn't really have any influence over that. It's just something that occurred, and people can start to learn that they don't need to fear everything that they fear.   Jessper Maquindang ** 19:06 That's right. When it comes to private listening, it's all about that self awareness and overall, over all awareness and turning problems into opportunities. So you did bring up a excellent perspective. Michael, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 19:22 we should. We should really always look at what goes on and again. We should always look for ways to hone our skills and improve ourselves, because we're the best ones at making that happen, if we're open to really listening to our inner voice that is ready to guide us anytime that we will allow it to do. So it's not a noisy voice, it's a quiet voice, but it's there if we would learn to listen to it   Jessper Maquindang ** 19:53 absolutely and when it comes to taking that moment to really reflect, you can come up with. So many ideas that you would not have discovered if you were in a rush and just moving in a fast paced world and getting lost in into it. But when you take a moment to step back, take a deep breath and really slow down, it gives you an opportunity to come up with new insights that you wouldn't have discovered otherwise,   Michael Hingson ** 20:24 yeah, and it's so important to do that, and the insights were always there, but you weren't paying attention to them. You were just running around crazy. So you do need to take the time to stop and listen and learn. And it's amazing what will happen. One of the things that that I've always felt as as a leader, my job was, and I would always tell people I hired about this, my job is to not boss you around. I hired you because I assumed that you could do the job. You can miss me, that you could do the job that I want you to do. My job is to add value to you, to help you. And what that really means is that you and I need to work to see how we blend our skills so that I can better enhance what you do, because I want you to be successful.   Jessper Maquindang ** 21:17 That's right, that reminds me of a quote that I was as I was scrolling through LinkedIn, there was a quote that I saw that you hired smart people, let them do their job, trust them to do their job. And it was something along those lines, but Right, yes,   Michael Hingson ** 21:31 but even so, you do trust them to do their job. But the other part about it is, can you help them do their job better, and that's a that's a skill that I think a lot of people still really need to learn. On both sides, I have had people who I've said that to who never really figured it out, and they weren't really great listeners at sales, and they didn't do some of the things that they needed to do to be more successful at selling, but they also weren't willing to explore how to to better themselves and send and hence, they didn't necessarily stay at the company as long as they might have. But the people who really got it and who discovered that I, for example, am very technical, I listen. I'm unique being blind in the kind of world where we were selling high tech products to Wall Street, I was was enough of a unique individual that it was worth taking me along and letting me do demonstrations and product discussions. Again, my master's degree is in physics, so I'm pretty technical anyway. But one of the fun things that happened after one of those presentations was my sales guy, who was my best sales guy, said, How come, you know, all this stuff, and I don't, and I said, Did you read the product bulletin that came out last week? Well, no, I didn't have time. I said, there you go. If you had, you might have known more than what you would have known more than you do, which doesn't necessarily, in of itself, mean that you're would be better at presenting it. I didn't say that part, but, but the reality is that it is what I knew how to do. And we fed off each other very well, and we were both able to make him more successful than he otherwise would have been, which is really what it's all about,   Jessper Maquindang ** 23:27 that's right. It reminds me of the writings from Brian Tracy, where he would remind us that the people who really take an effective approach in their learning and personal growth, those are the ones who are more likely to succeed in this world,   Michael Hingson ** 23:44 yeah, which is very true. You've got to take responsibility for and take charge of your own growth and recognize that there's always stuff to learn there. There's always stuff that somebody else knows that would be helpful for you to get to know as well. And you should never resent people just because they know something you didn't know. It's cool when you get to learn it, and then you get to use it, and probably will impress them, because then they see you using and they go, I you caught on that, huh? So it is what we have to do that we don't do nearly as much as we should.   Jessper Maquindang ** 24:26 That's right, that reminds me of the world of coaching and mentoring too. There are so many more experienced professionals in the world that when we learn from them, that gives us the opportunity to really take in their insights, and when we use their insights that'll accelerate our process in becoming more successful in our journey of Professor professional development.   Michael Hingson ** 24:49 Yeah, our leaders, or should leaders be pretty resilient people?   Jessper Maquindang ** 24:55 I believe so. Because when you think about it, in today's world of leadership, there's. Just so much going on, especially in our fast paced society. When you look at working with teams, people have different perspectives. When you look at projects, there are so many items that just go into a project, and so many moving parts. And when you look at change itself, it's disruption, interruption, you name it. It's moving in all directions. And as a leader, sometimes something somewhere can knock you off course or knock you down. But you have a choice. You can stay down and worry, but that's not very productive, or you can get back up again. And when you do get back up, you get another chance to really find ways to whatever you were working on. You can make that better. It's a much more productive process when you're when you continue to get back up and really challenge yourself to find new ways to move forward. So it is important to be resilient, because there's when you look, look at change itself and how it's just shifting so many things around. If you're not as resilient, you're not going to be able to adapt to that change. But if you continue to get back up, roll your sleeves up, you'll be in a much better position as you really find new ways to build on yourself and move forward.   Michael Hingson ** 26:26 But a resilient leader isn't someone who is so stubborn that they think that they've got the only solution. It's really getting back up and looking at what happened and then moving forward in whatever way is the most appropriate to really make progress for you as the leader and your team.   Jessper Maquindang ** 26:48 That's an excellent insight, especially when a leader is so stuck in one way, it's really going to present challenges. It reminds me of the quote we've always done it that way, if a leader sticks to that message, they're going to get lost in the past, and they're not really going to be able to adapt to the future, or at the same time, their team members might not really relate well to that leader who just sticks with one idea. Because in today's world, if you want to be more successful in the projects and the processes that you're trying to build. It really helps to get the perspectives and insights of everyone on your team, instead of that one person who's just promoting one idea. It's not going to get very far. I think   Michael Hingson ** 27:37 one of the characteristics of a good leader is also knowing when to relinquish leadership because someone else has a skill that maybe they are able to do something better than you, and you've got to allow them to help guide the team, because they've got the particular skill that's necessary to do That.   Jessper Maquindang ** 28:01 That reminds me of two things. The first thing is that leaders should not be intimidated by other people who have a skill that they're lacking. They should actually embrace that opportunity, because our skills are complimentary when we work with our teams, someone has a certain ability or skill set that when we're all working together, it's like a puzzle piece, and when all the puzzle all puzzle pieces fit together, you'll be able to solve whatever you were working on. And the second part that this reminds me of is the idea of servant leadership for a leader, gone are the days where a leader should be demanding and be the best in terms of thinking they know everything and have everything. In today's world, a leader should be in a more servant leadership role, where they're supporting the growth and development of their team members and accepting that other people have skills that they might not have, because, as I mentioned earlier, working in a team is like having different puzzle pieces, and when it all fits together, you're solving that puzzle piece faster.   Michael Hingson ** 29:17 And you know, we talked about introspection and looking at the end of the day and analyzing what goes on. The more of that that you do, and the more time, as every day as you can and should do, every time you do that, your mind muscle develops more. And the more of it you do, the faster you'll be able to do it, and the faster you'll be able to then analyze and make decisions. So that the whole idea, though, is that you've got to train yourself to do that, and that's not something that anyone can do for you, but you can certainly learn to recognize a lot of the different kinds of things that we're both talking about, and you. Can work faster and smarter if you take the time to teach yourself how to deal with all that. That's   Jessper Maquindang ** 30:07 right. And then I know one way for leaders who have implemented that idea is journaling, just that open flow of getting your thoughts on a page that really helps, because you're getting the opportunity to really look at the ideas that you're writing down, positive or negative, and once those ideas are on the page, you can reflect deeper on each item that you've written down, giving you a much better understanding of how you can really improve that process or project or task that you were working on. So journaling really does help in really building your perspective someone   Michael Hingson ** 30:50 who really does that well and who journals, or however you do it. I tend not to journal a lot, but I've got other ways of recording information. So, so I do that. But the point is, then five years later, you go back and look at some of those early journal things, and you go, Oh my gosh, look what I've learned. Or, oh my gosh, I forgot all about that. What a neat thing I got to pick that up and do that again, journaling and having a way to record and be able to look back at what your thoughts are is extremely important, and it again, adds another dimension and a lot of value to you as an effective leader,   Jessper Maquindang ** 31:36 absolutely, because when you're journaling, you're writing down a lot of the ideas that have been on your mind. And for me, I use a more free flowing type of journaling where I'm really just dumping whatever I have on my mind and just throwing it out there. Because although there are no connections at that moment over time, I realized that there are certain themes that I can connect, and start to really see where all the dots are connecting, and find certain ideas and similar similarities and maybe even contrast, but working with those ideas and seeing what I can do and how I can actually use those ideas in Some of the future projects that I'm working on. So it really helps to get your thoughts out there. When   Michael Hingson ** 32:25 I was at UC Irvine, I actually went and took a course in transcendental meditation, and one of the things that they said is, when you're meditating, you need to let your mind just flow. You don't want to write things down, because it might very well be nonsense and and so on. But at the end, you can learn and remember and then write down ideas that came to you during the time that you meditate. And the reality is that the free flowing kind of technique that you're talking about makes a lot of sense, because what you want to do is get the thoughts down. There's no such thing as a good idea or a bad idea, they're all ideas. You may find that it won't work or some idea won't work today, but that doesn't make it a bad idea, because in five years, it might just be the way to go. But if you don't write it down and you forget it, then you've lost it.   Jessper Maquindang ** 33:17 That's right, that also works with a team in the form of brainstorming, I've seen situations where someone leading the team, where another team member will share an idea, and that leader of that team will say, well, that's not really realistic. When it comes to brainstorming, it is important to let all ideas flow. You don't want to turn anyone down, because, as you said, maybe a unique idea today will be useful and valuable in the future.   Michael Hingson ** 33:45 My typical reaction when I even think that something might not be overly realistic, it means to me, somebody's thought about something and I don't really understand it. So my immediate response would be, tell me more about that. And a lot of times that request leads to insights that I never had that make for a better situation all the way around. And it turns out, the idea wasn't really such a horrible and unrealistic idea at all, but you're right being negative. That's not realistic. That's not a good way to support a team, and I think it's very important that we recognize that it's all about supporting the team. So tell me a little bit about your thoughts about unstoppable perseverance and why that helps to make a good leader. Oh, that's right, I guess that goes into a little bit resilience. But, yeah, go ahead. Similar   Jessper Maquindang ** 34:47 with resilience. It's the opportunity when you get knocked down. It's that opportunity to get back up. And for perseverance, very similar for unstoppable perseverance, for a leader to not give up in. Keep pushing through, because with the situations that I shared earlier, the teams that you work with, the projects even change itself. In today's fast paced world, it's going to push you aside and maybe push you down. But if you're going to be worried about all these changes, it's not productive. It's not going to get you anywhere. But if you continue to push through and really show your perseverance and take charge and just really push forward, you'll get much better results when you continue to have that energy to just never get knocked down.   Michael Hingson ** 35:41 Of course, taking charge also means taking charge in a in a positive way, and not in a bossy way. That's right, yeah, and that's that's really crucial,   Jessper Maquindang ** 35:51 yes. So when it comes to taking charge, it's really being proactive about growing and your well being, and really understanding what you can do better. And again, it's not about that manager having too much power when it comes to taking charge. It's about being proactive about your personal growth.   Michael Hingson ** 36:14 So kind of summing up some of this in a bit. What is the most effective style of leadership. You think the   Jessper Maquindang ** 36:21 effective style of leadership that I've learned based on my experience is servant leadership, and I've learned of two different major definitions. I like one better than the other, and I'll explain why, but the first definition that I've heard about servant leadership is putting the needs of others above yourself. And the second definition of servant leadership is serving in the sense of supporting the growth and well being of others. And what I like is that growth and well being, because when it comes to supporting other people, you don't necessarily have to lower your own priority of yourself. When it comes to servant leadership, you're part of a team. You're on the same level as everyone else. You want to share your voice, and at the same time, you don't want to be the one taking all the all the power you want to share it. And when it comes to servant leadership, you're really giving other people the opportunity to share what's on their mind and what they'd like to do to become more effective in themselves. So servant leadership is supporting that journey of helping other people succeed?   Michael Hingson ** 37:44 Yeah, well, when we talk about leadership, and we've talked about teamwork and so on, in a sense, they're, they're equate, they're not equivalent, but they're, they're related, but they're also different. So the whole issue of building an effective team is a real challenge, and I've been involved in a lot of team building exercises and so on over the years. But how do you go about really growing a good, effective human team? And I put it that way, because I can sit here and talk about what I do with with dogs and and how we develop a very close bonding relationship. And what is really scary is it is very easy to destroy that or, or at least injure the relationship with the dog. If you don't respect the dog, and you look down on the dog, and you don't really realize recognizing the dog is doing its job, and they sense that, and they won't always necessarily communicate it back to you directly. But you know, in the case of humans, how do we develop good human teams?   Jessper Maquindang ** 38:58 That's right, the first part, I would say, is really getting a pulse on the morale. You want to make sure everyone is being heard and not being ignored or shut out as a leader. You want to ensure that the team member is really part of the team. And the second part is active listening, where the leader needs to intentionally and deliberately provide that space for other people to share their voice. Because if a leader is just taking everything up and doing all the talking and just doing all of the things himself or herself. It's really going to cut off the opportunities where an employee could have shared a great idea, but then you're just leaving it to one person to implement their idea of what needs to happen. So for an effective team to develop, one is. All about that morale and giving other people the space to feel like they are part of a team. And the second part is listening to the other team members and giving them that space to share what's on their mind and maybe even provide great ideas.   Michael Hingson ** 40:17 And you know, the issue is that, once again, in developing the relationships, you're going to have some ideas that are stronger and more productive than others. I'm not going to use the word bad, but still, everyone does have to have the opportunity to say what they think and to contribute, and when they have the opportunity to do that, they're going to be much more productive, and they're going to be much more willing to be part of the team.   Jessper Maquindang ** 40:50 That's right when you're giving another person the floor, metaphorically, but when you're giving them that space to share what's on their mind, you're really giving them those opportunities to share what the team can do to really grow together again, when there's no such thing as a bad idea, you want to give that space for everyone to share, because, As we've learned earlier, maybe an idea that's unique today will be useful and valuable maybe a few months down the line, or maybe a year down the line. But when you dig deeper into an idea, again, no bad ideas. When you dig deeper, you'll get more insights into what that team member was sharing.   Michael Hingson ** 41:38 One of the best books. One of my favorite books that I've read through the years is a book called The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. Have you read that I have? Yeah, I really like the ways that he discusses teams and teamwork and one of the most important things that he talks about in sometimes subtle but still very, very strong ways, is developing trust and allowing the team to be a group of people that learn to work together. But it is, it's about accountability, which really is all about developing trust. And I mentioned that earlier, that dogs are open to trust, we have learned so much about not trusting on how not to trust because we think everyone has a hidden agenda. And how can we trust this person? How do we break out of that pattern?   Jessper Maquindang ** 42:33 Yes, so especially when it comes to the Five Dysfunctions of a Team in that book, Patrick Lencioni does start with trust, and to really build in that trust, you want to have open conversations with your team to really express themselves and give them that voice, because if you're cutting other people off, they're not going to feel safe, they're not going to feel secure in their role. On the other hand, when you open up that space, you're giving other people to you're giving other people that opportunity to really understand each other. So that's where it really starts from, that sense of understanding and building that time for that understanding in there, because if you cut off that understanding again, you're going to make other people feel unsafe. And when people feel unsafe, that's where trust starts to break down. But on the other hand, when you're building a psychologically safe environment, people are more likely likely to speak up and really trust each other in how they want to work with each other.   Michael Hingson ** 43:40 So tell me, what do you do when you have a person who doesn't earn trust, because trust is something that has to be earned, or some person who just really, I don't want to use the term rubs people the wrong way, but maybe that's a good term to use in some senses. But what do you do when you have a person that doesn't seem to have any interest in really developing a two way trusting relationship? That's   Jessper Maquindang ** 44:11 right? In this case, maybe the leader or not, I wouldn't say the leader, but this member. Perhaps, maybe it's ego. Perhaps it's selfishness you want to really figure out what's going on. Perhaps there are maybe problems at home or just outside the workplace, or maybe inside the workplace, what I would do is take this member and have a one on one conversation to really discover, is there anything that's going on that's really hindering their ability to connect with others are they just disengaged in general? That's something you want to figure out, because when you really dig deep and discover what's really happening, you can start to find ways to alleviate that situation and. Help the member find ways to cope and really work better together. So if a team member is disengaged, why are they disengaged? Is it the work that they're doing? Are they not excited about it? Have that conversation. See, Employee Mr. Mrs. Employee, you're not really engaged by the work you do. Can you tell me more about what energizes you? And then, from those types of conversations, you can discover ways to really find tasks that have more meaning and significance for that person. And then another way, another reason that an employee might not be open is maybe there's some problems at home again to have those conversations say Mr. Mrs. Employee, just curious. You haven't been very open to other team members. Want to know what's going on is, is it something personal? Just want to make sure you're okay. And then when you open these conversations again, you can discover what this person is going through, and then over time, find ways to alleviate that search situation, and then you might have an opportunity to really get that team member back on track and have them interact better with other team members in a more healthier and productive way. So it's really about discovering what's going on so you can look into that and find ways to help that team member. You   Michael Hingson ** 46:27 ever find that there are people that just don't respond to any of that, though, and just won't work to develop trust? It's   Jessper Maquindang ** 46:33 possible, absolutely it's possible. There are team members who are just completely not open, and again, it's still very valuable to have a one on one conversation, sure, just to see what's going on, and then if the team member is just completely shut out, that might be an opportunity to have a conversation with that employee and say, Jasper, I know times have been Tough in working with this team. Is, it perhaps, maybe, is there another role you'd like to consider? You know, it's really about the giving the the member an opportunity to discover what's going to work well for them. Because if they're just not going to open up at all, it might be that. It might be a situation where that member wants to find something else, and again, have that conversation to see what's on that mind of that employee. But   Michael Hingson ** 47:27 I think that no matter what you do, it's important not to judge or be judgmental, because whatever is going on with that person is going on, and you as the leader, have to worry about the team, and if that person can't be part of it, then you help that person. Again, it goes back to you're adding value by helping that person find something else that makes sense to do, even if it's somewhere else. And I believe that that level of being supportive is extremely important.   Jessper Maquindang ** 47:58 That's right, it's very important to be supportive. If that team member is just not open again, you don't want to call out that team member for being unsupportive. You really want to be that open leader who really lends in a hand to see what you can do to help that team member move forward and find a productive way out, or maybe integrate, reintegrate back with that team. But again, it's all about giving that employee space to discover what's really going on, how they can move forward in a more productive and healthy way, right?   Michael Hingson ** 48:37 It's it, but you have to take ego out of it. That's right. So switching gears a little bit, you haven't talked about yet, the fact that you grew up having asthma and then you ended up starting to run marathons. Tell me more about that. That's   Jessper Maquindang ** 48:54 right. I believe it was at the age of eight. I was in second grade, and I was diagnosed with asthma, and I just remember that my parents, I know they were trying to be supportive, but they were really protective, and I just remember that for my safety, they would want me away from pets so I don't have a reaction to fur. They would keep me indoors just so I don't get a reaction to pollen or dust or any other pollutants outside, and I would just get stuck indoors for a while. And over time, I fell into that trap of placing those limits on myself as well. And I realized over time, I don't want my life to be defined by those limits, and I wanted to do something significant where I can overcome that type of obstacle. And the first thing that came up to my mind was something physical. And I just remember, for marathon runners having that big, major goal, I decided to add that to my bucket list. But I. Knew something like that would not be an overnight magic formula. I knew I had to take it one step at a time. So what I what I did is I started with a 5k of course, there were challenges along the way. Moved up to a 10k and then when I felt more comfortable a half marathon, and then when I finally reached the finish line of my first full marathon, that sense of joy and relief and really knowing that I could achieve something like that despite growing up with what I had as a young just throughout my life, it was a really meaningful goal that I had accomplished. So really, when it comes to having that marathon goal, for me, it was really a sense of not letting past limits define my life and really moving forward to accomplishing something more meaningful and significant for myself.   Michael Hingson ** 50:54 So clearly, there are symptoms that you experience that that indicated asthma. Did a lot of that dissipate or go away as you began to run more and more marathons and became more physical,   Jessper Maquindang ** 51:07 so as I became more physical, I learned to manage it, and when I came to training, I didn't want to overextend myself. And again, I knew I wasn't going to run 26.2 miles in one night. I worked my way up to make sure my body understood what I was doing again. No rushing, no intense, no over and, no over extending myself, not going too intense, but reaching a more comfortable space, comfortable space pace that I can take throughout my training. That way, I didn't put too much pressure on my body, but my body understood over time and managed itself to really reach that level once I got to that marathon and just completed it.   Michael Hingson ** 51:58 What's the fastest you've ever run a marathon.   Jessper Maquindang ** 52:01 So I believe it was either Las Vegas rock and roll or Santa Clarita, and it was about four hours and five minutes. Okay, so today not it's not the same. I was a lot younger and more speedy back then, but it's still a hobby I still enjoy well,   Michael Hingson ** 52:24 but still, that's still over six miles an hour. That's, it's not too bad, but it's, it's, it's fun to do, but you've done marathons in all states, I believe, have you not? Oh, no, uh, just 15. Oh, just 15. Okay, but I have traveled to all 50 states. You've traveled to all 50 states. So what caused you to do that just happened? Or what?   Jessper Maquindang ** 52:54 So for me, when I was younger, I had actually not imagined traveling to all 50 states, but when I landed my first job, it happened to be at a travel company, and the department I was working for, we created custom guidebooks for our clients who were traveling across the United States. And just throughout my time there, as I would flip through those guidebooks, I was just inspired by the landmarks and attractions that were featured on those pages, and I decided, one day, you know what, I will do some traveling and see where it goes. I had booked a trip with another company that provided bus tours, and I took one that took me through the southern states and the eastern states, and that was from Louisiana all the way to Florida, and from Florida all the way up to New York. And after that trip, well, actually, when I reached New York, the timing, unusually, I find my I found myself in the midst of Hurricane Sandy, so I did not get to do a lot of that full exploration and get that full New York experience. But when the storm was over, I still had the opportunity to walk around and take a look at what was available and what was safely opened. So again, I didn't get that full experience at the time because of the hurricane, but I would return a year later with my siblings to get the full tourist experience. So just after that group, after that bus tour, I was really inspired to finally put 50 states on my bucket list.   Michael Hingson ** 54:36 I have fond memories of living in New Jersey, and my wife and I going into New York and touring a lot of people around Midtown Manhattan. We'd walk over to Saint Patrick's Cathedral and walk up Fifth Avenue and just have a lot of fun touring around and and visiting some of the restaurants, which was was really enjoyable. What are some of the the. Memories and life lessons you think you've learned from traveling to all 50 states.   Jessper Maquindang ** 55:03 So the memories, I would say, starting with the memories is that first trip that I did with that bus tour, saw, well, I believe at least 12 states. So I really did get a great understanding of what's outside of my home state of California, because prior to 2012 I had only been to two states, which was my home state of California and Nevada. Because my family used to enjoy going to Las Vegas, but after that, I really got to see more of what our country had to offer. Another memory, I would say, is the state of Rhode Island. It's a small state, but I realized once I stepped foot there, there was a lot to explore. I remember seeing the Gilded Age mansions. Remember taking a walk on the Cliff Walk and just getting the view of the Atlantic Ocean from Eastern beach. So you can get a full day of Rhode Island when you plan accordingly. And then I would say another memory that I had with traveling was just really historic landmarks and attractions, the Alamo in Texas, freedom walk in Boston, well, the Freedom Trail in Boston, Freedom Trail, right? And the government buildings in Washington, DC. I'm not necessarily a history buff myself, but surrounding yourself with just artifacts that have been around for over 100 or 200 years. It's just a really neat feeling. So I would say it's just the history has been a great memory for me, and the lessons I've learned from traveling is, the first lesson is it's important to be adaptable. Plans change, especially when it comes to traveling. And for me, I've been in a handful of either delayed flights or canceled flights. In that situation, you want to really give yourself that space to discover what you can do with your time to be more productive. So if there's a delay, you have a choice. You can sit back and worry, or you can you can figure out ways to find another flight that works for your schedule, or you can find other productive ways to fill your schedule, maybe catch up on work. Maybe you can discover the airport, or if you have a lot of time, you can leave the airport and discover the city that you're in. So in any case, very important to be adaptable. The second part about the lessons I've learned is to be curious. There's a lot the world has to offer. If you're at a restaurant and you're ordering the same kinds of foods that you would normally eat at home, that's not really giving you the opportunity to explore what's out there. No, when you're in a new restaurant, maybe try ordering something that you've never tried before, and then that really gives you that opportunity to see what's out there. So be curious, and especially when you're going to new cities, instead of going to the typical tourist spots, maybe take some time to figure out, maybe in the moment, that there's an area that's less discovered, and you might want to see and check those out to see what's available there. So really be curious and explore the world out there. And then the last one, I would say, as a lesson that I've learned in traveling to all 50 states, is be present, be in the moment. I've seen many people where they're on vacation in a new city, and they're looking head down, staring at their phone, and they're really missing out in the opportunity of really being in another destination, because when you're in a different state and different city, you're not really going to get that opportunity as frequently as you would. So when you're at home, you know it's it's so easy to just stare at our phone and get distracted, but when you're in a different destination, you really want to take the opportunity to really understand that you're in a new situation. Be present. Be mindful. Be aware of the new things to discover around you, because when you are present, you're really giving yourself that space to enjoy where you are in the world,   Michael Hingson ** 59:36 right? Tell me about your company, yes.   Jessper Maquindang ** 59:40 So with the family management consulting, we help leaders and managers build stronger teams through team building activities, leadership development assessments and executive coaching. So for leadership development assessments, I find those really important, because it gives people that first. Experience of really understanding where they're coming from, what their strengths are, how they can improve. Because when you're getting that opportunity to learn more about yourself, you can find ways to be more effective. And when it comes to my approach, I believe in the power of teams, because when you're focused on your team, you're getting more work done than what an individual person can do by themselves. So I see value in promoting teamwork than having one person do all the work.   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:36 It's interesting the so your company, the name of the company is family, F, A, M, I, L, E, A, D, interesting name.   Jessper Maquindang ** 1:00:44 Yes, absolutely. So it is a playoff of the word family, because when it comes to a team, not necessarily believing that a team is the family, but when it comes to building a team, it's about that sense of community, that sense of belonging, that sense of togetherness, which is the values of being part of a family. And then the lead part, it's emphasized because leadership is an important aspect of bringing that sense of belonging, bringing that sense of togetherness, bringing that sense of community,   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:28 so people engage with you to come and help them develop better leadership styles or improve how they interact With the people in their own companies, or what correct   Jessper Maquindang ** 1:01:43 so it is having the leaders find more ways to be more effective, because when you have buy in from the leaders, and they're working on becoming more productive, again, when it when you look at Leadership, it all starts at the top, and when you're getting that productiveness from the leaders, that spills over to having a more effective team. And then once you have your team together, really finding ways to build them into just a stronger unit, and the ability to really open up that space to be more productive and working together and finding that strength as a team. Well, if people   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:24 want to reach out and and talk with you more, learn what you do, maybe engage you in your services. How do they do that? Absolutely.   Jessper Maquindang ** 1:02:32 So there are two ways. The first way is to visit my website, familead consulting.com, and if you'd like to contact me there. There is a contact form, F,   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:42 F A, M, I, L, E, A, D, consulting,   Jessper Maquindang ** 1:02:45 correct.com. Okay. And then the other way to reach me is through LinkedIn, search for Jesper mukundang, I absolutely enjoy conversations about leadership, personal growth, professional development. If you just want to have a conversation about those topics, I'm absolutely happy to have them. So feel free to reach out search on LinkedIn for Jessper Maquindang. Spell that, if you would your first last name, please. First Name Jasper, J, E, S, S, P, E, R, last name mccunding, M, A, Q, U, I N, D, A N, G, Jassper Maquindang, dang well,   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:20 great. Well, Jessper, this has been fun. We need to do it again. I mean, it's kind of hard to really cover everything that we want to cover or can cover in an hour. So we should, we should have more discussions about this. I'd love to do that, but I really appreciate you taking the time to spend with us, and I hope all of you out there listening, enjoyed listening to Jessper and his many insights and his observations on leadership. I think there's a lot to be said for all the things that Jessper had to bring to us. I'd love to hear from you about your thoughts concerning our podcast. Please feel free to email me. Michael. H, i, m, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, I, B, e.com, or go to our podcast page. There's a contact form there as well. It's w, w, w, dot Michael hingson.com/podcast, Michael hingson is m, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, s, o, n.com/podcast, wherever you're listening, we sure would appreciate it if you'd give us a five star rating. We value very much your ratings and your thoughts. Love to really get any insights that you have, and Jessper for you and for all of you listening, if you know of anyone that you think ought to be a good guest on unstoppable mindset, please introduce us. We'd love to meet more people to bring on to the podcast, because we want to help everyone see we all can be and are more unstoppable than we think we are. So again, I hope that you'll do that. I really hope that you'll reach out to Jessper and that he can help you with any leadership. Training and challenges that you need. So once again. Jessper, I want to thank you for being here. This has been absolutely wonderful. Michael   Jessper Maquindang ** 1:05:07 leadership, is just a beautiful topic. I enjoyed today's conversation. Thank you again for having me.   Michael Hingson ** 1:05:17 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

