Podcasts about toastmasters

How do I tell my story? This episode I take you directly inside of my Toastmasters meeting where I gave a speech about how to actually tell your story. I walk you through exactly 

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! today we hear from Dora Maria, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills. Interesting facts --> loves dance, music, photography, poetry, theatre, movies and sports.

What if you didn't need to do “all the things” to have a hugely successful business? Not every extrovert feels comfortable in front of people, let alone on stage. Jeremy DeMerchant, a student of mine in programs I've hosted along with hiring me for a personalized approach to work on his signature speech and speaking skills. Jeremy went from being booed off the stage to earning $15K with a short 10 min presentation. A presentation he's used over and over again with success. It was a small tweak to his close that made all the difference. He shares his story in this episode. We also discuss Toastmasters in this episode. Jeremy's a fan of Toastmasters, speaking contest winner and has held numerous leadership positions within the organization. We discuss how easy it is to hide and the limitations to really understanding the audience engagement within Toastmasters.   To learn more about the guests on this episode: Jeremy DeMerchant's Website: https://salesteamrescue.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PermissionToSell/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Permission2Sell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jsdemerchant/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-de-merchant/ The 5C's of Successful Sales Conversion: http://www.permissiontosell.com/the-5-cs-of-successful-sales-conversations/   Links and resources to connect with Laurie-Ann: Grab the FREE resource Go from Unknown to Visible at https://www.speakandstandout.com/resource/ Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurieann.murabito For more about me and what I do, check out my website at https://www.speakandstandout.com ➡️ If you're looking for support to grow your business faster, get fully booked and be highly profitable, schedule a call to explore if you'd be a good fit for one of my coaching programs. https://www.ChatWithLA.com  

In this HCI Podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanhwestover/) talks with Joel Schwartzberg about the importance of communicating authentically as a leader. See the video here: https://youtu.be/5GN985FyOFQ. Joel Schwartzberg (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelschwartzberg/) is a leadership communications coach whose clients include American Express, Blue Cross Blue Shield, State Farm Insurance, the Brennan Center for Justice, and Comedy Central. He is the senior director of strategic and executive communications for a major national nonprofit and previously held senior-level communication and editorial positions with Time Inc., PBS, and Nickelodeon. Schwartzberg's articles on effective communication have appeared in Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, and Toastmaster magazine, and he's a sought-after business and communications podcast guest and conference speaker. He is the author of Get to the Point! Sharpen Your Message and Make Your Words Matter, which Seth Godin calls “a manifesto for giving talks that make a difference,” and The Language of Leadership: How to Engage and Inspire Your Team (Berrett-Koehler Publishers; July 13, 2021), which Kevin Eikenberry says “will make your communication more purposeful, meaningful, and inspirational.” Check out Dr. Westover's book, 'Bluer than Indigo' Leadership, here: https://www.innovativehumancapital.com/bluerthanindigo. Check out Dr. Westover's book, The Alchemy of Truly Remarkable Leadership, here: https://www.innovativehumancapital.com/leadershipalchemy. Check out the latest issue of the Human Capital Leadership magazine, here: https://www.innovativehumancapital.com/hci-magazine. Ranked #6 Performance Management Podcast: https://blog.feedspot.com/performance_management_podcasts/ Ranked #6 Workplace Podcast: https://blog.feedspot.com/workplace_podcasts/ Ranked #7 HR Podcast: https://blog.feedspot.com/hr_podcasts/ Ranked #12 Talent Management Podcast: https://blog.feedspot.com/talent_management_podcasts/ Ranked in the Top 20 Personal Development and Self-Improvement Podcasts: https://blog.feedspot.com/personal_development_podcasts/ Ranked in the Top 30 Leadership Podcasts: https://blog.feedspot.com/leadership_podcasts/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hcipodcast/support

If you're seeking clarity and want to thrive in your communication, and you're aware your communication challenges are hindering you, Kim Taylor, CEO of Ultimate Communicator, will assess, develop, and refine your skills using a comprehensive wholistic approach. This process includes giving you an in-depth understanding into your unique and personal communication style using her powerful Ultimate Communicator Archetypes™ Profiling Tool. Kim is the founder of the 9 Steps to Ultimate Communicator Training System. She is an impassioned Communication Coach, Mentor, Trainer and Author with a strong business and hospitality background. With over 20 years of experience in delivering talks and presentations to organisations, such as, James Cook University, Rotary International, Bunnings, Big W and Toastmasters, she is often asked to provide motivational keynote speeches and is honoured to jump at the chance. She takes deep and humble pride in being able to open the door for professionals seeking to overcome their limitations and improve their communication, message development and public speaking skills.  Kim's signature one-on-one and group Ultimate Communicator Coaching programs and proven communication training systems guide clients so that they can master the ability to communicate in any speaking situation.  In 2020, she expanded her services to include her exclusive Ultimate Communicator Archetypes™, which add powerful insights to the development of a wider and deeper diversity of communication skills development potential for her clients. https://ultimatecommunicator.com.au/be-ultimate/ultimate-communicator-archetypes/

If you're seeking clarity and want to thrive in your communication, and you're aware your communication challenges are hindering you, Kim Taylor, CEO of Ultimate Communicator, will assess, develop, and refine your skills using a comprehensive wholistic approach. This process includes giving you an in-depth understanding into your unique and personal communication style using her powerful Ultimate Communicator Archetypes™ Profiling Tool. Kim is the founder of the 9 Steps to Ultimate Communicator Training System. She is an impassioned Communication Coach, Mentor, Trainer and Author with a strong business and hospitality background. With over 20 years of experience in delivering talks and presentations to organisations, such as, James Cook University, Rotary International, Bunnings, Big W and Toastmasters, she is often asked to provide motivational keynote speeches and is honoured to jump at the chance. She takes deep and humble pride in being able to open the door for professionals seeking to overcome their limitations and improve their communication, message development and public speaking skills.  Kim's signature one-on-one and group Ultimate Communicator Coaching programs and proven communication training systems guide clients so that they can master the ability to communicate in any speaking situation.  In 2020, she expanded her services to include her exclusive Ultimate Communicator Archetypes™, which add powerful insights to the development of a wider and deeper diversity of communication skills development potential for her clients. What Kim has found is, when you understand your unique communication style, it enables you to have flexibility around your own speaking style and thrive as a professional. If you're curious to know your unique Ultimate Communicator Archetypes™ (UCA's) and how it influences you both personally and professionally, she'd love to offer you her UCA Profiling Tool, which only takes 8 mins to do. Plus, you'll receive a 20-min (obligation free) tailored conversation with Kim where she will give you insight into where your strengths lie, any challenges and some suggestions on how you can reach your desired goals when it comes to communicating and sharing your message. Here's the link https://ultimatecommunicator.com.au/be-ultimate/ultimate-communicator-archetypes/

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! today we hear from Dora Maria, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills. Interesting facts --> loves dance, music, photography, poetry, theatre, movies and sports.

[26:00] As we reflect back on this year, caregiving can mean many things to many people. Some people are caregivers in the traditional sense, others give care in many forms to others. In this episode we bring back author and former co-caregiver Rick Lauber. The idea of his return was prompted by a recent insightful tweet he made.  “As a #caregiver, please don't ever question the difference you make in someone's life. Thank you so much to all caregivers for everything they do.” This episode is for  those who give care, receive care or know someone who is either. In this episode Rick enlightens us with what prompted him to share that wisdom. He reflects upon his own personal experiences sharing some of his thoughts and feelings, even those of guilt, which are also likely felt by many others - particularly during the holiday season and this past year. Listeners are also in for a learning experience as Rick also reflects back with respect to what he's learned, how he's coped, some of the actions and steps he's taken and continues to take and some of what he's still dealing with even after many years. He also shares with us how you can go about resetting your life when you are no longer a caregiver,  and more. Rick Lauber is from Edmonton, Alberta Canada. You can reach him at RickLauber.com or on Twitter @CDNCaregiver. You can also find his two best-selling guide books  – Caregiver's Guide for Canadians (2nd edition) and The Successful Caregiver's Guide (U.S) on Amazon and the usual outlets. You can also listen to past episodes with Rick Lauber. Toastcaster 69 How Toastmasters helps Authors and Toastcaster 127: Caregiving - The Ultimate Leadership Role. Happy New Year 2022!

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! today we hear from Dora Maria, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills. Interesting facts --> loves dance, music, photography, poetry, theatre, movies and sports.

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! today we hear from Dora Maria, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills. Interesting facts --> loves dance, music, photography, poetry, theatre, movies and sports.

Episode 31 featuring Wayne Grubaugh (District 37 Parliamentarian and Treasurer)  and Reine Smirz (Vice President of Public Relations) from the Gastonia Toastmasters Club. In this episode, we highlight a variety of topics including their mission to provide meetings and programs to those looking to further their presentation and speech skills, their current and future initiatives for expanding their membership count, their hopes and wishes for the coming years, and much more!To learn more about the Toastmasters Club, to get involved,  or to follow them on social media, click the links below:Website: https://5743.toastmastersclubs.org/Meeting Time: Thursdays at 7:00am - Warlick YMCA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/64533226181Gaston's Great loves feedback, suggestions, or questions! Want to get in touch with us? We'd love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out to us by a method that is convenient for you.Website: https://www.gastonsgreat.com/Email: podcast@gastonsgreat.comPhone: 704-864-0344

Author Interview with Suzanne Renee on Victory Chat with Jackie Mckeever. In this video, we discuss her book called "Conquering the Undertow: Learning to Breathe Again".

Lisa Raymond joined Toastmasters seven years ago and has been actively involved in District 3 leadership service for six of those years! Lisa's first district activity was attending Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI) and she's now come full circle in her present role as this year's TLI chair. Listen as Lisa talks about learning, leadership, and personal development in Toastmasters and offers some great advice to new members. (Recorded October 16, 2021) Speakers Bureau: speakers@aztoastmasters.org Toastmasters Leadership institute: tli@aztoastmasters.org

Luz Sanchez shares her journey from Mexico City to the US and how she overcame obstacles in her life. BIO Luz Sanchez is from a small town near Mexico City, emigrated to the US determined to pursue her goals by seizing every opportunity. As soon as she moved to the US, she enrolled in ESL (English as a Second Language) classes while juggling jobs, being a student, and being a single mother. She graduated with a Bachelors's Degree in Cinema and TV Arts in 2011.  Soon after she received her BA in Cinema, she worked with classmates for several years on different projects. Also became a member of Toastmasters International earning her DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster) in 2020 this award represents the highest level of educational achievement in Toastmasters.  March 2020 became the author of Stolen Identity - What to do when it happens to you A personal account facing identity theft and guiding people through the process.   She is a contributing author of Women Who Rock 2 that shares stories of 35 extraordinary women from all walks of life. Also as an author for the Life Boosts book.  She competed at the Woman of Achievement pageant in the International category for Ms. Elite Mexico- America 2020 became a finalist and won the speech competition for International.  Luz Sanchez is a certified Yoga practitioner  Currently, she is working as a film editor on two short films, writing a feature film she plans to direct in a near future.  Hobbies: Cinema, hiking, singing, dancing, reading, writing.  SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES IG: IG: Luz Sanchez FB: Luz Sanchez LinkedIn: Luz Sanchez

Luz Sanchez shares her journey from Mexico City to the US and how she overcame obstacles in her life. BIOLuz Sanchez is from a small town near Mexico City, emigrated to the USdetermined to pursue her goals by seizing every opportunity. As soon as shemoved to the US, she enrolled in ESL (English as a Second Language) classeswhile juggling jobs, being a student, and being a single mother. She graduated witha Bachelors's Degree in Cinema and TV Arts in 2011. Soon after she received her BA in Cinema, she worked with classmates for severalyears on different projects. Also became a member of Toastmasters Internationalearning her DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster) in 2020 this award represents thehighest level of educational achievement in Toastmasters. March 2020 became the author of Stolen Identity - What to do when it happens toyou A personal account facing identity theft and guiding people through theprocess.  She is a contributing author of Women Who Rock 2 that shares stories of 35extraordinary women from all walks of life. Also as an author for the Life Boostsbook. She competed at the Woman of Achievement pageant in the International categoryfor Ms. Elite Mexico- America 2020 became a finalist and won the speechcompetition for International. Luz Sanchez is a certified Yoga practitioner Currently, she is working as a film editor on two short films, writing a feature filmshe plans to direct in a near future. Hobbies: Cinema, hiking, singing, dancing, reading, writing. SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLESIG: IG: Luz SanchezFB: Luz SanchezLinkedIn: Luz Sanchez

completed 4th path last night 12/22/2021 actually i completed about 6 paths since i finished the legacy program AND 4 paths last night i comleted level 5 in the motivational strategies path wanna be live on my book club podcast tomorrow? text me 561 302 0051

Rick Rome, President of Liberty Toastmasters-Denver, is in studio with Kim.  The liberty to freely express our ideas is foundational to the American Idea.  Liberty Toastmasters promotes freedom of speech through robust and respectful presentations.  Rick welcomes newcomers to either the Denver club or Liberty Toastmasters-North.  Kim reminds listeners of the recent podcast with Sherronna Bishop describing the forceful entry into her home by the FBI.  Check out the recent op-eds, Rick Turnquist,'s Exactly Wrong – Democrats and Crime, and Patti Kurgan's, Kings of Kings, and Lord of Lords.  Brad Beck, Monday's guest, has an op-ed to be published this Sunday.  Producer Steve brings attention to the U.S. Debt clock.  You may not be into politics but politics are into you as it presently shows $231,922 is due per taxpayer to pay off the national debt.  America's Veteran's Stories this Sunday will feature Marine Veteran Rick McFadden's explanation of General George Patton's prayer during the WWII Battle of Bulge.  The show broadcasts at 3pm on KLZ 560 FM, KLZ 100.7 FM, the KLZ website, and the KLZ app.  Army World War II Veteran Lou Zoghby, who fought at the Battle of the Bulge, tells his story at 10pm Sunday.  10pm on Saturday Marine Veteran Marty Letellier, who served in the Korean War, the “Forgotten War,” and fought at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, is interviewed.  Tune into Reggie Carr's new I'm a Uniter show Friday morning, 9-10am on all KLZ platforms.  A big win for TABOR, Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, as the 10th Circuit Court dismisses a lawsuit challenging TABOR. Rick and Kim's fellow Toastmasters discuss the twenty-seven usurpations listed in the Declaration of Independence by the colonists as they dissolved their relationship with King George and Britain.  Terri Goon, President of Liberty Toastmasters-North, shares a historical perspective stating that the colonists were ready for independence from Britain.  Today we see that the more we “misbehave,” the more Fauci wants to control us.  People must have the freedom to be self-responsible.  Other club members’ comments include:  quoting, “whenever any form of government becomes destructive the people have the right to form a new government;” there are twenty-seven different issues based on government force and government overreach, just what we are seeing today; the decision making process is hidden and PBIs create legislation, like the “Build Back Badder” Act, hidden with paybacks and tyranny; we must know and carry the founding documents with us and talk about them with others; the nature and morality of the founding documents and; understand that inaction by us today may be an embarassment to our great grandchildren.  Rick concludes the conversation with the final words of the Declaration, that we pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor. Karen Levine, award winning realtor with REMAX/Alliance and show sponsor, agrees with all freedom comments.  Single family housing development needs liberation from PBIs (Politicians, Bureaucrats and Interested Parties) current policies.  Home ownership is a property right and it is a right we must protect.  Karen works at the local, county, sta

Sara Mayer is a charter member of Junior League of Phoenix Toastmasters and a goal setting and time management expert. Active in Toastmasters leadership, Sara is the 2021-2022 Contest Chair and member of the District 3 Speakers Bureau. In this episode Sara shares her passion for Junior League, Toastmasters, and helping people and organizations become more productive. To contact Sara, visit saramayer.com (Recorded October 7, 2021)

Our guest is Distinguished Toastmaster and Past District Director, Peter Salazar. During his stint in the United States Marine Corps, Peter learned that his communications skills needed work and was told he should join Toastmasters. Years later, Peter acted on that advice and joined Tempe Toastmasters. Listen as Peter outlines his Toastmasters journey and his enthusiastic involvement in district leadership, contests, and the Speakers Bureau. (Recorded October 5, 2021)