Ronald A. Alexander, PhD, MFT, SEP (Somatic Experiencing Practitioner) is a Creativity and Communication Consultant, and an Executive and Leadership Coach, with a private psychotherapy practice working with individuals, couples, families, and groups in Santa Monica, California. He is the Executive Director of the OpenMind® Training Institute, a leading-edge organization that offers personal and professional training programs in core creativity, mind-body therapies, transformational leadership, and mindfulness meditation. For more than forty-four years, Alexander has been a trainer of healthcare professionals in North America, as well as in Europe, Russia, Japan, China, and Australia. As a Mindfulness and Zen Buddhist practitioner, he specializes in utilizing mindfulness meditation in his professional and corporate work to help people transform their lives by accessing the mind states that open the portal to their core creativity.Alexander is a leading pioneer in the fields of Mindfulness Based Mind-Body Therapies, Gestalt Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, Ericksonian Mind-Body Therapies, Holistic Psychology, and Integrative and Behavioral Medicine. He is a long-time extension faculty member of the UCLA Departments of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Entertainment, a lecturer in the David Geffen School of Medicine, and an adjunct faculty member at Pacifica Graduate Institute and Pepperdine Universities. Alexander received his SEP Certificate from the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute in Boulder Colorado. He consulted with and received treatment from Milton H Erickson MD. He personally trained with Ernest Rossi and Steven Gilligan in Ericksonian Hypnotherapy as well as with Daniel P. Brown of the Harvard Medical Cambridge Hospital professional training's seminars in hypnosis and hypno-analysis. He trained with and was certified by the Los Angeles Gestalt Therapy Institute and with Erving and Miriam Polster PhD of the Gestalt Training Center of La Jolla. He also received training and supervision in Contemporary Gestalt and Family Therapies, Psychoanalytic Self-Psychology, Relational and Object Relations Therapies.Dr. Ronald Alexander, PhD is a leading Creativity and Communication Coach, International Clinical Trainer, Executive and Leadership Coach, with a private practice in Santa Monica, California. He is the originator of the OpenMind Training® Institute, a leading edge organization that offers personal and professional training programs in mindfulness based mind-body therapies, transformational leadership, and meditation. His unique method combines ancient wisdom teachings with Leadership Coaching and Core Creativity into a comprehensive integrated, behaviorally effective mind-body program. This system combines techniques that support strategies of personal, clinical, and corporate excellence and growth.Alexander's extensive training includes core creativity, conflict management, Gestalt therapy, leadership and organizational development, and vision and strategic planning. He pioneered the early values and vision-based models for current day leadership and professional coaching. He specializes in Mind-Body therapies and has been studying and teaching Mindfulness Meditation, Creative Visualization and Transpersonal Psychology since 1970. Alexander studied with and was influenced by noted leaders in these fields such as Ken Blanchard, Werner Erhard, Warren Bennis, Umberto Materana and Francesco Variela, and was one of the grandfathers of coaching along with Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins and Jack Canfield.To learn more about Dr. Ron and his work, visithttps://ronaldalexander.com

Calling all Wingnuts! To kick off the new year, we're revisiting key episodes that will help you get your business organized and ready for a strong start to 2025. Tune in for expert tips on building a solid foundation, streamlining your systems, and other ways to set yourself up for success in the new year. Do your goals for your design business feel unattainable, or are you afraid to even set those goals for fear of getting uncomfortable? Business and life coach Andrea Liebross has lots of great tips on how to get out of your comfy pond and reach your full potential within the waves of the “River of Misery.” Stay tuned! Andrea Liebross, a certified business and life coach, specializing in empowering female entrepreneurs to infuse thinking with action so they can drop the drama and figure out how to think like a CEO, manage like a CEO and believe in themselves to achieve success in their business and at home. Celebrated for her transformative work with unapologetically ambitious women, helping translate their visions into tangible accomplishments, Andrea is the author of the new book,  She Thinks Big: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Guide to Moving Past the Messy Middle and into the Extraordinary. Andrea is dedicated to implementing systems and strategies that lead to sustainable and meaningful success. She possesses the unique ability to decipher complex situations and shed light on the broader perspective, one that transcends business politics and tedious responsibilities. Her focus is on guiding women toward their highest potential, free from the constraints of traditional norms, to achieve a coveted balance of time, financial prosperity, and boundless energy. Beyond her coaching, Andrea is a dynamic speaker and the engaging host of the Time to Level Up podcast, where she works to help listeners create a plan to have a profitable and successful business.  ***

Feedback or Questions? Send us a text!1 Big Idea:Authentic leadership is about who you are, not just what you do.5 Ways You Can Apply This:Clarify Your Strengths - Recognize natural leadership abilities and take assessments like Strengthsfinder or DISC.Identify Gaps - Reflect on areas for growth in knowledge, communication, experience, and motivation.Align with Purpose - Define your leadership purpose and ensure it honors your Core Values.Integrate Life Principles - Apply aspirational traits like Intentional Optimism to improve leadership.Address Challenges - Use Core Values and DISC insights to navigate leadership challenges effectively.3 Questions to Ask Yourself:What are your top three leadership strengths?Which skills do you want to develop this year?How do your Life Principles guide your leadership decisions?Special Resource:Download the Leadership Self-Assessment to reflect on your strengths, gaps, and Core Values. Set actionable steps for growth over the next 30 days.Download the Self-Assessment Here https://www.theintentionaloptimist.com/leadershipassessment Podcast Episodes Mentioned:Embrace Your Working Genius: Unleash Your Best Self with Charity MedinaDiscovering Your Unique Strengths: Navigating CliftonStrengths with Allegra SteinNeed a Set of Life Principles? Discover the Power of Intentional OptimismOther Resources MentionedGallup Clifton Strengths 34 - $59.99, but the best strengths assessment I know.DISC Products PageThe One-Minute Manager, by Ken Blanchard and Spencer JohnsonLive2Lead LeaderPass: Access inspirational content from world-renowned speakers. Live2Lead Lynchburg: January 31, Lynchburg, VACore Values Coaching Program (Beta): Discover your unique values and integrate them into every aspect of your life. Core Values Course: A self-paced guide to uncovering your unique values and living with intention. Check us out on YouTube: https://youtu.be/j00ssr6pzkw For a deeper discussion, DM me @theintentionaloptimist (IG or LI) or email me at andrea@theintentionaloptimist.com.Please leave us a rating and review!Apple: scroll to the bottom, choose a rating, and write a review.Podchaser (Android): you can go to Skillshare: Spark your creativity.Get 40% Off Annual MembershipDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

With a staggering 181% increase in strength equipment usage between 2012 and 2022, as reported by Track My Gym, strength training has become the hottest trend in the fitness industry. In the first episode of the new season of the Fitness Business Podcast, host Justin Tamsett explores this trend with key expert Paul Byrne, as well as explores other key strategies with industry experts Jennifer Poljacik, David Steele, and Lauren Becker. The episode covers enhancing leadership, driving innovation, and boosting profits through developing a growth mindset, creating a strong culture, investing in team members, and leveraging technology to improve the member experience.   Key highlights from the episode: - Paul Byrne discusses the strength training trend and its implications for gym businesses. This trend is driven by social media, influencers, and changing consumer preferences. - Delivering exceptional customer service is crucial for gym businesses. Key strategies include defining service standards, understanding customer needs, and going the extra mile to create raving fans.  - Modern marketing in the fitness industry requires a shift from linear CRM processes to more organic and responsive interactions. Utilizing texting, AI, and retargeting ads can automate and speed up the marketing process, focusing on convenience, reviews, and ease of membership to attract and retain customers. Leave us a voicemail!   Our favorite quotable moments: “Consider making your gym [micro] influencer friendly. You have a room in the back where you have good lighting, you have the equipment you need. They can go back there and make it a place where they like to come and shoot their content.” - Paul Byrne “Creating the best customer experience can only benefit your bottom line and increase customer retention and staff satisfaction... One of the most helpful tools that I have used with my teams over the years is a wonderful book called Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles.” - Jennifer Poljacik "It's time to rethink the way we think of our prospects and how they interact with us, to get them from looking at us - to membership... We need to make it better." - David Steele   Resources: Fitness Business Podcast's LinkedIn CommunityMystery Shopping for Fitness Businesses - Website Paul Byrne - LinkedIn Harrison Co - Website Link to Strength Training Report - Access Here Link to GLP-1 Report - Access Here Merch Sponsor: GRIT Fitness - Website Be a Merch Sponsor - Here In The Trenches With A REXer: Jennifer Poljacik - LinkedIn 212 Fitness - Website and Facebook REX Roundtables - Website and Email Wise Words: David Steele - LinkedIn Sneeze It - Website Trusted Suppliers: Club Com - Website, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok Lauren Becker - LinkedIn Wellness Space - Website Solution One - Website Egym - Website   About Your Host: Justin “JT” Tamsett is a seasoned fitness industry veteran and passionate advocate for promoting physical activity. His mission is to reduce the health care costs across the globe by having more people move and move more often.  JT's hope is that his daughter Zoe can grow up in a world full of opportunity rather than one where governments and communities don't have the burden of an ageing and sickening population. With over 30 years of experience, JT has owned gyms, coached fitness classes, and now specialises in business coaching for fitness entrepreneurs.  Through his company, Active Management, JT provides guidance and support to gym owners worldwide, empowering them to build successful businesses and contribute to a healthier society. He also leads 8 REX Roundtables in the US and Australia, spoken at over 40 conferences in 23 countries, and consulted with gyms worldwide. JT's commitment to improving health extends beyond his professional endeavours, as he has also dedicated himself to coaching various sports and actively participates in industry organisations. Related: weight training, beginner weight lifting, weight lifting program, strength exercises, strength training for women, strength training for seniors, strength training for women over 50, strength training for beginners, training for women, workout for women, gym workout, weight training

This week on the Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast, Nicole interviews author and HR expert Rich Salon. Rich is a seasoned HR leader, keynote speaker, and author of two books: Career Trust and Unleashing Your Career. Known as "Rich the HR Guy," he's passionate about helping individuals achieve career fulfillment and fostering employee engagement.  Rich has held pivotal roles at industry giants like The Home Depot, Penske, and Lowe's, where his work has impacted employee engagement, career fulfillment, and organizational trust. CNN recognized him as a “Hero of the Economy” for his critical efforts at Circuit City, where he fought tirelessly to keep the company afloat during turbulent times. His ability to inspire and lead, earning him the nickname “Chief Engagement Officer,” is a testament to his motivational power. Rich also serves as a Rotarian and, after retirement, plans to honor his late mother by granting final wishes to terminally ill adults. Listen in while Nicole and Rich discuss six (of the 52 total) practical strategies that will help you find purpose and fulfillment in your career!5 Key Take-Aways[00:02:54] Employee Engagement: How leaders must understand employee passions to foster engagement and how engagement thrives in a personalized, "one size fits one" management style.[00:06:25] Rethinking Retirement: “75 is the new 65” as people live and work longer, and employers must learn to embrace older workers' contributions.[00:09:46] Transforming Leadership Styles: Realizing that 'command-and-control' leadership is outdated; collaborative and servant leadership models are more effective. [00:15:51] Building Company Culture: Culture isn't just HR's responsibility; it's a shared effort across all levels. Learn to evaluate and remove outdated cultural norms to align with current values and goals.[00:23:56] Can I Get a Career Guarantee? Unfortunately there is no guarantee in career paths; we must take calculated risks to grow. Plus, how to focus on your capabilities rather than your limitations.Resources Mentioned:Career Trust by Rich Salon: https://a.co/d/6Oh30vmUnleashing Your Career by Rich Salon: https://a.co/d/5l3PDMfOne Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard & Spencer Johnson M.D.: https://a.co/d/0cfF1NeRotary International: https://my.rotary.org/club-searchWhere to Connect with Rich Salon:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rich-salon-sphr-shrm-scp/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.salon.12/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richthehrguy X: https://x.com/BusOwnConnectDon't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to the Build a Vibrant Culture podcast for more insights on creating thriving workplaces! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your network. 

My wife often jokes that I read 4-5 books simultaneously. It's true! If you own a digital book reader or use an audiobook app like Audible to consume books, then you've probably jumped between a title or two as well, depending on your mood.   By Editor, Concierge Medicine Today   I personally love bouncing between a few titles and topics. I think the secret is listening or reading one chapter at a time once or twice a week! Then, I jump onto a podcast path, perhaps with a similar author I find interesting in the car or during a workout.   But finding the right balance between learning and pleasure is important, especially FOR Doctors!   Reading a few books simultaneously helps me avoid getting stuck or bored. If a book or a chapter is too slow, allow yourself to skip a track or jump a few pages. Life is too short, and there are too many great books to push through painfully.   Throughout nearly the past two decades here at Concierge Medicine Today, we compiled a list of books that either I've read and found helpful or your peers and those we've interviewed over the years here at Concierge Medicine Today, our conference, the Concierge Medicine Forum, or our podcast, The DocPreneur Leadership Podcast, have been recommended to us on this topic.   Note: If you're specifically only looking for books about Concierge Medicine, we included a few recommendations at the end of the article we would offer for your consideration as well.    In keeping with what we've learned today … “The best leaders are readers!” — here are some of the titles your peers have mentioned and a few more books that have come across our path we recommend Physicians consider —   Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection" by Charles Duhigg" "Radical Candor: Fully Revised & Updated Edition: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity" Hardcover – Big Book, October 1, 2019 by Kim Scott "No More Waiting Rooms: A Customer Service Road Map to Help Remarkable Medical Offices Navigate Their Way Towards an Irresistible Practice Where Gratitude Is on Repeat!" by Michael Tetreault "Counterclockwise: Using Peptides to Renew, Rejuvenate, and Rediscover" by Dr. Suzanne J Ferree "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less" Paperback – December 29, 2020 by Greg McKeown (Author) "Designing for Health: The Human-Centered Approach" Hardcover – November 13, 2023 by Craig Joseph (Author), Jerome Pagani (Author) "Untangle Your Emotions: Naming What You Feel and Knowing What to Do About It" Hardcover – February 13, 2024 by Jennie Allen (Author) "Unstoppable Brain: The New Neuroscience that Frees Us from Failure, Eases Our Stress, and Creates Lasting Change" Hardcover – April 30, 2024 by Kyra Bobinet (Author) "Today Matters: 12 Daily Practices to Guarantee Tomorrow's Success" by John C. Maxwell (Author) "The Beauty of Everyday Things" (Penguin Classics) Translation Edition by Soetsu Yanagi (Author) "Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection" by Charles Duhigg "The Blood Pressure BluePrint: The Holistic Guide to Defeating Hypertension" by Dr. Ellie Campbell "Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It" by Chris Voss (Author), Tahl Raz (Author) "Power of Moments" by Dan and Chip Heath "The Simple Truths of Service" by Ken Blanchard and Barbara Glanz "The Power of Customer Experience: 5 Elements to Make An Impact" by Elizabeth Dixon "Find Your Yellow Tux: How to be Successful by Standing Out" by Jesse Cole “Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise” by Horst Schulze, Dean Merrill, et al. "The Comeback Effect" by Jason Young “The Other Side of Illness: Unexpected Blessings” by Dr. Robin Hall "The Forgotten Power of Bathing: How a Daily Bath Can Improve Your Health and Happiness" by Élaine Drolet and Dr. Ken Redcross MD "Well Designed Life: 10 Lessons in Brain Science & Design Thinking for a Mindful, Healthy, & Purposeful Life" Paperback – September 12, 2015 by Kyra Bobinet MD MPH (Author) “The EntreMD Method: A Proven Roadmap for Doctors Who Want to Live Life and Practice Medicine on Their Terms” by Nneka Unachukwu “Unreasonable Hospitality” by Will Guidara "Breathing Room: A 28-Day Devotional for Women" by Sandra Stanley "The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life" by Steven Bartlett “Trillion Dollar Coach” by Eric Schmidt (Author), Jonathan Rosenberg (Author), Alan Eagle (Author) “Necessary Endings” by Henry Cloud "How Teens Win: The Student's Guide to Accomplishing Big Goals" by Jon Acuff "Vivid Vision: A Remarkable Tool For Aligning Your Business Around a Shared Vision of the Future" by Cameron Herold “Hospitable Healthcare: Just What the Patient Ordered!” by Stowe Shoemaker, Ph.D. (Author) & Peter Yesawich, Ph.D. (Author) “Outlive” by Peter Attia MD and Bill Gifford "DISMISSED: Tackling the Biases That Undermine our Health Care" by Angela Marshall, M.D. “Cooking with Trader Joe's Cookbook: Lighten Up!” by Susan Greeley (Author) "Secrets of Longevity: Hundreds of Ways to Live to Be 100" by Dr. Dr. Maoshing Ni “When the Heavens Went On Sale” by Ashlee Vance “Compassionomics: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence That Caring Makes a Difference” by Stephen Trzeciak and Anthony Mazzarelli “KING. A life.” by Jonathan Eig "Made for More: Physician Entrepreneurs Who Live Life and Practice Medicine on Their Own Terms" by Dr. Nneka Unachukwu “What To Do Next: Taking Your Best Step When Life Is Uncertain” by Jeff Henderson (Author) “The Doctor's Guide to Concierge Medicine” by Concierge Medicine Today (Author) "Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World" by Adam Grant and Sheryl Sandberg "Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know" by Adam Grant “Leading with Dignity: How to create a culture that brings out the best in people” by Donna Hicks “Winning the War in your Mind” by Craig Groeschel “Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life” by Tish Harrison Warren "Rebel Ideas: The Power of Thinking Differently"by Matthew Syed “The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication” by John Maxwell "The Visibility Formula: Taking Your Business From Best Kept Secret To Household Name" by Dr. Nneka Unachukwu (Author) "Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action" by Simon Sinek   We want to hear from you: what other books or resources would you add to this list? Email us at editor@conciergemedicinetoday.org.   Books Specific to Physicians Wishing to Learn About Concierge Medicine or Peer Recommended That Concierge Medicine Physicians Have Read Specific To Filling a Knowledge Gap About Business During Their Transition Into Concierge Medicine   “The EntreMD Method: A Proven Roadmap for Doctors Who Want to Live Life and Practice Medicine on Their Terms” by Nneka Unachukwu "The Power of Customer Experience: 5 Elements to Make An Impact" by Elizabeth Dixon “What To Do Next: Taking Your Best Step When Life Is Uncertain” by Jeff Henderson (Author) “The Doctor's Guide to Concierge Medicine” by Concierge Medicine Today (Author) “The Other Side of Illness: Unexpected Blessings” by Dr. Robin Hall "Hospitable Healthcare: Just What the Patient Ordered!” by Stowe Shoemaker, Ph.D. (Author) & Peter Yesawich, Ph.D. (Author) "No More Waiting Rooms: A Customer Service Road Map to Help Remarkable Medical Offices Navigate Their Way Towards an Irresistible Practice Where Gratitude Is on Repeat!" by Michael Tetreault "The Ultimate Private Practice Playbook: Step-by-Step Strategies for Building a Practice That's Uniquely Yours" Paperback – Released: January 1, 2025 by Dr. Brook Choulet M.D.  “Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise” by Horst Schulze, Dean Merrill, et al. "The Comeback Effect" by Jason Young   Bonus!   “Necessary Endings” by Henry Cloud “Unreasonable Hospitality” by Will Guidara

Welcome to a Leader Fluent Podcast Series based on my book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. For the next few podcast episodes, I'll be sharing teaching from the Masterclass for the book. It's a great way to get a taste of what's in the book, and the insanely practical skills you'll develop. You can learn more about Insanely Practical Leadership and the bonus content that goes with the book HERE. Personal and professional growth help you become the person, and the leader, God intended for you to become. As a leader, you are responsible to own your growth. You can't delegate it or negotiate it. You can't relegate it or vacate it. In fact, authors Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller said it like this: “Growth for leaders is the treasure that funds the future journey. Stop finding the treasure along the way and the journey ends.”  As a leader, you have a dream burning in your gut. But between you and your dream is a gap—a growth gap. And the only way to close that gap is to fund the journey toward your dream with the treasure of your growth. That happens when you get insanely practical about three keys: a growth mindset, a growth plan, and a growth team.  1. Adopt a Growth Mindset In the Gospel of Luke chapter 2 verse 52, it says, “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.” Notice, Jesus' growth was intentional and continual. He didn't think about growing—He grew. And He wasn't haphazard about growing—He grew mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially.  Without an intentional and continual growth mindset, we'll view growth as nothing more than a one-time event. Events such as conferences and seminars are great at inspiring change, but the change doesn't actually happen at the event. A process of growth must follow the event which then produces long-term habits of transformation. Simply put, events inspire change, process creates change, and habits sustain change. And it all starts with a growth mindset.  2. Create a Growth Plan I've developed a growth planning model that I call “Growth TRAC”—T-R-A-C. A Growth TRAC is a specific, measurable, and accountable plan for personal and professional growth. Each letter in the word “TRAC” stands for a word, and each word is accompanied by a question to help you create your own Growth TRAC. Let's unpack it.  The letter “T” in “TRAC” stands for Target, and the question is, “What are My Growth Goals?” Your growth goal is the target you're aiming to hit. The letter “R” stands for Roadmap, and the question is, “How Do I Plan to Grow?” Your roadmap to reach your target is typically made up of things like training, resources, coaching, and experiences.  The letter “A” stands for Accountability, and the question is, “Who Will Hold Me Accountable for My Growth?” None of us are good enough to reach our growth goals alone. That's why we need friends and mentors in our lives to ask us questions and hold us accountable to grow. And finally, the letter “C” stands for Check-Up. The question is, “When and How Will I Evaluate My Growth Progress?” When you conduct regular check-ups on your growth progress, you're able to make mid-course corrections to help you reach your growth goals.  A Growth TRAC includes a Target, a Roadmap, Accountability, and Check-Ups. And when you follow your TRAC, it helps you intentionally grow.  3. Assemble a Growth Team Several years ago, Scott Wilson introduced me to the idea of a growth team. A growth team is a group of people who help you grow in the most important areas of your life.  For example, if you're married, your spouse will help you grow in your relationship with your family. But your growth team doesn't end there. Prayer partners help us grow spiritually. Counselors help us grow emotionally. Coaches help us grow professionally, and financial advisors help us steward money wisely.

On this episode of Great Practice, Great Life, unlock the secrets to achieving a balanced and thriving legal practice with Steve's conversation with Doug Burnetti, a board-certified trial lawyer. Discover how servant leadership can transform your professional success and your personal satisfaction. Doug shares his remarkable journey in building a flourishing plaintiff's practice by leading with service and introspection, offering practical strategies to overcome obstacles and foster growth. Explore the pressing challenges personal injury law firms face today, such as fierce competition and the rapid evolution of technology. Doug candidly discusses the importance of staying technologically savvy and how adopting a mindset of open sharing can lead to business innovation. Drawing from John Kotter's work on change, we dissect the complexities of implementing new ideas and how internal leadership can hinder or drive progress. Gain valuable insights into the power of empathy, change management, and customer service excellence. With over 30% of cases coming from referrals, Doug reveals how nurturing relationships and investing in staff development have been key to his firm's success. With a heartfelt reflection on maintaining a fulfilling life, Doug offers a refreshing perspective on not defining oneself solely by professional roles, inspiring you to cultivate a great practice and an even greater life. In this episode, you will hear: Doug Burnetti's insights on servant leadership in legal practice Overcoming challenges in personal injury law post-COVID Emphasizing empathy and change management for firm growth Strategies for staying competitive through technology Influence of Dale Carnegie and John Kotter on leadership philosophies Balancing professional success with personal fulfillment Importance of exceptional customer service and staff development Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. If there's a topic you would like us to cover on an upcoming episode, please email us at steve.riley@atticusadvantage.com. Supporting Resources: Burnetti, P.A.: www.burnetti.com Doug Burnetti bio: www.burnetti.com/attorneys/doug-burnetti Atticus Law Firm Coaching https://atticusadvantage.com Leading Change by John P. Kotter:  www.amazon.com/Leading-Change-New-Preface-Author/dp/1422186431 Change: How Organizations Achieve Hard-to-Imagine Results in Uncertain and Volatile Times: by John P. Kotter: www.amazon.com/Change-Organizations-Hard-Imagine-Uncertain/dp/1394321511 How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie: www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People/dp/0671027034 The New One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard: www.amazon.com/New-One-Minute-Manager/dp/0062367544 The Fred Factor: How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary by Mark Sanborn: www.amazon.com/Fred-Factor-Passion-Ordinary-Extraordinary/dp/0385513518 Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box by The Arbinger Institute: www.amazon.com/Leadership-Self-Deception-Fourth-Transforming-Relationships/dp/1523006560 The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber: www.amazon.com/Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280 Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.

In this episode Ben and I discuss how all companies need to think like media or marketing companies. Why? Tune into to hear this great insight. And what has Ben's extensive research identified as the #1 problem in most companies with culture/ performance. It's not what you think.  It's not bean bag chairs, ping pong tables or free snacks. Hear how craft, cause and community are three tenants you can build a modern workplace culture around. Ben's over arching message is "stop guessing and start measuring!" In his culture architect, strategic advisor and writing career, Ben Ortlip worked with some of the world's top brands, including Coca-Cola, Ritz-Carlton, Mercedes-Benz, AT&T, UPS, and Chick-fil-A. In 1990 he started a production company, Kaleo Ranch, that is still in operation. His work has been recognized by the NY Art Director's Club, the Clio Awards, the ADDYs, and others. As a ghost-writer, Ben has worked on more than a dozen books and workbooks with well-known thought leaders like John Maxwell, Tony Robbins, Andy Stanley, Patrick Lencioni, Ken Blanchard, Henry Cloud, and the Drucker Institute. In 2012, Ben's passion for organizational strategy and leadership development led him to pioneer a process called Cultural Architecting, an integrated methodology for designing and curating cultures that reinforces the company's unique business strategy. The Cultural Architecting program is already shaping culture in healthcare, dining, manufacturing, technology, and global petroleum companies. Ben published Culture is the New Leadership in 2024. Ben and his wife, Lisa, have been married 28 years and are raising eight children. TO CONTACT BEN ORTLIP: Website: www.thecultureMRI.com Email: ben@thecultureMRI.com Mobile (text is best): 770-403-9224 RELATED LINKS/INFO: Book: Benjamin Ortlip, Culture is the New Leadership. https://a.co/d/iAyAuur Book: Kouzes/Posner, The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations. https://a.co/d/43ksBnR Peter Drucker books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B000AP61TE Abraham Maslow: https://positivepsychology.com/abraham-maslow/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/overwhelmedpod/support

This week on the Build a Vibrant Culture Podcast, Nicole interviews Jonathan Zur. Jonathan is President & CEO of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC), an organization that works with schools, business, and communities to achieve success through inclusion. An experienced facilitator and consultant on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Jonathan was appointed by the Governor of Virginia to the Commonwealth Commission on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, formed in the aftermath of the tragedy in Charlottesville in August 2017. In 2016, he was a speaker at the inaugural White House Summit on Diversity and Inclusion in Government. Jonathan is a graduate of the University of Richmond, and he received a Certificate in Nonprofit Executive Leadership from the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.In this episode, Jonathan talks about: [00:10:19] How diversity is the presence of difference, and how that's not enough[00:16:09] What equity is, and what it isn't[00:27:52] Three P's to drive diversity, equity and inclusion: Pathways, Programs, PoliciesI am grateful to Jonathan for sharing his wealth of knowledge and passion for inclusion in business. His insights on DEI are sure to inspire HR professionals and leaders of kinds to BUILD A Vibrant Culture.Want to know more about Jonathan?Jonathan's website: https://inclusiveva.org/LinkedIn (Jonathan): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanzur/LinkedIn (VCIC): www.linkedin.com/company/virginia-center-for-inclusive-communities/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inclusiveVAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/inclusive_va/Other books mentioned on this episode:One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard: https://a.co/d/8LW51aiPositive Intelligence by Shirzad Chamine: https://a.co/d/iGSsIWcOther videos mentioned on this episode:The Abilene Paradox: https://youtu.be/CRubzHg-Ju8?si=DmcKQQx1jid4sMOOThe Quest for a Rainbow Bagel with Zach Anner: https://youtu.be/LhpUJRGrZgc?si=xp142FW-rtCeKDjhDon't forget to like, comment, and subscribe to the Build a Vibrant Culture podcast for more insights on creating thriving workplaces!

2024 is the 10th Anniversary of Miriam Webster's word of the year: CULTURE. And we still don't know what to do with it in most workplaces. Top three nuggets from the podcast: For the first time in history, we live in what Psychologist Abraham Maslow called self-actualization (see chart below) We have moved from survival in the past to success and now significance. Most of what business culture represents today for the next generation is not working  The bottom line is motivation; listen to see what to do about motivating those you work with. In his culture architect, strategic advisor and writing career, Ben Ortlip worked with some of the world's top brands, including Coca-Cola, Ritz-Carlton, Mercedes-Benz, AT&T, UPS, and Chick-fil-A. In 1990 he started a production company, Kaleo Ranch, that is still in operation. His work has been recognized by the NY Art Director's Club, the Clio Awards, the ADDYs, and others. As a ghost-writer, Ben has worked on more than a dozen books and workbooks with well-known thought leaders like John Maxwell, Tony Robbins, Andy Stanley, Patrick Lencioni, Ken Blanchard, Henry Cloud, and the Drucker Institute. In 2012, Ben's passion for organizational strategy and leadership development led him to pioneer a process called Cultural Architecting, an integrated methodology for designing and curating cultures that reinforces the company's unique business strategy. The Cultural Architecting program is already shaping culture in healthcare, dining, manufacturing, technology, and global petroleum companies. Ben published Culture is the New Leadership in 2024. Ben and his wife, Lisa, have been married 28 years and are raising eight children. TO CONTACT BEN ORTLIP: Website: www.thecultureMRI.com Email: ben@thecultureMRI.com Mobile (text is best): 770-403-9224 RELATED LINKS/INFO: Book: Benjamin Ortlip, Culture is the New Leadership. https://a.co/d/iAyAuur Book: Kouzes/Posner, The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations. https://a.co/d/43ksBnR Peter Drucker books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B000AP61TE Abraham Maslow: https://positivepsychology.com/abraham-maslow/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/overwhelmedpod/support

8 Core Practices of Facilitative Leaders by Michael Wilkinson Amazon.com Michaelthefacilitator.com Leadstrat.com What is a Facilitative Leader? Facilitative leaders create organizations where engagement is the norm, collaboration is the vehicle, and higher levels of achievement are the result. Unfortunately, many leaders continue to view their role primarily as one of setting direction, allocating resources, and putting in place rewards, support, and development systems that ensure their people stay focused on achieving that direction. In the changing workplace, this archaic view of leadership is completely inadequate. More and more, employees are seeking to understand where their organization is going and to influence the paths taken to get there. This shift in the workplace requires a new set of leadership skills. Leaders must know how to inspire people around a vision, foster trust, manage group interaction, build consensus, resolve conflict, and adapt their approach to the specific needs of each person they lead. They must be able to facilitate rather than dictate. This new direction calls for facilitative leaders. Praise for 8 Core Practices of Facilitative Leaders "If you want a great book that takes a facilitative approach to leadership, here it is! The 8 Core Practices of Facilitative Leaders offers practical and insightful strategies any leader can apply immediately. Read this book and learn the best ways to create engagement, buy-in, and alignment in your organization." --Ken Blanchard, coauthor ofThe New One Minute Manager(R) and Leading at a Higher Level "Michael credits me with teaching him to value thinking and communication preferences. He has written a practical guide to help you understand the behaviors needed to be highly impactful as a facilitative leader." --Ann Herrmann-Nehdi, chief thought leader and chair of the board at Herrmann, creators of the HBDI Assessment and Whole Brain Thinking

Earning a patient's trust can translate into a lifetime value of $50,000 to $60,000. By creating meaningful experiences, hearing care professionals can turn satisfied patients into loyal advocates, and there's no one better than Valerie Cockerell to show you how. Drawing from her successful career at Disney, she teaches leaders and teams the art of delivering exceptional service. In this episode, Valerie talks to Kevin about how thoughtful onboarding, team alignment, and personalized touches can help you create memorable audiology care that turns patients into lifelong fans. Valerie Cockerell is a French-American leadership consultant, author, keynote speaker, and Disney Institute veteran. She travels the world helping leaders and teams elevate performance, build strong cultures, and deliver exceptional service. In this episode, Kevin and Valerie will discuss: (00:00) Introduction  (00:52) From France to a Global Leadership Career   (05:02) How to Align Your Team with Your Mission   (11:29) Inspiring Your Team to See the Bigger Picture   (13:59) Small, Magical Changes That Can Transform Your Practice (18:04) Real-World Examples of Exceptional Service   (22:12) The Power of Emotions in Business (23:39) Onboarding New Hires: Creating a Great Experience   (29:43) Valerie's “Manage Like a Mother” Approach to Leadership   (32:28) Growing Your Practice Through Feedback   (37:25) Why Leading by Example Matters   (43:09) Valerie's Strategy for Personal Growth (47:43) Connect with Valerie Valerie Cockerell is a French-American leadership consultant, author, keynote speaker, and Disney Institute veteran, specializing in leadership, management, and customer service. She joined Disneyland Paris as a retail manager and worked her way up to Merchandise Brand Manager for both Epcot and the Disney Cruise Line. With extensive experience in retail and operations, Valerie now travels the world, helping leaders and teams elevate performance, build strong cultures, and deliver exceptional service. Her book, Manage Like a Mother, is available in English, Portuguese, and Chinese. Connect with Valerie: Valerie's Email: valerie@cockerellconsulting.com  Valerie's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-cockerell-02067956  Resources Mentioned: Valerie's Book, Manage Like a Mother: Leadership Lessons Drawn from the Wisdom of Mom: https://www.amazon.com/Manage-Like-Mother-Leadership-Lessons/dp/1636981291 The Simple Truths of Service: Inspired by Johnny the Bagger by Ken Blanchard, Barbara Glanz: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Truths-Service-Inspired-Johnny/dp/1492630489 Motivation-based Interviewing: A Revolutionary Approach to Hiring the Best by Carol Quinn: https://www.amazon.com/Motivation-based-Interviewing-Revolutionary-Approach-Hiring/dp/1586445472 Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck: https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/0345472322 The Only Thing: If you're an audiologist and want to grow your practice – we've got a FREE, expert guide to help you achieve your goals. It's called The Only Thing.  This expert guide will show you how to increase new patient calls by 5 to 57 a month, schedule more new patients each week, help more people, and increase revenue. It's the best resource I know for growing your audiology practice. Get your copy for free at http://medpb.com/mastery.

Garry Ridge spent 25 years as CEO building one of the world's most beloved and recognized branded companies – WD-40 Company – starting with creating a culture of leaders and individual contributors who are genuinely joyful in their work. He refers to this time of his career as his apprenticeship. And now, he fulfills his life's purpose by transforming his learnings into teachings, extending his guidance as a coach to companies and executives worldwide. Garry co-authored Helping People Win at Work with Ken Blanchard and contributed a chapter to the Marshall Goldsmith/Frances Hesselbein book Work is Love Made Visible. His forthcoming book, Any Dumb-Ass Can Do It, is scheduled for release in 2025. As part of his lifelong commitment to helping others develop, Garry is an Adjunct Professor at The University of San Diego. He is also on the Gorilla Glue Company and Eastridge Workforce Solutions boards. Episode Insight: How would you feel if every one of your employees loved their job at your company? It's a worthy goal and one that's attainable. Background: I love this inspiring conversation with Garry Ridge, former CEO of WD-40 Company. During this week's episode of Reflect Forward, Garry shares insights from his 25-year journey, discussing his evolution into a people-focused leader influenced by thought leaders like Ken Blanchard. Garry shares that if he can accomplish one thing, it would be to help companies create a workplace where people can go to work every day knowing that their efforts make a contribution to a cause bigger than themselves, where they feel safe, protected, and set free every day by a compelling set of values, learn something new, and try new things without fear. This makes happy people. And happy people create happy families and communities. Happy communities create a happy world. And we need a happy world. We also explore building a positive company culture, empowering employees, and the critical role of feedback in growth. Garry discusses how transparency, courage, and humility can transform leadership and drive organizational success. Tune it to gain practical strategies for creating engaged work environments and invaluable leadership lessons from Garry's personal anecdotes and career experiences. Episode Time Stamps 00:00 Welcome and Guest Introduction 01:40 Garry Ridge's Leadership Journey 02:00 Transformational Leadership Insights 02:46 Building a Global Brand 03:53 Learning from Influential Figures 05:38 Embracing Humility in Leadership 07:50 Creating a Coaching Culture 11:11 Ingredients for a Great Culture 15:24 Handling Toxic High Performers 18:06 The Traits of Effective Leaders 18:42 The Ripple Effect of Happy Employees 20:09 The Importance of Courage in Leadership 22:33 Learning from Bold Decisions 24:30 The Value of Transparency 26:20 Embracing Feedback as a Leader 30:32 Reflecting on Leadership and Introducing the Book 32:45 Conclusion and Final Thoughts How to find Garry: Website: www.thelearningmoment.net LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garryridge/ Order my book, The Ownership Mindset, on Amazon or Barnes and Noble Follow me on Instagram or LinkedIn. Subscribe to my podcast Reflect Forward on iTunes Or check out my new YouTube Channel, where you can watch full-length episodes of Advice From a CEO! And if you are looking for a keynote speaker or a podcast guest, click here to book a meeting with me to discuss what you are looking for!