2021.12.22 – 0356 – Getting A Louder Voice This obviously depends on which of the above issues (or others) is the cause but here are a few pointers:For (suspected) physical reasons – consult your family doctor or GP in the first instance about issues to do with breathing, and talk with them about a possible referral to an ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) specialist, or a speech therapist. For confidence issues – speak with a doctor about any worries, insecurities or anxieties you may have and who may be able to refer you to a counsellor; getting advice on your hair, skin and clothes – a change to these areas may give you more confidence and dissipate the worries of people looking at you as you talk; acting and singing lessons and groups, public speaking events (such as Toastmasters); work on your voice in your own time with warm up, articulation and breathing exercises, reading aloud at a cat or a cushion placed an increasing distance from you.Audio recording script and show notes (c) 2021 Peter StewartThrough these around-5-minute episodes, you can build your confidence and competence with advice on breathing and reading, inflection and projection, the roles played by better scripting and better sitting, mic techniques and voice care tips... with exercises and anecdotes from a career spent in TV and radio studios. If you're wondering about how to start a podcast, or have had one for a while - download every episode!And as themes develop over the weeks (that is, they are not random topics day-by-day), this is a free, course to help you GET A BETTER BROADCAST, PODCAST AND VIDEO VOICE.Look out for more details of the book during 2022.Contacts: https://linktr.ee/Peter_StewartPeter has been around voice and audio all his working life and has trained hundreds of broadcasters in all styles of radio from pop music stations such as Capital FM and BBC Radio 1, the classical music station BBC Radio 3 and regional BBC stations. He's trained news presenters on regional TV, the BBC News Channel and on flagship programmes such as the BBC's Panorama. He has written a number of books on audio and video presentation and production (see contacts clink above) and presented hundreds of radio shows (you may have heard him on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 4, Virgin Radio or Kiss, as well as BBC regional radio) with various formats. He has read tens of thousands of news bulletins and hosted 3,000+ podcast episodes.The podcast title refers to those who may wish to change their speaking voice in some way. It is not a suggestion that anyone should, or be pressured into needing to. We love accents and dialects, and are well aware that how we speak changes over time. The key is: is your voice successfully communicating your message, so it is being understood (and potentially being acted upon) by your target audience?This podcast is London-based and examples are spoken in the RP (Received Pronunciation) / standard-English / BBC English pronunciation, although invariably applicable to other languages, accents and dialects.Music credits: all Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license "Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5025-beauty-flow See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of Intuitively Rich Ani talked to Keith about his life adventures and the wonderful inspirational lessons that he learned through those challenges. Keith is a Colorado native attending Douglas County High School, Arapahoe Community College, Metropolitan State University and the College for Financial Planning. His education was spread out over several decades with two years in the Army with a tour in the Vietnam War. Keith started with New York Life in 1975 when he was 27, acquired his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation in 1989, and retired from planning in 2001. Keith was President of his local NAIFA chapter 1995-1999. Keith spent two years in the Army with a tour in the Vietnam War. That experience taught him to never waste time, it's too precious, and to that end, he has lived an interesting life racing cars and bicycles, skiing, foreign travel, and climbing many of Colorado's famous Fourteener's. It was that love of hiking and climbing that lead Keith to Nepal twice in the 1990's. His new award-winning book “Tenacity: You Don't Have to Get Lost in Nepal to Find Yourself, But it Helps!” is based on the second trip when he traveled alone and got lost for a few days in the Himalayas. It was from this experience that Keith developed his "TRIP Communication System". TRIP is an acronym for Tenacity, Resilience, Imagination, and Purpose. He started racing bicycles at 54 and became the President of the Colorado Bicycle Racing Association for Seniors (COBRAS) in 2011. Keith gained international acclaim with his 2004 article “Compassion at Death's Door” in The American Legion magazine. His other books include: “The Pain and Joy of Love, A Collection of Black & White Photography, Short Stories, and Poetry”, the illustrated children's book on grieving “Zooch the Pooch, My Best Friend” co-authored with friend Michael Kelley, and three Zooch audiobooks. He also wrote the column “Philosophy Speaking” for the Downtown Denver News for seven years. Ever the volunteer, Keith has sat on Boards and Committees for The American Diabetes Association, The American Cancer Society, and the Porsche Club of America Rocky Mountain Chapter. Looking to expand his horizons after retirement Keith joined a local Toastmasters club and learned public speaking. In 2016, Keith joined the National Speakers Association (NSA) Colorado Chapter and won the Member of the Year in 2017. He served on the Board of NSA-Colorado as the Secretary/VP of Operations from 2017-2021. FOLLOW Keith: Website: https://www.keithrenninson.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flobito/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetenacityexpert Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithrenninson/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOXGRfQVwDD8qUQ8uUwK9kA/videos Ani Rich is a Life Coach, Embodiment Yoga Teacher, Mother, a Podcast Host, and a Life Coach. FOLLOW Ani: Hear Ani's Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yWsX... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ (personal) https://www.instagram.com/ani_rich_co... Website: https://anirich.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ani-rich-... YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXAi... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anirichcoaching Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VS7DG76 Much love Ani Rich --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ani-rich/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ani-rich/support

When Dr. Bob Nelson was in sixth grade, he was living in France, where on January 6 they celebrate Three Kings' Day by eating a cake that has a special trinket hidden in one piece. That year, Dr. Bob got the piece with the trinket, making him king for the day. He remembers feeling important and that everything he did that day seemed extra special. Reflecting on that experience he says reminds him to make the most of every opportunity to have a positive impact. He was raised in a family with strong work ethics and people who have worked with Dr. Bob have commented on his solid determination and expansive resourcefulness. Dr. Bob knew from a young age that he wanted to express himself in writing and as a speaker even though he is a self-described introvert. He had a teacher in high school who encouraged him to write and he participated on his high school debate team even though it made him very anxious. Later he became active in Toastmasters to get more comfortable with speaking.  Today, Dr. Bob helps organizations, executives, and managers better recognize, engage and retain their employees. He is considered a leading advocate for employee recognition and engagement worldwide. Dr. Bob has worked with 80 percent of the Fortune 500 and presented on six continents. He has written over 30 books, including 1501 Ways to Reward Employees, The 1001 Rewards & Recognition Fieldbook, 1001 Ways to Energize Employees, The Management Bible, 1001 Ways to Engage Employees, and his latest book: Work Made Fun Gets Done!: Easy Ways to Boost Energy, Morale, and Results. Dr. Bob has been featured in the national and international media including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, CBS 60 Minutes, MSNBC, ABC, PBS, and NPR about how best to motivate today's employees. He is passionate about employee engagement. In this week's Work From The Inside Out podcast, learn more about Dr. Bob's journey:   Dr. Bob has sold over 5 million books. He worked as a shipping clerk in a bookstore because he wanted to learn more about writing and the publishing business even though he already had his MBA Learn more and connect with Dr. Nelson here:  https://www.facebook.com/Dr-Bob-Nelson-133781976903 https://twitter.com/drbobnelson1 www.linkedin.com/in/drbobnelson www.drbobnelson.com https://www.amazon.com/Work-Made-Fun-Gets-Done/dp/1523092351

How confident do you feel when speaking in public? Whether running a group session, a webinar, a training day, or giving a presentation, public speaking is something that we, as coaches and mentors, need to do from time to time. And it can be scary! So how can we increase our confidence and know that what we say and do engages our audience in an inspiring way? Joining podcast host Jenny Butter, are Toby Wilson and Lenka Pagan. Toby is president of Worthing Speakers club in Sussex, UK, which is a part of Toastmasters International. Lenka is a Nutritional Therapist, a Senior Yoga Teacher, and Health Coach and she joined Toastmasters to improve her confidence and ability when speaking in public.  

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! today we hear from Dora Maria, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills. Interesting facts --> loves dance, music, photography, poetry, theatre, movies and sports.

 "The figures fill me with hope. Because this journey we're taking is so important for health, for our children and for the planet. People are interested, they want to learn, they want to move..." Alison The podcast made it from a twinkle in our eyes to 14,000+ downloads this year! And it's taught us both so much. Listen in to hear us talk about what worked, what we've both been up to and what we hope to bring to life in 2022. Love what we're doing? Our podcast is sponsored by our patrons and listeners! We'd love you to be part of our http://patreon.com/ancestralkitchenpodcast (Patreon community!) For $9 a month (or equivalent in your currency) you'll be helping us with the costs of recording, editing and putting this work into the world. And you'll get to be part of our world on a deeper level - we've got a monthly intimate patron-exclusive podcast called Kitchen Table Chats and we're also going to share cooking classes, extra interviews and much more. Check out http://patreon.com/ancestralkitchenpodcast (www.patreon.com/ancestralkitchenpodcast) for all the details! "If you aren't where you want to be yet, just keep working on the skills" Andrea Time Stamps: 2:12 It's our last episode of the year! 4:17 Thank *you* for all your support this year. 8:18 Andrea's breakfast - abundance and Ningxia Red 11:49 Alison's lunch - mutton liver, pumpernickel and rye farmhouse ale 17:10 The smell/memory connection 20:38 What's happened with the podcast this year 21:57 Rob's song, Who Ya Callin' Pigs 22:40 14,000 downloads! 24:20 Most popular episode this year 30:12 Zoom cook-alongs 31:45 What we've learnt from the podcast this year 41:22 What Alison's learnt in her own life this year 43.42 Alison tries to remember all the things she's done in the kitchen this year! 47:56 Alison talks about her family's reading time 52.45 Alison talks about her tech use/time management/screen use 1:00.48 Andrea's year 1:04:47 What keeping poultry has taught Andrea 1:05.00 Why Andrea names her animals 1:11:20 Alison's plans for 2022 1.14.35 Andrea's plans for 2022 "This is the podcast we wish we'd had when we started" Andrea  **Thank you for staying with us whilst we work through audio gremlins. We have plans to help improve the quality next year.** Resources Mentioned: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWtC1UiL08j/ (Stephanie's Castagnaccio post) https://ancestralkitchen.com/ (Sign up for Alison's newsletter!) https://www.youngliving.com/us/en/referral/2524222 (Andrea's Affiliate link for Ningxia Red) https://ningxiared.com/ (Details about Ningxia Red) https://ancestralkitchen.com/sourdough-porridge-series/ (Sourdough porridge videos on Alison's site) https://ancestralkitchen.com/product/boza-video-course/ (Alison's Boza course) https://ancestralkitchen.com/product/sowans-the-scottish-oat-ferment/ (Alison's Sowans course) https://holistichilda.com/about (Holistic Hilda) (presenter on the https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wise-traditions/id1072618042 (Wise Traditions podcast)) https://www.youtube.com/c/EllysEverydayWholegrainSourdough (Elly's Everyday Sourdough Baking You Tube channel) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/10-elly-from-ellys-everyday-sourdough-baking-and-soap/id1560950100?i=1000527923497 (Our interview with Elly) https://www.hipcamp.com/en-US/discover/washington/chuckanut-hills-farm-camp (Stay with Andrea at her Hip Camp) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWlJcDLor2F/ (Alison cooking pizza in the wood-fired oven!) https://www.instagram.com/chefarangoldstein/ (Chef Aran's Instagram profile) https://www.toastmasters.org/ (Toastmasters) https://feeds.captivate.fm/commonplace-read-aloud/ (Wuthering Heights read by Alison on Andrea's read-aloud podcast) https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/11-nourishing-traditions-the-ancestral-cookbook/id1560950100?i=1000529404886 (Nourishing Traditions: THE Ancestral Cookbook episode)...

On this episode of Talking Rotary  Randy Nickerson and I talk with Peter Hernandez of the Oshawa Rotary Club. Peter is a Rotarian a competitive  public speaker who likes nothing more than being out and about in the community.Peter's energy and commitment will inspire you.

Mighty Pete sits down with motivational speaker and author Phil Barth for a conversation about how, often, humans can fool themselves into believing they are invincible. Before 2015, Phil was a man addicted to stress. He worked 60-hour weeks, drank pots of coffee every day to keep going, and survived on very little sleep. Then he had a heart attack which landed him in the hospital. As part of his recovery, his doctors suggested that he take a week off work every three months. It was during one of those weeks off when he began to write a daily gratitude list, which provided the seed for his second book, Great Things Happen Every Day: Finding Joy with Family, Friends, and Banana Milkshakes. Phil is a deeply spiritual person whose goals post-2015 have become spending more time with his family, being of service in the ways he can, and continuing to cheer for all Cleveland sports teams.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Gratitude is a muscle, or a practice that can be grown and strengthened over time. He has trained himself to look for the great things in life. Often, the moments that we appreciate in our lives are small and revolve around the people in our lives – the human connections we have. Barth faced his own mortality more than once, but it was only after he had a health crisis that he nurtured his spirituality and truly questioned the foundations of his life. Just like how our “best moments” can be small, we can reconnect with our loved ones over time, through small and meaningful gestures. BEST MOMENTS “When I started looking for what was positive in my life, when I started looking for what was positive around me – people, places, etc., my stress just lowered because I wasn't focused on what was going wrong.” “What is important to me (now) is a healthy, happy family…(and) to give back.” “Is this the place I'm supposed to be right now? Is this the thing I'm supposed to be doing? You better believe it.” “I'm so lucky for so many reasons, not the least of which is: I survived.” ABOUT THE GUEST Phil Barth was born and raised in Ohio and attended Bowling Green University, where he graduated with a degree in Computer Science. He has had more than a few brushes with fame: as a contestant on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, he won $32,000 in prizes, and he was also a Top 10 finalist in the Toastmasters' World Championship in 2011. In 2015 everything changed for him when he landed in the hospital due to a “minor” heart attack (although it did not feel minor), which led him to reassess and redesign his life so that it was more in line with his core beliefs. Thankfully, Phil is still alive and lives with his wife and three sons in Ohio. He maintains a busy public speaking schedule and may be working on his next book.   CONTACT METHOD Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philbarthspeaks/ Blog: http://www.philbarthspeaks.com/ Buy Phil's Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Phil-Barth/e/B01N2B05EQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1       ABOUT THE HOST The ‘Mighty Pete Lonton' from the ‘Mighty 247' company is your main host of ‘Fire in The Belly'. Pete is an entrepreneur, mentor, coach, property Investor, and father of three beau98tiful girls. Pete's background is in project management and property, but his true passion is the ‘Fire in The Belly' project itself. His mission is to help others find their potential and become the mightiest version of themselves. Pete openly talks about losing both of his parents, suffering periods of depression, business downturn and burn-out, and ultimately his years spent not stoking ‘Fire in the Belly'. In 2017, at 37 years of age that changed, and he is now on a journey of learning, growing, accepting, and inspiring others. Pete can connect with people and intuitively asks questions to reveal a person's passion and discover how to live their mightiest life. The true power of ‘Fire in The Belly' is the Q&A's - Questions and Actions section. The ‘Fire in The Belly' brand and the programme is rapidly expanding into podcasts, seminars, talks, business workshops, development courses, and rapid results mentoring. CONTACT METHOD https://www.facebook.com/mightypetelonton/ https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mightypete https://www.facebook.com/groups/430218374211579/                   Support the show: https://www.facebook.com/groups/430218374211579/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jayson Phillips (Miracle Jay) is an inspirational speaker who's a survivor of a traumatic brain injury. He's also a rapper and we broke down the similarities between public speaking and the sporadic nature of the art of freestyling. He's also been involved in Toastmasters. He will speak on this podcast today about his mindset and how he uses his own philosophy to handle life in his most optimal, flowing way! He's currently creating a curriculum to help people speakers. Follow him at @miraclej832 on IG. His podcast on YouTube is called The Catastropiece. May we never be the same again… May the Flow be with you! S. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sumedh-chatterjee/message

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! today we hear from Dora Maria, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills. Interesting facts --> loves dance, music, photography, poetry, theatre, movies and sports.

Terry Begue started a house painting business in Ohio 43 years ago. He still runs the same business but he has expanded - into education. Terry has a book 'Attract & Keep Customers for Life' and an online course 'Unnoticed to Unforgettable'. Terry is also a regular business event speaker and has been a member of Toastmasters for many years. In this episode Terry shares the moment when he realised he should focus on his customers and not on thinking only of how much they were going to pay him.  He shares his experiences as a speaker and offers advice to those wanting to be a speaker but who need that helping hand to make it happen.And Terry's two top tips?Believe in YourselfBuild TrustHere's the link to Terry's websiteIf you enjoy the episode please do leave a review via your usual podcast app - thanks very much  

Kruttika Ashtekar - Product Owner & Distinguished Toastmaster Kruttika Ashtekar works as a product owner, and is also a Distinguished Toastmaster, which means that she's a skilled public speaker. She's the epitome of someone with a STEM background who saw the benefit of becoming adept at public speaking – the exact type of person most of us in STEM should strive to become. We chatted about what a product owner does, when she realized that public speaking could be of benefit to her, and what it took to become a Distinguished Toastmaster. __ TEACH THE GEEK teachthegeek.com anchor.fm/teachthegeek youtube.teachthegeek.com @teachthegeek (FB, Twitter) @_teachthegeek_ (IG, TikTok) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Show NotesIn this episode, I interview Shona Bramble, Communication Strategist, Artist, & founder of Bramble Communications Strategies. Shona is a multi-passionate, creative entrepreneur. Through her life coaching services, she helps people find their life purpose, move forward, and get unstuck. Shona also coaches people on public speaking and has been active in the Toastmasters community holding several leadership roles and even founded a group. In addition to her coaching services, Shona also has published Letters to Girls Who Dream of Flying, highlighted in a previous episode. She is also planning to launch her book of poetry, Unborn, soon, so check back soon for the link! Shona speaks about her love for the beach and how beautiful the sunsets are in her home country, St. Vincent's and the Grenadines. When asked ‘Who or what inspires you?,” Shona shares how her beloved cousin Dave Creese's recent passing left a huge void in her family. Her cousin Dave leaves a beautiful legacy and many happy memories. Shona BrambleWebsiteBook mentioned in this episode[Affiliate link]  Letters to Girls Who Dream of FlyingAll Things Relax StudiosInstagram Facebook WebsiteIntrovert's Guide to Rocking Your Podcast eCourseMasterClass: Introverts, Step into Your PowerProduction CreditsProduced By: G at All Things Relax StudiosVoice Overs & Promotional Spots: Sandi D & GRecorded On: SquadCastMastered & Released: BuzzSproutMusic Licensed: Soundstripe: Fantoms, Strength To Last, & Matt Wigton (ASCAP)All Things Relax Studios

In this episode, Marlon unpacks his journey into public speaking. He shares the critical questions he asked of himself and the ACTION that he took along the way. There's no faster way to learn than immersion. Join your local Toastmasters if you want to start speaking without fear of rejection. *This episode is sponsored by The GAPAPS Success Blueprint  - 6 Simple Steps to Lifelong Success   ©2021 FINANCIALLY ALERT LLC & SUCCESS BY CHOICE INC. All Rights Reserved. The information contained in this podcast is for general education purposes only. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage derived from the information provided.