As Unstoppable Mindset regular listeners know I have been a keynote public speaker for 22 and a half years. I love it when I get to have a conversation with coaches and experts whose specialty is to help all of us communicate and converse better. Tina Bakehouse, our guest this time, takes communication coaching to a whole new level. As she says, her process is a holistic one.   Even as a child in rural Iowa Tina liked to perform and tell stories. As she grew she sharpened her skills. She has received two bachelors degrees and a Master's degree as well. All are in one way or another concerned with communications and performing.   Tina brings her knowledge of the theater and on-stage performing to her work helping leaders and others to learn how better to connect with their colleagues and others around them. We talk a great deal about good and effective communications. Lots of good advice and many good suggestions and ideas will be found in our episode this time. Tina offers concepts that can help anyone wishing to communicate and connect better with those around them.   About the Guest:   Protecting audiences from boring speakers and speeches, Tina Bakehouse has started her own company, Tina B LLC, to provide holistic communication consulting and coaching to help heart-centered leaders and organizations internationally and nationally to communicate more effectively. Tina is a published author of the book Discovering Our Magnetic Speaker Within.  With more than 20 years of teaching communication and theatre (10 years as an instructor at Creighton University), a former Walt Disney Cast Member, Leadership Iowa participant, and TEDx speaker and coach, Tina is passionate about educating others to become more self-aware and enhance their authentic speaker style through transformational workshops in improvisation, storytelling, temperament, and communication.  After earning two BAs from the University of Northern Iowa, one in communication studies and psychology, and the second in theatre and English teaching, she completed a master's degree in communication studies from the University of Nebraska-Omaha along with certificates in Advanced Professional Writing, Keirsey's Temperament theory, Holistic Coaching, and four levels of improvisation training.  Her past positions have included Malvern Bank's Chief Creative Officer, assisting with community development and coordinating financial literacy and educational opportunities for Mills County and Golden Hills RC & D as Outreach & Communication Coordinator, promoting the arts and local foods in southwest Iowa. Tina has performed and coordinated multiple storytelling shows in southwest Iowa, including two teen shows.  She continues to use her creativity, leadership, and passion for the arts to help people communicate effectively and solve problems. Tina lives at Maple Edge Farm, a 150-year old family farm in southwest Iowa, with her husband Jon and son Anderson and her beloved dog Shyla.    Protecting audiences from boring speakers and speeches, Tina B. has more than 20 years of teaching communication and theatre (10 years at Creighton University), a former Disney Cast Member, Leadership Iowa participant, and TEDx speaker and coach, Tina is passionate about others becoming more self-aware and enhancing their speaker style through transformational workshops in improvisation, storytelling, temperament, and communication including clients Practical Farmers of Iowa, First National Bank, FEDx, Children's Hospital, and many more. She's earned 2 BAs from the UNI in communication studies and psychology and theatre and English teaching and a master's degree in communication studies from the UNOmaha. Certificates include: Advanced Professional Writing, Keirsey's Temperament theory, Holistic Coaching, 4 Levels of Improvisation. Tina has published a book with Manuscripts Publishing: Discovering Our Magnetic Speaker Within with Manuscripts Publishing. Her past positions have included Malvern Bank's Chief Creative Officer, Golden Hills RC&D, and Omaha Steaks.   Ways to connect with Tina:   Website: https://www.tinabakehouse.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinabakehouse/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TinaB.LLC Youtube channel: https://www.facebook.com/TinaB.LLC     About the Host:   Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/   https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening!   Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast   If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset .   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review   Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.       Transcription Notes:   Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, hello and welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset, where inclusion diversity and the unexpected meet. You've heard that before, but the unexpected is what's the most fun about this podcast, because it has everything to do with anything except inclusion and diversity. So we get to do that today. Anyway. I'm really glad you're here, and really appreciate you taking the time. Tina Bakehouse is our guest today, and Tina, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Tina Bakehouse ** 01:49 Well, Michael, thank you so much for having me here.   Michael Hingson ** 01:51 Now, I was reading Tina's bio, and I don't want to give too much away, because it'll be fun to talk about all of it, but one of the things that she starts her bio by saying is that she's involved in protecting audiences from boring speakers and speeches. And I'm really anxious to talk about that. I have heard some very boring speeches in my time. Oh, I don't even dare mention names, but I've heard some speeches that were really boring, which is which is no fun. But let's start this way. I love to begin by asking if you could tell us kind of about the early Tina growing up and all that sort of stuff.   Tina Bakehouse ** 02:31 Sure, Michael, I was this little farm kid who grew up in southwest Iowa, and my front porch of this farmhouse became my proscenium stage, and I loved to rope my younger brother and sister into a wide range of performances. We would do little radio talk shows on my Fisher Price, you know, tape recorder, old fashioned style with those little tapes, as well as create scripted performances for my parents' anniversary every year, do dinner theaters and things like that. And I just found this love for the spoken word and for performance. And as I evolved and grew into a young teen, I was part of speech competitions as well as community theater, did the high school musicals and all kinds of experiences of that nature, and went to college and pursued a communication studies and psychology degree. And during that time, I really became fascinated with the idea of, how do we talk to each other, listen to each other, show up in various contexts to connect with each other, because communication is about connection. And I really found love with tapping into learning more about how people work, non verbally, as well as verbally and what really hooks people, because as a child, I loved a great story. I was a humongous fan of Jim Henson and the Muppets, and I always was fascinated how they created story on The Muppet Show and entertain in such a fun, creative way. And that's the power of our voices, is that we can draw people in, and we can bring them to their feet and inspire, motivate action, or we can connect with one another, and in a way, that's a beautiful dance of conversation, and that's that's what I really love doing, and what I found in my journey is guiding people on that, that path of tapping into their inner magnetism, because we all have that ability to communicate with confidence and clarity. So I love the teaching piece. Yes,   Michael Hingson ** 05:00 wow, you have said stuff that opens up so many questions, but we'll, we'll try to get to a bunch of them, but I agree with you, and communication is really all about connection, and unfortunately, it cuts both ways, where people connect and and just go by, whatever they go by, and they don't analyze, or sometimes they analyze. But, you know, how do we how do we deal in our world today? You know, I don't like to talk about politics, but leaving out the politics of it, how do we deal with our world today? And I guess it goes back to the beginning of elections ever you've got politicians who say, trust me, and so many people do, and they just look at what the person or listen to what the person says, but never really analyze, and that's a dangerous thing to do. But the people are the politicians are communicating well enough that they just get people to connect. How do we deal with that? Well,   Tina Bakehouse ** 06:05 I think it goes way, way back to Aristotle's logos, pathos and ethos. In every communication context, there's an a target audience, there's an occasion for what people expect to happen, and the context affects and impacts the content. And so asking yourself in terms of logos, that's tapping into the logic of content and researching, getting that background information and being aware if you're speaking at a conference, or if you're going into a networking event. Or, if you are a politician, it's acknowledging speaking to that given geographic area, that demographic, and doing your research ahead of time. That's the logos piece. That ethos is the credibility of really getting the ethical of showing up in truth. And you mentioned, you know, saying, trust me, trust me. Well, that's on you as the speaker, to be full of integrity and to say what you mean and mean what you say, and you do so with consistency of showing up and being in your being. And the final piece is the pathos. It's that emotional appeal of really speaking from the heart. It's that balance we can get very heady. And I think in today's world, it's maybe even a challenge to tap into the heart, because we we can argue with each other, not meet each other in the middle. And I think if, if we can find, and I've found this in my experience, is do what intuitive abraham hicks talks about, and that is segment intending, and you set an intention prior to the communication and be with yourself Like have self awareness, because communication intelligence, or even conversational intelligence, comes from self awareness of Do you regulate your emotions appropriately? How do you think about the upcoming audience, the event, the content of your message? Because if you don't sit with that prior, you're going to influence and impact how the message lands, it may not land at all. And so I would say really being self aware first, because that will ground you. And once you get grounded into your own energy and awareness of the situation, then you can meet the other where they are. But you're right. We're in challenging times where we tend to have conversations with people that have the same belief system, and I've really been of a mindset in the last while, just to get curious and ask questions. I remember years ago when I was traveling in the Serengeti and had the opportunity to meet this beautiful doctor who had been practicing medicine for many, many years, and he was in his 80s and still practicing medicine, and he was from South Africa, and he would, just as this year, adite, he would share and bestow upon me so much knowledge, information and expertise. And as we were saying our goodbyes, he I asked him for advice. At the time, I was a professor at a university, I said, What should I tell my students in this communication class? What advice do you have? And he said, Tina, always be curious and always ask good questions for that's never failed me in 50 years plus of practicing medicine. So if we get compassionately curious about the other and know that they have their own experiences in story that's going to influence how our influence with how we communicate. And   Michael Hingson ** 09:48 I absolutely buy that, and I subscribe to it. It just seems to me, and I read about it often today, we have so many people who. Just seem to have lost or never had the art of conversation, and they don't want to converse. How do we deal with that?   Tina Bakehouse ** 10:09 That is a challenge, absolutely. You know, obviously we don't have control over someone else's choices, right, their behavior, and so it's meeting the audience or the other where they are. And so that could be a person who's more of a closed communicator, where they might be more focused on systems and working with things and being with things, not people, or they may have they're blocked because of some negative experience we simply don't know. Yeah, and again, it's meeting them where they are. So for example, I've encountered closed communicators before, and so I really just observe first, instead of just coming into their little bubble, non verbally, and break through that bubble. The theater person in me has learned very quickly the the pandemic gave us that six feet bubble, which I think is actually important before you break through. That is approach with compassion, because some people are not comfortable with that, and just observe and be with that person first, and maybe just ask a question and see where it lands. Tune into their nonverbal cues. Tune into their paralanguage as as their tone of voice. And if they're terse with you, it which can happen, I think it's, it's acknowledging, you know, thank you for even this time, and being you know, full of appreciation for who they are and be okay with maybe it's not the right time, and you're capitalizing on a hard time for that person. Maybe make a request, like, Hey, I'd be interested in having a conversation. Maybe it's the wrong channel, a phone call would be better. Or maybe it's just a direct exchange via email, which they would be more comfortable with in terms of they just have severe social anxiety. So it's first, observe, listen, notice more, and meet them where they are, and get and get into being okay with that they may not want to have a conversation, and you simply can't control because all communication has a sender and receiver, and it's a two way street. And so sometimes you have to, if you're going the wrong way on a one way, you got to turn around and say, you know, thank you, and be of good peace, centered energy, and move move forward.   Michael Hingson ** 12:35 Yeah, it is. It is so difficult. I think a lot of the whole issue with the art of conversation today, especially when you're dealing with the political world and so on, is that so many of us are locked into attitudes and our own positions to the point where there's no room To discuss or to even consider giving an inch, and we really need to get away from that. It doesn't mean that we need to change our opinion, but it's really more about listening than it is about conversing absolutely   Tina Bakehouse ** 13:14 and just from from communication theory, converting someone and their belief system takes multiple multiple multiple communications, and generally that may not even their belief system. So absolutely, I think that's a great point. Michael is meeting them where they are, and being open to engaging in discourse with someone who has a very different perspective and ask those questions and listen and really listen, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 13:46 and I think that's really the issue for me personally, going back to being curious, I love to talk to people who have different viewpoints than mine, and I would hope at least when I'm conversing and talking, my goal isn't to convert. I don't think that should be my job. If, if I say something that causes somebody to think differently, that's fine, but my goal is to listen and learn and understand. And I think that's what we really need to see more in the world. And you know, some people really don't care about the facts, and it's, it's amazing, but that's not my choice.   Tina Bakehouse ** 14:28 Well, right there, there are high elaborators and low elaborators. It's the elaboration likelihood model that was created, I believe, in the 80s. And so you're high elaborators Are those individuals that really extract content and message, and they focus on content more so than the delivery style. Low elaborators Focus on delivery style. So we have more low elaborators in the United States and world, I would say that get impact. Very much tuned into how the person delivers with their tone of voice, with their charisma that draws people in. And with that being said, I think it's really crucial to be aware that, because we have this distinct way in which we choose to listen that everybody. It's so empowering if they, if we, people just want to be seen, they just want to be heard. They want to have a voice and be comprehended in a way that they are authentically who they are, not trying to be anybody else. And that could be different than you, and that's okay, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 15:37 and it, and it should be, I think it's so much fun to have conversations. As I said, I love to learn, and very frankly, that's what I get to do on all of these podcasts. And as I tell people, if I'm not learning at least as much as anybody else, I'm not doing my job very well, because I want to really learn a lot of things you you talked about the you talked about the Muppets before, and I can't help it. I'm gonna have to spring one thing, and that is, I remember the original Muppet Movie. And there was at one point when somebody, and I can't remember which Muppet it was, said something like, I am just beside myself. And this real quick. And it took me several times at watching the movie to hear the response, which was, yeah, and how did the two of you live with each other? It was just something that happened so fast that they're just so they were so and, you know, those who do it still are so creative,   Tina Bakehouse ** 16:30 absolutely and witty and timely and really just good natured, which it's refreshing,   Michael Hingson ** 16:39 and it's just so much fun,   Tina Bakehouse ** 16:41 absolutely, I mean, I was grateful, because that was my era of my childhood, to have updated movies in their in 2011 and I believe even a year or two past that, where they had actors with the Muppets again. And it was just playful and fun and delightful and physical comedy, fun, self deprecating comedy that was not, you know, hateful or mean, which was very, very refreshing.   Michael Hingson ** 17:12 No, Miss piggy's mean.   Tina Bakehouse ** 17:17 No, she's not, she's   Michael Hingson ** 17:19 not mean, she's not. Mean, do you ever watch 60 minutes?   Tina Bakehouse ** 17:24 I don't. I have not. I mean, I did years ago, every once while with my parents, but I haven't for years and years,   Michael Hingson ** 17:32 one my favorite 60 minutes of all time, and I'd love to get a copy of it. Had morally safer interviewing Miss Piggy. Oh, funny. Well, yeah, let's just say the interview really went the other way. She was just on him. It was so funny. She got him speechless. She kept calling him Morty instead of Morley, and just all sorts of it was absolutely the most hilarious Muppet, or well, our Miss Piggy thing I've ever seen, she was great. I was she   Tina Bakehouse ** 18:04 should be on 60 minutes. Yeah? They just play with language, they have fun, and they're just in the moment. They're in that improvised, fully present moment. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 18:14 well, tell me a little bit about your your thoughts about being a speaker and rescuing audiences from boring speakers and so on. What are some of the big mistakes you think that most speakers make, or that a lot of speakers may? I don't want to say most speakers. I won't be a stereotype soul, but what do you what do you think are the mistakes that speakers make that make them so boring to people?   Tina Bakehouse ** 18:41 Well, I think more times than not, we're very egocentric. We think the speech is about ourselves. And I think that that is a false, false mindset. And in the process of writing and publishing my book, discovering our magnetic speaker within I worked with and communicated with a wide range of speakers whom I actually witnessed magnetism. One keynote speaker and an actual Communication Coach mentioned, it's about serving your audience. If you show up, all about them, it's a we thing. And I, even with the title of my book, I did get some critique on Well, why don't you have discovering your magnetic speaker within as the title? Well, it's not a your thing. It's an our thing. If you, if you give a speech and no one's choosing to listen, did it ever really happen? And it depends on an audience. So I would say that that's the number one faux pas in I've been guilty occasionally This too is and I've had to shake myself out of it is okay. It's doing that audience analysis and really focusing in on what does this audience need to. Know, want to know, and what did they know already, and start with what they know and build into the new information and that foundationally assist in your preparation for a given presentation. So I would say some mistakes. The first one is that the speaker makes it about them and not a service or serving the audience. So being audience centered is essential. It's the foundation to be magnetic and to be engaging. A second mistake is that, and I'm going to go back to the self, that we tend to have an inflated view of how good we are as speakers. So that comes from lack of preparation. Some people just show up. And there are gifted speakers that have a heart centered space, and they can maybe do very light to little preparation. But by and large, people have a warped perception of how good they are. It's sort of like, how, if I were to ask you, how fast can you run a mile? It's very measurable. You can say, you know, whether or not you could do it in 10 minutes or less. But if I said, Are you an effective magnetic speaker? Well, that's very abstract. So we we really and I even think audiences, they know it when they feel it, and feelings are so abstract. And think of all the different energies that are within and composed in an audience that, you know, everybody has different experiences, different perceptions, etc. So that's the other piece, another mistake. And finally, I would say, in addition to, you know, the audience centeredness and the the Warped perception, or unclear perception of our abilities, is, again, a big mistake, is not being flexible in the moment and being aware of, well, if, especially when you're facilitating a workshop, I really tune into what does the audience need in this moment? And so I have a foundational, prepared, two hour workshop, but it looks feels differently for each given audience because of what I get from them. It's it's like a tennis match, it's a back and forth dance, and so being flexible and even being able to refer to a previous speaker, if you're a keynote speaker in a given conference and you've heard the other speakers, I think that that can really impact and it's engaging with story and balancing that with data. So that's the biggest one, is think about the audience. Think about the self, and think about the content that you embed, the story,   Michael Hingson ** 22:49 one of the well, when I, when I give a speech and and I've done certainly, bunches of them, and I can tell the same story. People always want to hear about the World Trade Center. But what happens is I believe that I don't talk to an audience ever. I believe I talk with an audience. I think that's extremely important, and when I am giving a speech, I do know that there are certain things that I can say that I've learned to believe should probably get specific kinds of reactions from the audience, and when I say a particular thing, I can tell whether I'm connecting with the audience or Not, and I have absolutely changed on the fly. But again, I can tell the same story, but the intonations and other aspects of it may be totally different for one audience from another or over another, and I think that's extremely important, because my job is to connect with the audience. And you're right. I want to really understand them, know what they want, know what they need. I love whenever I'm going to speak somewhere is to go and hear other speakers who speak before me. I don't mind doing the opening speech, and I've done that before, but I love to speak later, because I get to learn more about the audiences and learn so much from them. But I do believe that it's all about talking with the audience. They have to be part of it.   Tina Bakehouse ** 24:30 Oh, absolutely, I love that you bring that up. In fact, I've, I've said that to so many clients. Do you want to be a presenter or a communicator so you can either present at your audience, which is very performative to your audience, which is more presentation, or with them, which is what much more of a conversation. And honestly, I think when you frame it that way, it does take the load off your shoulders of that anxiety and apprehension that we tend. To put on public speaking, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 25:02 and, and you're absolutely right, when, when I discovered doing it that way did so much more to connect with the audiences. You're right. It absolutely took a lot of the pressure off, and it made the speech more fun for me, and making it more fun for me made it more fun for the audience as well. Oh,   Tina Bakehouse ** 25:27 they love seeing you have fun. In fact, they're they're having fun right right alongside you.   Michael Hingson ** 25:32 Yeah. And sometimes, in the middle of a speech where I'm supposed to be doing a speech, I'll ask questions.   Tina Bakehouse ** 25:38 Oh, yes, rhetorical question. That's a great not   Michael Hingson ** 25:42 even rhetorical. I want them to answer. Wait to get answers, which is a lot of fun, and then I incorporate that into what I'm doing. And it's so much fun to do. But again, it's it's involving them. I don't necessarily do a lot of that, but I do some of that, and it depends on the audience. Sometimes I will try to draw them out more than at other times. I learned when I was doing professional sales that the best salespeople are really teachers, and they're also the best learners, and what they should do is never ask a closed ended like yes or no question, but always ask open ended questions in order to learn more about what the audience or the the customer needs, and that is so important to be able to do, and it is just as true when you're dealing with speaking to an audience,   Tina Bakehouse ** 26:35 absolutely, absolutely. Yeah, that's   Michael Hingson ** 26:39 so much and it's so much fun.   Tina Bakehouse ** 26:41 Yes, it is. When   Michael Hingson ** 26:43 did you publish your book?   Tina Bakehouse ** 26:45 Well, I just published October of 2023, with manuscript publishing. So it's pretty fresh, hot off the press. And I, prior to that, worked with Georgetown University in their book creators group and got accepted into their publishing program with their manuscript publishing, and then this just yesterday, I did my rerecords for my audiobook with my producer and updated the manuscript. So that's on its way to be potentially up and running late spring, early summer. So that's exciting.   Michael Hingson ** 27:17 That will be great. Yes, I will. I will want to read that when it comes out in in a readable form.   Tina Bakehouse ** 27:25 Oh, yeah, absolutely. I mean, the the hard I have a hardcover, I have an ebook, I have a paperback, and then I'll have audio, so four different styles and trying to meet all those different learners in the way they prefer to download information. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 27:43 So how does your temperament impact your communication with other people?   Tina Bakehouse ** 27:50 Temperament is essential. It's part of the journey of awareness. I'm certified in Keirsey Temperament, and what I found in that journey of learning more and more about his work. And Kirsi David kirsiza was a social psychologist that did a lot of work, building off of what we know as Myers Briggs psychological insight of the self, and he did more listening and observing and noted that who we are is about 50 ish percent, just in our DNA makeup, that it just That's who we are, and the other part is the environment. So our personality is built with this equation of temperament, which is your natural born in inclinations, your DNA, to use words, behave, work, communicate and lead in a certain way, and then the environment or character in terms of what you are nurtured, the type of people you were around, the experiences that you've had that definitely impact who you are, temperament, I have found has been a beautiful insight and tool, not just for myself as a communicator, but to draw out of my clients the best, most magnetic communicator that they can be. So it's first acknowledging what is their core value, because they speak to that and when you are aware that you're more of a random communicator than a sequential one, that is helpful in team meetings, because as a random and I'm very much a random creative, I can drive a very logical, sequential meeting facilitator or person, frankly frustrated, and I found that I have to really negotiate and navigate those situations, and being flexible with my style. Sequential takes me extra work, but it makes sense when you speak, you need a sequence, a beginning, a middle and an. End, and I have to work extra hard because I have these random squirrel, squirrel, squirrel thoughts and acknowledge that moments of that are okay, but if I did that all the time, people would struggle being able to follow the message, particularly when people Yeah, yes. So that's an important piece, the other part of your temperament that I believe is very helpful to be aware of, is your propensity to use abstract and have a preference for abstract words or concrete, and we use both as human beings. But if I'm much more, love philosophies, love the abstracts and using metaphor and analogy. But I know if I sat in that space all the time, and I wouldn't reach 90% of the audience, which are much more preference preference to concrete and so it's it's having the sensory details and all of that as well. So that self awareness is huge. It also helps them. Once you're aware of your own core value and how that impacts how you communicate. It's then seeing the other three with clarity, and when you are able to be aware of, oh, that some people really have a various core value, I need to there's some people in the audience that really value just having fun, whereas others want to have more of the knowledge and the credibility, and they value that much more. So you want to balance those out. If you have too much knowledge and data, that's going to be heavy on the scale and and go over the audience's heads, but if you're all about the fun and have no depth, that, again, lacks balance. So temperament, really, I think, supports your influence as a persuasive communicator, because your audience has two choices, to tune you out or choose to listen. Yeah. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 31:57 and as, as I said earlier, one of the things that that I work hard at is knowing how my audience is accepting what I say by different phrases that I might use, that I've learned get a specific kind of reaction, and if I don't get it, then I'm clearly not doing something right, and I have to work on it. But I also agree that it it really varies from audience to audience. What's the audience looking for, and how does the audience feel? And on one day, an audience may go one way and and the same group of people may react differently. Another time,   Tina Bakehouse ** 32:36 Oh, absolutely. I mean, it could be time of day you're presenting. It could be something that's going on the morale of the organization, if you're doing a corporate presentation and they just got some bad news or something, didn't you know land Well, absolutely, that's a great point.   Michael Hingson ** 32:51 Well, I also think that there, there are different kinds of techniques that speakers can use. One of the things that frustrates me is going into a speech, listening to a speech, where really what they're doing is projecting a PowerPoint on a screen and just reading the PowerPoint, yeah, where? Where is the real value in that?   Tina Bakehouse ** 33:18 Right? And death by PowerPoint, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 33:22 and I see it way too often. Oh, absolutely.   Tina Bakehouse ** 33:26 And I think what's really important is using the different learning styles and embedding that throughout your talk, if you're doing a formal keynote workshop, etc, and being aware that you tend to favor your own learning style. I'm very much an audible learner. That includes stories. I love listening to podcasts. I love analogies. I love puns and alliteration, all of that that's beautiful, but if I only do that, I'm really missing out on the visual learners who do appreciate a picture, a quick video clip, maybe a prop, etc. And the kinesthetic learners who love movement like buy a show of hands or what word comes to mind and you have them yell something out or talk to your partner about that's really helpful, of balancing those different styles as well as the written form to reflect on the content of your message. Yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 34:25 I think one of the advantages potentially I have as a speaker is compared to most people, I'm different. How often do they hear a blind speaker? And the advantage of that is that I do get to study audiences, and I've been to a couple of places where, as it turns out, they were very uncomfortable with a person who was blind speaking, and my job was to work to get a more favorable reaction by the end. And there's one. Time that I didn't, and it turns out it was a very elderly group, and most of them, for whatever reason, weren't even really hearing what I had to say. But I didn't find that out till later. Oh,   Tina Bakehouse ** 35:10 sure, which is no fun. You add, yeah, that would be a challenge. I I would say, I'd be curious, Michael, if you can really tune into energy, because you don't, you don't get to see nonverbal cues. I would love to hear your perspective on the how do you read an audience in your world?   Michael Hingson ** 35:30 So I think that when when dealing with an audience, a cue may not be verbal, but there are a lot of other ways to tell what's going on. How fidgety is the audience, what kinds of background noises Do I hear or don't hear at one point, usually when I'm telling the world trade center story, I talk about the fact that we were on the 30th floor and firefighters were coming up the stairs, and the first one stops right in front of me, and he and he says, you know, are you? What are you? Okay? And I say, Sure. And he says, we're going to send somebody down the stairs with you to make sure you get out. Of course, I have to imitate his New York accent. So it's, we're going to send somebody down the stairs which you to make sure you get out. And I go, which, W, i t y, a witcha and and I say, Look, I don't need any assistance. I'm okay. I came down from the 78th floor. I really can. Can do just fine. And we go over it a little bit. And finally, I say, Look, I got my guide dog here. And he goes, Oh, what a nice dog. And he pets the dog without asking, and I say to the audience, so let me tell you, unlike what the firefighter did, don't ever pet a dog without asking, because the dog is in harness. They're working. So I got to sneak that lesson in. But anyway, then i i finally say, I've got a colleague here who can see and so the guy lets me go without needing to escort me down the stairs. And I explained why I didn't want his assistance, or anyone's assistance, for a lot of reasons. They don't know how to walkside a guy with a blind person, which is a problem. But also, I didn't need them to take someone out of their position, because they're all a big team, and they're going up to fight whatever's going on, and they didn't need to help me go down the stairs. So we finally get beyond that, and this is what I'm leading up to. And the last thing that the firefighter does as he's leaving is he pets Rozelle, my guide dog, and Roselle gives him some kisses, and then I say to the audience, and that may very well have been the last unconditional love that he ever got in his life. And that reaction is what I'm waiting to see, whether it's an intake of breath, whether people just are fidgeting, or whether the audience goes silent. And so there are a lot of ways to get a reaction at various times when I am speaking, or any blind person is speaking, if they learn how to listen for them and learn how to work at it where there is a lot more audio or auditory information available, if you know what to Listen for. So yeah, there are times that it could be a problem, or I'm doing a speech, and I hear every so often, people getting up and leaving and maybe going to the restroom and maybe coming back or not. And again, there are just so many different kinds of aspects that I can use in terms of my delivery and so on to gage how the audience is reacting to what I say and don't say, yeah.   Tina Bakehouse ** 38:46 So I'd be curious. I mean, obviously that's feedback when you're hearing their behavior. So what? When you hear the fidgeting or people leaving? Now, clearly, biological, you know, physiological function, yeah, biology, you know those, there's those moments. But how do you alter what is it that you consider or do in that moment when you're acknowledging, oh, they're fidgeting, this is clearly not landing as I thought, as it did last time in a different group.   Michael Hingson ** 39:18 So one thing I might do is immediately ask a question, like, you know, we're talking about the World Trade Center. Are you okay with me telling this story? Or I might say, you know, tell me a little bit briefly about your own experiences and observations, assuming that they're old enough to remember the World Trade Center. So there are a lot of ways then to re engage them, and I've had to do it occasionally, but when I do, it draws them right back in and again. Yeah, there are bio things that come up and so on. But when I hear a lot of it, then it means that. Different thing than if it's just like one or two people that get up and go out. The other thing that's fun to do, and I love to absorb, observe this, if a room isn't totally crowded, is looking to see if people are sitting in the front of the room, and if there are, I know, empty tables in the front of a room or empty seats. In the course of discussion, I may choose a time to say, you know, I know that the front row seats are really pretty empty. Let's take a break. Why doesn't some Why don't some of you move up to the front of the room? I might see you better, probably not. But the dog will love it. But the dog will love it. You know, again, it's all about engaging the audience, and most of the time, very frankly, I've been fortunate and don't have to do a lot of that.   Tina Bakehouse ** 40:47 Well, I love, I love the tools you you have strategies too, that when that maybe that moment happens, but I appreciate you sharing that.   Michael Hingson ** 40:55 Yeah, and it's, but it's, it's part of what needs to happen as a speaker. There are a lot of ways to get the same information and the assumption that most people have as well non verbal communications, you'll never see it. Don't think so for a minute. There are a lot of ways to get information and see how well the audience is engaged. And again, I've been really blessed that, pretty much for the most part, it works out really well.   Tina Bakehouse ** 41:24 That's wonderful. Now I have   Michael Hingson ** 41:26 given PowerPoint presentations too. When I did sales presentations, I would do PowerPoint shows. But again, what I didn't like to do, although I had a complete Braille script, my Braille script was, was pretty unique, because it had all the words that were on the slides. It also had a description, because we put it in there of what the pictures showed. But for me, it also we, we created the script that also said where on the screen the pictures would show up. So I so I could, for example, point over my shoulder and say, on the left side of your screen you'll see, or on the right side of the screen you'll see, and the value of that is, I never looked away from the audience. I didn't need to turn around to see where things were on the screen. And as I changed slides my laptop, although the lion was loud enough for me to hear, wasn't loud enough for other people to hear. I knew that the slide changed, but I could continue to, if you will, make eye contact with the audience and keep them engaged. And one day, I did one of those, and a guy comes up to me afterward. He said, I'm mad at you. We're all mad at you. And I said, why? He said, Because you gave a very good presentation. It was not boring because I don't read the script. I verbalize what's on the script and add to it. But he said, you your presentation was absolutely not boring. But the big problem was we forgot you were blind because you you never looked away from us. You kept looking at us. And so we didn't dare fall asleep like we do with most presentations. That's wonderful. And of course, my immediate reaction was, well, it was okay if you had fallen asleep because the dogs down here taking notes, and we would have got you anyway, but, but it's, it's all about I think you're absolutely right. It's okay to do PowerPoint presentations, PowerPoint shows, but you don't read what's on the screen. You really need to continue to be a speaker.   Tina Bakehouse ** 43:32 Well, it's called a visual aid for a reason. It's to aid the speaker, support the speaker, be secondary to the speaker. And frankly, I've when I do my TEDx Talk later this year, I have one slide I'm using, and I have a prop, and I'm just sharing information and connecting with my audience, because I feel like you have to really be intentional with how you use those slides, and they need to support your information and not be a crutch like some speakers make them be, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 44:04 usually I'll be talking with whoever's planning the show when they'll ask if they can put a prop up, a picture of the World Trade Center or a picture of my book, Thunder dog or whatever. And I'm fine for them to do that, because they'll show it on screens and all that and that, that works out perfectly well. So, you know, I'm fine with it. And I think there's there again, there's a place for props. And occasionally I will have something else, if I'm doing a talk that is going to involve technology, and a lot of times, people are curious about how I do different things, I will have something up there that I can show so that they can really see how I do the things that they do, although I do them in a different way, and that's fun, too.   Tina Bakehouse ** 44:51 It's that individualized means of being that you are owning your your your style, your authentic speaker style. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 44:59 Yeah, so I understand you lost your voice once. That must have been fun. Fun   Tina Bakehouse ** 45:05 is probably not the adjective it was. It was a unique experience. It was a surprise. I mean, imagine teaching, of all things, public speaking, and I opened my mouth in a sophomore speech class. This was years ago, and nothing comes out, not even squeak. I mean, I've had some hoarseness in the past, but this was I opened my mouth, and nothing came out. And immediately, a student assisted me, got the principal in, and I had to go home because I couldn't teach. I mean, I I finished that class and wrote things on the board, but you can't do that for eight periods in a day. Wow. And what I found during that time, when I came home and it didn't return and it didn't return, I started to panic, yeah, what is happening here? Because this is really, it's like, it's part of my business, it's part of what I do. I'm an educator. If I can't speak, that's that's going to really put a put a wrinkle in what I'm doing with my career. So I decided that I needed support and sought out a speech pathologist, and we went through breathing exercises, and she and she analyzed that I had gone through some anxiety, and it was the anxiety that really tightened up my vocal cords, because I had a very couple tough classes that were challenging And in terms of behavior. And so anxiety was really impacting. The stress was impacting that those vocal cords. So I from her, she then connected me to a larnacologist who specialized in opera singers, and he assessed my vocal cords. And looked at me and went, Uh, you have Vocal cord nodules. And I was like, Oh, no. Julie Andrews, from Sound of Music, had this very thing, and she had the surgery that permanently changed her pitch, made it lower. And he did give me two options. He said you could do the surgery and your voice could change and be lower, or it could remain the same and be more hoarse. Or you can do six weeks of silence and that's no laughing, because that's very hard on your vocal cords, which is hard for me. I'm a gut wrench like the I have a big, hearty laugh. No talking, absolutely no cheating on any of this and whispering is the worst as well. So yeah, it's the worst. So I did the six weeks of silence, and what I found during that time as I had a myriad of one sided conversations, a lot of people popped by, wanted to visit, and I would just listen. People want to be seen, heard, and share their voice, their ideas, their opinions, their stories. And I became very clear that it's all about being fully present, about letting go of what's going on in my head, noticing more of what's being said, not said, and using everything like what's going on in their world, and being impacted potentially by what the other says. Don't not coming in with my own agenda. And that was a powerful experience. And I found, as I was working on this audiobook in January of this past year that my voice was doing the same. I started to squeak a little bit because I was coming, I've been experiencing burnout from nearly a two year stint of running a business and doing this book and having intense deadlines with my publisher, and I found, oh my gosh, I need to meditate. I need to relax. No amount of warm tea, food. It's a myth. Food does not impact your vocal cords, and so it's the warm beverage, the temperature can help soothe but it's being very cognizant of your stress has a bigger impact. And I just learned so much from that experience, and then the weirdness of it happening again years later, it was like a weird parallel experience of okay, lesson learned, take care of thyself, to put forth a voice that you want people to hear for this book.   Michael Hingson ** 49:31 Years and years ago, I attended a training program. It was a one day thing by Ken Blanchard, you know, the One Minute Manager guy and several of us from my company went and he made a comment that good speakers often will drink something warm, like water with lemon and honey before doing a speech, not. Ever milk, because that's the mucus thing. But over, over the years, I developed a taste for tea, and so I have tea in the morning. I'll have a few mugs of tea in the morning, and generally not later in the day. But the warm, the warm liquid, as you say, is very soothing. It does make a difference food, nah, but the tea does help, and it's mainly that it's a warm beverage. I've never been a coffee drinker, but I've grown to like tea, so that works well,   Tina Bakehouse ** 50:33 and especially it's the temperature and the liquid to keep it moist that is helpful, more than anything. But the breathing piece is really, really influential as well, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 50:44 and it's important to do that. Well, you are a communications consultant and coach. How are you different than other people who are communications consultants and coaches? Well,   Tina Bakehouse ** 50:55 I'm a Holistic Communication Consultant coach, where I have that foundation of the more than 20 years of teaching, researching, engaging in the content area from not only the high school level, but the the as a professor at a college or institution. But then also, I come from a spiritual background, and when I work with my clients, I look at them as a soul and and really understanding the mind message mechanics and that it's really tapping into our heart, getting out of those conditioned beliefs and being the loving, wise adults that we're called to be, because that impacts the kind of message you create and then The way you impart it out into the world, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 51:43 and I think that's important. And my impression just in talking with you all this time, is that, although I think there are a lot of people who will do their best to analyze and think about a client, you approach it probably a little bit more unique way from a communication standpoint, so that there's a connection that's probably stronger or more vibrant than a lot of people would have with clients.   Tina Bakehouse ** 52:12 Well, everything is energy, and that people feel your magnetism or lack thereof, and that's why it's coming from the heart, and that will definitely be a stronger, stronger, more influential presentation.   Michael Hingson ** 52:27 So what is your business called? You said you have a business I   Tina Bakehouse ** 52:31 do. It's called Tina B LLC, and I just at the time in 2020 during the pandemic, when I'd been doing this consulting and coaching work on the side for more than a decade. I struggled with the name, and I just thought, well, use my own. And when I say, Hey, Tina, B LLC, yeah, you know me, and people have found it to be very easy to find me and in terms of what I do and how I facilitate the work that I do. It's not only through my magnetic leadership blueprint series, but also my magnetic speaking blueprint series. They're six month programs, and I love doing those individual programs to support people, guide them on their journey, and facilitate virtual and in person workshops and finally, keynotes, yeah,   Michael Hingson ** 53:28 which is, which is cool, yeah,   Tina Bakehouse ** 53:30 ranging from yes and leadership within my background in improv to temperament to storytelling and magnetic communication, tell   Michael Hingson ** 53:38 me a little about improv that That must have been fun to learn to do, or how, how did all that come about?   Tina Bakehouse ** 53:45 Well, I have a theater degree, and actually, naturally, it's, it's one of the things that they throw you into to get that experience. And then as I got into my world of the adult hood, I decided my play yard is improv. It's high risk, high reward, and in terms of community theater, I just didn't have the time commitment that that requires. So I still take improv classes. It's my beautiful way of laughing and learning, and it's all about Yes, and which means accept the other in the moment, as it occurs, and add something to it. And I found that this has made such a huge impact, not only on my life, personally, with my relationships, but also in my work life as well.   Michael Hingson ** 54:34 Good to be flexible.   Tina Bakehouse ** 54:35 It is absolutely it's making your partner look good. It's all about that creative piece, the innovation working the brain in such a way that you align with your heart, being in the moment and and tapping into that is just a beautiful experience.   Michael Hingson ** 54:55 Well, you know, one of the things that I'm a little curious about, going back to your business a little bit, is you're. In rural Iowa. How is it doing a business from rural Iowa, Iowa, especially when you have to travel and all that. Where's the nearest airport?   Tina Bakehouse ** 55:07 The nearest airport is Omaha, Nebraska, about 45 minutes away. And really, I'm lucky that we have this thing called technology, because this is how we're connecting zoom, Google meets all of that has been amazing to expand my business nationally and internationally and to feel connected during the pandemic. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 55:25 Well, Omaha is only 45 minutes away, and that's a fairly good sized airport, so that's pretty convenient when you have to travel   Tina Bakehouse ** 55:32 absolutely, absolutely so.   Michael Hingson ** 55:37 And I agree with you. I'm not in a rural area, definitely a suburban area. Victorville is about 8085, miles northeast of Los Angeles, and we're about 40 miles or so from the nearest airport, about 45 to 50 minutes from ontario california airport. But again, figured that out early, and it's a lot easier to go to Ontario airport than going all the way down to Los Angeles to LAX. So   Tina Bakehouse ** 56:06 that works. It absolutely works. Yeah, and,   Michael Hingson ** 56:10 and there's a shuttle service up here so I can travel. But also, zoom works well. Now doing keynotes for me with Zoom isn't as easy, because I don't always get the same kind of ability to distinguish audience reactions, because it's a lot quieter, of course, so that's a little bit more of a challenge.   Tina Bakehouse ** 56:32 Oh, absolutely, you don't get that feedback,   Michael Hingson ** 56:37 no. So it is something to, you know, to deal with.   Tina Bakehouse ** 56:43 Yes, it is. And so I think it's great that you challenge yourself and put yourself out there in that way. Oh,   Michael Hingson ** 56:48 yeah. And I have no problem doing zoom and all that as well. Well, you clearly like to storytell, and I know you get a lot of that from doing theater and so on. Tell me a little bit about telling stories.   Tina Bakehouse ** 57:03 Well, telling stories is just been a part of my my day to day. Being as an oldest of three, I supported my sister learning how to read because I loved a good book like Nancy, Drew books and loved to embody characters by creating, and I found that in my experience, that stories really connect our our ways of being within ourselves and making sense of the world, but with others, because they have high stakes, it's a shared experience that really draws people in, whether you're entertaining at a party or you are presenting formally and everything in between, even facilitating a meeting with your team. And so I've I love anything from a fun story of watching TED lasso, which talk about rich, great characters, and then having that shared experience with my family, to talk about it afterwards, to when I sit down with a great book, whether it's a children's book, or a non fiction or fiction text, and really put myself into the story and learn from that main character, the protagonist to embodying that practice in how I market my business naturally, and how I connect with other people. So it's, it's imperative. I feel like it's, it's part of human nature, because our brains are wired for story, and when we hear a great story, it literally that oxytocin, that that hormone that really supports us wanting to help other people, increases when they tell when we tell stories, which to me, that makes it such a powerful, persuasive tool   Michael Hingson ** 58:56 and nothing like a good story To make life a lot more fun.   Tina Bakehouse ** 58:59 Totally, absolutely, well.   Michael Hingson ** 59:03 As we wrap up, I'd love your thoughts on what you might say to somebody who wants to be a speaker, what are some basic kinds of advice that you would give someone who's looking to speak or to to to involve themselves with other people like that,   Tina Bakehouse ** 59:22 I would say three tips. The first is to analyze, with authenticity, step back and be aware of where does speaking play in your business, in your personal and professional and life in general, and where are you? Where do you want to go, and what is your speaker style? Are you at a level that you're happy with, or do you want to expand and grow? So be be in that analysis phase of, where am I? Where do I want to go? And analyze that very honestly. Second, it's craft your content. In a clear, powerful, purposeful way. Every single speech that I've seen that I've been moved, it's clear that the it moved and mattered to the speaker. So your passion leads your communication. Don't talk about something you don't care about, and put yourself out there in a way that is meaningful and true. My spouse is a farmer. He cares about soil health. That's his mantra, his it's his North Star. So he goes on panels and speaks at conferences about his practices to add diversity the soil. Speak the truth and take the time to prepare. The last is you can perfect your performance or get it to a way that you feel you're anchoring in your confidence by practicing frequently, having a speaker ritual, tapping into those vocal and physical mechanics and eliciting the support of a guide, whether it's a style that you need Real help in terms of crafting the message, which I do that kind of work, or it's getting out of your head because you're in your own way, which is more mindset and heart centered means of being I do that work, or it's just, I know that I've got a great speech, I just can't deliver it. My voice is shaking, or my body gets stiff. That's the mechanics. So eliciting that help from someone who knows what they're talking about can really make an impact and get you there faster. So when you put in the reps, just like if you the Super Bowl was not too long ago, coaches make a difference. They readjust at that, at that, you know, halftime spot, and coaches get you there faster, but it's finding the right support if you are wanting to expand and up level your speaker style, right?   Michael Hingson ** 1:01:48 There's never anything wrong with having a coach and someone to advise and help you and look at what you do objectively, and who's going to be honest back with you,   Tina Bakehouse ** 1:01:57 well, right? And I, I've elicited the help of coaches for my business and for and feedback and support with my presentations as well, because I know I don't know all and I never will. I'm always like you, Michael, learning, growing, stretching, it's a lot more fun. It is a lot more fun. Totally agree. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:17 if people want to reach out to you and maybe talk about you being their coach and all that. How do they do that?   Tina Bakehouse ** 1:02:22 They can reach out to me on my website@tinabakehouse.com, that's Tina T, I n, a, bakehouse B, as in boy, a, k, e, house as in casa.com. And you can certainly find my book. Is there? Resources, videos, my blog, I write a couple of months to support you and guide you in the power of magnetic communications, storytelling strategies and more.   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:52 Well, Tina, thank you for being here on unstoppable mindset. Clearly, you have one, an unstoppable mindset that is. And I'm really glad that we had the opportunity to spend a bunch of time and talk about speaking. It's one of my favorite subjects, because I learn every time I get to talk about it, which is, of course, for me, the whole point,   Tina Bakehouse ** 1:03:14 and I learned from you as well. It's a beautiful connection in that regard. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:18 we'll have to do more of this absolutely. Well. I want to thank you again, and I want to thank all of you, wherever you are, for listening to us and I guess watching us today, please give us a five star rating wherever you're encountering our podcast. We really appreciate the ratings, especially those five star ones. But if you have any thoughts I'd love to hear from you, feel free to email me. You can reach me at Michael M, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, I, B, e.com, or go to our podcast page. That's always a great place to go. He said, with a very prejudiced idea, you can go to www.michaelhingson.com/podcast Michael Hinkson is, m, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, s, o, n, so Michael hinkson.com/podcast love again to hear your thoughts and for all of you and Tina, if you know of anyone else who ought to come on unstoppable mindset, or you think they ought to, I buy it. I'd love to hear from you with any recommendations and introductions that anybody wants to provide. So again, I want to thank you, Tina, for being here and making this happen. This was a lot of fun, and I really appreciate your time.   Tina Bakehouse ** 1:04:32 I appreciate you as well. Thank you for the invitation. Michael,   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:40 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

Did you know that even if you win the rat race, when you finish, you are still a rat? So says one of our favorite mentors, Dr. Ken  Blanchard. Here are a few takeaways. Start your day slower. How would you like to be today?At the end of the day, consider writing a few things or PRAISINGS and also know where you should be pivoting the next day. Effective leaders think "how can WE win together?" Next time you get into a sand trap, don't say Oh Shit, I'm in the sandtrap. Look at it as an opportunity, not a trap. What did Ken's board of director, Pat Hyman advise at 99 years of age? Set direction, then get out of the way. There you go. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/success-made-to-last-legends--4302039/support.

Colin Nolan, Senior Business Coach at Nolan Consulting Group and Certified Trainer of Ken Blanchard's SLII Experience™ (Situational Leadership) Program is back to talk the Top 10 Leadership Mistakes People often make from an SLII Perspective.  From new employee attitude changes to confusing confidence vs. competence, leadership of people is hard and tools like the  SLII  framework used for diagnosing situations and providing the appropriate support can be a game changer for people management success. For a refresh of the SL2 Framework, we encourage you to check out the Podcast Series, episodes can be found here:  https://www.nolancg.com/blog/situational-leadership-podcast-series/For Weekly: Several spots remain in the upcoming Situational Leadership Workshop facilitated by Colin Nolan & Sydney Bates kicking off Oct. 29th. To learn more or register: Click here

A refresh of Ken Blanchard's Situational Leadership

In this episode, Jamie Shilanski unveils a roadmap to success for financial advisors aiming to scale their practices. She outlines three crucial stages every advisor must navigate to achieve long-term growth and build a lasting legacy in the financial services industry. The journey begins with the growth stage, where advisors focus on turbocharging client acquisition. As they progress to the freedom stage, the emphasis shifts to optimizing processes for scalability. The final enterprise stage is where financial advisors truly build a self-sustaining firm. Jamie explores techniques for empowering team members to run the practice and teaches how to decentralize command for maximum scalability and impact. Throughout the episode, Jamie underscores three key principles for success: diligently documenting processes, consistently delivering massive value to clients, and attracting advisors who share the same values. These elements, she argues, are essential for navigating each stage and ultimately building a thriving, scalable financial advisory practice. Building an Enterprise Office Resources in today's episode: - Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard  

Do your goals for your design business feel unattainable, or are you afraid to even set those goals for fear of getting uncomfortable? Business and life coach Andrea Liebross has lots of great tips on how to get out of your comfy pond and reach your full potential within the waves of the “River of Misery.” Stay tuned! Andrea Liebross, a certified business and life coach, specializing in empowering female entrepreneurs to infuse thinking with action so they can drop the drama and figure out how to think like a CEO, manage like a CEO and believe in themselves to achieve success in their business and at home. Celebrated for her transformative work with unapologetically ambitious women, helping translate their visions into tangible accomplishments, Andrea is the author of the new book,  She Thinks Big: The Entrepreneurial Woman's Guide to Moving Past the Messy Middle and into the Extraordinary. Andrea is dedicated to implementing systems and strategies that lead to sustainable and meaningful success. She possesses the unique ability to decipher complex situations and shed light on the broader perspective, one that transcends business politics and tedious responsibilities. Her focus is on guiding women toward their highest potential, free from the constraints of traditional norms, to achieve a coveted balance of time, financial prosperity, and boundless energy. Beyond her coaching, Andrea is a dynamic speaker and the engaging host of the Time to Level Up podcast, where she works to help listeners create a plan to have a profitable and successful business.  ***

Join Brian Milner as he talks with leadership expert Christopher DiBella about mastering the art of influencing without authority. Learn how to lead with respect, empathy, and compassion to inspire your team, even when you don’t hold the official title. Overview In this episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast, Brian interviews Christopher DiBella, an expert in leadership and organizational development, about the power of influencing without authority. They explore how Agile leaders, especially Scrum Masters, can effectively guide teams and influence organizational culture through respect, empathy, and compassion. Chris shares practical strategies for building trust, navigating generational differences, and leading through relationships rather than formal authority. The discussion also emphasizes the critical importance of understanding the motivations and needs of others to achieve lasting influence. Whether you're an Agile coach, Scrum Master, or organizational leader, this episode provides actionable advice for leading in a way that inspires collaboration and growth. References and resources mentioned in the show: Christopher DiBella The Leadership Survival Guide: A Blueprint for Leading with Purpose and Impact by Christopher DiBella, PH.D. #37 Servant Leadership, Not Spineless Leadership with Brad Swanson #70 The Role of a Leader in Agile with Mike Cohn #109 Leadership and Culture in DevOps with Claire Clark Short Answers to Big Questions About Agile Leaders by Mike Cohn Certified ScrumMaster® Training and Scrum Certification Certified Scrum Product Owner® Training Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner® Advanced Certified ScrumMaster® Mike Cohn’s Better User Stories Course Mountain Goat Software Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule Join the Agile Mentors Community Want to get involved? This show is designed for you, and we’d love your input. Enjoyed what you heard today? Please leave a rating and a review. It really helps, and we read every single one. Got an Agile subject you’d like us to discuss or a question that needs an answer? Share your thoughts with us at podcast@mountaingoatsoftware.com This episode’s presenters are: Brian Milner is SVP of coaching and training at Mountain Goat Software. He's passionate about making a difference in people's day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work. Christopher DiBella is a leadership coach dedicated to empowering aspiring leaders by teaching influential leadership practices that streamline processes and maximize potential. As the founder of the Institute of Leadership Coaching and Development, Chris is committed to helping others lead with respect, empathy, and compassion to build engaged, high-performing teams. Auto-generated Transcript: Brian (00:00) Welcome in Agile Mentors. We're back for another episode of the Agile Mentors podcast. I'm with you as always, Brian Milner. And today I have a very special guest with me. I have Mr. Chris DiBella with us. Welcome in, Chris. Chris (00:13) Thanks so much, Brian. I appreciate you guys having me. Brian (00:15) Absolutely. We're very excited to have Chris on. Chris, if you're not familiar with Chris and his work, just a brief little introduction here for you. Chris has an MBA in project management. has a PhD in organizational leadership. He's an author and speaker. He's the founder of something called, actually founder and president, excuse me, of the Institute of Leadership, Coaching and Development. And he has a book that should be out right about now while you're listening to this called the leadership survival guide quotes to keep you from going extinct as a leader. So very, very interesting title there. I can't wait to read that. That sounds amazing. But the reason we wanted to have Chris on was one of the topics that Chris focuses on and talks about from time to time is the topic of influencing without authority. And I thought that's really, really interesting in the Agile world and how that relates to things like Scrum Masters and how we work within the organization and stuff. So let's start there, Chris. Let's just talk about where that, what does that title mean to you influencing without authority? Where did that come from? How did that enter your sphere? Chris (01:27) Well, I mean, for the last couple of years, it's a topic that's just been gaining a lot of momentum within the workplace. I guess the easiest way for me to describe the topic is to say that influencing without authority is simply the ability to motivate others to get them to take your direction. But we all know that the real world doesn't work that way. And it's not so easy to get people on board with our ideas and thought processes. So we just need to be more methodical in our approach. when it comes to influencing others. And it's more important now, particularly because when dealing with the different generational and personal generational differences and personalities in the workplace. Brian (02:06) I'm kind of curious how you define that difference. What does influencing with authority look like? What does influencing without authority look like? Chris (02:18) So they kind of both the same. think people sometimes fail to realize that influence is what actually provides power, right? And not authority. So they both kind of fall on the same lines for me. So when you're trying to influence others, you got to remember that with or without authority, you're trying to get somebody, you're persuading somebody, recently you're coercing them to try to get onto your thought process. So you just got to remember that. When you're dealing with them, that you have the capacity to impact what happens next in their lives. Their lives, sorry, not lives. like you have the ability to shape their actions and their behaviors and their opinions, but you also have the ability to have an effect on their character or their continued development. Right. And kind of adding a little bit more to that question is Ken Blanchard, said that the key to successful leadership in today's workplace is influence and not authority. So for someone to be an influential leader, they just need to learn the skills of confidence and clarity and communication. So that to me implies that even if you're not in a formal position of authority, you can still have an influence on those around you. So it's kind of just bouncing off. You know, there's a thin line of with or without authority. It's just understanding people and understanding how to get the best out of them. And you don't need to be called leader or manager to get that out of people. Brian (03:48) I'm kind of curious because especially with your background in project management, kind of more traditional project management, how does that play in project management? I mean, I've gotten in trouble sometimes in talking in class about this issue because I've, know, in my work history, my experience with traditional project management was very much one of... authority. was very much that that person who was the project manager, basically there was a date, a set of work that we're trying to accomplish. it seemed as if the project manager's job was to kind of drive the team, push the team, be the parent of the team, and make sure that they come in on time, on scope, on budget. How does the project management community in today's environment see this dichotomy between leading with influence or with authority. Chris (04:50) So that's a great question because I think, can I even touch on Scrum teams with this? Cause, cause I think they're, kind of go hand in hand for me. Right. and I, you know, from, if we use project management or Scrum teams as an example, right. No one, even as a project manager, right. No one has any real form of authority on the people side of things. Project managers really are just people put in place just to get things done. Right. They don't, they don't have an official title to get things done. Right. So it can be argued that. Brian (04:54) Yeah, yeah, yeah, please. Chris (05:20) while these individuals on a Scrum team or a project management team have no formal authority at all, that they're still ultimately responsible for project outcomes, right? Or it can be argued that an authority is inherently given to them based on their ability to act on behalf of all those objectives. Right. But the bigger point for me is that if there's no formal authority given, this could just limit the influence that someone has on the people in the processes side. Right. But that doesn't mean that you still can't be an effective leader who others look to. And this type of authority is based more on who you are as a person and how you treat others, as opposed to simply being viewed by that title that you possess. So I think there's there's a very strong connection there between Scrumteam and project managers. Brian (06:04) Yeah, I mean, it's a tricky thing because I mean, I think about this, like a lot of things, I'll make sports analogies and how I think about these relationships. And when I think about like the coach of a team, the coach can't make the players perform better. It has to be their own personal decision to do what they need to do. But on the other hand, we definitely hold the coach accountable if the team isn't doing well. And it seems almost like slightly unfair, you know, to think about this, that I can't really, I don't really have the authority to make that person do something. I have to, as we said, influence them to do it. Chris (06:50) So can I touch on that real quick? Cause you brought up a great analogy that I like to talk about from coaching perspective. So I used to coach soccer and if I start rambling, just tell me to shut up, but I'm licensed to coach up to a college level, right? But I always opted to coach at about the 12 and 13 year age group for boys and girls. And I chose this age group because I believe that this is just where I could have the most influence on them in their development and in their soccer growth, right? Brian (06:59) You Chris (07:20) The high school level and college level, they could still learn, but they've already got it in there at that age, right? They they've already established who they are on the field, their own identity, right? And they have a good enough skillset to go out there and play the game. But I wanted to be a part of getting them to that point. So I decided that coaching at a younger age group would just give me a better opportunity to mold those players into those high school and college athletes. And anyone listening to this with kids understands. how much influence we have on them at that age. But we also know how difficult it is to effectively influence them in a way that allows them to develop into their own person. So whether we're coaching 12 and 13 year olds, or if we're trying to coach and mentor our peers or our followers, there are just a lot of similar attributes that can be used to influence others to get them to achieve their goals and their successes and those outcomes. Brian (08:11) Yeah. Yeah, I completely agree. you know, it kind of, it kind of brings to mind the, mean, we've talked, we talked a little bit about project managers, but, and, and touched a little bit on Scrum teams, but you know, that, that relationship with a, a, a Scrum master, think is also really interesting to consider in light of this, because I know one of the phrases that we use as trainers a lot when we talk about the Scrum master is a Scrum master leads through influence, not authority. And that that's kind of a defining characteristic of what a scrum master does. What does that mean to you? Because I know you speak about scrum as well and you have a lot of knowledge in this area. So how does that translate into the role a scrum master would play? Chris (08:58) So if you take it from a Scrum Master perspective, right? mean, that's kind of positional influence, right? So that can come from someone's job title or depending on the hierarchical level of that role, you know, that can have an effect on how influence is also portrayed, either positively or negatively. So whether you're a Scrum Master or some other form of positional leader, it just means that you're followed by other people. So how you choose to impact their life. from an influential aspect will determine the level of followership that you're able to acquire from them. Right. And then kind of going along with that, again, you know, there's really no formal authority in that role, but the influence can stem from expertise and just being competent. Right. That provides you with the background and the experience needed to be recognized for people to go to you for that advice, the leadership advice. But if you also have the available resources that your team needs and you know how to acquire them as well as deploy them, then you're going to have an impact on their success as well, right? If you have the necessary tools to provide them, that's also going to increase the likelihood of them trusting in you as those relationships are developed because that's really what influence is. It's about building relationships and developing those bonds, you know, and then influence. The biggest thing for me with influence is being direct and transparent in your approach. Whether you're a scrum master, project manager, anybody with or without authority, if you're direct and you're transparent and you seem genuine to people and you have a firm, a fair, and a professional tone, that's just going to let other people know that you can be counted on, right? And that you genuinely have their best interests at heart. So that's kind of where earned influence will begin to develop. Brian (10:50) Yeah. You know, I, there's a, there's a kind of aspect of this I try to draw out too, when we talk about this in class and that influence, as you said, trust relationship, right? It takes, it takes investment. It's not, influence doesn't come instantaneously. When you think about just in general in your life, the people who influenced you. Right, to use that word influence, that's a shift, that's a big shift. And when you think about the people that influence you versus the people who tell you what to do. And from my perspective, most of the people I would say, yeah, I'm heavily influenced by this or by that. It generally comes from the fact that I have, even if they're a public figure, even if it's, know, you know, Simon Sinek or Gary Vanderchuck, you know, I would say they influenced me not because I just heard one quote, but because I've consistently heard what they speak on and consistently say, yeah, I'm aligned to that. And this is really influencing the way I think about stuff. So how would you advise, especially someone like a scrum master, you know, if they say, yeah, I want to lead through influence, not authority, but... I've got a job to do. How do they start paving that road so that the influence is invited? Chris (12:26) Yeah. I love the Gary V shout out because I love Gary. He swears a lot like I do. So I'm actually being pretty good right now. I mean, I guess the first question to ask is, you know, when you think of the term influencer leadership, not for you, but in general, like when you think about it, what's the first thing that comes to mind, right? What are you hoping to get or achieve through that influence? Are you trying to get people on the same wavelength as you? Are you doing it only to get people to see things your way? Brian (12:28) You Yeah. Chris (12:54) Or are you doing it to expand their perceptions and their realizations? Right. And again, there's often the assumption that if someone doesn't have authority, then they don't, or they can't have any influence. Right. And this goes back to with or without authority, but even with formal authority, it's still possible not to have any influence. Right. Influencing without authority begins with first identifying where that influence comes from. And then looking at how others perceive your level of influence. So. regardless of where that influence comes from, you still just need to build those relationships on that platform of trust and respect if you want to have those successful results achieved. It's tricky though, because depending on where that influence comes from, that's what's going to help to guide and even determine how those relationships and those bonds progress. Brian (13:40) So that kind of leads to the area of thinking about, if a Scrum Master is going to do that, we can kind of see how that fits in. And one of the things that I hear quite often with people in the classes is, especially when we come upon the section where we talk about Scrum Masters having an influence in the organization, that we have a responsibility to help the organization. understand Scrum and to get the benefits of Scrum. There's often a double take when that happens and the students in class think, well, I don't understand how can I do that? I'm not the CEO. I'm not a manager. I'm a Scrum master. How am I going to be able to change the culture? How am I going to be able to influence what the leadership thinks? about this stuff. What kind of advice would you give from that perspective? Chris (14:42) Well, much like I kind of take the leadership perspective, there's no one size fits all, right? To this and influence the same way. Sorry. Influencing is the same way. So there's different approaches that you can take to influencing, right? There's rational approaches where you kind of legitimize the use of like fact -based logic to influence others, right? And you could use within that rational influencing, you could use exchanging, right? As a form of bartering or trading where you do something for someone and they gives you something in return, right? Give and take. And that builds trust levels, but it's also an effective approach since each party is still committed to achieving that common goal. In addition to the rational, right? Again, different, different approaches that you can take social approaches, right? Think about the breakfast club, right? The movie, the breakfast club. Sure. Everybody who's listening to that. to this has seen that movie, right? To me, this is the perfect analogy for trying to influence somebody from a social perspective, because that movie just embodies the epitome of social approaches to influencing. If you think about it, you got five high school kids in detention from completely different backgrounds, right? And they're trying to outsmart their lesson inspiring principle. So they're essentially forced to have to work with one another to achieve that common goal. So when you socialize, That's essential when it comes to building that relationship and that trust, but that also helps to appeal to those relationships as those bonds are developed. Right. And then you kind of use consulting, which helps just to deliver like a collaborative working relationship that not only produces those results, but that also improves the dynamic and the relationships and the culture of the team and the organization. Right. And then if you add onto that, like in the movie, you know, that's just going to lead to the Alliance building, which kind of is like the creation of a team structure that'll enhance the growth and development of everyone involved. So I don't, you know, then there's also emotional approaches. There's what I call the dark side approach, which I don't recommend because it's, always think Darth Vader, right? The dark side, you, you lead by avoiding issues with your followers or your teams, right? You want to manipulate and you want to intimidate and you want to threaten, but those only serve the need of the person trying to get what they want. Right now. Brian (16:42) Hahaha Chris (17:00) Kind of be an effective way to get results, to get results. Sure. To influence others and build relationships. Absolutely not. Brian (17:09) Yeah, fear leads to anger, right? Right, exactly. Yeah, Chris, you are speaking my language, talking about breakfast club, 80s movies and Star Wars. I come on, this is my wheelhouse here. Yeah, no, I agree. it's, you have that great example. I'm gonna go into the analogy here. Chris (17:12) It does, know, resentment, you know, it's... huh. Bye! Brian (17:38) You have that great example with that principal or vice principal, whatever position he had, that he came in with the authority figure approach. I'm in charge, you are underneath me, you will do what I say during this time. And it wasn't, hey, let's get through this, let's figure out the best way to make the Saturday go by. It was very much, are in need of my My heavy -handed approach otherwise you're gonna go off the rails and You know, there was no respect there was no relationship there It was it was purely, you know prison guard kind of mentality and you know, there's a There's an example. I always think back to You know, I played football in my high school days. I didn't I played some football I didn't I didn't play all the way through high school, but I played some football. So if anyone happens to be from my high school, no, I did not play my whole high school career. I know that I'm admitting it. Okay. But I remember, you know, for most of my football career, which was very short, I had coaches that were all of one type, which was the screaming head, right? They were the person that would yell at you and chew you out and try to motivate you in that way. Chris (18:35) you Brian (19:05) but I had one coach and he was the last coach that I had who was the head coach of our team. And he was a very soft spoken, quiet man. And I remember him in one practice pulling me aside and saying, hey, look, you're gonna have to do it this way. You're not gonna be able to do it this way. It's not gonna work. If you wanna be successful with this, this is what you're gonna have to do. And I just remember in that moment that I... paid more attention in that moment to anything anyone had ever tried to coach me in the past. And I remember feeling earnestly this desire that I want to please this man. Like I really want this guy to think highly of me and I want to give him my best. over the years since that moment, I've thought back to it lot and thought, that's a clear contrast. since the majority are the other way, that that one person who took this different approach really had this different impression on me of, yeah, this is, and to me that was a great example of leadership. Chris (20:17) Yeah. It's funny. Like you mentioned that when you had that cool, calm and collected approach, right? But that can also kind of be taken the other direction. And the first thing I think about with that kind of approach in a negative way is, Bill Lumberg office space, right? Right. Yeah. If you guys can just come in and come in on Saturday or Sunday, blah, blah, blah. Right. So again, so like that type of leader and, know, to stand on the negative, cause I like to focus on negative stuff because it kind of gets people thinking about what not to do. Brian (20:31) Yeah. Okay? Yeah. Chris (20:45) So like that type of leader, you know, they focused on that power, that title to impose their will on others. Right? So like you had what sounded like an influential kind of perspective from that cool, common, collected tone. Bill Longberg was cool, common, collected, but he was just a jerk. I'll say it without swearing. He was just a jerk. Right. But it's when we're at moving into a position of leadership or someone who wants to influence others. Right. It's we look at people like that and they, it's. Brian (21:02) Yeah. Chris (21:15) They look to lead from a place of authoritarian status, right? Again, the, my way or the highway approach, but this may stand from two different schools of thought, right? Because either it's the only way they've been taught to lead others or it's to intimidate others into submission. And I'll be completely honest with this by my own admission, I was that type of leader when I took on my first leadership role. Right. I'm Gen X. I had observed this leadership mentality throughout my early career. And I just assume that that was the attitude that got others to follow direction and achieve results. And it wasn't until that I realized this approach was not in fact effective and that there didn't need to be a brutish mentality, but I just needed to transform my mindset and adapt to the individual needs of each person on my team so that I could figure out how to get the best and the most out of them. So it's a learning curve. I mean, you're not going to get it the first time you get put into a position of leadership or the first time that you're tasked to influence people, right? You're not going to know what to do. But our leaders that we grew up with are going to be a huge inspiration. And I always tell anybody, no matter what, you can be an authoritarian leader or you can be a transformation leader. You are a person of influence, no matter what you do. And I always say that anybody in a company can be a person of influence. But if you're tasked with that, if you, you're given that role, whether you want it or not, you are a person of influence and you're going to have an effect on someone's character or continued development. whether that's good or bad. It's up to us as we evolve and we mature and we grow and we develop to figure out the good from the bad and figure out how to move forward in a positive, more positive direction to get the best out of the people that we're now influencing and that we're leading. Brian (22:54) Yeah. Yeah. It's such an interesting dynamic because I think you're right. There's authority that people have sometimes that just is sort of a natural thing. This is a very loose analogy, but I know I've been involved with groups of people who are tasked with doing something kind of ad hoc things thrown together for volunteer things or whatever, kind of things where you're not really in an organizational structure. but a group of people come together to do something. Maybe it's in a class or whatever. you know, sometimes you have that one person in the group that, sort of starts a little bit to be the leader of the group. And I've been in the case where the person sort of takes leadership, right? Where they, kind of try to, to just grasp it and control it and tell people what to do. But I've also been in a situation where that person sort of just emerges and the rest of the team is not reluctant to follow them. They're actually thankful that they have someone that can lead and guide them. And there've been occasions when I've been in those situations where that one jerk in the group will speak and say, hey, well, who made you boss? again, I understand if the person really is being bossy. But I've been in situations where the person's not being bossy and someone has said that, and the rest of the group actually turns hostile on that person. Because they're like, what are you talking about? They're doing what we need someone to do. And they just naturally kind of float into that. So I always think about that when I think about when people ask, how am I going to influence this organization when I don't have any authority in the organization? Well, leadership isn't about a title. It's about a how you approach things, right? Chris (24:53) Not anymore. used to be about a title, but it's not in today's workplace. It's just not, you know, again, I grew up in a different time where it was pull up your big boy pants, do your job. You know, my boss could talk to me any way they wanted. I wasn't going to take offense to it. wasn't going to take three days off to have a safe space. You can edit that out if you want, but I, you know, I just, you know, but it kind of speak adding onto what you just said about that, right? You had somebody who wanted to take that charge, but you had somebody else who wanted to. Brian (25:10) Yep. No, no, no. Chris (25:23) you know, who made you boss, right? So how do you influence through tension and conflict? Right? Because if you have somebody who wants to take the reins, but you have somebody combating them, now you're going to, it's going to create, somebody outwardly speaks against that person, that's going to create that tension. Right? So, you know, it comes down to like, how do you influence others when you don't agree with their choices or how they approach things in an influential. approach, right? Particularly when it comes again to those cultural and those generational differences. Right. And this is going to sound harsh, but how do you influence people when you just don't like them? Right. We don't like everybody that we work with. Right. And you're going to have to work with these people. And if you expect to be a person of influence, you got to suck it up and you just got to figure out how to get the best and the most out of them. Right. So again, it's during those times, right? It's just important to identify why it is that you want to influence people in the first place. Brian (25:59) Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's why I'm glad that like a scrum value is not like everyone on your team, right? I mean, it's respect and you should have respect for people even if they have a difference of opinion with you, which we were talking about this a little bit before we started, just the idea that, you know, we can exchange ideas and we can have a difference of opinion on ideas. That's not a problem, right? That's just trying to figure out the best idea. We're challenging the idea to see which one is the best approach. It's only when that becomes a personal thing, when it starts to become about the person, not the idea, that's when it's, well, that's when it turns into a destructive conflict. Chris (27:04) Yeah, it's, you I always like to say, think leadership or influence comes down to three simple words. Respect, empathy, compassion. If you can figure out how to master those three words, which I think it's virtually impossible to master them. But if you could figure out how to have some sort of ability to figure out how to use those words, you can lead anybody. Right? It doesn't matter. As long as you can have respect for them, show empathy, put yourself in their shoes for why they might be feeling a certain way. and have compassion for why they feel that way. Try to understand where they're coming from. Brian (27:37) That's awesome. I love that. Respect, empathy, compassion. I think that's a great place to end it. So Chris, thank you so much for coming on. I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts and wisdom with us on this. And just again, I'll mention this in the outro, but look for Chris's book that's out now, Leadership Survival Guide Quotes to Keep You from Going Extinct as a Leader. So Chris, thank you so much for coming on. Chris (28:03) Awesome, man, I appreciate you having me. It was fun.