Mariana and I sat down to talk about her book, 'That Suburbia Lady', and the conversation really ended up being about so much more! Career, success, visible to invisible, family, writing this chat really has something for everyone. Toastmasters started this chapter of Mariana's life and I am certain you will be laughing and nodding your head along with this conversation as I did. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariana-missakian/ @mariana.missakian https://www.amazon.com/That-Suburbia-Lady-Tale-Leaning-ebook/dp/B09J3FVWK7 https://www.dubaitoastmastersclub.org/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/podaholiks/message

If you're in a leadership role today, you surely didn't get there by accident. You have vision. You're confident. And you're at the ready to offer support and lightning-quick responses. But if you don't effectively communicate these qualities to your people, how will they know you embody them? Frankly, they won't. Despite leaders giving themselves gold stars in communication, only 13% of U.S. employees say their leaders communicate well, according to Gallup research. And that's a colossal problem: 93% of workers surveyed by the Brunswick Group report that “leadership that communicates directly and transparently” is what keeps them on the job, bested only by pay and the ability to move up. The most powerful tool you have as a leader—to inform, engage, and inspire—is your voice, says veteran leadership communications coach Joel Schwartzberg. Yet all too often, our words fall flat; we get caught in our head, fail to truly understand our audience, or simply flub the landing. But it's our words and awareness of their impact that make the difference between simply managing teams and inspiring them to do their best work.    Joel Schwartzberg is a leadership communications coach whose clients include American Express, Blue Cross Blue Shield, State Farm Insurance, the Brennan Center for Justice, and Comedy Central. He is the senior director of strategic and executive communications for a major national nonprofit and previously held senior-level communication and editorial positions with Time Inc., PBS, and Nickelodeon. Schwartzberg's articles on effective communication have appeared in Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, and Toastmaster magazine, and he's a sought-after business and communications podcast guest and conference speaker. He is the author of Get to the Point! Sharpen Your Message and Make Your Words Matter, which Seth Godin calls “a manifesto for giving talks that make a difference,” and The Language of Leadership: How to Engage and Inspire Your Team (Berrett-Koehler Publishers; July 13, 2021), which Kevin Eikenberry says “will make your communication more purposeful, meaningful, and inspirational.” Topics During this interview Joel and I discuss the following topics: Why communicating clearly and effectively is so importantWhere leaders make mistakes with their communication skillsHow to change your approach based on your audienceHow to appear more empathetic and authentic How to effectively communicate in the virtual environmentAdvice on communicating in various situations For the complete show notes, be sure to check out our website: https://movingforwardleadership.com/192

“You start to inspire people by them relating to what they can see in themselves from what you've experienced.” Keith Renninson The most rewarding times in life are those that challenge us the most. Those that force us get deep inside ourselves and discover some of the strengths that we never knew existed within. Our guest today, Keith Renninson, went through such an experience when he got lost while in a hiking trip and it ended up changing his life for the better. Keith is a Colorado native obtaining his CFP from the College for Financial Planning in 1989.  His education was spread out over several decades with two years in the Army with a tour in the Vietnam War. His new award-winning book “Tenacity: You Don't Have to Get Lost in Nepal to Find Yourself, But it Helps!” is based on the second trip when he traveled alone and got lost for a few days in the Himalayas. He developed his TRIP Technique System from his book and has been giving in-person, virtual & hybrid meetings to excited audiences since.  Recently, Keith developed his TRIP Technique Assessment which scores individuals on their strengths and weaknesses at tenacity, resilience, imagination, and purpose (TRIP) Keith has been well known for his car & bike racing, love of skiing and as an amateur photographer.  He began his speaking career in 2013 in Toastmasters, then joined his local chapter of the National Speaking Association where he served as the Secretary/ VP of Operations for four years. In today's episode, Keith will talk about his journey in the military and how one hiking trip changed his life forever. Listen in!   Contacts www.thetriptechnique.com I was drafted in 1969 and I went to basic training in Fort Lewis Washington, where I took a whole battery of tests like everybody does to figure out what your military occupation is going to be. [3:24] I was posted to Fort Hood, Texas to work on civilian made weapons which I did testing in the prairies of Texas, before they actually released them out into the military. [3:37] I ended up going to Vietnam after about seven months and once again in the top secret clearance facility where I was gathering information. [4:54] My two years in the service taught me a multitude of things which included working within a team and rising to leadership. [5:30] Once I got out of the army, I wanted to be a leader with whatever I did, which was sometimes pushy and sometimes it was fun. [5:56] The army also taught me really good communication skills, because you've got to be very accurate in what you talk about in the military. [6:11] I was an insurance agent and a financial planner for 42 years and that's where I guess I gained all of that tenacity to be an independent person and have my own business. [6:27] I got my trekking permit in Katmandu canceled due to unfavorable weather and I had to redesign the trip. [8:46] I ended up going into an area that I had not researched and within about four or five hours of starting that trek, my equipment stopped working and I got lost. [9:08] I meditated and journaled each day and I started to looking at my life and writing what I wanted to do when I got home. [9:34] After I retired, I started to do what I wrote down I'm now doing exactly what I wrote down in my journal while I was lost, which was become an author and a public speaker. [9:52] I love telling stories and I can see them going through my head as I'm telling them and reliving them and the excitement builds back up inside of me. [11:35] I probably exude that from the stage and it's just one of those things where you start to inspire people by them relating to what they can see in themselves from what you've experienced. [11:43] I researched and came up with how I could take my speaking to the next level and what I could do that was different. [14:19] Trip technique assessment helps people learn their strengths and weaknesses in tenacity, resilience, imagination and purpose. [14:47] Commercial Break. [15:34] The military teaches you discipline, having a hierarchy and understanding how the ranks work and how you could work with them. [17:07] I came home in the 1971 and the hippie era was still going on and I ended up for a while being a disc jockey at night and a discotheque. [17:50] It was a lot of fun to be able to work during the day as a banker during the daytime and a disc jockey at night. [18:05] I wanted to be able to be disciplined enough to have those areas of my life very distinctly purposed, and do them on purpose so that I could really come out with what I wanted on the other end. [18:25] Both jobs ironically prepared me for what I doing now. [18:36] It was a tough time to come back from Vietnam because we were not liked as soldiers in those days. [20:22] We were proud of our service and what we had accomplished and so it was something I came home with and felt good about it but I couldn't feel good about it publicly. [20:41] I had my own kind of problems that came out of it and I had a long battle with hyperventilating whenever I got in a stressful situation and I actually went sought some help out. [22:07] Be kind to your soldiers as they come home and as they suffer now a little bit because of the feelings left after Afghanistan. [23:59] We need to recognize that that tour of duty that they all did and the results that we all were blessed with. [24:16] ……………………………………. Thank you to our November Sponsor: Entrepreneur's Guide to Financial Well-Being or Wayne Titus Imagine starting a long journey without a map…or even a clear idea of the obstacles ahead. That's exactly what it's like for entrepreneurs who start companies with a lot of passion, but without the financial expertise to grow and scale their businesses and create long-term wealth for their families.  Wayne Titus shows you how to find a financial adviser who can help you map a better journey. In his book, The Entrepreneur's Guide to Financial Well-Being.  With the right adviser at your side, you'll have the freedom to focus on what really matters to you. Get The Entrepreneur's Guide to Financial Well-Being at Amazon.com and in the virtual bookstore on the Shock Your Potential app.

Ivan Wanis Ruiz, a communications expert originally trained in facilitation at the Ministry of Attorney General in British Columbia. He later became an Advanced Toastmaster Gold and a Certified Trainer for the Dale Carnegie Business Group. A trained actor, he has been featured in films like Rise of the Planet of the Apes and guest-starred on TV shows, Conviction and Supernatural. Ivan is the author of They don't have to be Naked!™ A new approach to public speaking! Let's tune in!