Where do you turn when you have been knocked to your knees? In this episode, Jeff, Jeff, Bob, and Peter discuss: Beginning an entrepreneurial journey as a 5th-grade loan shark and a middle school bookie.How parents and grandparents inform family values. Planting the seeds of giving back from a young age. Painful honesty in times of feast and famine.Key Takeaways: You can learn anything that you put your mind to. Don't be afraid to take big risks, lean into your support community, and take a chance. Make mistakes. Learn from those mistakes. Keep pushing forward. Often, failure sets you up for something even greater.Everything you learn is worthwhile. You never know what you're going to be able to use in the future. Giving is about more than writing a check. Find something that matters to you and give of your time, talent, and love.   "Start paying attention to what brings you joy. I would guarantee just writing checks to a big charitable organization without seeing the impact is not going to bring you joy." —  Peter Fioretti Episode References: HOPE International: https://www.hopeinternational.org/ About Peter Fioretti: Peter Fioretti is the Founder and CEO of Mountain Funding, as well as The Fioretti Family Foundation. He has 35+ years of owning and managing several real estate investment and development companies, investing over $3B equity. Mountain invests equity, and shares relationships, strategies, and advice with these companies over a long-term horizon, to significantly increase their growth and success. Peter leads The Fioretti Family Foundation, using his entrepreneurial vision, relationships, and capital to support sustainable programs striving to make a significant social impact. This Foundation primarily serves underprivileged kids in education, jobs, healthcare & housing; it also supercharges careers for real estate and entrepreneurial students and young leaders. Mr. Fioretti started his career as a developer of urban properties in Hoboken, NJ. Peter enjoys extreme adventures including mountain climbing, hiking, diving, and biking. Peter recently married his love, Heidi, and they live in Charlotte, NC, and Miami, FL. His two children, Peter Jr. and Arianna, are young adults starting their careers in Charlotte and NYC.  About Bob Fioretti: Bob co-founded Mountain Funding with brother Peter in 1993 and has been investing with him for 35 years. Together they have started 9 companies. In addition to being a real estate investor, Bob has been a “Business/Success Coach,” author, keynote speaker, and owner of Infinite Possibilities. In 2009 Bob's wisdom around success gave him the opportunity to co-author a book with Stephen Covey, Brian Tracy, and Ken Blanchard called, Discovering Your Inner Strength. Since 2012, Bob has consulted with the Mountain team on their national expansion, and corporate culture of excellence, sharing best practices amongst their regional offices and partners, networking with the industry's top professionals along with the family's philanthropic giving.Bob lives in Napa, CA with his soulmate, Tina of 24 years. Bob enjoys traveling, winemaking, tequila, learning, laughing, staying healthy, and living life to the fullest. In 2018, he and Pete became one of the first 500+/- people in the world to trek to the North Pole and the first ones to arrive that year. Connect with Bob & Peter Fioretti:Website: https://www.mountainfunding.com/   Connect with Jeff Thomas: Website: https://www.arkosglobal.com/Podcast: https://www.generousbusinessowner.com/Book: https://www.arkosglobal.com/trading-upEmail: jeff.thomas@arkosglobal.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/ArkosGlobalAdv Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arkosglobal/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkosglobaladvisorsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arkosglobaladvisors/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLUYpPwkHH7JrP6PrbHeBxw

This episode of Unstoppable Mindset is for me a special one. It has been three years in the making. It is a celebration by any standard. At the beginning of the pandemic, I began realizing that while I had talked for years about escaping from the World Trade Center I had not begun teaching people to control fear: something I did successfully on September 11. So, I began working toward writing a book about the subject. I approached my co-author of Thunder Dog, Susy Flory, but she was quite busy studying in a PHD program, her own writing and running a writers conference. Susy introduced me to Keri Wyatt Kent. A friendship and team bond were formed. Today, August 20, 2024 the fruits of Keri's and my labors are released in a new book entitled “Live Like A Guide Dog: true stories of a blind man and his dogs about being brave, overcoming adversity and walking in faith”. The book is our effort to help people realize that they can learn to control fear rather than being “blinded by it”. On this episode, Keri, Susy Flory and I discuss the book. Lots of stories as well as a discussion of what went on behind the scenes. I hope you like the episode and, if you haven't done so already, please order a copy of the book. About the Guest: Keri Wyatt Kent is the author or co-author of more than two dozen books. (see her website portfolio at www.keriwyattkent.com) She has been published in Christianity Today magazine, Today's Christian Woman magazine, Outreach magazine and many other publications. She is the founder and principal of A Powerful Story, an editing and publishing company. She publishes two newsletters on Substack: Welcoming and Wandering, which explores hospitality and travel (at https://welcomingandwandering.substack.com/ ); and A Powerful Story newsletter, which offers writing and publishing advice (see https://keriwyattkent.substack.com/. Susy Flory is a #1 New York Times best-selling author or co-author of fourteen books, including The Sky Below, a new memoir with Hall of Fame Astronaut/Explorer Scott Parazynski, and Desired by God with Van Moody. Susy grew up on the back of a quarter horse in Northern California and took degrees from UCLA in English and psychology. She has a background in journalism, education, and communications and directs a San Francisco Bay Area writers conference. She first started writing at the Newhall Signal with the legendary Scotty Newhall, an ex-editor of the San Francisco Chronicle and a one-legged cigar-smoking curmudgeon who ruled the newsroom from behind a dented metal desk where he pounded out stories on an Underwood Typewriter. She taught high school English and journalism, then quit in 2004 to write full time for publications such as Focus on the Family, Guideposts Books, In Touch, Praise & Coffee, Today's Christian, and Today's Christian Woman. Susy's books include So Long Status Quo: What I Learned From the Women Who Changed the World, as well as the much-anticipated 2011 memoir she co-wrote with blind 9-11 survivor Michael Hingson, called Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero. Thunder Dog was a runaway bestseller and spent over a dozen weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Ways to connect with Kerri & Susy: www.facebook.com/keriwyattkent www.instagram.com/keriwyattkent https://www.linkedin.com/in/keri-wyatt-kent-328b2810/ http://www.susyflory.com/ https://www.facebook.com/everythingmemoir About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. .   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, Hi again, everyone, and welcome to another episode of unstoppable mindset. Today is a special one. I think it's special anyway, and I think our guests will agree today you're listening to this. It's It's August 20, 2024, and it's special because for the past almost three years, I and Kari Wyatt Kent, who you'll meet in a moment, have been working on a book. It's my next book, and the we had various titles, but we ended up deciding with the publisher, Tyndale house, to call it live like a guide dog, true stories from a blind man and his dogs about being brave, overcoming adversity and walking in faith. All three of those are relevant, and we can talk about those. And along the way, we've also had a lot of help from Susy Flory, who worked with me when we did thunderdog, and we wrote thunderdog, which was a number one New York Times bestseller and was published in August of 2011 I don't know what it is about August, but, oh, that's okay, but I think there's relevance to it being August this time anyway. Susie Flory was on Episode 10 of unstoppable mindset, way back in December, December 1, specifically, of 2021, and 12 days later on the 13th of December, Keri Wyatt Kent was on episode 12 of unstoppable mindset. So if you guys want to hear those two episodes, you can go back and find episodes 10 and 12 and hear our individual conversations with Susie and Carrie. But now I'd like to introduce you to both of them and all three of us, I think, we'll tell you a little bit about ourselves, and then we'll get into other things that are related to what we want to talk about, unstoppable mindset. But the big thing is, today is the day we're celebrating that live like a guide dog is released. It was released today. It's out there. If you haven't ordered it, we hope you will from wherever you want to order books, and if you have pre ordered it, you'll be getting your copy pretty soon. So anyway, welcome Susy and Kari. I'm glad you're here. We really appreciate your time, Susy. Why don't you tell us a little bit about you? I   Susy Flory ** 03:33 certainly will. But first I want to say congratulations to the both of you. I'm so excited about this book. Can't wait for it to get out there and for people to enjoy it. Mike, I was thinking I did a little quick math, and you and I have known each other for 15 years now we have we How many marriages don't even last 15 years? Right? Really,   Michael Hingson ** 03:58 well, we we met because you called one day and were writing a book called Dog tales, and you wanted to include Rozelle story, and you asked me to tell what happened on September 11. And so I bit I did, and I took maybe, I think, close to 45 minutes, and then afterward, there was this pause, and all of a sudden, Susie said you ought to write your own book, and I want to help you write it. And I sort of was a little bit reluctant, because I'd been working on it for a long time and had some ideas and advice from people, but it just wasn't going anywhere. But it did with Susie and her agent became my agent. He got a contract with Thomas Nelson publishing, and the rest, as they say, is sort of history, yeah. And I   Susy Flory ** 04:43 have always loved animal stories. My first few books, I didn't get to do anything like that, but as soon as I could, I started writing animal stories. Dogtails was the first one, and then working with you on thunderdog was the second one. Yeah. And that's kind of been a theme of my life. My dad was a Texas cowboy, and I grew up on horses. He was kind of a horse whisperer. My daughter works in wildlife rescue, and she's a squirrel whisperer. And I just love the way that animals sort of make their way into your heart, and there's a healing and bonding process that happens that so gentle most of the time you don't even realize it's happening until you need them. And that really, has truly been my experience. So Mike, that's really a part of your story that captured my heart, along with a lot of other elements of the story, I've been writing now for about 20 years, writing and publishing, I direct a writer's conference, and Carrie's actually part of that. And we try to help writers become the best that they can be. And then in the last few years, I've been in seminary, furthering my education. Right now I'm in a doctoral program and working on my dissertation, so my hair is becoming more and more gray in that process. Well,   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 06:17 and I met Susy probably at least 15 years ago, maybe more, I'm not sure when it was, but we were both writers. We worked with the same agent at the time, and then I pretty soon got involved with the West Coast Christian writers the conference that Susie was leading, and we just clicked. We We are both animal lovers. I think that's part of it. I love dogs. I also grew up riding horses, as she did and and we both had horses later in life at at the same time. And I agree there's that there's just something that animals kind of intuitively know and connect with you on this emotional level. And, you know, the the dogs that that I met through helping Mike right live like a guide dog, when we initially started it, we were going to do, we were going to include some other dogs, you know, service dogs and other people's dogs. And so I just, I got to meet some really cool dogs during this whole research project. And so I think that people who you know, if the idea of this book is about overcoming fear and managing our fear figuring out how to live courageously. And I think even if you don't have a guide dog or a service dog, animals can help you do that. They force you to be in the moment, which is one of the one of the ways we that we can deal with fear and anxiety, is to be in the moment. And animals sort of force us to do that   Michael Hingson ** 08:02 if we pay attention to them. I think you're absolutely right. And one of the lessons that we talk about in the book is the whole issue of living in the moment, not doing so much, what if? Because, if we What if everything to death, we create a lot of fear in our own lives. And one of the the basic mantras I have lived by, especially since September 11, although even before, but mostly after September 11, is don't worry about what you can't control. Focus on what you can, and the rest will take care of itself. And the lesson really comes from dogs, because after September 11, I contacted the veterinarian department of Guide Dogs for the Blind, and also talked to Roselle trainer and so on and and said, How do you think that this whole event would affect Roselle? And one of the things that they asked me was, was Roselle threatened along the way? And I said, No. And they said, well, was she hit with anything? Or did anything endanger her? And I said, No, not that she would notice at all. And they said, Well, there you are. Dogs. Don't do what if and when it was over. And we got home on the night of September 11, I took Roselle harness off, and I figured I was going to take her out. She would have none of it. She ran off, went to her toy box, grabbed her favorite tug boda bone, and started playing tug of war with my retired guy, dog, Lenny, and that was it. The two of them just played. Eventually, she did have to go out, but by the same token, they played. It was over. Roselle was glad to be home, and we moved on from there, and I think it's an important lesson. When the pandemic began, I realized that although I've been talking for at that time, 19 years about surviving the World Trade Center terrorist attacks and so on, and being able to go down the state. And not exhibiting fear and not exhibiting panic. I learned to do that and created a mindset in my head, because I spent a lot of time prior to September 11, learning about all of the issues in the World Trade Center. Where do you go if there's an emergency? What are the rules? Because for me, of course, I'm not going to read signs, but also, I was the leader of an office, and I was responsible for the people in that office, or whoever might be in the office at the time. So it was really important for me to know that. And so as a result, I learned what I could I learned how to travel around the world trade center, learned where things were and all of that, although it wasn't until much later that I realized it. All of that created a mindset in me, you know, what to do if there's an emergency and when it actually happened, although certainly we didn't expect it, the mindset kicked in and when the fan, when the pandemic began, I realized we really needed to start to talk about teaching people how to deal with fear, and as I would put it, teach people that they don't need to be blinded by fear or overwhelmed by fear, that fear is an important tool, no matter what you might think about. Oh, well, if it happens, it's a natural reaction. You have control over what you do and how you feel when something horrific or something unusual happens, then fear can be a powerful tool that you can use to benefit you, rather than letting it overwhelm you and cause you not to be able to make decisions. And you know, today in our in our world, politicians and others are doing nothing but promulgating fear in so many different ways. And we don't learn enough about stepping back and really analyzing what they say, whoever they are, and going back and saying, wait a minute. Is this real? Do I need to be afraid of this? Or is there anything that I can do about it? And that gets back to the don't worry about what you can't control. Most of it we don't have direct control over, except, I would say, at the ballot box on november 5. But by the same token, there's so much that we take personally that we shouldn't because we're not going to have any effect on it. And so what we need to do, and what live like a guide dog allows us to do is to learn how to control fear. We talk about being introspective. We talk about taking time at the end of every day to look at what happened. Why did it work? What didn't work? I don't like the concept of failure. I think that failure is only a lesson that we can use to move forward and that it doesn't need to be bad if we don't allow it to be bad, but if we use it as a tool. So that's what live like a guide dog really is about, and it is one of the, I think, the books that can truly help so many people recognize that they have a lot more control over the specific things in their lives than they think they do. Or, as we say here on the podcast, they can be more unstoppable than they think they are.   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 13:12 Mike, I think that's so good. And you know, some of the things that we have in the book, as you recall, um, are strategies like we can't worry about what we can't control. But for example, you mentioned, like learning your way around the world trade center. That was a step of preparation that enabled you to then in the moment when things were you know, where there's chaos. You had been. You had prepared yourself, and all of us can prepare ourselves, you know, for understanding the world around us, for gaining information that will help us in a long when, if, when, and if something happens, to deal with it in a in a brave way and not let fear get the upper Hand. Yeah, still feel afraid, but if we're prepared, we go, okay, I know we're I know what to do next. I know what you know. I know where the exit door is, whatever it was that you know, you were able to know your way around the world trade center that helped you as you were, you know, evacuating from a tower that was on fire, you know? Yeah, so it preparation was a great tool, and it's one of the strategies that we talk about in the book that can help us to not let our fear make us panic. So,   Michael Hingson ** 14:37 you know, one of the things that we do a lot in the book, at various places, is tell stories. And I, as a person who's been involved in sales most of my life, believe that the best salespeople are people who can tell stories that relate to whatever their customers are interested in, and so on. So one of the things that comes to mind is a story that took place a few years after September 11. I was in Oregon in. Working for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and I had to go up to Gresham, Oregon, where the, well, our boring Oregon, actually, I love that name, where the second campus of Guide Dogs for the Blind is located. And I got there and put stuff away, and decided I was going to go out to dinner. And I had learned where a restaurant was and how to get there. And I got there, that was no problem. But coming back for some reason, and I don't remember what specifically happened, but for some reason, I couldn't get back to the apartment where I was staying, and I felt real concern when I when I first couldn't make it work, I retraced my steps, got back to the restaurant, and then tried it again, and still we didn't get to the right place. But what I also realized is you've got to deal with this, because it's not rozelle's job to know when Roselle was the guide dog at the time. Guide Dogs don't lead. They guide. Their job is to make sure that we walk safely. I have to give and had to give Roselle direction, and that is the case with anyone who uses a guide dog. People always want to say, well, of course, the dog just leads you around. No, that's just not true. Anyway, as I after the second time of not making it work right, I suddenly realized, wait a minute, I have in my pocket, and it was fairly new, so we didn't think of using it as much at the time, but I had a talking GPS system. I turned it on, I put in the address of where I wanted to go, and within five minutes, I was at the apartment where, where we were staying. But the issue is, I had to step back and recognize, don't be afraid. There are ways to make this work, and what you need to do is to use your skills to resolve the problem and solve the problem. And so many people won't do that. They they just get afraid. Blind people oftentimes do it. Sighted people do it in so many ways. But the fact is that it's it's a very powerful tool to use something that we call in the rehabilitation world with blind people today, and I think others, but the National Federation of the Blind calls structured discovery. You get lost, you start to go back and analyze where you were supposed to go and how you were supposed to get there, and maybe where you actually went wrong. And structured discovery is a very powerful thing. I also think that using technologies like GPS have, especially now, become a lot more dominant, and that's fine, because it's the technology's job to give me the information that allows me to decide what I want to do. But you know the bottom line is that the fear went away as soon as I recognized, oh, I know how to do this, and I'll just use the talking GPS system, and it should be able to give me what I want to know. And it did,   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 18:07 yeah, I love that story. And I think one of the things I learned as as your co author, you know, it's your story, and I was, you know, helping, you know, you write it, but, but I learned so much about guide dogs. For instance, what you mentioned when you were telling that story, that the guide dog doesn't lead you, you don't say, go back to the apartment you've been to once, Roselle, she's, you know, it's not like Lassie, you know, movies,   Michael Hingson ** 18:35 and that's all right. And no matter what they say, Timmy never did fall down the well, but that's never fell down   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 18:39 the well, ever is that was just, anyway, the idea of, and I've, you know, when I was I got a copy of the book recently, and, you know, had a publication. And the I was explaining to my husband, well, the guide dog doesn't lead and he goes, Well, how does he know where he's going? I said, Well, the same way you do but, but it's, it's that the guide dog guides, but the the handler has to give direction to the dog. Because I think it would be more scary if, if the dog had the magical ability to just take you where you want to go. I feel like it would be scarier because that's literally you have no control or no awareness of what's going on, whereas the way guide dogs actually work, you're a team, and you're doing it together, so you both have agency and control over various aspects of your journey together, and I think that makes it less scary. So   Michael Hingson ** 19:41 it is a team effort, and, and you're absolutely right, and that the reality is that it's a team effort where we both learn to trust each other. And, yeah, I think that families who have dogs really need to learn more about their their dogs. Um. Or and other animals too, but we're going to talk about dogs today. The the fact of the matter is that, in reality, dogs love to be around people, and they actually want us and hope that we will set the rules so that they know what they're supposed to do. They love rules, and that doesn't mean in a negative sort of way. But you know, if you just let your dog run around the house, tear up the furniture and all that, and you don't do anything about it, the dog's going to do that until you say, wait a minute, this isn't what you're supposed to do, and you don't need to deal with that in a negative way. There are so many ways to train a dog properly with positive rewards and so on, food rewards and clickers and other things like that, to to really set the rules. But when the dog knows what the rules are, and you continuously say, Good dog, when they do the right thing, they love that, and they will be a much more value added member of the family. As I tell people, dogs do I think love unconditionally, but they don't trust unconditionally. And you have to develop that trusting relationship with your dog, whoever you are. It isn't just service dogs, but with service dogs especially, it is a true, absolute team effort that we need to deal with and that we need to form. I need to know that Rozelle is going to do or now Alamo, current black lab guide dog, is going to do his job and convey to him I trust you. And likewise, he wants to know that I trust him. It. It really does go both ways. And when you develop that trusting relationship, it's second to none. Just like any other kind of teaming relationship,   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 21:52 I think you hit on something important, Mike, is that your dog wants the structure of of rules and knowing your expectations and wants to meet them, and you'll enjoy your dog more. And your dog will enjoy being a part of what he's considers the pack you know, of your family. Everybody will enjoy it more and feel safer and less fearful if they their structure. You know, I think sometimes dogs are when they're they act out it. They're kind of like kids who act out they are because they're afraid, and they don't know where, where the boundaries are, and   Michael Hingson ** 22:30 they don't know what you expect of them. And if you don't convey that, and again, it's a positive thing, you don't go up and beat a dog because it doesn't do what you want. That's not the way to handle it. And there are humane societies, humane associations, and so many organizations around the country that can help you appropriately train your dog. And you should, you should do that. You should really learn what training is all about. But if you do that, you're also training yourself, by the way, we used to live up in Novato, California, which was right by the marine Humane Society. And one of the things that we had discussions with people at the society about, many times, was, in reality, they do more training of people than they do of dogs, because it's really teaching the person how to address and deal with the dog much more than it even is just teaching the dog what the rules are. Right. Now, I don't know about squirrels, Susie, but you know,   Susy Flory ** 23:34 they're in a whole other category. They're   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 23:37 a whole other category, although I think your daughter, who is very good with all animals. I I remember seeing her with her dog when I visited, and she had an amazing bond with them, with with, you know, and, and that was really cool to watch. There was just this mutual respect between the two of them.   Susy Flory ** 23:59 Now, our career actually came as a result of my dog. I have a little Terrier named sprinkles, a Silky Terrier who's 14 now, and when she was really young, I had taken her out in the backyard. Teddy was, I think, 16 at the time, and sprinkles started pointing. And I didn't know these little terriers did that, but she just looked like one of those English hunting dogs. And she had her paw up, her tail out, she was pointing at something. And so I went over to look. She wouldn't come inside. There was a nest of baby birds that had the nest had been destroyed, and the birds were on the ground, these little, tiny babies, and I just left them. That's how heartless I was. I just thought, you know, they're not going to survive. They looked like they were dead. I just left them and picked up sprinkles, took her in, and Teddy came home from school. About a half hour later, I was telling her, you never guessed what sprinkles did today. Well, she didn't care what sprinkles did, but as soon as she heard the word baby birds. She ran out and back. She picked them up, she nursed them back to hell. She stayed up all night feeding them, and the next morning, she said, This is what I want to do for my life. And there's just sometimes an intuition that dogs have, you know, sprinkles found these baby birds, and that connection I will never forget, you know, that bond between her and the dog and the birds and many other animals afterwards. So there's sometimes a mysterious way of working in our lives that dogs can have.   Michael Hingson ** 25:36 Well, talking about bonding in mysterious ways brings up the memory of a story of how you two bonded. Does anybody want to tell that story? You told it to me. So now you're stuck.   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 25:49 Susy, this is your favorite story so and I've been talking so go ahead.   Michael Hingson ** 25:55 Susie,   Susy Flory ** 25:56 yeah, you know how sometimes in a friendship, when you go through something hard that I know you and Rozelle went through, and you know many of the other stories you tell them in the new book, it brings you closer together. And Carrie and I had a moment. We were already friends, but we decided to go snow skiing one day, and we both were not like champion skiers. It was just for fun, and we were all dressed in our gear and headed up the hill, and a woman came running from the side of the road up at the top of the mountain and was yelling at us that there was a man in the ditch, and we didn't know what was going on. We stopped. We went over and looked, and there was a man unconscious in a ditch with this motorcycle on top of them. And so it turned out that he had passed away. But, you know, there was a good couple of hours of, you know, summoning the fire department. We had no cell service, giving statements to the authorities, you know, taking this woman back to a restaurant nearby for soup, and really just kind of going through this awful experience together. I mean, it's very traumatic, you know, to see someone who's just passed away from an accident. And, yeah, I think sometimes those things bond us and give us that, that relationship of trust and of teamwork that goes very deep. And Mike, I'm remembering how thunderdog had the working title of trust and teamwork, and I learned so much from you about that concept and kind of how that works. And it's not easy to have a relationship like that. Sometimes the hard things are what, you know, kind of forges that bond. Well, you know,   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 27:45 Susie, as you were saying that, I thought, You know what? That's when I knew Susy was someone I could turn to in a crisis, and she would keep a cool head and know what to do, because you just went, Okay, this lady's crazy. You know, having this woman was, like, panicking. She was, she was having a panic attack, you know, almost ran in front of our car and, and you said, alright, we don't have cell service. Carrie, you're going to stay here with this lady and I'm going to drive to where I can get get help. And you just, like, kind of had very decisive, clear, but very calm, very nurturing kind of way with this lady. And I was like, I don't know what to do, and you're like, Carrie, you're going to do this, and I'm going to do this. And I was like, I really like how decisive and yet compassionate you are, and I think that's part of what bond just not just finding a dead guy, which makes for a great story, and, like, a traumatic experience we shared, but I saw you your leadership in action, and I was like, this is a person I can trust. And so I think sometimes that's true with our animals as well, you know, like but when you go through a difficult situation, a fearful situation, if, if you are with someone who handles that well, you learn from them, and you also learn to trust them.   Michael Hingson ** 29:06 So, you know, we talk about telling stories and so on, and one of the stories that I told a little bit in thunderdog, but didn't really, at the time, internalized it like I should have, and I have since is regarding going down the stairs. We got to about the 50th floor going down, and I mentioned it in thunderdog, and we also talk about it in more detail and live like a guide dog. But suddenly my colleague David Frank, who was in the office with me that day, because we were going to be doing sales seminars. And David came from our corporate office in California, and David's job was to deal with pricing models and all that, and he was going to teach our resellers all about the pricing options and so on, while I was going to do all the major technical stuff, because I was going to be the regular contact for these people. Anyway, we were going down the stairs and we got to about the. 50th floor. And suddenly David said, Mike, we're going to die. We're not going to make it out of here. And immediately I went, I got to stop that. I can't let him do that. We've been trying to keep panic off of the stairs, and various people at various times, help with that. So I just said in the sharpest voice, I could stop it, David, if Rosella and I can go down these stairs so can you. And that was intentional. What David told me later was that that did bring him out of his funk, and what he decided to do, and asked me if it was okay, and I didn't really care, but yeah, it really was okay. He asked if it would be a problem if I if he just walked a floor below me on the stairs and shouted up to me everything that he saw. And I said, Sure, go ahead. So we start down the stairs. I get to the 49th floor, and all of a sudden I hear, Hey, Mike, I'm on the 48th floor. All clear here, going on down. And he told me that he wanted to do that because he needed to take his mind off of what was bothering him, which was, who knows what and what are we going to get out of here? So then I get to the 48th floor, and he's on the 47th and says, 47th floor. All good couple floors later, I'm on floor 45 and he goes, Hey, this is the 44th floor where I am now. This is where the Port Authority cafeteria is not stopping going on down the stairs, and he went all the rest of the way down the stairs shouting up what he saw. Did I need it? No, was it helpful? Sure. It was. Because we got to the 30th floor, and all of a sudden, David said, hey, the firefighters are coming up the stairs. Everybody moved to the side. Let them buy and we had some interactions with them. But the point of telling you the story is that I realized, actually only in the last few years how important and how absolutely useful and necessary what David did was all about that is to say he kept saying, I'm on whatever floor he was on and going on down the stairs, he became absolutely a focal point for anyone on the stairs who could hear him. So anyone within the sound of his voice knew that somewhere on the stairs there was someone who was doing okay, or at least who sounded okay, and that had to keep so many people from panicking going down the stairs. 19th floor. All good here, and I think that's so wonderful that he did that. And he was doing it, I think, and he said to keep his own fears in check, but he was helping so many people go down the stairs and that that kind of thing isn't really talked about so nearly enough, but it helped him deal with his own fear, and it helped so many people as we went down the stairs. It   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 32:53 was just very reassuring, not only, you know, to every like you said to everybody who could hear him, and you know, sometimes we just need to know it's going to be okay. There's somebody you're not alone, you know, well,   Michael Hingson ** 33:04 and the re the reality is that he conveyed that message to so many people, probably 1000s of people, because, you know, we were all on these open stairwells, and so so many people above and below him could hear him. And I think that I love how important?   Susy Flory ** 33:22 Yeah, I love how he was keeping people in the moment. You know, everyone was focusing on the task at hand. And I think that helps keep fear at bay. It   Michael Hingson ** 33:33 does. And you know, the other part about that is we didn't know what was going on. We didn't know that it was a hijacked aircraft that crashed into the towers. We figured that an airplane hit the building because we were smelling burning jet fuel, but we didn't know what the details were. And so I'm sure minds were going in so many different directions as to what was going on. As I tell people, I love to read science fiction, so I was imagining all sorts of things. But I also knew that no matter what I was imagining, we got to deal with going down the stairs and focusing and all that which which we did. And I know people followed me because they kept hearing me telling Roselle What a good girl she was. Good dog. Keep going, what a good dog you are. And they, they, they told me later, look, if you could go down the stairs and just encourage Roselle and all that, we're going to follow you. Which is, which is what they did. And you know, the reality is that we can control fear. Fear doesn't need to overwhelm us. And again, as I've said, it's a it's a very powerful tool. And we talk about ways that you can learn to do that, ways that you can learn to calm and quell fears in your own lives, by introspection, by thinking about what goes on on any given day, and anybody who says that they don't have time at the end of the day or at the very beginning of the next day, but I think especially at the end of the day, to take a few moments. And go. How did it go today? What worked, what didn't? Why didn't? What didn't work? Why did that happen? What do I learn from that I'm a firm believer, not that I'm my own worst critic in everything that I do, although that's what I used to say, I've learned that I'm my own best teacher. Because ultimately, people can provide me with information, but I have to teach it to myself, and I have to take the time to allow myself to learn from what I'm thinking. And I believe that all of us are our own best teachers, and that we need to take into account what we feel and analyze it, and the more of that that we do, the more introspection, and the more self analysis that we do, the the stronger that mind muscle becomes, and the less we're afraid. And that's, of course, a lot about what live like a guide dog is really about.   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 35:55 Mike, I'd love to share with your the listeners some of the strategies that, as we talked through, you know, your story, and the way that you have, you know, figured out how to, like you said, become more self aware, some of the strategies that are, you know, offered to people so that they can learn. In the book, we talk about awareness and we talk about preparation, which mentioned that before we talk about flexibility, we talk about perseverance, empathy, trust and teamwork, which, obviously that's a big one, right, even things like listening and rest, which seem more passive, actually help us to do like what you're talking about, live in the moment, right? And of course, Faith is an important part of of not being afraid, and we talk about that a lot, and just of listening to your instincts, listening to your own, you know, your own intuition. Um, so those are some of the like, the strategies in the book. And I think if people will, you know, read the book, they'll, they'll learn how to implement those strategies and teach themselves how to turn their Fear into Courage. And that's one of the reasons I'm excited about this book,   Michael Hingson ** 37:17 and the reason we call the book live like a guide dog is that it's all about all of these lessons that we're talking about are lessons that I learned from observing dogs over the years. I've said a number of times, no offense to them, but I've learned a whole lot more about trust in teamwork and dealing with life from working with now eight guide dogs and my wife's dog, Fantasia, who was Africa's mother, and Fantasia was a breeder for guide dogs also. But I learned so much more from those dogs than I ever learned from all the team experts like Tony Robbins and Ken Blanchard and all that, because it's no offense to them, they teach a lot of good things, but it's personal and internalized when you have to live it, and you live it working with dogs, when the team learns how to to work well together, and I think it's so important to do that. So there's no doubt that in so many ways, this is a book about dogs, but it's also a book about more than that people and the relationship between dogs and people, the human animal bond, and something we haven't talked a lot about, which we can talk about briefly here, is that this book, just like thunder dog, since I am a firm believer in teamwork, was a collaborative effort. Susie and I worked together on thunderdog. We both wrote, we we evaluated each other's writings, and we put together a book that was very successful. And Carrie and I have done the same thing with live like a guide dog. It is a collaborative effort, and I think that's so important, because I think that the whole idea of teamwork brings different perspectives and different ideas that all ended up going into the book, and I think will make it a very successful book.   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 39:13 Yeah. Well, thanks, Mike. It's been a really a lot of fun to work on. And like I said, I learned a lot. You know, it's interesting. You talked about learning from the dogs. There were times where your dogs had to learn from you, not to be afraid. Like, I don't know if you want to tell the story, sure, Klondike, when you were training him.   Michael Hingson ** 39:32 Well, let me, let me first of all say, Well, I'll tell the story, and then I have a second Klondike story. So, and by the way, we talk about these in live like a guide dog, and some of it was referenced in thunderdog, but we get more relevant and detailed in live like a guide dog. But when I first met Klondike at Guide Dogs for the Blind, the class supervisor was Terry Barrett, who. Who I hadn't really gotten to know. But because of what happened, we became pretty close afterward. And what happened was when about the last week of the class, we started going into San Francisco to get good city work in and more populated areas and so on. And the first time we went in, everything was fine, but the second time we went in, when it was my turn to get off the bus, I stood up with Klondike, and as the closer I got to the front of the bus, the slower Klondike walked, and he started shaking and shivering and didn't even want to get off the bus. And so everybody else was off, and Terry came on and he said, what's going on? And I said, Well, I'm really concerned about this. And he said, Just be patient with him. Work it through. Dogs do develop beers from time to time, but they also are depending on us to show them the way to to to be calm. So we finally got Klondike off the bus, and as soon as we got off the bus, he began to work pretty well. The next day, the same thing happened, and again, Klondike was very fearful. By the third day, being patient with him and encouraging and supporting him, saw Klondike actually becoming less fearful, and we were able to work through that. You know, dogs do have fears. Roselle became afraid of thunder. And, in fact, the night before September 11, well the morning of September 11, at one or 12th midnight, or 112 30 in the morning, we had a thunderstorm, and Roselle was afraid of thunder. And I took Roselle downstairs, and she was shaking and shivering, but she was under my desk, and we got through it, and then we went upstairs, and we got some more sleep. And then, of course, we went into the World Trade Center, and people have said, well, she was afraid of thunder. Why wasn't she afraid when there was an explosion or whatever happened in the World Trade Center? The answer is, first of all, it wasn't that loud, but second of all, it wasn't thunder, they know. And so Roselle didn't have a problem with all the other stuff. Now, Klondike, let's just point out that Klondike is one of those religious dogs. One day we we were members of the San Marcos United Methodist Church, and the church had invited itinerant Minister Kimball Colburn to come and and do some some teaching. And that night, then the main night, he was there. He did an altar call, and Karen and I decided we'd go up. Karen was in her her wheelchair and and I said, you want to go up? And she said, yeah. So we, we were there. Klondike was there. And I told Klondike, just stay here. We'll be back. Just stay we get up to the front of the room. We're standing in line, and all of a sudden, right in front of us, comes Klondike and sits down. He wanted to be part of the altar call, and Kimball gave him the sacrament, you know, which? Which was great. But he was that kind of a very sensitive dog in so many ways, and so it's fun that he he did participate, and was such a wonderful companion for so many years.   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 43:24 You know, Mike, I um, you said something about like when Klondike was afraid to get off the bus, and you didn't get mad at Klondike, you didn't shame him. You were just patient and reassuring and encouraging. And I think that you know whether you have a dog or not, when, when I feel afraid, one of the things I think that I live more like a guide dog now than I used to, is I try to be patient with myself and be okay. Kari, what's going on? Like, what's this fear? What? And instead of going, Oh, why are you so dumb, you should just be you should, you know, just tough it out and be brave and be strong. No, I'm patient with myself, I think, more than I used to be before I worked on this book. And I encourage myself. You can do this. You know, your feelings make sense. It's okay. Just stay in the moment. I kind of pep talk myself, but I'm very patient with myself, and I think that's a hard thing to do. We're all harder on ourselves than we are on other people. We say things to ourselves that we would never say to someone else, like, how many times you go I'm so that was so dumb. You know? You wouldn't say that to somebody else.   44:38 Some people do anyway,   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 44:41 and and we don't, because that's not helpful, right? So it's more helpful to be kind to yourself, and I think that's one of the things I learned from this that has helped me deal with when I feel anxious or afraid, to just be patient with myself.   Michael Hingson ** 44:56 Lashing Out is usually something that occurs because. Are afraid, and we've we've grown up learning those kinds of things rather than learning. Wait a minute, there are better ways and and unfortunately, as a society, we don't really teach people how to learn to deal with fear and to make it a positive attribute in our lives and help us stay more focused on whatever it is that we need to stay focused on, and that, in reality, the fear isn't the problem. It is how we deal with it. That's the problem, and we don't learn enough about how to step back and go, Wait a minute. We can do this differently. And the reality is, the more that we take the approach of Wait a minute and really analyze, the quicker the process becomes, yeah, the first or second or third time perhaps you do it, it's going to take you a while and you got to stop and analyze and so on. But that's why I say that the mind is a muscle, and you can develop that muscle and get yourself and your mind to the point where when something happens that's unexpected, you can have a mindset kick in that says, Wait a minute. Let's look at this, and very quickly, make the kind of determinations and decisions that you really want to make and that that other people learn to make, you know, I talk about steel Team Six and other kinds of military things, and all the things that that that they learn to do, and they do learn to do them, it's learned behavior. And the reality is that we all can do that we all can recognize that we can live in the moment, we can function in very productive ways, and that we don't need to allow fear to blind us or overwhelm us. I will not say, Don't be afraid, but you don't need to let it overwhelm you.   Susy Flory ** 46:59 Yeah, Mike, I have a question for you that I don't remember if I've ever asked you this before, but it seems perfect for this concept of live like a guide dog, and that is, I know you were really quite young when you had your first guide dog. They made an exception for you, and I'm wondering what was the very first lesson you learned as a teenager from your very first guide dog.   Michael Hingson ** 47:23 I think the very first thing that I learned, well there, there are a couple. The first thing that comes to mind is responsibility, because I was responsible for that dog, and at 14 years old, that's a pretty awesome kind of a task to be able to perform, and it isn't just feeding the dog, it's supporting the dog. And I had a month at Guide Dogs for the Blind where the trainers really talked a lot about that, and being the youngest kid there, it is something that I didn't necessarily learn instantly, but I did learn well over a few years. But the other thing that I did learn was a lot about trust. The the the trainers always said, Follow your dog. And I think some schools for a while were were very much in the mindset of your dog never makes mistakes, just follow your dog. Well, that doesn't work, and we all, I think, understood that, at least over time, but following your dog and learning to trust your dog and learning to establish that relationship with your dog was important. And what what happened was things like, I get to a street corner, and now, of course, it's even more relevant than it used to be. I get to a street corner, we stop. I'm listening to hear which way the traffic is going, and I will cross the street the way I want to go when I hear the traffic going parallel to where I want to travel, because if it's going across in front of me, it, you know, I have a master's degree in physics. I know about classical mechanics. Two pieces of matter can't occupy the same space at the same time. And classical mechanics, and I don't want the second piece of matter to be a big car that hits me, you know. So I need to make sure that the traffic is going the way I want to go before I cross, but I tell the dog forward, and the dog doesn't go. I have learned instantly, probably there's a reason. Now, it could be that the dog is distracted, although that's rare, because I've learned to trust my dogs. I mean, the dog could see a duck and wants to go visit, but typically, that isn't what happens, especially the more you get to know the dog and you realize there's a reason for the dog not moving. When we were running away from tower two, and we came to a place where there was an opening in the building next to us, and then we wanted. Get in and out of the dust cloud. I didn't know whether Roselle could hear me or see my hand signals, but I kept telling her right, right, right. And I heard an opening, and she obviously knew what I wanted. She turned right, she took one step, and she stopped. She would not move. And it took me a few seconds to realize, wait a minute, she stopped for a reason. It's what we call Intelligent Disobedience. That wasn't the term that we learned when I got squire my first dog. It was all about follow your dog, but Intelligent Disobedience is a very important part of working with a guide dog. The fact of the matter is that I need to trust the dog. When the dog stops and doesn't do what I expect, there's probably a reason. Well, Roselle stopped and wouldn't move. I investigated and discovered that we were at the top of a flight of stairs, and when I said forward, we went down the stairs, or likewise, getting back to the street corner. If I say forward and she doesn't go, or he doesn't go. There's probably a reason, and the reason, most likely today, is quiet cars or hybrid vehicles that are running in electric mode and I can't hear them, and there's one coming down the street and the dog doesn't want to get killed, much less get me killed, unless the dog doesn't like me very well. But I don't want that to be the case. So the fact of the matter is that we we develop that level of trust, and when the dog doesn't move, I'm going to stop and try to analyze and figure out what's going on, and then we go. But that trust was one of the most important things that I had to learn a lot about in ways that I had never learned before. You know, I've been blind my whole life. I trusted my parents and so on, and I I trusted my own skills. I walked to elementary school every day until we went to the fourth grade, and then I took bus to a different school, and I was able to learn to travel around the campus and all that, but still, creating a team was pretty new to me overall, when I got squire. And so learning that trust and learning that that's a very important thing, was something that that I had to do. And again, I think it's also important to recognize you don't trust blindly. And as I said before, dogs don't trust unconditionally. They're looking to develop trust, and dogs want to develop a trusting relationship with us, but it is something that that has to be done. So even today, if the dog stops and doesn't move, I'm not going to yell at the dog. I may be wondering, well, what's the issue here? But I will stop and recognize that most likely, there's a reason. And like I said, there's always that one possibility that it could be that they see a bird and they want to go visit the bird, but guide dogs generally are are chosen because they're not overly distracted. And I want to keep it that way, so it is all about trust. And that's that's something that we all need to learn. You know, I keep hearing people talk about in our political world, well, I trust this guy. He's talking to me. Sorry, that doesn't work. Trust has to be earned, and we have to each step back in whatever we're doing and look at what's going on around us, and when somebody says something to us, I'm generally going to take the time to analyze it and see if that's really true or not, and and the more that I find that I can relate to what someone says, the more I'm really apt to trust them. But I'm not going to trust them arbitrarily or, as I would say, blindly. You know what I'm saying. Yeah, that's great   Susy Flory ** 54:02 trust, but verify.   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 54:04 Yeah, it's important Exactly, exactly.   Michael Hingson ** 54:08 But you know it's, it is? It is so wonderful when that kind of a relationship does occur, working with a guide dog, when the teaming relationship is there, working with people, when the teaming relationship is there, is so important and it's it's such an awesome experience to have.   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 54:34 I think if you have trusting relationships, whether with an animal or another person, you will be generally less afraid because you feel a little safer in the world, not that you trust everyone, and not that you're never afraid, but if you have safe people or animals, or you know connections with others, that builds sort of a a. Reservoir within you of of goodwill that you are not afraid of everything you know. I think that's why you know people or animals who have been who have suffered abuse, are less are more fearful, right? They're less likely to trust because their trust has been betrayed in the past.   Michael Hingson ** 55:21 We had one of those in 2003 we indicated, when I was at guide dogs that we would care for geriatric dogs. And in 2003 I was called. I was in my office at guide dogs, and the veterinarian department called and said, we have a senior dog. She's 12, and we were wondering if you could take her. She's fearful, she's deaf, she's got arthritis. She's got a big lump on her back, which we think is an infected cyst that we can take care of. But she had never been a guide dog. She was career changed before becoming a guide dog, and they just said it was temperament. We figured it probably later we realized it was very strong willed. It wasn't a bad thing, and that today, or in 2003 they knew more about how to deal with that, and she would have made a great guide dog. But anyway, I called Karen and told her about this dog. And so we met Panama, who was a 12 year old golden retriever. She was very fearful. They thought she was deaf because they dropped a big, large Webster's Dictionary right by her in Panama. Didn't even respond. We took her home, and over a couple of months, we discovered that she wasn't really totally deaf. She was she was old and she was fearful. We think that the people who had her last had just locked her in a garage, and they maybe abused her, I don't know, but we just supported her. She was afraid to go on walks with Karen in the wheelchair, but eventually she decided that that was okay, and so Karen and she would walk. And you know, of course, all of us supported her. She was she had enough arthritis. She really couldn't play roughly with the other dogs, but she liked to be around them. One day, we were going up to Oregon for a guide dog event from where we were in Northern California, and I was putting luggage in our car, so I opened the door going from our house into the garage, and all of a sudden, like a shot, this dog ran past me out into the garage, and the van was open. She ran up into the van and went into the main part of the car, the vehicle. We knew when that happened, that Panama had gone somewhere, she had crossed a line and developed enough of a trust that she was willing to go out and get in the car and be more a part of the family. But she was very fearful, and there were still a lot of other issues with her, but the more we worked with her, the more she realized that she could trust us and we had her. For before that, she had been afraid of the car, she had been afraid of the car, she had been afraid of people were afraid. She was afraid of everything. She was afraid of everything. And it was pretty amazing when suddenly she took that leap, and it got better from then on, but she knew that we were with her and that we would support her.   58:35 Yeah, that's a great story.   Michael Hingson ** 58:36 Well, Susie, any any other thoughts or questions that you might have you you've been quiet lately.   Susy Flory ** 58:45 What is your newest lesson? I that makes me curious too, because you've had Guide Dogs for a while now. You had a number of them. Each one's different. Each relationship is different. So with LMO, what might be your latest lesson that you're learning? Because we're all lifelong learners, right?   Michael Hingson ** 59:05 I have been really impressed with some of the new training techniques that I've seen at Guide Dogs for the Blind. I mentioned clickers, which is sort of like a, you know, those metal crickets, you squeeze a minute ago, something like that. But the idea is that when I got Roselle, they had started really investigating new and better training techniques. And what I have found is that they actually have developed techniques using technologies and just different processes that they've been able to shorten the length of time it takes to learn to use, or it takes shorter times for the guide dog to learn to be a guide dog. When I went up to Oregon to get Panama. On excuse me to get Alamo, which was the first guide dog I've gotten in Oregon. So we went up in 2018 to get Alamo, and we graduated on my birthday, so he's a great birthday present. But anyway, when I was up there the first day we started walking, the trainer was right behind me, and I knew that she was carrying a clicker. We cross the street, and actually we got to the curb and and stopped, and she immediately clicked the clicker. What a clicker is is a device that's a demarcation. And when the dog does what you want, if you immediately click and then you follow it with food rewards, the click really tells the dog, good job. You don't use it in a negative way, and that's one of the positive ways to really work to develop good, strong relationships with dogs. Well, anyway, we crossed the street, and then we walked a little bit further, and suddenly we came to the opening to an alley, and the trainer said, Let's try and experiment, because Klondike or rose Alamo was going to just go across the alley, she said, the trainer did stop and back up. And when you get to the end of the alley, stop and tell the dog halt. I did. The trainer clicked. I gave Alamo a food reward. We went back a little bit and did that two or three times, and suddenly Alamo regularly would stop at the opening to that alley, which was a wise thing to do, because cars could come out. I don't know, but I bet today, six years later, if I were to go up to warring and we went down that same sidewalk and we got to that alley, Alamo would stop because the clicker reinforced the behavior in a very positive way, so much that he'll remember it. He's a very bright dog, and I'm absolutely confident that he would so some of the new training techniques and the brightness of the dogs to be able to take advantage of those things, I think, is so important. And I think one of the things that I found most intriguing going forward.   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 1:02:06 I think you know that really points to positive reinforcement again. You know, with ourselves, with others. You know, if we're you know, you know, if we say we have a friend who is always fearful, and we if we just say, Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid, that doesn't really help, but if we notice them doing the right thing to point it out, I think that improves our relationship, and it can help that person overcome fear. Yeah, you know, yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 1:02:32 And we've got to get away from so much negativity and really find more positive ways for us to reinforce ourselves and also to get that same behavior from other people. I think it is so important. Yeah, well, we've been doing this for a while. I guess I would ask if there are any kind of last thoughts that either of you have. We're, of course, excited that little like a guide dog came out today, and that hopefully everyone will now even be more intrigued and go buy it. We'd love it to be another best selling book. So we hope that you'll really join us in that journey. And so if anyone, if either of you have any other final comments or whatever, let's go ahead and do them. Just   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 1:03:20 you know what? I hope that people will get this book and tell others about it, you know, write a review, tell a friend. You know. I'm sure we all have people in our life who love dogs and people who wrestle with fear, and either those type people would love to get a copy of this book. I   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:41 think between those two classes of people that takes in everyone and I'm, I'm everyone   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 1:03:46 in the world, everyone they either love dogs or they're afraid,   Michael Hingson ** 1:03:51 or both, or both, and dogs can help teach us so many things.   Susy Flory ** 1:03:57 Dogs are bridge builders. You know, everyone, almost everyone, can look at a dog and, you know, kind of feel that connection to the dog. Dogs feel the connection to people. And dogs don't care what political party we are or what we think about the news or which way the economy's going. I love how they live in the moment. They look for opportunities to connect, to play, to rest and just the rhythms of life of a dog. I think, you know, there's something that we can learn there about what's important and what is not as important. And the people in our lives and those we connect to are important. The labels, not so much.   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 1:04:45 Yeah, love that. That's good word, Susy.   Michael Hingson ** 1:04:48 And as long as at the beginning and end of the day we get fed, we're happy. That's what Alamo said. We   Susy Flory ** 1:04:55 get our treats, then we gotta get our toys. Yeah?   Michael Hingson ** 1:05:03 That is what matters. Well, I want to thank you both for being here and if, if either or both of you want to come on again. We we should do it, but I really want to thank you for taking the time to be here with us today. I would love to hear from all of you out there. Love to hear your thoughts about what you've heard today, what you learned. We would certainly appreciate it wherever you're listening or watching. If you'll give us a five star rating, we value those ratings very highly. If you'd like to reach out to me, it's easy. You can email me at Michael h i@accessibe.com that's M, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S i b, E.com, or go to our podcast page, www, dot Michael hingson.com/podcast, and Michael hingson is M, I C, H, A, E, L, H, I N, G, S O N.com/podcast, and for you, Kari and Susy, both of you, how do people maybe reach out to you.   Keri Wyatt Kent ** 1:06:02 I have a website, Carrie Wyatt, kent.com it's K E R, I, W, Y, A, T, T, K E N T. I'm also easy to find just by Googling and on on social media. My My full name is my handle on everything. So I'd love to connect on Instagram or Facebook. Um, it's my where I'm mostly at, or LinkedIn. Um, so yeah,   Susy Flory ** 1:06:30 Susie, Yeah, same as Kari. You can find me kind of in those different places. And if you have a cute dog video or squirrel video, be sure and send it my way. And   Michael Hingson ** 1:06:40 so what's your website? And   Susy Flory ** 1:06:43 it's my name? Yeah, Susy flory.com my name is