DOWNLOAD SOLCIETY APP NOW! Speaker 1 (00:00:03):Welcome to the Solarpreneur podcast, where we teach you to take your solar business to the next level. My name is Taylor Armstrong and I went from $50 in my bank account and struggling for groceries to closing 150 deals in a year and cracking the code on why sales reps fail. I teach you to avoid the mistakes I made and bringing the top solar dogs, the industry to let you in on the secrets of generating more leads, falling up like a pro and closing more deals. What is a Solarpreneur you might ask a Solarpreneur is a new breed of solar pro that is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve mastery and you are about to become one.Speaker 2 (00:00:41):What's going on Solarpreneurs? We have another fantastic episode and we alive here in Las Vegas, Nevada here in, uh, a man of the hour, his mansion here, just hanging out. So we've got Mr. Jerry Fussell on the show, Jerry. Thanks for coming on with us today.Speaker 3 (00:00:57):Yeah. Thanks for driving up too. I appreciate it. It's how far from San Diego? It's like five hours. Five hours. Yeah. So thanks man, for coming up and hanging out. Glad to have you here at the house. And, uh, thanks for jumping on a podcast with me, man.Speaker 2 (00:01:09):Yeah. I love it. And know Jerry has been treating me to pop tarts and a sandwich. Isn't all, all the pizza I can handle here. So, Hey man,Speaker 3 (00:01:18):It's definitely a house that we house door knockers a lot because pizza and Pop-Tarts and sandwiches that'sSpeaker 2 (00:01:26):Okay. I had more, more food than the first door knocking the house I was in. That's true. All we had was eggs. Pretty much.Speaker 3 (00:01:32):We have a lot of those too. Okay.Speaker 2 (00:01:33):So they got it all, but I know it's been an awesome time here, so yeah, we'd been able to shoot some content and just kind of hang out here with Jerry and his guys. And, um, and the other big announcement we have before we kinda jump into things here is, um, Jerry, he, with his company Pi Syndicate, they are the first ever sponsors of the Solarpreneur podcasts. So, uh we're yeah, I'm happy about it. And we're going to let Jerry talk a little bit about that and then also is partnering on it, but, um, just like the summary of it, they are a, well, I guess you can say, well, it's just a summarized version. Do you want to tell our listeners what pipes in the syndicate is real quick?Speaker 3 (00:02:12):Yeah. Yeah. So Pi Syndicate is more of a supportive kind of mastermind. Um, we didn't start a truly make money. I already have some successful solar companies. My, one of my partners, Mikey, Lucas and Austin already have successful businesses. The reason why we started it is because we realized that about 85% of the guys in the industry that are top earners. So the guy's making, you know, over $150,000 a year, ended up leaving the industry and they have no money. They don't own any real estate. They don't have any money in savings. And about half of them owe money to the IRS. So when we talk about why we work, you know, it's a fun job going door to door, selling stuff. There's a ton of reasons why we all work, but when it comes down to it, if it didn't actually pay us any money, we would all stop.Speaker 3 (00:02:57):And that's eventually what happens is guys get burnt out because the money is not, not good enough to overcome the fact that they owe money on taxes or that they haven't really accumulated any wealth. And it's just, you know, just like you and I, we both probably hopped around to different houses. You know, door-knocking across the country, it's not indicative of saving money. It means that we go buy a BMW when we get enough money or we, we go out to fancy dinners or whatever, we're going to spend the money on. Or we buy our wife a $20,000 wedding ring when we propose because we're making money and guys, uh, leave the industry. Eventually majority of people end up not door knocking forever. Some of us love it. Some of us love it for five years and it's time to move on. And the sad thing for us is when they do move on, they put a lot of sweat and work into the job and they leave the industry with nothing to show for it.Speaker 3 (00:03:47):And these are guys making the top one, 2% of income earners in the entire country, and they're not having any money in savings and investments. And so that's, our mission is to change that we want to, within five years of working in the solar industry, have a plan for retirement in place where a guy can walk away from the door to door, industry, Copia, dentist, whatever he wants to do, and still have a substantial financial portfolio with investing and savings and emergency funds and all the things you need. Also a credit score, enough income to buy your first house. You know, all the things that companies don't really educate their, uh, door knockers on and their sales guys on is really the gap that we fill within the industry. We're kind of selective, but at the end of the day, we want to hang out with cool people that are knocking doors.Speaker 3 (00:04:32):It's just the coolest, single job to meet people that live differently, right. That wake up every day, excited to go to work. Cause if you don't, you quit within three months, probably. So if you're there a couple of years and you're a top earner, you're a guy want to hang out with and be around. And so that's what the mastermind is about is hanging out and being together. The reason I'm so excited to sponsor the podcast is because we feel like you're adding value. Whether it be a new guy that's 30 days in the industry, or maybe just thinking about going into solar, I've heard guys tell me that they've listened to your podcast to make a decision, even to accept a job in the solar industry, which is really cool. But then I would say your normal audience is one of two things, either kind of new to solar.Speaker 3 (00:05:16):And they're looking to see what podcasts are out there. And then the other one, which is strange is like the really seasoned guys like me that just want to hear good conversations with guys that are still in the field door knocking. Part of the reason why I respect you so much is because not only do you do a podcast, but you're still out door knocking virtually every day. So the content is fresh. It's, it's exactly what's going on to help you make money. And when you have guests on the conversations you have with them, um, definitely flow very well because you're doing the same job as them. So it's real life questions. It's real life answers about how to make more money, how to be more consistent in solar. And that's what we really preach is consistency and hard work. And that's the same thing.Speaker 3 (00:05:56):The podcast help brings people that listen to it. So we are super pumped to be a sponsor. And we look forward to being a sponsor for years to come and all the success in the world. We know you're going to hit 500 listeners, um, uh, 500,500,000 listeners. Uh, pretty soon as our goal has a sponsor. So we're going to be boosting some of the marketing and stuff to help you get there because literally everyone in solar right now, everyone in door to door needs to be listening to a mentor, tell them how to do their job better. And we feel like you're a great guy to do that for us.Speaker 2 (00:06:26):I love that. Appreciate that, Jerry. Absolutely man. And yeah, no, it goes without saying too, it's like you were saying so many guys just get out of this and reminds me of the NFL or something. We've all heard like guys in the NFL. I think I heard a stat that like, I don't know some crazy number of them are broke within a couple of years after they can't get out of the NFL. And I feel like door to door is very similar in that guy is making insane amounts of money knocking doors, but let's be honest. We're probably not all going to be doing this stower, you know, retirement age. No. So that's, what's so cool about what you're doing with Pi Syndicate is you're teaching guys how to really hang on to that money and turn that money into future investments in keep a hold of it. Because a lot of people that aren't, you know, super smart with itSpeaker 3 (00:07:08):And, you know, to be clear, um, I wasn't super smart with it either. I started out door to door when I was 19 selling, um, cable, internet door to door and it only paid $30 a sale or something like that. But you could go out and sell 10 of them a day. It's still really good money. And then I became a regional manager and started to make even better money. And, you know, a few hundred thousand dollars was flowing in and I was making all this money. And um, then 26 years old came around. I had my first child and, uh, talking with my wife, I decided to go out and get a real job. I had been in door-to-door for about six years was killing it, making hundreds of thousands dollars a year. I had literally had about a million dollar net worth. And I thought I was doing awesome.Speaker 3 (00:07:51):Right? And then I decided, well, I really want to do something. So I got a job at a children's home. I was working on a college degree and within a year I was completely broke. Um, just completely devastatingly broke, you know, eating ramen noodles again, I'm like, dude, I have a professional college level job. And now me and my wife, uh, are back to eating beans and rice. And we're like, is this what real life is supposed to be? But this is what everyone tells you to go. Do you know what I mean? But what happened is I was living a lifestyle based on being a door to door guy and not everyone stays at door to door guy forever. And so that transition for me was extremely difficult when I realized that I, I thought I want to do something out of it. I thought I wanted a real job, um, that everyone talks about.Speaker 3 (00:08:35):And I'm so glad that I found my way back. And so the first time I engaged with a publisher to write a book, I thought, for sure, my book's title was going to be millionaire by 25 and broke by 26. Um, to really explain why to manage your money better, how to take care of your money. Cause it was a hard life lesson, but it's almost identical to the majority of guys in the door to door industry. And we're not talking about the guy that makes it 30 days and quits. We're talking about guys that are making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, selling solar pest control roofing. Um, they're not going to last forever. They always think that they want to go do something else. And at, at that point, I don't know of a single another occupation without like being a brain surgeon that you can go and make 300 K a year.Speaker 3 (00:09:20):Like it's just not going to happen. Maybe over 30 years of building it up, even being on wall street, building up, being with a trading company or something like that, you can get there, you know, over years of dedication and working hard with your clients, maybe insurance, you know, there's some things that you can build up this business and make hundreds of thousands dollars, but there's nothing I can think of that you can leave door to door, knowing nothing about anything besides sales and make 300 K year. So there's always going to be this turmoil in your life where you decide to get out of sales. And for me it was, you know, I didn't want to work after five o'clock. I wanted to go home at five, o'clock have dinner with my family. I thought that was the American dream, you know, to have, uh, a normal job.Speaker 3 (00:10:00):I'd get off, go home, eat dinner, have a dog, walk the dog. And uh, I learned very quickly over about a year eating beans that, uh, the American dream wasn't so fun. And I decided to go back to work. But I, at the same time realized there's guys that are not going to decide to go back to work. There's going to be guys that are super happy to make 50 to a hundred thousand dollars a year, but their lifestyle is going to have to change. And just like the NFL players, it was hard for me to adapt my lifestyle to the lower income. So when my wife wanted to go out for anniversary, we still spent $250 on dinner. You know, we still bought, you know, $200 shoes instead of $50 shoes. Like all the things that we had trained ourselves to budget for were all incorrect.Speaker 3 (00:10:43):And we had never had to live on a budget being 21 years old and making 200 grand a year. You don't really have to budget. You just spend your money on whatever you want. And then you're like, oh man, I ran out of money. I need to go knock more doors. And you just can't keep the money coming in. Um, it's not a very smart way longterm to live. So my goal is to get with people that are 18, 19 25, really, you could be 35 and this is the first time you're in door to door. And you're like, this is a lot of money. Those are the guys that we want to help. And they're the same audience that you're trying to help too. So I think there's a lot of alignment there just helping guys get to that next level. So we're excited to help them for that.Speaker 2 (00:11:19):I love that. And yeah, we've had a couple of finance guys and things like that. Come on. But yeah, this is kind of the first, um, you're the first people I've seen really put together kind of mastermind style and help people at this level, which is awesome. So that's why,Speaker 3 (00:11:34):You know, yeah. And the whole thing, the whole thing about Pi Syndicate is it's sharing a lot of the resources for my company, but, you know, we made last year was 151 million. And so the revenue is very large, but then that means I spend hundreds of thousands of dollars a year on legal, on CPAs and advisors. You know, I spent $400,000 last year on mastermind groups. Um, you guys don't have the resource to do that. You're doing really good Taylor, you're killing it. You're in the top of the industry. You're still not going to go out and drop a hundred thousand dollar retainer on an attorney cause you don't need it. Right. It just doesn't make any sense. Your wife would be like, are we getting a divorce? Why do you need the a hundred thousand dollars retainer? Um, so it's just something that you don't think you need until you need it.Speaker 3 (00:12:15):Right? And so it's much better to have my legal team on standby to have our CPAs answer really hard questions to have my tax strategies that you normally only invest in. If you make, you know, $10 million in profit a year or more, uh, be available to you guys. And we do it in a mastermind setting so that we can share the knowledge, um, pretty openly, but with only guys that we want to hang out with, right? There's some guys in masterminds, I'm sure you've been to events and things. You're like, I'd rather not go hang out with a guy afterwards. So we definitely want to make it a group of guys where we stay together for a really long time. And then we want to see your businesses grow, you know? And, um, I would love to see your podcast. I was saying 500,000 listeners earlier.Speaker 3 (00:12:56):I'm not joking about that. I'd love to see your podcast expand to grow. You know, when people talk about the solar guys are listening on podcasts, that should be at my let you know, Jordan Bell Ford and Taylor Armstrong like that. I mean, that's really, when it comes to selling, how many viewers do you need to have listening? And because it's a lot of valuable things, I literally think anyone not listening to your podcast is probably selling the wrong thing. Like they're, they're probably selling cars. They're probably selling watches at a jewelry store, probably selling cell phones. And they're all listening to the wrong podcasts. They think that ed, my let's going to make him rich or grant Cardone and they're not, solar's going to make him rich and they need to be listening to the right box.Speaker 2 (00:13:33):Okay. There's no doubt about that. I mean, I always say we're the Navy seals of the sells industry. No one's selling like we are so we can learn how to sell solar. Then it's like, I mean, that's why we got so much money in this and yeah, yeah. I can translate to anything else to,Speaker 3 (00:13:46):For sure. Yeah. And we definitely have to get good. We got to hone our skills because, um, it's not about how much money even make per job. It's about how much money you make at the end of the year. And we know that this is the gold rush right now. Um, but the guys that made the most money during the gold rush, you know, you've heard the saying that they sold the shovels and they were the support guys. They built the businesses around it. And so yes, we need to be Navy seals. But the reason to hone our skills that much is because it's not going to pay this much forever five years down the road, let's say the average commission is, you know, a thousand dollars a job then instead of 2,500 or more now, um, that's going to be devastating for someone that hasn't hone their skills.Speaker 3 (00:14:26):If they're used to a 5%, 10% close rate and they think they're killing it because they live in California and they're making serious money per sale, uh, that's not going to be around forever. And so the reason why you have to hone your skills is yes, it's nice to make a million dollars a year. This year, selling solar by having a 40% close rate would be awesome. Right? But the real reason is because, um, in five years you're going to have to close at a 40% rate to make the same amount of money you're making today. So if you, this is the training time, view it as a quick start bonus viewed. As you know, the companies are encouraging you to get out there and sell. It's not going to be like this forever. The whole, the law of supply and demand means that the more people that want to sell solar, the less money the companies will pay to sell for us to sell solar.Speaker 3 (00:15:08):Now they're always going to have all commission jobs. So you're always going to be able to make serious money selling solar, you know, look at the other industries, the pest control, the roofing a thousand dollars per sale is still super competitive. And I really believe that's probably where we're going over the next five years. And so we've got to hone those skills because a lot of us that are selling four jobs a month, five jobs a month, a thousand dollars a sell is not going to cut it. We need to be selling, you know, sitting in three appointments a day and selling, you know, one of those a day. Then we start still making good money. Even with the money being turned down, we're still turning out 200,000 a year or more. Um, even when the industry changes, we also need to prep our skills because there's a few times where your skills mean more than just, um, what you can do with them.Speaker 3 (00:15:53):Navy seals end up retiring from the Navy seals. They go into contracting work and there's companies that will pay them millions of dollars to train other people how to do those skills. So when we talk about honing our skills, it's not just about what you can do with the skills, it's about how you can leverage that to help others. And when we, when we talk about even the big guys in sales grant, Cardone never made as much money as he's making until he made a decision to help other people make money. And, uh, same thing with a lot of the other trainers, right? They could go out. There's only so many hours during the day. So, um, they're only gonna make so much money guys like ed, my left that are worth hundreds of millions of dollars, did it by having thousands of people underneath of him selling stuff.Speaker 3 (00:16:35):And that's really what we have to think is I have to get my skills to a level where I can leverage that to help others and in helping others solve the problem, they're going to give me a small amount of a percentage of the problem I solved. So if you help them make a thousand dollars, maybe they're willing to give you a hundred bucks, but while you can only run five appointments a day, guys that are on your teams, running stuff for you could be running hundreds of appointments a day. So it's just the economies to scale are where it's going to be at. So I encourage the guys, listen to this podcast and, um, and really being interested in solar to hone your skills, stop thinking about even your close rate today. Think about what it'll allow you to build in a year and two years and three years, because the economy is not always going to stay the same. So your skills have to up-level. Yeah,Speaker 2 (00:17:20):No, I agree. A hundred percent. And that's why I talk about on the podcast too. I, I encourage all the people listening. I'd go out and teach your teams to sell, develop that skill, to like present to others, to teach other people, you know, they've got all sorts of things. Like you can go to the Toastmasters, the speaking trainings, things like that. I think that's a huge skill to learn because yeah, we're not always going to be, like you said, making as much as we are in solar necessarily right now. So it's important for people that develop those other skills, which are money-making skills, presenting others, training other people, and then you have a whole different set of skill set you can do when maybe solar isn't as good. So, um, yeah, that's huge, Jerry. And, um, we're going to have your partner Austin in, he's going to also talk about pipes and they get to, so we'll leave, um, some, some stuff for him to talk about that too. Um, but yeah, with you, I wanted to hear, I know you talked about a little bit about your background, how you started in selling, but I wanted to hear, how did you transition, uh, specifically into solar sales? And can you talk about how you started your first company with that? And this is obviously super.Speaker 3 (00:18:22):Yeah, so it was a, it was a rough, um, transition. I had, um, gone home and I was selling ADT as a director level. So nice house, no debt. Um, I had everything we needed was making 200,000 a year, thought it was at the top of my game. Um, and then a solar company kept stealing my top reps. So I managed a three or four state region. Um, and they kept stealing reps and it was always my best ones, always the guys that were making 30 deals a month now, all of a sudden our solar reps. So I decided to go to this company because I'm pretty mad. So I'm just going to walk in, I'm a straight forward guy and say, Hey, stop selling my people. I train these people, you know, it's unfair. And the guy said, let me vent for a little while.Speaker 3 (00:19:06):Then he goes, well, don't you ask yourself why they are selling solar? Don't you want to know how much money you could make selling solar. And so I listened to the pitch and I was like, dang, it it's a good pitch. That's way more money than security. Right. And so I was like, okay, I need to take this seriously. So I go home and I talked to my wife and say, Hey, I think we have to make this transition. I had already noticed some of the writing on the wall. ADT had actually not brought on more customers than it canceled since the time that I've been there over the few years that I've been there. And so that was worrying, you know, if we couldn't outsell the cancels, that's a bad thing. And so how ADT dealt with it as they would acquire other companies and kind of fluff their numbers because they're publicly traded.Speaker 3 (00:19:47):So it never looked like they lost subscribers. Um, but it wasn't because of sales. We could not outsell the cancels. Yeah. And so that doesn't sound sustainable to me. So I had already had some fear that no matter how good we sold, it was just a matter of time, five years, 10 years, 20 years down the road that nobody's going to want to buy security door to door for $60 a month payment. Right. So I was just a little bit worried. So I went home and I talked to my wife and we decided to go ahead and me take an offer, you know, and, and go into that. I accepted the offer within the first 30 days. Um, I thought it was going to make all kinds of money and I made one sale. And some, my wife's like, you gotta tell me what's going on here.Speaker 3 (00:20:32):This is crazy. I would also driving three and a half hours to get to the field. So I was at the time because we were trying to save money. I was like, I'm going to do this as cheap as physically possible. I'm going to drive back and forth, you know, as much as I can. And if I have to, I'll just sleep in the car, get up, knock turf in the morning and, and go at it. I had a, a nice SUV. So I lay a whole air mattress. One of those that you see on Amazon where you pump them up, you know, they cover the seats. I was like, this is going to be cool. Yeah. Just hit the doors. It's parked right there. So I was grinding, right. I was not going like 12 hours a day. And uh, my only break for air conditioning was like, maybe go watch a movie or something like that.Speaker 3 (00:21:10):Well, I was like, if you watch a movie, why can't you just go get a hotel? I'm like, well, maybe it's 12 bucks. Like I don't want to stay in a $12 hotel. That's disgusting. And, uh, but it was a grind right. For a whole month and I made one deal and I thought, this is, this has gotta be over. I think our average commission back then was $1,500. So I traded somewhere around $20,000 a month. In that first month I went down to about 1500. And of course you don't get it until they install it. So they gave me like a little bit and they were like, oh, and you'll get the rest just whenever we don't know. And I'm like, oh, I'm in trouble. ADT was like, next day, you know, somebody would be out there installing it. So I misunderstood that coming into solar.Speaker 3 (00:21:48):Where was, where were you selling that? Kansas city. Okay. Yeah, not a great market. It was only about six years ago. Okay. So, and, um, they had a huge rebate in Kansas city and the rebate had gone away the month I started. So we went from having, I think the state level was up to a $2, a watt rebate then had gone down to a dollar watt and then it kind of went away. Well, $2 watt rebate is huge. So our average sell price was like $3 a watt. And, um, between the rebate and the ITC at the time was 30%. We literally were giving away solar for free. So when I accepted the job, I thought I was going to go door to door and just give it away for free. And then like the week I started, they're like, Hey, the rebate's gone away.Speaker 3 (00:22:28):You really guys, it's not free anymore. You need like 25 to $30,000 on every deal. And I'm like, what? I thought we gave stuff away for free. Well, what's going on with this. And so it kind of changed the game really quickly on me. Uh, I adjusted though. So then, um, once I figured out how to sell, I realized that it was a lot about understanding the benefits, understanding the tax taxes, really understanding how much money they would save because I was so new. It allowed me to adjust faster than the guys that have been doing it two years with this huge rebate and everything. And so the next, uh, three months I had made about a hundred sales, I think 102 sales in the next three months. So it really kicked in and I did really, really well. What's strange is you have these self limiting beliefs though.Speaker 3 (00:23:15):I always believed in ADT that I had to sell 30 deals a month and I really peaked out around the same thing. So it's almost like this mindset that I was a 30 deal a month, a rep I carried over into solar as well. And it's just recently that I realized that mindset's completely wrong listening to some of your podcasts with guys. I think you said recently you had someone on that sold 68 deals in a month. So more than double, more than double what I was selling. So I looked back saying, man, I wonder if I totally just carried over a self-belief from selling security that had nothing to do with solar, but I consistently would put up 30 deals a month. The cool thing about solar is there's commercial too. So my last month I killed it. Um, commission wise, I probably would've made somewhere around 280 5k in 30 days.Speaker 3 (00:24:00):So it was incredible. I went home, talked to my wife, we're super excited. We're like, man, this is it. We're making, we love this company. The company's like, Hey, by the way, we can actually afford to pay you that much. And we're nine months behind on install. And I'm like, oh wow, that's crazy. Some of you listening have probably heard words similar to that before, um, from a solar company. So I decided really quickly to go out on my own. Cause I was like, how much worse can it be if they can't pay me? And it takes nine months to install, I'm sure I can do better than that. So, um, the trouble was, I had to walk away from all of that commission and then, um, didn't have a lot of money in the bank. And so cause you know how far behind commissions are.Speaker 3 (00:24:41):So really I walked away from even more than that. And um, but I had no debt on my house and everything. So we had to sell our house. We had to cash out, 401k, invest, everything we had into starting a solar company. And when you tell your wife that it's time to sell the dream house, to go door to door again and sell more solar, it was a hard conversation. I'm so thankful that she supported me through that though and made that leap. Um, it took about three more years of making really minimal amount of money. I think I pulled maybe $30,000 a year out of my company. Okay. The first six months I, uh, you couldn't hire an EPC like you can now they just really didn't exist. Right? And so I had to hire a, uh, NAVSUP trainer to come in and train me to install.Speaker 3 (00:25:25):So the next six months I installed all my own jobs, uh, realized really, really quickly that I was bad at paperwork. So I had to hire administrative shin assistance and people do net metering. And then I realized I didn't like talking on the phone. So I had to hire, uh, an admin person to answer the phone. Then I had to hire, um, um, a phone sales person to answer all the incoming calls. And I'm like, man, this is crazy. Now I have like 14 people that work for me. I gotta, I gotta start making a lot more sales. So, uh, it was kind of the, you know, they say the, the mother of invention is necessity and that was it. I had to learn how to sell a lot more just to support the company, but selling 30 jobs a month, you know, a lot of solar companies don't even do that much.Speaker 3 (00:26:06):So me myself could go out and support my whole company, but then I just kept growing it. You know, when I brought on other sales guys and, but I stay very conservative. So a lot of owners, you know, brag about their, their fancy watches or the drive fancy cars right away. I always knew this was a long-term play for me. And if I was going to expand faster than my competitors, I had to do it, um, through really being wise with my resources. And so I reinvested almost all the money for three years. We lived on about $30,000 a year. Now I had retired from the military. So I lived in California, man. No, no. I lived in Missouri. Yeah. And started the company headquarters. I also had my military retirement. So the medical and I had some pinching coming. So I had more money that, but out of the company, I only pulled the very minimum that my CPA told me.Speaker 3 (00:26:52):I had to pay myself to be legitimate where I wouldn't have probably pay myself anything. And that allowed me to reinvest in marketing and tools and a better management. And you know, it's kind of crazy there for a while that everyone at my company was making more money than me. But at the same time, I knew that long-term, I was gonna make a lot more money than everyone else. So, you know, that's the old saying that you've all heard, but do things that others aren't willing to do. So that later on you can do a lot. And so that's what was able to happen in my life is that there's three years of really investment allowed us to build out a fully integrated solar company. And we were able to get into things that other companies weren't, you know, we go as far as doing the customer's taxes for up to five years after they buy solar, we do internal financing.Speaker 3 (00:27:35):Um, 2020, we did $50 million in internal solar, solar loans, ourselves without paying finance fees. So you just can't do that without a significant amount of resources, but you only have a significant amount of resources when you don't spend resources. And so it was, um, one of those things that we just chose to stay in Missouri, live frugally, know all of our installers. We have a very different, uh, formula to install. They all live out of Missouri and making 2020 $5 an hour in Missouri is incredible. You know, that they can live really well by their home buy nice cars. They live really well. And so they're willing to travel out of Missouri, take the solar panels and go to Minnesota or go to Florida or go to Texas or go to they'll drive all the way here to Vegas to, to install solar panels. Now we try to rack up several jobs in the same week and our teams are really well-trained.Speaker 3 (00:28:25):So a team of three guys can install a job in one day and so they can stack up, um, you know, two teams can travel out here to Vegas knockout, you know, quite a few jobs in 10 jobs in a week and then travel back, you know? And so it's just a different way to look at business. So we try to solve problems, not necessarily spending more money on it, but how do we actually solve the problem? You know, and the most people would say, well, let's just hire a big EPC in Vegas or California or Florida, because that's easier. Cause that also costs a lot of money. And so we make a lot more money in a lot more profit margin because of that. We're also what I would call a white glove service with doing the customer's taxes. So make sure your benefits to the client.Speaker 3 (00:29:07):We are probably one of the more expensive solar companies in the country, um, which is a hard thing, right? Like it's, it's means that some sales reps don't want to work for us because they want to sell for a more competitively priced company. What we do is a process called value stacking, where we believe that once your value stack exceeds the price, that it doesn't matter what the price is, the client will buy it. So we just try to deliver such a tremendous amount of value that we're still able to sell at a higher price. And then we have a very good margin and then we reinvest that margin. And so last year we were able to break $101 million in revenue. I'm extremely profitable. And uh, we owe no money. We have no debt. We have three years of operating capital on hand at all times now.Speaker 3 (00:29:51):So we're the only, debt-free um, three years worth of capital company. I know of specifically in solar, it's nearly unheard of, um, through COVID we had, um, 24 dealerships that were sub-dealers basically under our brand and we were able to support all of them and their reps through COVID. We're able to support all of our staff, even though we shut down operations for install, all the installers cup paid, all the office workers got paid. Wow. And so it's something we're pretty proud of, but it's also means that while other companies buy Ferrari's, I'm still going to be here in 10 years so they can enjoy their Ferrari's and I'll enjoy my, my safety net, uh, money in the bank. It also allows me to have money to help other companies. So I'm an investor in over 50 companies at this point and, um, own equity in those.Speaker 3 (00:30:36):And so, um, those create passive income streams for me, which help, but it's also just a way that I can help other companies because they need the money. And they, unfortunately, most of them weren't good at saving money. They were the guys buying the Bentleys or Ferrari's. And so they come to me and, uh, ended up needing to, to borrow some funds. And I'm happy to do it as long as it's going to help the company and help them longterm. And obviously it helps me if I can own a chunk of their company as well. For sure.Speaker 2 (00:31:01):And now that's one thing I've noticed about you. Jerry is you're very giving gay. I mean, I'm not part of your company or anything, but I come in here, Jerry treats me like family and he's like, dude, all I'll get you a hotel. First thing he says, when I come into their house here, it's like, Hey, I'll get you a hotel room. We don't have like the best beds and stuff here. I'm like down, like, dude, I'll sleep on my couch, no longerSpeaker 3 (00:31:22):Talking about it. And this is a house for doorknockers I ever real bad, but everyone else has twin size bunk beds. And there's a bunch of, bunch of them upstairs, but we were thinking, Hey man, this guy just drove five hours and now he's going to sleep in a bunk bed. We all kind of had this moment where we're like, we probably should have thought this thing through. So we were like, do you want to hotel? Are you cool? And he's like, no, I'm cool. And then right after he said, he's cool. I see one of our guys carrying in a queen size, like Peloton matches. I'm like, thank goodness that somebody went out and bought a bed for this guy. So, um, but yeah. So thanks for saying that, man. I, I believe in this, this theory about investing where, um, if you're investing in the right people, um, there's no bad investment.Speaker 3 (00:32:04):And so even though it may not make monetary sense today or tomorrow, I invest my time, energy and resources and money into people that I want long-term relationships with. Because even though you don't work for me and you may never work with me, or we may never do anything specifically together, maybe you, um, send me a referral and you're like, Hey, am I coming? He doesn't cover Maine because it's the polar opposite side of the country from San Diego. Could you, do you want this referral in Maine? And absolutely I would. And I'll figure out a way to get in and installed a main, even though my install crews, if they're listening right now, we're like, what's Jerry talking about, I don't want to go to Maine. We would figure it out and make money on it. So I just believe in being very giving.Speaker 3 (00:32:44):And I think people will reciprocate that now I'm not stupid about it. I don't give to everybody. I, I give of my time. Um, most sparingly my time is the resource that I can't get back money. I can make more of time. I can't. And so I invest my time into things like the mastermind into my company and to the people I mentioned or indefinitely into things like this podcast, which I think is going to bear fruit for both your podcast and my companies. So by being a sponsor. And so I look forward to, uh, developing our relationship and um, giving him next week, he's going to email me and be like, Hey man, I really need a new Tesla. I was just wondering if he could spot me 120 K cause it's a plan.Speaker 2 (00:33:23):Yeah. I'm not, that'd be the sponsor. Find me a TeslaSpeaker 3 (00:33:28):It's company is going to be like, why is the side of your Tesla say Pi Syndicate on it? That's really weird.Speaker 2 (00:33:35):Yeah. But no, I, I definitely agree with that cause um, I worked with, you know, several different companies at this point too. And um, we were having conversations before this out. You know, some people are more giving stuff than others. And uh, so I think it pays dividends as long as you're smart about it. Like you're saying is just be that guy. That's not like the cheap guy. That's like, oh, this guy is going to nickel and dime me. But if you're investing into relationships, especially, you know, on business level, um, I think it pays dividends. Like I just, matter of fact, last week I did my, a church mission in Columbia down there and that's one of the things and you know, these south American countries, a lot of them are super poor. And so I get hit up all the time about people, ask them for money and stuff like that. So yeah, you gotta get ready, selects selective. But I just sent, you know, 500 bucks last week for a family's funeral that I knew down there and yeah, like, they're like, oh, um, we'll pay you back. We promise, I know 99% chance. They're not going to be, they're not going to pay me back because you know, yeah.Speaker 3 (00:34:31):I've decided, I've decided that, um, I do sometimes give loans, but if, if it's, if you like that, and I think that you're right, you know, there's a good chance. They won't be able to pay you back. I'm very upfront with it and say, it's a gift. And then say, if you're ever at a time in your life where you can give something to somebody else, go ahead and do that because they're going to feel guilty if it's dead, right. They're good people. I'm sure they are. And eventually that's going to wear on them and it's going to impact their life negatively because they're not going to pay you back. Chances are, um, cause they may not have the resources and stuff like that to do that. And so, so think about doing stuff like that as gifts I give my time, lot, I gift things, not connected to any type of repayment.Speaker 3 (00:35:12):Um, and gifting seems to reward me a lot better than loans. So now in businesses, if you want, um, a hundred thousand dollar loan, I'll do that too, but that's a lot, normally stuff like that as somebody in need it, you know, give it as a gift and um, you'll see dividends of that. It also helps you feel a lot better right away. Like it felt good giving them a loan if you had made the decision to just give it to them as a gift, which is basically, it sounds like what you did. But if you had said that in your head, I'm going to give it as a gift and tell them I'm giving it as a gift. It would have had a little bit more positive impact even in your inside yourself. Um, you know, the gratitude that you felt, being able to help someone.Speaker 3 (00:35:48):And so it's a cool way to, to manage your money like that. That the thing that I, uh, one of the things I talk about when I talk about gifting though, is my time. And so I don't know if you've ever heard a term called time vampires, but I, I definitely believe in the concept that there's some people that just siphon away your time. And so while I'm very free to help people and to mentor them and stuff like that, be selective on who you help. Just like you said, you get hit quite a bit for money, the same thing with time. And you're an influential person. You have a lot of value to add to other people's lives, but you have to start being selective. And one of the rules that I've set for myself is that I only interact daily on a day to day basis with 10 people.Speaker 3 (00:36:29):So if I ever get to a point where I'm talking to someone every single day, I either need to figure out if there's somebody I'm mentoring or if they're somebody that needs to be communicating with one of my 10 people. Um, and I have a wife and four kids. So that means I only have five people outside of that to communicate with on a day-to-day basis. So my, my intimate little work circles about five and it makes for some hard decision-making. I talked to the general manager of solar solutions. Um, she's in training for all intensive purposes. She's the CEO. And, uh, I've talked to her one hour in the last week and she's running a multimillion dollar company for me. And I trust that she's doing a great job. Um, but I don't have time. Day-to-day, she's not by any means a time vampire she's listening, but, um, I don't have time.Speaker 3 (00:37:17):So, but making those decisions, even when they're hard decisions like not to talk to your GM every single day, um, mean that it makes it much easier to make a decision about talking to a friend from high school that just wants to chat about video games or fantasy football. Yeah, I cut. I cut them out pretty quickly because if I don't have time for, you know, my GM, I really don't have time for them either. And so setting up some type of structure in your life to make decisions based on time and who you're going to invest time in is very, very important to go a lot further in life if you invest your time correctly.Speaker 2 (00:37:50):Yeah. I agree. That's a good point. So yeah, for all our listeners, I think it's a good thing to do. If another thing I've talked about is just, you know, a time audit, just really tracking what you actually did with your hours, how you spent your time. It's a lot of times we think we're being super productive, smart with our time, and then we actually check it. We just spent two hours talking about fantasy football to someone or, you know, playing a game on the phone, whatever, things like that.Speaker 3 (00:38:15):Yeah. With strangers now that I, uh, last year I had done the math on, you know, how much money I was making per hour that I worked. And the number was much, much larger than what I had previously thought about it being. And, um, in the last few years, it's led me to really, really feel guilty about wasting my time. So like, I, I love video games. I love world of Warcraft back in the day and things like that. There's zero chance that I could open up a computer, get on world of Warcraft tonight and play for four hours without having this tremendous amount of guilt. You know, just because my time is, I know what my time's worth right now. And if someone would ask me, Hey, would you give me $25,000 to play world of Warcraft? I would say, no, I'm not going to give you 25 grand to play a video game. But that's exactly what we do in investing our time and activities that don't actually generate income or generate a better relationship with those around us is it's time that we're really, really stealing from ourselves. Yeah.Speaker 2 (00:39:12):A hundred percent. So now that's a good, a good point with that. And so going back a little bit at Jerry, um, something I wanted to ask you about, we were talking before we started recording here is just like you're saying, um, so many people just sell their prices low. Um, you said you're like one of the higher price companies that sell solar. And I think that's awesome. I started out with the company that was kind of similar to that. They tried to bundle in like some solar cleaning in some like a, I dunno, yearly checkup type things dated. It kind of found some loopholes around it. And I think it made a few customers mad cause they put in the fine print that they would only do that if the customer like contacted them. And It was kind of a, maybe not.Speaker 3 (00:39:54):Yeah. The whole thing about being the most expensive company is you also have to do the best job. And so you can get away with that. What's crazy is it's easier if you're a good salesperson to sell being the most expensive than it is being the cheapest. The only person that thinks it's easier to sell being the cheapest are bad salespeople. That's what it comes down to. You're probably not listening to this podcast. If you think the only way to sell is by lowering the price. That's probably not your target audience. People are trying to learn. They're trying to get better. We grade sales reps, um, AB and C sales reps, um, see sales reps are sell by being cheap. And that's how we remember it. If the only way that they can sell is by being the cheapest in the room and they're not selling based on anything else.Speaker 3 (00:40:39):Then they're a C sells rep. There is definitely room in the solar industry for C sales reps. So if you sell based on price, don't feel bad about it. Just either educate yourself to get better or find a company that really is the cheapest. And that's where you need to, to be out, to make money. Um, be sales reps are those that, um, really are good at one or two things. They either technical experts or they are expert closers. And it's one of two things they're either the best closer in the whole world. I would refer to like, um, Mike O'Donnell or, uh, Taylor McCartney, you know, incredible closers, but I know more about solar than either one of them. So the other, the other B sales rep is, um, someone that, um, is very, very technical. I would look at, um, you know, um, quite a few people in the marketplace that I would look at Jake Hess would be the one that comes to mind, very, very technical, closer, you know, through, um, his academy.Speaker 3 (00:41:34):He trains people how to be very technical. And then the AA sales rep is those that combine both. So yes, Taylor and Mike can definitely answer those technical questions or they know how to pivot really well. And so they're a sales reps because at the end of the day, phenomenal closers and they know everything they need to know about solar to get the sell closed. Now Taylor's kind of bizarre because he does know it just a little bit, but he's that good of a sales rep that he's still in a sales role. And I was talking about something one day. He's like, I don't even know what you're talking about. It's like, okay, I guess I'm more of a technical sales rep instead of as good of a closer isSpeaker 2 (00:42:11):PESI oh, you asked him one time. Like, I don't even know what an inverter is.Speaker 3 (00:42:15):That's what he told me. That's what we were talking about us. I went different numbers, to be honest, I don't know what you're talking about. He's like, but I sold the last 14 doors I knocked on and I was like, wow, that's a that's okay. There's definitely some benefit. I noticed that they and Jake has been hanging out and I'm like, well, uh, hopefully those guys learn a lot from each other because of your powerhouse. Um, but yeah, and so the sales reps are like that. We specifically hire the sales reps because they have to be good closers and they have to know a lot about the technical side. Cause we have to justify our higher price. And um, explain why we're higher. One of the things is we give her a warranties instead of just fake claims. We also give free maintenance, but we give a 25 year true labor warranty.Speaker 3 (00:42:56):Um, anything that goes wrong. A lot of guys in the solar industry don't realize, but they're selling, what's called a workmanship warranty. And under a workmanship warranty, you would assume that if say a panel stops working, that the company would come out and fix it for free without charging the customer a fee, the truth is a workmanship warranty covers bad workmanship. So if they installed it incorrectly, which caused the panel to stop working a good company would come out and fix it. But a good company would do that for free. Even without a warranty in writing, they would say, yeah, you're right. That's our fault. Let us fix that. So it's pretty much just acknowledging that, Hey, we're a good company, which is, which is nice of them to say there's a 20 five-year workmanship warranty, but, uh, under the warranty and most of the terms of that panel stops working.Speaker 3 (00:43:39):It's the manufacturer's fault. You would have to pay that solar company labor to come out and replace that solar panel. And there's almost zero sales reps that understand that concept. And I guarantee you no homeowner understands that concept. So when they get into these 25 year loans, when you talk about company evaluations and how to evaluate the value of a solar company, those that give away a workmanship warranty are basically locking in that customer on a service plan for the next 25 years, that increases the company evaluation because they know they're going to make X amount of money servicing that system over the next 25 years at a company like mine. It actually decreases our company value because we know that the relationship with that client will just cause, um, cost over the next 25 years. So, um, was very few companies like ours that are giving free labor away, true free labor for the whole time, but we definitely do.Speaker 3 (00:44:32):And so we align ourselves up with even our battery manufacturers are full 25 year warranties. So everything we do as a 25 year warranty or more included with labor too. So even the solar panels and the batteries, if we were to go out of business, uh, they'll hire an electrician to come out and service it. So it's just a different pitch, but a good sales rep always feels more comfortable being the guy saying, I'm the best buy for me, then I'm the cheapest, you know, let's, it's a good deal. Let's do this, you know? So you'll kind of weed, weed out those people that aren't quite as.Speaker 2 (00:45:03):Yeah, I know. Yeah. It's interesting. If you go to these like marketing conferences and stuff, and then the online marketing and they say, there's no competitive advantage to being like, you know, unless I made all of the pack pricing, you're either like the cheapest or you're in the most expensive and you add more value, but there's no like advantage at all as being kind of like middle soSpeaker 3 (00:45:23):No, and you kind of disregard all the middle companies too. Um, and so I, I definitely think one of our strategies is we know we're going to be the most expensive. So we get that out of the way right away. We tell them we are, we actually tell them to shop around. And if they choose to go with a cheaper company, we'll even pay $50 per quote, that they give us from the other companies that they've shopped around with. So we encourage them to give us, go shop around with four quotes and then we'll come back and be the final one in the door, propose our price a hundred percent of the time. They're expecting us to undercut the cheapest bid. Um, cause they think it's a gimmick, right? You're giving me these quotes, you're going to undercut their price and then try to close me a hundred percent of the time.Speaker 3 (00:46:01):We make sure we're more expensive. In fact, if we're not the most expensive person, we raise our price by a thousand dollars and make sure because it's easier to sell in the most expensive. Now, not everyone buys though. And so just like a car lot, you you're the most expensive your Lamborghini dealership or whatever. That's how we treat it. But at the end of the day, if you say it's too expensive and you're getting ready to walk out, we say, hold on, wait a minute. Let's see if we can throw something else in. So we try to do value, add. So we may replace their air conditioner or we may help replace the roof or whatever it is. But very rarely will we do just a straightforward discount. We're never going to be like, okay, you're right. Let us let us price it out for $10,000 cheaper. There's probably not going to be us, but we'll win.Speaker 2 (00:46:42):Yeah. I think that's awesome. Because especially in California, there's no excuse for people to be selling like rock bottom prices. I mean, San Diego, you can sell a system, you know, $6 a watt, super expensive, and you're still saving them. You're still cutting their bill by 30%. Yeah. So it's like these companies that try to sell rock bottom line, what are you guys doing? We're still saving the customers.Speaker 3 (00:47:03):I think we all need to be on the same team, right? Like, um, I think there's places out there for the cheapest guys. The problem is, um, those guys need to go move to Missouri or Kansas or somewhere with 10 cent per watt, kilowatt hours of they want to sell cheap California. You're not competing against each other. You're competing against a utility company. So $6 a watt is completely fair price to charge. If you're versing the utility company, what that allows you to do as a company is make more profit. There is absolutely nothing wrong with profit. If you're helping the client, because that means you can take that profit and go make more clients. You can spend more money on marketing. You can spend more money on paying your people. You can spend more money on office space. You can do everything you can to grow.Speaker 3 (00:47:47):And at the end of the day, we all want to have more solar customers. We all believe the solar is good for the environment. And so at the end of the day, our mission is to sell as many people as we can. And people get twisted. People that are new to business think selling cheaper will help them sell more. It absolutely will. Not their resources you gain from selling a fairly priced product. That's beating out your competitor, which is the utility company is the correct price. And so I would never charge somebody. One of my ethical roles is I never charge more than what they're paying on the utility company. So solar solutions is a little different. They have to be able to pay the system off within 10 years through savings. And they have to be able to have a payment that's cheaper than their utility bill from day one, or we won't quote them.Speaker 3 (00:48:30):The system will tell them that they w we don't advise them to go solar in California. That wouldn't happen very often though. It's so good of a deal for everybody. Even as $6 a watt, you should be doing that, just make sure you're not going out and buying Ferrari's. You need to be reinvesting that money in yourself. And for you specifically in your podcast and your recruiting budget to help others come on board, because you're not going to be able to sell a prices like that forever. And we know that. So you use those resources to expand, to grow, to really make a dent in the industry. And it's so cool. I, I learned something from you earlier. We were talking to our guys about how saturated Las Vegas is. I don't think anyone would argue that San Diego's, if not the most saturated market, one of the most saturated markets in the United States, very cool market.Speaker 3 (00:49:17):And you still go out and door knock every day, and you still run into people that need solar and once solar. So it's incredible. We, we need to stop thinking of the scarcity mindset, where we're competing against other solar companies. We're still not even in San Diego. We're not. Um, and the truth is you mentioned it too, but those companies may knock the door once and you're going to knock the door five or more times. And so, um, I'm okay with competition as long as I'm better than them. And it sounds like you're, you're beating them so that that's healthy competition. Um, and so I think that that's a really cool thing to think about. We all need to keep our prices higher because in San Diego, if you can sell $6 a watt in the most competitive thing in the whole United States, that everybody should be pricing their structure out right below the utility company, let's do better than the utility company. But that means I operate in mainly the Midwest states. That means we don't sell as high in Kansas. We don't sell high in Texas. We don't sell as high at all in Tennessee. So it, it just all depends on where you're at, what their pricing is because the utility is the competitor, not, not the other solar companies. Yeah.Speaker 2 (00:50:21):I think that's a good rule to go by though, cause you don't want to charge them way more than they're paying forSpeaker 3 (00:50:26):Electricity. Heard some interesting guys pitch it. And if they knocked on my door, their ride, I probably would've bought it cause they're good enough to pitch, pitch it as an investment. Um, my individual role with investing is I want my money back within 10 years. I want it to completely be liquid. And, and that's really comes into about a 7% compounded interest rate or above. And so, um, I wouldn't personally make an investment that, that wasn't going to happen. I put all my money into investments like that. So why would solar be anything different if I'm going to put it on my house? I still want that kind of ROI. And so, um, I think I just ethically on a personal side, uh, that's translated to the ethics of my company to say, look, we're not going to sell it unless, unless they meet the standard for Jerry thinking, it's a good thing.Speaker 3 (00:51:13):Right? And that's my standard. There's, there's been some guys though that I talked to that view it as a financial investment in states that have very low prices and I don't think they're wrong. And there's also a lot of speculation about the price of utilities, really jumping up over the next three years. A good friend of mine, Mike [inaudible] talks about it. He's extremely convincing, right? Like he's the guy that I've listened to enough where I'm like, you know what, even if they are spending $20 more a month, Mike's probably right. It's, it's going to be okay. It's just not a company thing that we do. So that's our litmus test is we try to price it right below. Um, but definitelySpeaker 2 (00:51:48):Don't price it a dollar 85 watt. I think we can all agree that if you're the guy out there selling at a dollar 85, a watt, you need to listen to the podcast more often and learn how to sell more because there's no reason to do that. And at the end of the day, what I tell customers that are getting an incredible deal as I run the numbers and I say, Hey, your sales reps making $500 on this deal. Uh, who is it? Oh, it a power I've never heard of power. That's interesting. It must be a power app. Um, the sold out for a $500 commission. And I say, think about this, it's a 25 year agreement. Uh, you, you need customer service for the next 25 years. If something goes wrong, right. They're like, yeah, nice. Well, how much do you think the $21 a year is going to buy you in time for that guy to pick up the phone and answer your questions?Speaker 2 (00:52:33):The truth is, think of his commission, like prepaying to have an advocate for you for the next 25 years. And in my opinion, $500 is not enough money for a 25 year relationship. So we need to pay our reps well enough that they're do very good customer service or the company needs to make enough profit that they take that role on themselves. That the rep isn't the one responsible for customer service and taking care of. Cause if we sell somebody a $25,000 system, it is definitely our responsibility to take care of them for the next 25 years. Like that's, that's just the way it is. That's our job. Yeah. So yeah, I just got a call actually like a couple hours ago from Gaia sold four years ago. Call me just barely ins. Yeah. Luckily I made more than 500 bucks, but yeah, that's a good point though. Like I'm only making 500 bucks and it's a guy that's taken up all this time. That's time suck then. Uh, yeah. It's um, like you want to be making, you know, your time worth some money for sure. Yeah. Um, and yeah, the other thing that's, uh, I forget, I forget the question. I was going to ask you where I was going with.Speaker 3 (00:53:41):Well, we were talking a little bit, uh, before we started and you were, you were basically saying, um, you know, why did I step away from solar solutions? And, um, you know, I thought that was a really interesting question that I wanted to say for the podcast. Yeah. So the reason why is because I, I believe that the solar industry is at its peak right now. I think it's incredible. It's the new gold rush. Everyone we know in sales should be going into solar right now. It is the biggest opportunity. If you're not telling your friends and family members and neighbors, neighbors, that they should be selling solar, and they're working at a library or they're working at Starbucks, you're doing them a disservice. You should be so convicted that it's time to get into solar, that I needed to transition what I'm doing to align with that.Speaker 3 (00:54:26):So if I believe everybody should get into solar, that I need to build a company that isn't one of the most difficult sales processes that requires a rep like you with all your knowledge, to go out and sell for $6 a watt, I would need to do something more moderate. So energy co is meant to recruit anybody. You know, we're here at a recruiting class. I'm glad that you're able to say Hey to them while you were here. And there's some kids are now in this class that are 18 years old. There's not a lot of solar companies. I'd be excited about hiring a 18 year old. Right. And I had to go back to a training model that allowed me to recruit literally anybody off the street. Like I worked in a Starbucks that teacher, the person that's struggling. Cause they got a degree in psychology and they haven't worked since they graduated.Speaker 3 (00:55:12):They're like, what just happened? I paid all this money for a degree and I don't have a job. I wanted to go back to the days, like when we worked at security or pest control that literally anybody could do it. Right? Like you just had to knock doors. Solar gets more complicated than that sometimes. And so our whole concept here at energy co is a division of labor. So we split it into the, the setter, the educator and the closer they work together as a team, you know, there's a whole bunch of people that can set cause anybody can set just like in pest control security. He just got to say, even if they're terrible and they're like, Hey, do you want solar? Eventually somebody's going to say yes. Whereas the educator's a little bit harder. You've got to explain the one-on-ones and how solar works.Speaker 3 (00:55:51):But there are a whole bunch of second grade teachers out there that would absolutely love to make money per job. Um, in 30 minutes of work, right? And then our closers are definitely the rarest people. It takes a very specific skillset. And so w

Any long-time listener will know that Rory Vaden's book “Procrastinate on Purpose” changed my life. I am a BIG fan of his books and talks and I know I'm not his only fan because millions of people watched his TEDx talk titled “Multiply your time by asking 4 questions about the stuff on your to-do list.” Rory is a professional speaker, author, and entrepreneur who has a childlike curiosity with regard to what makes people successful and influential, which allows him to kick to the curb old thought models and create entirely new ways of looking at how we spend our time. This curiosity and inner drive Rory generously shares with the world allows others to unlock their untapped potential and accomplish what they were put on the earth to do. He is electrifyingly passionate, has high EQ, and is always looking to make things better. If you feel that there are never enough hours in the day and that you cannot afford to hire someone to take those exhausting tasks off of your plate, then I encourage you to listen to today's episode with an open mind because, if you act on what he teaches us today, it has the potential to change everything in your life for the better.    Bottom line: Rory Vaden is going to teach you how to multiply your time. Yes, you read that right, I said “Multiply.” Your roadside friend, as you travel from client to client.  -Trace    Illustrations: Rory mentions these two illustrations below during his interview.    Timestamps:  Get to know one of my favorite speakers and authors, Rory Vaden [6:30] Rory's professional journey from Toastmasters to Brand Builders Group [10:18] How to multiply your time [19:00] The 30 X Rule [29:00] What to delegate [35:00] The emotion behind how you spend your time [45:24] Lightning round questions [54:00] James' Challenge: “Perform a dissolved oxygen study on boiler deaerator and feedwater.”  [1:02:20] The 6 F's: Faith, Fun, Fitness, Family, Faculty, Finances [1:04:00]   Quotes: “You multiply your time by giving yourself the emotional permission to spend time on things today that create more time tomorrow.” - Rory Vaden “It is literally possible to multiply your time.” - Rory Vaden “Time management is much more emotional than we realize.” - Rory Vaden “The next level of results requires the next level of thinking, always.” - Rory Vaden  “Ask yourself: What are the things I can do today so I can make tomorrow better, faster, and more efficient?” - Rory Vaden “Mom guilt is a real thing.”  - Rory Vaden “I am a fan of outsourcing everything.” - Rory Vaden “You should be willing to spend at least thirty times the amount of time it takes you to do a task once when training someone else to do that task for you. So if a task takes you 5 minutes every day, you should be willing to spend 150 minutes (30x) training someone else to do that one task.” - Rory Vaden   Connect with Rory Vaden: Email: info@brandbuildersgroup.com  Website: www.roryvaden.com/media  Social: roryvadenblog.com   Books Mentioned: Procrastinate on Purpose - Rory Vaden Take the Stairs  - Rory Vaden Financial Peace University  - Dave Ramsey Secrets of the Millionaire Mind -T. Harv Eker The Go-Giver - John David Mann The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership - John C. Maxwell The Greatest Salesman In the World -Og Mandino The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni What To Say When You Talk To Your Self - Dr. Shad Helmstetter The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen Covey The Case for Christ - Lee Strobel    Links Mentioned: Episode 175 - Time Management Rory Vaden's TEDx Talk Toastmasters International  The Rising Tide Mastermind   Events: AWT Business Webinar: Using a SWOT Analysis to Advance Your Business – @ 11AM ET November 18  International Conference on Wastewater Treatment Processes and Water Quality – January 28 to 29  Water & Wastewater Equipment, Treatment & Transport Show – February 21 to 24  The Hang Networking Event- @6pm 1.13.22    

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! today we hear from Dora Maria, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills. Interesting facts --> loves dance, music, photography, poetry, theatre, movies and sports.

第六招：Keep a notebook of new words you learn. Use them in sentences and try to say them at least 3 times when you speak. 把你學到的新單詞記在筆記本上。在句子中使用它們，並在說話時嘗試至少說 3 次。故事Toastmasters演講俱樂部的訓練，學到新詞，立刻再演講的時候使用並聽到。做到單詞訓練至少可以看到它五次以上加入我的IFLYCLUB 想要和Lily一樣學英語環遊世界嗎？現在就加入我們的IFLYCLUB，現在就用最優惠的價格，學英語環遊世界去！不管你為了要出國壯遊做準備、還是為了要能夠用旅遊的方式打造自己的生活型態，在這裡你可以學到更多，並結識世界各地的朋友們！加入我們這個最有正能量的女生社團！在這裡你可以參與直播課、線上課程了解如何環遊世界和自學英語的秘笈，認識來自世界各地環遊世界的遠距工作者和英語自學成材的牛人，還可以跟著Lily的腳步一起環遊世界！加速妳環遊世界的腳步！會員預約15分鐘免費通話微信IFLYCLUB 填寫表單或是flywithlily.com/join預約15分鐘Call，來看看妳學英語和環遊世界战斗值座落在哪裡

Today we are talking about idea #2 to help you manifest confidence in yourself, so you can take your business to the next level, which is to keep a “negativity journal.” This may seem counterintuitive, but stick with me. When you feel negative about yourself or your abilities, write it down. Look at what you've written and determine whether it's true. For example: I can't talk in front of a group. Is that true? Of course, you CAN talk in front of a group, but you may be nervous or anxious about talking in front of a group. That is a different task entirely. Once you write down your self-defeating belief, you can move forward and find a way to defeat it. If you're nervous to talk in front of a group, join Toastmasters, for example. Start small and practice on friends or colleagues. When you have to talk in front of a group, choose a topic about which you are fully confident and know a lot about. Tune in tomorrow for ideal #3 to help you manifest your self-confidence which will help you to be even more successful. If you get value from these Podcasts, please take a minute to leave me a short rating and review. I would really appreciate it and always love to hear from you. Take advantage of all the complimentary business tips and tools by joining the Free Silver Membership on https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/coaching-store/inner-circle-store/. Want more from The Accountability Coach™, subscribe to more high-value content by looking for me on https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/my-podcast/ and on most podcast platforms and in most English-speaking countries, or by going to https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/accountabilitycoach.com/id290547573. Subscribe to my high-value business success tips and resources Blog (https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/blog/) Subscribe to my YouTube channel with business success principles (https://www.youtube.com/annebachrach) Connect with me on Linked-In (https://www.linkedin.com/in/annebachrach) Connect with me on Pinterest (https://pinterest.com/resultsrule/) Connect with me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/annebachrach/) Connect with me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/TheAccountabilityCoach) Go to https://www.accountabilitycoach.com to check out for yourself how I, as your Accountability Coach™, can help you get and stay focused on you highest payoff activities that put you in the highest probability position to achieve your professional and personal goals, so you can enjoy the kind of business and life you truly want and deserve. As an experienced accountability coach and author of 5 books, I help business professionals make more money, work less, and enjoy even better work life balance. Check out my proven business accelerator resources by going to https://www.accountabilitycoach.com/coaching-store/. Aim for what you want each and every day! Anne Bachrach The Accountability Coach™ Business professionals and Advisors who utilize Anne Bachrach's proven business-success systems make more money, work less, and enjoy better work life balance. Author of Excuses Don't Count; Results Rule, Live Life with No Regrets, No Excuses, the Work Life Balance Emergency Kit and more. Get your audio copies today.

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! today we hear from Dora Maria, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills. Interesting facts --> loves dance, music, photography, poetry, theatre, movies and sports.

About MarkMark loves to teach and code.He is an award winning university instructor and engineer. He comes with a passion for creating meaningful learning experiences. With over a decade of developing solutions across the tech stack, speaking at conferences and mentoring developers he is excited to continue to make an impact in tech. Lately, Mark has been spending time as a Developer Relations Engineer on the Angular Team.Links:Twitter: https://twitter.com/marktechson TranscriptAnnouncer: Hello, and welcome to Screaming in the Cloud with your host, Chief Cloud Economist at The Duckbill Group, Corey Quinn. This weekly show features conversations with people doing interesting work in the world of cloud, thoughtful commentary on the state of the technical world, and ridiculous titles for which Corey refuses to apologize. This is Screaming in the Cloud.Corey: This episode is sponsored in part by our friends at Vultr. Spelled V-U-L-T-R because they're all about helping save money, including on things like, you know, vowels. So, what they do is they are a cloud provider that provides surprisingly high performance cloud compute at a price that—while sure they claim its better than AWS pricing—and when they say that they mean it is less money. Sure, I don't dispute that but what I find interesting is that it's predictable. They tell you in advance on a monthly basis what it's going to going to cost. They have a bunch of advanced networking features. They have nineteen global locations and scale things elastically. Not to be confused with openly, because apparently elastic and open can mean the same thing sometimes. They have had over a million users. Deployments take less that sixty seconds across twelve pre-selected operating systems. Or, if you're one of those nutters like me, you can bring your own ISO and install basically any operating system you want. Starting with pricing as low as $2.50 a month for Vultr cloud compute they have plans for developers and businesses of all sizes, except maybe Amazon, who stubbornly insists on having something to scale all on their own. Try Vultr today for free by visiting: vultr.com/screaming, and you'll receive a $100 in credit. Thats v-u-l-t-r.com slash screaming.Corey: This episode is sponsored in part by something new. Cloud Academy is a training platform built on two primary goals. Having the highest quality content in tech and cloud skills, and building a good community the is rich and full of IT and engineering professionals. You wouldn't think those things go together, but sometimes they do. Its both useful for individuals and large enterprises, but here's what makes it new. I don't use that term lightly. Cloud Academy invites you to showcase just how good your AWS skills are. For the next four weeks you'll have a chance to prove yourself. Compete in four unique lab challenges, where they'll be awarding more than $2000 in cash and prizes. I'm not kidding, first place is a thousand bucks. Pre-register for the first challenge now, one that I picked out myself on Amazon SNS image resizing, by visiting cloudacademy.com/corey. C-O-R-E-Y. That's cloudacademy.com/corey. We're gonna have some fun with this one!Corey: Welcome to Screaming in the Cloud. I'm Corey Quinn. Anyone who has the misfortune to follow me on Twitter is fairly well aware that I am many things: I'm loud, obnoxious, but snarky is most commonly the term applied to me. I've often wondered, what does the exact opposite of someone who is unrelentingly negative about things in cloud look like? I'm here to answer that question is lightness and happiness and friendliness on Twitter, personified. His Twitter name is @marktechson. My guest today is Mark Thompson, developer relations engineer at Google. Mark, thank you for joining me.Mark: Oh, I'm so happy to be here. I really appreciate you inviting me. Thanks.Corey: Oh, by all means. I'm glad we're doing these recordings remotely because I strongly suspect, just based upon the joy and the happiness and the uplifting aspects of what it is that you espouse online that if we ever shook hands, we'd explode as we mutually annihilate each other like matter and antimatter combining.Mark: Feels right. [laugh].Corey: So, let's start with the day job; seems like the easy direction to go in. You're a developer relations engineer. Now, I've heard of developer advocates, I've heard of the DevRel term, a lot of them get very upset when I refer to them as ‘devrelopers', but that's the game that we play with language. What is the developer relations engineer?Mark: So, I describe my job this way: I like to help external communities with our products. I work on the Angular team, so I like to help our external communities but then I also like to work with our internal team to help improve our product. So, I see it as helping as a platform, as a developer relations engineer. But the engineer part is, I think, is important here because, at Google, we still do coding and we still write things; I'm going to contribute to the Angular platform itself versus just only giving talks or only writing blog posts to creating content, they still want us to do things like solve problems with the platform as well.Corey: So, this is where my complete and abject lack of understanding of the JavaScript ecosystem enters the conversation. Let's be clear here, first let me check my assumptions. Angular is a JavaScript framework, correct?Mark: Technically a TypeScript framework, but you could say JavaScript.Corey: Cool. Okay, again, this is not me setting you up for a joke or anything like that. I try to keep my snark to Twitter, not podcast because that tends to turn an awful lot into me berating people, which I try to reserve for those who really have earned it; they generally have the word chief somewhere in their job title. So, I'm familiar with sort of an evolution of the startups that I worked at where Backbone was all the rage, followed by, “Oh, you should never use Backbone. You should be using Angular instead.”And then I sort of—like, that was the big argument the last time I worked in an environment like that. And then I see things like View and React and several other things. At some point, it seems like, pick a random name out of the air; if it's not going to be a framework, it's going to be a Pokemon. What is the distinguishing characteristic or characteristics of Angular?Mark: I like to describe Angular to people is that the value-add is going to be some really incredible developer ergonomics. And when I say that I'm thinking about the tooling. So, we put a lot of work into making sure that the tooling is really strong for developers, where you can jump in, you can get started and be productive. Then I think about scale, and how your application runs at scale, and how it works at scale for your teams. So, scale becomes a big part of the story that I tell, as well, for Angular.Corey: You spend an awful lot of time telling stories about Angular. I'm assuming most of them are true because people don't usually knowingly last very long in this industry when they just get up on stage and tell lies, other than, “This is how we do it in our company,” which is the aspirational conference-ware that we all wish we ran. You're also, according to your bio, which of course, is always in the [show notes 00:04:16], you're an award-winning university instructor. Now, award-winning—great. For someone who struggled mightily in academia, I don't know much about that world. What is it that you teach? How does being a university instructor work? I imagine it's not like most other jobs where you wind up showing up, solving algorithms on a whiteboard, and they say, “Great, can you start tomorrow?”Mark: Sure. So, when I was teaching at university, what I was teaching was mostly coding bootcamps. So, some universities have coding bootcamps that they run themselves. And so I was a part of some instructional teams that work in the university. And that's how I won the Teaching Excellence Award. So, the award that I won actually was the Distinguished Teaching Excellence Award, based on my performance at work when I was teaching at university.Corey: I want to be clear here, it's almost enough to make someone question whether you really were involved there because the first university, according to your background that you worked on was Northwestern, but then it was through the Harvard Extension School, and I was under the impression that doing anything involving Harvard was the exact opposite of an NDA, where you're contractually bound to mention that, “Oh, I was involved with Harvard in the following way,” at least three times at any given conversation. Can you tell I spent a lot of time dealing with Harvard grads?Mark: [laugh]. Yeah, Harvard is weird like that, where people who've worked there or gone there, it comes up as a first thing. But I'll tell the story about it if someone asks me, but I just like to talk about univer—that's why I say ‘university,' right? I don't say, “Oh, I won an award at Northwestern.” I just say, “University award-winning instructor.”The reason I say even the ‘award-winning', that part is important for credibility, specifically. It's like, hey, if I said I'm going to teach you something, I want you to know that you're in really good hands, and that I'm really going to do my best to help you. That's why I mention that a lot.Corey: I'll take that even one step further, and please don't take this as in any way me casting aspersions on some of your colleagues, but very often working at Google has felt an awful lot like that in some respects. I've never seen you do it. You've never had to establish your bona fides in a conversation that I've seen by saying, “Well, at Google this is how we do it.” Because that's a logical fallacy of appeal to authority in many respects. Yeah, I'm sure you do a lot of things at Google at a multinational trillion-dollar company that if I'm founding a four-person startup called Twitter for Pets might not necessarily be the same constraints that I'm faced with.I'm keenly appreciative folks who recognize that distinction and don't try and turn it into something else. We see it with founders, too, “Oh, we're a small scrappy startup and our founders used to work at Google.” And it's, “Hmm, I'm wondering if the corporate culture at a small startup might be slightly different these days.” I get it. It does resonate and it carries weight. I just wonder if that's one of those unexamined things that maybe it's time to dive into a bit more.Mark: Hmm. So, what's funny about that is—so people will ask me, what do I do? And it really depends on context. And I'll usually say, “Oh, I work for a company on the West Coast,” or, “For a tech company on the West Coast.” I'll just say that first.Because what I really want to do is turn the conversation back to the person I'm talking to, so here's where that unrelenting positivity kind of comes in because I'm looking at ways, how can I help boost you up? So first, I want to hear more about you. So, I'll kind of like—I won't shrink myself, but I'll just be kind of vague about things so I could hear more about you so we're not focused on me. In this case, I guess we are because I'm the guest, but in a normal conversation, that's what I would try to do.Corey: So, we've talked about JavaScript a little bit. We've talked about university a smidgen. Now, let me complete the trifecta of things that I know absolutely nothing about, specifically positivity on Twitter. You have been described to me as the mayor of wholesome Twitter. What is that about?Mark: All right, so let me be really upfront about this. This is not about toxic positivity. We got to get that out in the open first, before I say anything else because I think that people can hear that and start to immediately think, “Oh, this guy is just, you know, toxic positivity where no matter what's happening, he's going to be happy.” That is not the same thing. That is not the same thing at all.So, here's what I think is really interesting. Online, and as you know, as a person on Twitter, there's so many people out there doing damage and saying hurtful things. And I'm not talking about responding to someone who's being hurtful by being hurtful. I mean the people who are constantly harassing women online, or our non-binary friends, people who are constantly calling into question somebody's credibility because of, oh, they went to a coding bootcamp or they came from self-taught. All these types of ways to be really just harmful on Twitter.I wanted to start adding some other perspective of the positivity side of just being focused on value-add in our interactions. Can I craft this narrative, this world, where when we meet, we're both better off because of it, right? You feel good, I feel good, and we had a really good time. If we meet and you're having a bad time, at least you know that I care about you. I didn't fix you. I didn't, like, remove the issue, but you know that somebody cares about you. So, that's what I think wholesome positivity comes into play is because I want to be that force online. Because we already have plenty of the other side.Corey: It's easy for folks who are casual observers of my Twitter nonsense to figure, “Oh, he's snarky and he's being clever and witty and making fun of big companies”—which I do–And they tend to shorthand that sometimes to, “Oh, great. He's going to start dunking on people, too.” And I try mightily to avoid that it's punch up, never down.Mark: Mm-hm.Corey: I understand there's a school of thought that you should never be punching at all, which I get. I'm broken in many ways that apparently are entertaining, so we're going to roll with that. But the thing that incenses me the most—on Twitter in my case—is when I'll have something that I'll put out there that's ideally funny or engaging and people like it and it spreads beyond my circle, and then you just have the worst people on the internet see that and figure, “Oh, that's snarky and incisive. Ah, I'm like that too. This is my people.”I assure you, I am not your people when that is your approach to life. Get out of here. And curating the people who follow and engage with you on Twitter can be a full-time job. But oh man, if I wind up retweeting someone, and that act brings someone who's basically a jackwagon into the conversation, it's no. No-no-no.I'm not on Twitter to actively make things worse unless you're in charge of cloud pricing, in which case yes, I am very much there to make your day worse. But it's, “Be the change you want to see in the world,” and lifting people up is always more interesting to me than tearing people down.Mark: A thousand percent. So, here's what I want to say about that is, I think, punching up is fine. I don't like to moderate other people's behavior either, though. So, if you'd like punching up, I think it'd be funny. I laugh at jokes that people make.Now, is it what I'll do? Probably not because I haven't figured out a good way for me to do it that still goes along my core values. But I will call out stuff. Like if there's a big company that's doing something that's pretty messed up, I feel comfortable calling things out. Or when drama happens and people are attacking someone, I have no problem with just be like, “Listen, this person is a stand-up person.”Putting myself kind of like… just kind of on the front line with that other person. Hey, look, this person is being attacked right now. That person is stand-up, so if you got a problem them, you got a problem with me. That's not the same thing as being negative, though. That's not the same thing as punching down or harming people.And I think that's where—like I say, people kind of get that part confused when they think that being kind to people is a sign of weakness, which is—it takes more strength for me to be kind to people who may or may not deserve it, by societal standards. That I'll try to understand you, even though you've been a jerk right now.Corey: Twitter excels at fomenting outrage, and it does it by distancing us from being able to easily remember there's a person on the other side of these things. It is ways you're going to yell at someone, even my business partner in a text message. Whenever we start having conversations that get a little heated—which it happens; business partnership is like a marriage—it's oh, I should pick up the phone and call him rather than sending things that stick around forever, that don't reflect the context of the time, and five years later when I see it, I feel ashamed." I'm not here to advocate for other people doing things on Twitter the way that I do because what I do is clever, but the failure mode of clever in my case is being a complete jerk, and I've made that mistake a lot when I was learning to do it when my audience was much smaller, and I hurt people. And whenever I discovered that that is what happened, I went out of my way, and still do, to apologize profusely.I've gotten relatively good at having to do less of those apologies on an ongoing basis, but very often people see what I'm doing and try to imitate what they're seeing; it just comes off as mean. And that's not acceptable. That's not something that I want to see more of in the world. So, those are my failure modes. I have to imagine the only real failure mode that you would encounter with positivity is inadvertently lifting someone up who turns out to be a trash goblin.Mark: [laugh]. That and I think coming off as insincere. Because if someone is always positive or a majority of the time, positive, if I say something to you, and you don't know me that actually mean it, sincerity is incredibly hard to get over text. So, if I congratulate you on your job, you might be like, “Oh, he's just saying that for attention for himself because now he's being the nice guy again.” But sincerity is really, really hard to convey, so that's one of the failure modes is like I said, being sincere.And then lifting up people who don't deserve to be lifted up, yeah, that's happened before where I've engaged with people or shared some of their stuff in an effort to boost them, and find out, like you said, legit trash goblin, like, their home address is under a bridge because they're a troll. Like, real bad stuff. And then you have back off of that endorsement that you didn't know. And people will DM you, like, “Hey, I see that you follow this person. That person is a really bad person. Look at what they're saying right now.” I'm like, “Well, damn, I didn't know it was bad like that.”Corey: I've had that on the podcast, too, where I'll have a conversation with someone and then a year or so later, they'll wind up doing something horrifying, or something comes to light and the rest, and occasionally people will ask, “So, why did you have that person on this show?” It's yeah, it turns out that when we're having a conversation, that somehow didn't come up because as I'm getting background on people and understanding who they are and what they're about in the intake questionnaire, there is not a separate field for, “Are you terrible to women?” Maybe there should be, but that's something that it's—you don't see it. And that makes it easy to think that it's not there until you start listening more than you speak, and start hearing other people's stories about it. This is the challenge.As much as I aspire at times to be more positive and lift folks up, this is the challenge of social media as it stands now. I had a tweet the other day about a service that AWS had released with the comment that this is fantastic and the team that built it should be proud. And yeah, that got a bit of engagement. People liked it. I'm sure it was passed around internally, “Yay, the jerk liked something.” Fine.A month ago, they launched a different service, and my comment was just distilled down to, “This is molten garbage.” And that went around the tech internet three times. When you're positive, it's one of those, “Oh, great. Yeah, that's awesome.” Whereas when I savage things, it's, “Hey, he's doing it again. Come and look at the bodies.” Effectively the rubbernecking thing. “There's been a terrible accident, let's go gawk at it.”Mark: Right.Corey: And I don't quite know what to do with that because it leads to the mistaken and lopsided impression that I only ever hate things and I don't think that a lot of stuff is done well. And that's very much not the case. It doesn't restrict itself to AWS either. I'm increasingly impressed by a lot of what I'm seeing out of Google Cloud. You want to talk about objectivity, I feel the same way about Oracle Cloud.Dunking on Oracle was a sport for me for a long time, but a lot of what they're doing on a technical and on a customer-approach basis in the cloud group is notable. I like it. I've been saying that for a couple of years. And I'm gratified the response from the audience seems to at least be that no one's calling me a shill. They're saying, “Oh, if you say it, it's got to be true.” It's, “Yes. Finally, I have a reputation for authenticity.” Which is great, but that's the reason I do a lot of the stuff that I do.Mark: That is a tough place to be in. So, Twitter itself is an anomaly in terms of what's going to get engagement and what isn't. Sometimes I'll tweet something that at least I think is super clever, and I'm like, “Oh, yeah. This is meaningful, sincere, clever, positive. This is about to go bananas.” And then it'll go nowhere.And then I'll tweet that I was feeling a depression coming on and that'll get a lot of engagement. Now, I'm not saying that's a bad thing. It's just, it's never what I think. I thought that the depression tweet was not going to go anywhere. I thought that one was going to be like, kind of fade into the ether, and then that is the one that gets all the engagement.And then the one about something great that I want to share, or lifting somebody else up, or celebrating somebody that doesn't go anywhere. So, it's just really hard to predict what people are going to really engage with and what's going to ring true for them.Corey: Oh, I never have any idea of how jokes are going to land on Twitter. And in the before times, I had the same type of challenge with jokes in conference talks, where there's a joke that I'll put in there that I think is going to go super well, and the audience just sits there and stares. That's okay. My jokes are for me, but after the third time trying it with different audiences and no one laughs, okay, I should keep it to myself, then. Other times just a random throwaway comment, and I find it quoted in the newspaper almost. And it's, “Oh, okay.”Mark: [laugh].Corey: You can never tell what's going to hit and what isn't.Mark: Can we talk about that though? Like—Corey: Oh, sure.Mark: Conference talking?Corey: Oh, my God, no.Mark: Conference speaking, and just how, like—I remember one time I was keynoting—well I was emceeing and I had the opening monologue. And so [crosstalk 00:17:45]—Corey: We call that a keynote. It's fine. It is—I absolutely upgrade it because people know what you're talking about when you say, “I keynoted the thing.” Do it. Own it.Mark: Yeah.Corey: It's yours.Corey: So, I was emcee and then I did the keynote. And so during the keynote rehearsals—and this is for all the academia, right, so all these different university deans, et cetera. So, in the practice, I'm telling this joke, and it is landing, everybody's laughing, blah, blah, blah. And then I get in there, and it was crickets. And in that moment, you want to panic because you're like, “Holy crap, what do I do because I was expecting to be able to ride the wave of the laughter into my next segment,” and now it's dead silent. And then just that ability to have to be quick on your feet and not let it slow you down is just really hard.Corey: This episode is sponsored by our friends at Oracle HeatWave is a new high-performance accelerator for the Oracle MySQL Database Service. Although I insist on calling it “my squirrel.” While MySQL has long been the worlds most popular open source database, shifting from transacting to analytics required way too much overhead and, ya know, work. With HeatWave you can run your OLTP and OLAP, don't ask me to ever say those acronyms again, workloads directly from your MySQL database and eliminate the time consuming data movement and integration work, while also performing 1100X faster than Amazon Aurora, and 2.5X faster than Amazon Redshift, at a third of the cost. My thanks again to Oracle Cloud for sponsoring this ridiculous nonsense.Corey: It's a challenge. It turns out that there are a number of skills that are aligned but are not the same when it comes to conference talks, and I think that is something that is not super well understood. There's the idea of, “I can get on stage in front of a bunch of people with a few loose talking points, and just riff,” that sort of an improv approach. There's the idea of, “Oh, I can get on stage with prepared slides and have presenter notes and have a whole direction and theme of what I'm doing,” that's something else entirely. But now we're doing video and the energy is completely different.I've presented live on video, I've done pre-recorded video, but in either case, you're effectively talking to the camera and there is no crowd feedback. So, especially if you'd lean on jokes like I tend to, you can't do a cheesy laugh track as an insert, other than maybe once as its own joke. You have to make sure that you can resonate and engage with folks, but there are no subtle cues from the audience like half the front row getting up and walking out. You have to figure out what it is that resonates, what it is that doesn't, why people should care. And of course, distinguishing and differentiating between this video that you're watching now and the last five Zoom meetings that you've been on that look an awful lot the same; why should you care about this talk?Mark: The hardest thing to do. I think speaking remotely became such a big challenge. So, over time it became a little easier because I found some of the value in it, but it was still much harder because of all the things that you said. What became easier was that I didn't have to go to a place. That was easier.So, I could take three different conference talks in a day for three different organizations. So, that was easier. But what was harder, just like you said, not being able to have that energy of the crowd to know when you're on point because you look for that person in the audience who's nodding in agreement, or the person who's shaking their head furiously, like, “Oh, this is all wrong.” So, you might need to clarify or slow down or—you lose all your cues, and that's just really, really hard. And I really don't like doing video pre-recorded talks because those take more energy for me than they do the even live virtual because I have to edit it and I have to make sure that take was right because I can't say, “Oh, excuse me. Well, I meant to say this.”And I guess I could leave that in there, but I'm too much of a—I love public speaking, so I put so much pressure on myself to be the best version of myself at every opportunity when I'm doing public speaking. And I think that's what makes it hard.Corey: Oh, yeah. Then you add podcasts into the mix, like this one, and it changes the entire approach. If I stumble over my words in the middle of a sentence that I've done a couple of times already, on this very show, I will stop and repeat myself because it's easier to just cut that out in post, and it sounds much more natural. They'll take out ums, ahs, stutters, and the rest. Live, you have to respond to that very differently, but pre-recorded video has something of the same problem because, okay, the audio you can cut super easily.With video, you have to sort of a smear, and it's obvious when people know what they're looking at. And, “Wait, what was that? That was odd. They blew a take.” You can cheat, which is what I tend to do, and oh, I wind up doing a bunch of slides in some of my talks because every slide transition is an excuse to cut because suddenly for a split second I'm not on the camera and we can do all kinds of fun things.But it's all these little things, and part of the problem, too, with the pandemic was, we suddenly had to learn how to be A/V folks when previously we had the good fortune slash good sense to work with people who are specialist experts in this space. Now it's, “Well, I guess I am the best boy grip today,” whate—I'm learning what that means [laugh] as we—Mark: That's right.Corey: —continue onward. Ugh. I never signed up for this, but it's the thing that happens to you instead of what you plan on. I think that's called life.Mark: Feels right. Feels right, yeah. It's just one of those things. And I'm looking forward to the time after this, when we do get back to in-person talks, and we do get to do some things. So, I have a lot of hot takes around speaking. So, I came up in Toastmasters. Are you familiar with Toastmasters at all?Corey: I very much am.Mark: Oh, yeah. Okay, so I came up in Toastmasters, and for people at home who don't know, it's kind of like a meetup where you go and you actually practice public speaking, based on these props, et cetera. For me, I learned to do things like not say ‘um' and ‘ah' on stage because there's someone in the room counting every time you do it, and then when you get that review at the end when they give you your feedback, they'll call that out. Or when you say ‘like you know,' or too many ‘and so', all these little—I think the word is disfluencies that you use that people say make you sound more natural, those are things that were coached out with me for public speaking. I just don't do those things anymore, and I feel like there are ways for you not to do it.And I tweeted that before, that you shouldn't say ‘um' and ‘ah' and have someone tell me, “Oh, no, they're a natural part of language.” And then, “It's not natural and it could freak people out.” And I was like, “Okay. I mean, you have your opinion about that.” Like, that's fine, but it's just a hot take that I had about speaking.I think that you should do lots of things when you speak. The rate that you walk back and forth, or should you be static? How much should be on your slides? People put a lot of stuff on slides, I'm like, “I don't want to read your slides. I'd rather listen to you use your slides.” I mean, I can go on and on. We should have another podcast called, “Hey, Mark talks about public speaking,” because that is one of my jams. That and supporting people who come from different paths. Those two things, I can go on for hours about.Corey: And they're aligned in a lot of respects. I agree with you on the public speaking. Focusing on the things that make you a better speaker are not that hard in most cases, but it's being aware of what you're doing. I thought I was a pretty good speaker when I had a coach for a little while, and she would stand there, “Give just the first minute of your talk.” And she's there and writing down notes; I get a minute in and it's like, “Okay, I can't wait to see what she doesn't like once I get started.” She's like, “Nope. I have plenty. That will cover us for the next six weeks.” Like, “O…kay? I guess she doesn't know what she's doing.”Spoiler she did, in fact, know what she was doing and was very good at it and my talks are better for it as a result. But it comes down to practicing. I didn't have a thing like Toastmasters when I was learning to speak to other folks. I just did it by getting it wrong a lot of times. I would speak to small groups repeatedly, and I'd get better at it in time.And I would put time-bound on it because people would sit there and listen to me talk and then the elevator would arrive at our floor and they could escape and okay, they don't listen to me publicly speaking anymore, but you find time to practice in front of other folks. I am kidding, to be clear. Don't harass strangers with public speaking talks. That was in fact a joke. I know there's at least one person in the audience who's going to hear that and take notes and think, “Ah, I'm going to do that because he said it's a good idea.” This is the challenge with being a quote-unquote, “Role model” sometimes. My role model approach is to give people guidance by providing a horrible warning of what not to do.Mark: [laugh].Corey: You've gone the other direction and that's kind of awesome. So, one of the recurring themes of this show has been, where does the next generation come from? Where do we find the next generation of engineer, of person working in cloud in various ways? Because the paths that a lot of us walked who've been in this space for a decade or more have been closed. And standing here, it sounds an awful lot like, “Oh, go in and apply for jobs with a firm handshake and a printed copy of your resume and ask to see the manager and you'll have a job before dark.”Yeah, what worked for us doesn't work for people entering the workforce today, and there have to be different paths. Bootcamps are often the subject of, I think, a deserved level of scrutiny because quality differs wildly, and from the outside if you don't know the space, a well-respected bootcamp that knows exactly what it's doing and has established long-term relationships with a number of admirable hiring entities in the space and grifter who threw together a website look identical. It's a hard problem to solve. How do you view teaching the next generation and getting them into this space, assuming that that isn't something that is morally reprehensible? And some days, I wonder if exposing this industry to folks who are new to it isn't a problem.Mark: No, good question. So, I think in general—so I am pro bootcamp. I am pro self-taught. I was not always. And that's because of personal insecurity. Let's dive into that a little bit.So, I've been writing code since I was probably around 14 because I was lucky enough to go to a high school to had a computer science program on the south side of Chicago, one school. And then when I say I was lucky, I was really lucky because the school that I went to wasn't a high resource school; I didn't go to a private school. I went to a public school that just happened that one of the professors from IIT, also worked on staff a few days a week at my school, and we could take programming classes with this guy. Total luck. And so I get into computer science that way, take AP Computer Science in high school—which is, like, the pre-college level—then I go into undergrad, then I go into grad school for computer science.So, like, as traditional of a path that you can get. So, in my mind, it was all about my sweat equity that I had put in that disqualified everybody else. So, Corey, if you come from a bootcamp, you haven't spent the time that I spent learning to code; you haven't sweat, you haven't had to bleed, you haven't tried to write a two's complement algorithm on top of your other five classes for that semester. You haven't done it, definitely you don't deserve to be here. So, that was so much of my attitude, until—until—I got the opportunity to have my mind completely blown when I got asked to teach.Because when I got to asked to teach, I thought, “Yeah, I'm going to have my way of going in there and I'm going to show them how to do it right. This is my chance to correct these coding bootcampers and show them how it goes.” And then I find these people who were born for this life. So, some of us are natural talents, some of us are people who can just acquire the talent later. And both are totally valid.But I met this one student. She was a math teacher for years in Chicago Public Schools. She's like, “I want a career change.” Comes to the program that I taught at Northwestern, does so freaking well that she ends up getting a job at Airbnb. Now, if you have to make her go back four years at university, is that window still open for her? Maybe not.Then I meet this other woman, she was a paralegal for ten years. Ten years as a paralegal was the best engineer in the program when I taught, she was the best developer we had. Before the bootcamp was over, she had already gotten the job offer. She was meant for this. You see what I'm saying?So, that's why I'm so excited because it's like, I have all these stories of people who are meant for this. I taught, and I met people that changed the way I even saw the rest of the world. I had some non-binary trans students; I didn't even know what pronouns were. I had no idea that people didn't go by he/him, she/her. And then I had to learn about they and them and still teach you code without misgendering you at the same time, right because you're in a classroom and you're rapid-fire, all right, you—you know, how about this person? How about that person? And so you have to like, it's hard to take—Corey: Yeah, I can understand async, await, and JavaScript, but somehow understanding that not everyone has the pronouns that you are accustomed to using for people who look certain ways is a bridge too far for you to wrap your head around. Right. We can always improve, we can always change. It's just—at least when I screw up async, await, I don't make people feel less than. I just make—Mark: Totally.Corey: —users feel that, “Wow, this guy has no idea how to code.” You're right, I don't.Mark: Yeah, so as I'm on my soapbox, I'll just say this. I think coding bootcamps and self-taught programs where you can go online, I think this is where the door is the widest open for people to enter the industry because there is no requirement of a degree behind this. I just think that has just really opened the door for a lot of people to do things that is life-changing. So, when you meet somebody who's only making—because we're all engineers and we do all this stuff, we make a lot of money. And we're all comfortable. When you meet somebody where they go from 40,000 to 80,000, that is not the same story for—as it is for us.Corey: Exactly. And there's an entire school of thought out there that, “Oh, you should do this for the love because it is who you are, it is who you were meant to be.” And for some people, that's right, and I celebrate and cherish those folks. And there are other folks for whom, “I got into tech because of the money.” And you know what?I celebrate and cherish those folks because that is not inherently wrong. It says nothing negative about you whatsoever to want to improve your quality of life and wanting to support your family in varying ways. I have zero shade to throw at either one of those people. And when it comes to which of those two people do I want to hire, I have no preference in either direction because both are valid and both have directions that they can think in that the other one may not necessarily see for a variety of reasons. It's fine.Mark: I wanted to be an engineering manager. You know why? Not because I loved leadership; because I wanted more money.Corey: Yes.Mark: So, I've been in the industry for quite a long time. I'm a little bit on the older side of the story, right? I'm a little bit older. You know, for me, before we got ‘staff' and ‘principal' and all this kind of stuff, it was senior software engineer and then you topped out in terms of your earning potential. But if you wanted more, you became a manager, director, et cetera.So, that's why I wanted to be a manager for a while; I wanted more money, so why is my choice to be a manager more valuable than those people who want to make more money by coming into engineering or software development? I don't think it is.Corey: So, we've talked about positivity, we've talked about dealing with unpleasant people, we've talked about technology, and then, of course, we've talked about getting up on soapboxes. Let's tie all of that together for one last topic. What is your position on open-source in cloud?Mark: I think open-source software allows us to do a lot of incredible things. And I know that's a very light, fluffy, politically correct answer, but it is true, right? So, we get to take advantage of the brains of so many different people, all the ideas and contributions of so many different people so that we can do incredible things. And I think cloud really makes the world more accessible in general because—so when I used to do websites, I had to have a physical server that I would have to, like, try to talk to my ISP to be able to host things. And so, there was a lot of barriers to entry to do things that way.Now, with cloud and open-source, I could literally pick up a tool and deploy some software to the cloud. And the tool could you open-source so I can actually see what's happening and I could pick up other tools to help build out my vision for whatever I'm creating. So, I think open-source just gives a lot of opportunity.Corey: Oh, my stars, yes. It's even far more so than when I entered the field, and even back then there were challenges. One of the most democratizing aspects of cloud is that you can work with the same technologies that giant companies are using. When I entered the workforce, it's, “Wow, you're really good with Apache, but it seems like you don't really know a whole lot about the world of enterprise storage. What's going on with that?”And the honest answer was, “Well, it turns out that on my laptop, I can compile Apache super easily, but I'm finding it hard, given that I'm new to the workforce, to afford a $300,000 SAN in my garage, so maybe we can wind up figuring out that there are other ways to do it.” That doesn't happen today. Now, you can spin something up in the cloud, use it for a little bit. You're done, turn it off, and then never again have to worry about it except over in AWS land where you get charged 22 cents a month in perpetuity for some godforsaken reason you can't be bothered to track down and certainly no one can understand because, you know, cloud billing.Mark: [laugh].Corey: But if that's the tax versus the SAN tax, I'll take it.Mark: So, what I think is really interesting what cloud does, I like the word democratization because I think about going back to—just as a lateral reference to the bootcamp thing—I couldn't get my parents to see my software when I was in college when I made stuff because it was on my laptop. But when I was teaching these bootcamp students, they all deployed to Heroku. So, in their first couple of months, the cloud was allowing them to do something super cool that was not possible in the early days when I was coming up, learning how to code. And so they could deploy to Heroku, they could use GitHub Pages, you know like, open-source still coming into play. They can use all these tools and it's available to them, and I still think to me that is mind-blowing that I would have to bring my physical laptop or desktop home and say, “Mom, look at this terminal window that's doing this algorithm that I just did,” versus what these new people can do with the cloud. It's like, “Oh, yeah, I want to build a website. I want to publish it today. Publish right now.” Like, during our conversation, we both could have probably spent up a Hello World in the cloud with very little.Corey: Well, you could have. I could have done it in some horrifying way by using my favorite database: DNS. But that's a separate problem.Mark: [laugh]. Yeah, but I go to Firebase deploy and create a quick app real quick; Firebase deploy. Boom, I'm in the cloud. And I just think that the power behind that is just outstanding.Corey: If I had to pick a single cloud provider for someone new to the field to work with, it would be Google Cloud, and it's not particularly close. Just because the developer experience for someone who has not spent ten years marinating in cloud is worlds apart from what you're going to see in almost every other provider. I take it back, it is close. Neck-and-neck in different ways is also DigitalOcean, just because it explains things; their documentation is amazing and it lets people get started. My challenge with DigitalOcean is that it's not