In this episode we sit down with Brad Lichtman, a seasoned educator with a remarkable career at large public high schools in San Diego. Brad shares his journey from the classroom to the principal's office and reflects on how he prepared for retirement. As he navigates the third trimester of life, Brad delves into the importance of finding our "true north" and how our core values can guide us to create meaningful experiences through every season of life. In this episode Brad references the book Refire! Don't Retire: Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life by Ken Blanchard as a resource.

Extraordinary hospitality is a powerful competitive advantage. In this episode, Will Guidara explains how he transformed his New York City restaurant into the best in the world by creating bespoke experiences for customers and shares how any business can succeed by being more intentional and creative to build meaningful relationships with those they serve. YOU WILL LEARN:· The critical difference between hospitality and service.· The 95/5 rule.· The power of a team huddle. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Become a Certified Full-Service Professional “Unreasonable Hospitality,” by Will Guidara www.unreasonablehospitality.com www.elevenmadisonpark.com “The One Minute Manager,” by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson NOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE: “Service is effectively fulfilling the base level promise. Hospitality is how you make the people feel when you provide that service.” – Will Guidara “Sometimes you just need to slow down to speed up; we shouldn't always try to multitask and be efficient.” – Will Guidara “It's not the cost of the gesture that matters, it's how it makes people feel.” – Will Guidara “It feels great to make other people feel good.” – Will Guidara “The only advantage that exists in the long term comes from hospitality, from consistently and generously investing in relationships because they take time to build and, if you build them in the right way, they take a long time to erode.” – Will Guidara Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One Minute Manager author Dr. Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley, VP and Trust Practice Leader at Blanchard Company riff about Simple Truths of Leadership and Simple Truths of Leadership Playbook. How are you improving over the next 52 minutes, or 52 hours or weeks? Are you catching your teammates doing something right? From this conversation, you will garner: The art of brilliant collaboration.It's the ticket to admission to the table where decisions are made. Why apologizing is an admission of responsibility? Why is truth the softest pillow to sleep on? What is man's deepest need? How can these 52 tenets be applied to interviewing and onboarding? How does an Ego Anonymous meeting go?Visit www.blanchard.com to buy any of Dr. Ken Blanchard's book and access the professional services offered by the company. They create inspired leaders through dynamic, human powered learning experiences. This show was presented by the fast growing enterprise Return Valets. Visit www.returnvalets.com and learn about Return Valets, your premier online returns concierge service catering to the multifamily, commercial, and residential markets. We specialize in providing affordable solutions tailored to meet the diverse needs of our clients. Whether it's direct pickup from your doorstep or using our strategically located, secured Return Drop Boxes, Return Valets is committed to delivering unparalleled convenience for you, your residents, and your tenants.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/success-made-to-last-legends--4302039/support.

In this episode of Partnering Leadership, Mahan Tavakoli speaks with Garry Ridge, former CEO and Chairman of WD-40.   In the conversation, Garry Ridge shared his origin story and how a quote from the Dalai Lama helped him focus on organizational purpose. Next, Garry explained his why and the how behind making WD-40 an organization where people can contribute, learn something new, and ultimately go home happy. Then, Garry Ridge shared the leadership wisdom he has gained from Ken Blanchard and Marshall Goldsmith and his focus on creating a ripple effect of happiness. Garry Ridge also laid out the leadership practices and approaches that led employee engagement at WD-40 to reach 93.5%, with 98% of the people working at the company loving to tell people they work there and 97% trusting or respecting their boss.   Finally, Garry Ridge talked about the importance of strategy and the most critical element in leading an organization to achieve its strategy and succeed.Some highlights:- How Garry Ridge ended up as CEO of WD-40 - The importance of authentic purpose in building a global brand- Creating a culture of engagement and accountability at WD-40- The role of coaching in the organization- Garry Ridge on leading WD-40 from a market cap of $300 million to over $2.5 billion.Timestamps- Hierarchy of values and how best to use them in decision making- How to embed organizational values- Garry Ridge on his approach to succession planning at WD-40- Building a culture that outlasts you- The difference made by leadershipMentioned:Partnering Leadership conversation with Dr. Ken Blanchard on Simple Truths of Leadership Connect with Garry RidgeGarry Ridge Website Garry Ridge on LinkedIn Connect with Mahan Tavakoli: Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website

To create a motivated and growth-oriented workplace, audiology practice owners must align team members with their core values and mission. Howard Behar exemplified this at Starbucks, where his values-driven leadership led to global expansion. In this episode, Howard shares leadership principles and strategies for audiology practice owners, highlighting the importance of hiring the right people and fostering a culture of servant leadership. Howard Behar is a speaker, advisor, mentor, and bestselling author of It's Not About the Coffee. Under his leadership as president of Starbucks International, the brand expanded from 28 stores to over 15,000 locations across five continents. In this episode, Kevin and Howard will discuss: - The motivation behind Howard's book - The necessity of being a servant leader - The importance of core values for navigating stressful times - Empowering employees through responsibilities - Howard's six P's of a fulfilling life - Servant leadership principles for practice owners - The influence of core values on hiring and team development - Practical steps for defining core values - And other topics… Howard Behar is a speaker, advisor, mentor, and former president of Starbucks Coffee International. He joined Starbucks in 1989 when the company had just begun to venture outside the Northwest region. During his tenure as president, Starbucks expanded from 28 stores to over 15,000 locations across five continents. He is the bestselling author of It's Not About the Coffee. Howard retired as the president of Starbucks North America in 2007 but continues to influence leaders through his writing and speaking engagements​. Connect with Howard: Howard's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howard-behar-24ba274/   Howard's Email: hb@howardbehar.com Howard's Phone: 206-972-7776 Resources Mentioned: Howard's Book, It's Not About The Coffee: Leadership Principles from a Life at Starbucks: The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson: https://www.amazon.com/The-One-Minute-Manager/dp/0688014291/ Kevin's email: kevin@medpb.com  The Only Thing: If you're an audiologist and want to grow your practice – we've got a FREE, expert guide to help you achieve your goals. It's called The Only Thing.  This expert guide will show you how to increase new patient calls by 5 to 57 a month, schedule more new patients each week, help more people, and increase revenue. It's the best resource I know for growing your audiology practice. Get your copy for free at http://medpb.com/mastery.

Legendary leadership expert Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley talk about the backstory of the One Minute Manager. They also discuss seagull management, the power of simplicity and brevity, and how to stay fit, engaged, and contributing at age 85. Show Notes The Art of Leadership Live On The Rise Newsletter Preaching Cheat Sheet Watch on YouTube Follow @careynieuwhof Follow @theartofleadershipnetwork   This episode is sponsored by: COMPASSION As a pastor, I knew child sponsorship was an opportunity for my church to make an impact worldwide and I trusted Compassion International to make that happen. Learn more about hosting your own Compassion Sunday at http://compassion.com/carey   GLOO Take the pain out of communicating with your people, get free texting with our friends at Gloo. Check out http://gloo.us/freetexting   TIMESTAMPS: Co-authorship and Writing Process (00:07:40) The One Minute Manager (00:18:28) Spiritual Foundation of Leadership (00:24:23) Simplicity in Leadership (00:26:30) Development of Situational Leadership (00:29:10) Focus on Middle Management (00:35:32) Influencing Top Managers (00:37:19) Seagull Management (00:37:54) Creating Memorable Metaphors (00:39:21) Ego's Anonymous (00:41:27) Servant Leadership (00:48:44) Refiring at 85 (00:50:52) Longevity in an Organization (00:55:07) The One Minute Reprimand to Redirect (00:59:45) Fear and Trust (01:00:55) Unequal Treatment and Fairness (01:03:38) Leadership in Absence (01:05:53) Collaboration and Leadership (01:10:01)   Brought to you by The Art of Leadership Network

Join hosts Mike and Mark on the latest episode of the Moonshots Podcast as they dive into the timeless wisdom of Ken Blanchard's renowned book, “The One Minute Manager.” In this insightful discussion, they unravel the essence of effective management and leadership, distilled into three fundamental lessons.• Buy The One Minute Manager on Amazon: Link• Become a Moonshot Member: Link• Watch this episode on YouTube: LinkThe episode starts with Ken Blanchard's profound insights on the essence of leadership, emphasizing the significance of serving first and leading second. Through the lens of servant leadership, Blanchard sets the stage for exploring the core principles of the One Minute Manager approach.Moving into the heart of the discussion, the Productivity Game segment unveils the power of setting one-minute goals, as inspired by Blanchard's methodology. Mike and Mark dissect the creation of a new managerial framework that fuels ambition and drives productivity to new heights.In a captivating turn, the hosts draw parallels between Blanchard's teachings and the dynamic duo of Steph Curry and Steve Kerr. Through their exemplary teamwork, Curry and Kerr showcase the transformative impact of praise, underscoring the importance of acknowledgment and encouragement in fostering a culture of excellence.Continuing the exploration of Blanchard's principles, the Productivity Game team delves into the art of one-minute praising and its profound effect on morale and performance. With actionable insights, they illuminate the value of regular check-ins and constructive feedback in nurturing talent and maximizing potential.Wrapping up the episode, Ken Blanchard's reflections on belief systems resonate deeply, reinforcing that good management is as much about mindset as it is about behavior. Through introspection and intentionality, leaders can cultivate a culture of trust, empowerment, and continuous growth.Don't miss this enlightening episode of the Moonshots Podcast, where timeless wisdom meets actionable insights, guiding you on mastering management and unleashing your full potential.Links: • Buy The One Minute Manager on Amazon: Link • Become a Moonshot Member: Link • Watch this episode on YouTube: Link Thanks to our monthly supporters Jasper Verkaart Ron Chris Turner Margy Diana Bastianelli Andy Pilara ola Fred Fox Austin Hammatt Zachary Phillips Antonio Candia Mike Leigh Cooper Daniela Wedemeier Corey LaMonica Smitty Denise findlay Krzysztof Diana Bastianelli Nimalen Sivapalan Roar Nikolay Ytre-Eide Stef Roger von Holdt Jette Haswell Marco Silva venkata reddy Dirk Breitsameter Ingram Casey Nicoara Talpes rahul grover Evert van de Plassche Ravi Govender Craig Lindsay Steve Woollard Lasse Brurok Deborah Spahr Barbara Samoela Christian Jo Hatchard Kalman Cseh Berg De Bleecker Paul Acquaah MrBonjour Sid Liza Goetz Konnor Ah kuoi Marjan Modara Dietmar Baur Ken Ennis Bob Nolley ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Learn More About Attending the Highest Rated and Most Reviewed Business Workshops On the Planet Hosted by Clay Clark In Tulsa, Oklahoma HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/business-conferences/ See the Thousands of Success Stories and Millionaires That Clay Clark Has Helped to Produce HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ Clay Clark Testimonials | "Clay Clark Has Helped Us to Grow from 2 Locations to Now 6 Locations. Clay Has Done a Great Job Helping Us to Navigate Anything That Has to Do with Running the Business, Building the System, the Workflows, to Buy Property." - Charles Colaw (Learn More Charles Colaw and Colaw Fitness Today HERE: www.ColawFitness.com) Download A Millionaire's Guide to Become Sustainably Rich: A Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Successful Money-Generating and Time-Freedom Creating Business HERE: www.ThrivetimeShow.com/Millionaire See Thousands of Actual Client Success Stories from Real Clay Clark Clients Today HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ See Thousands of Case Studies Today HERE: www.thrivetimeshow.com/does-it-work/  

Not only has he sold over 3,600 properties with 40+ years as a Realtor, he joins the show as the Founder and CEO of Superstar Performance Inc., a training, teaching, and coaching company for sales professionals and business owners with the motto, “We are committed to your Growth”. Alex is a “rags to riches” success story. Welcome back to That Entrepreneur Show! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe for weekly episodes and rate the show 5 stars to help others join our conversations!With only a Grade 10 education (acquired his grade 12 and some college after 40 years), this Hungarian immigrant has overcome a multitude of obstacles. He has now written several books, including a Best Selling Author, “Speaking of Success” with Ken Blanchard, Jack Canfield, Stephen R Covey. Alex is a SCORE certified Mentor and certified by the John Maxwell organization as a leadership coach.   Alex is a Trainer, International Real Estate Developer, Entrepreneur and a Performance Coach. During his long career in the Business World, Alex has opened, owned and operated many successful businesses. He has owned and operated Several Real Estate Brokerages, Regional State franchises, and was a high level Corporate Executive, (SR Regional VP for North America for Exit Realty for 15 years). Alex has been instrumental in helping to build one of the Real Estate Franchises, taking it from 2 offices to 1250 with agent count over 36,000. Alex became a US Citizen on September 11, 2015. He has the ability to inspire small and large audiences. Alex is funny, entertaining, informative, controversial and at times “In Your Face”.Alex is involved with several charities and volunteers at local schools and colleges. His subjects include: real estate, sales, effective communication, leadership, DISC personality profiles, conflict resolution and motivation. Got a burning question for our host or guest? We'd love to hear from you! Email Danica at PodcastsByLanci@gmail.com to kickstart the conversation.Stay connected with us on social media! You can find us at @ThatEntrepreneurShow on all platforms. For more information about our show and our guests, visit www.vincentalanci.com.Ready to podcast on your own?! To learn more about podcasting coaching services, email Danica at PodcastsByLanci@gmail.com. Music Credits: Adventure by MusicbyAden | https://soundcloud.comSupport the Show.If you enjoyed this week's show, click the subscribe button to stay current.Listen to A Mental Health Break Episodes hereTune into Writing with Authors here

Learn More About Attending the Highest Rated and Most Reviewed Business Workshops On the Planet Hosted by Clay Clark In Tulsa, Oklahoma HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/business-conferences/ See the Thousands of Success Stories and Millionaires That Clay Clark Has Helped to Produce HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ Clay Clark Testimonials | "Clay Clark Has Helped Us to Grow from 2 Locations to Now 6 Locations. Clay Has Done a Great Job Helping Us to Navigate Anything That Has to Do with Running the Business, Building the System, the Workflows, to Buy Property." - Charles Colaw (Learn More Charles Colaw and Colaw Fitness Today HERE: www.ColawFitness.com) Download A Millionaire's Guide to Become Sustainably Rich: A Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Successful Money-Generating and Time-Freedom Creating Business HERE: www.ThrivetimeShow.com/Millionaire See Thousands of Actual Client Success Stories from Real Clay Clark Clients Today HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ See Thousands of Case Studies Today HERE: www.thrivetimeshow.com/does-it-work/  

Donna Lichaw is an internationally sought-after executive coach, keynote speaker, and best-selling author. She helps visionary founders, CEOs, and executive teams level up their leadership and scale their impact while staying true to their mission, purpose, and themselves. Donna works with leaders at companies like Google, Disney, Twitter, Microsoft, Mailchimp, and Adobe, as well as a plethora of mission-driven startups and nonprofits. In our conversation, we discuss:• How our personal narratives influence our success and failure• Why identifying your superpowers (and kryptonite) is so important, and how to do it• The value of doubling down on your strengths rather than trying to fix weaknesses• How to acknowledge and reframe feelings of impostor syndrome• The Double Diamond framework for personal growth and goal-setting• The power of visualization and how it can fuel motivation and creativity—Brought to you by:• OneSchema—Import CSV data 10x faster• Sendbird—The (all-in-one) communications API platform for mobile apps• Sprig—Build a product people love—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-discover-your-superpowers-own-your-story-and-unlock-personal-growth-donna-lichaw-author/—Where to find Donna Lichaw:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dlichaw/• Website: https://www.donnalichaw.com/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Donna's background(04:25) Donna's origin story and transition to coaching(08:38) The power of storytelling in leadership(11:36) Becoming the hero of your own story(14:49) Changing your story(21:19) Understanding and shifting others' stories(25:41) Imposter syndrome(31:28) Exploring different types of kryptonite(36:41) Identifying and leveraging strengths(43:53) Identifying superpowers(56:39) Running experiments(01:01:52) Using product frameworks for personal growth(01:12:41) Identifying subconscious goals(01:15:27) Envisioning impact(01:16:44) Lightning round—Referenced:• The Leader's Journey: Transforming Your Leadership to Achieve the Extraordinary: https://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Journey-Transforming-Leadership-Extraordinary/dp/1959029134• Effective Leadership Is Transformational, by Ken Blanchard: https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2019/06/13/effective-leadership-is-transformational/• Ken Blanchard's website: https://www.blanchard.com/• How to write a kickass README: https://dev.to/scottydocs/how-to-write-a-kickass-readme-5af9• This Week #5: Overcoming impostor syndrome, introducing growth to an org, and how to partner with your Data Scientist: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-overcoming-impostor-syndrome• Community Wisdom: Dealing with impostor syndrome as a PM: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/community-wisdom-dealing-with-impostor• Stuart Smalley: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Smalley• Kryptonite: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kryptonite• How Dyslexic Thinking Gives Entrepreneurs a Competitive Edge: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisoncoleman/2023/05/16/how-dyslexic-thinking-gives-entrepreneurs-a-competitive-edge/• Characterizing Creative Thinking and Creative Achievements in Relation to Symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9283685/• Robert Iger: https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/leaders/robert-a-iger/• CliftonStrengths test: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx• VIA Character Strengths: https://www.viacharacter.org/• How to fire people with grace, work through fear, and nurture innovation | Matt Mochary (CEO coach): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-fire-people-with-grace-work-through-fear-and-nurture-innovation-matt-mochary-ceo-coach/•10 Steve Jobs Quotes That'll Stick With You Long After You Read Them: https://www.themuse.com/advice/10-steve-jobs-quotes-thatll-stick-with-you-long-after-you-read-them• Gestalt coaching: https://gestaltcenterforcoaching.com/• Gestalt therapy: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/gestalt-therapy• Head, Heart and Hands: http://creatingminds.org/tools/head_heart_hands.htm• Managing nerves, anxiety, and burnout | Jonny Miller (Nervous System Mastery): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/managing-nerves-anxiety-and-burnout-jonny-miller-nervous-system-mastery/• The User's Journey: Storymapping Products That People Love: https://www.amazon.com/Users-Journey-Storymapping-Products-People/dp/1933820314• For All Mankind on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/for-all-mankind/umc.cmc.6wsi780sz5tdbqcf11k76mkp7• Ted Lasso on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/ted-lasso/umc.cmc.vtoh0mn0xn7t3c643xqonfzy• The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Possibility-Transforming-Professional-Personal/dp/0142001104• IMPRESA Monkey Noodle Stretchy String Fidget/Sensory Toys: https://www.amazon.com/IMPRESA-Glitter-Stretchy-Phthalate-Latex-Free/dp/B0868X6NRQ• Dolly Parton quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/21268-find-out-who-you-are-and-do-it-on-purpose—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe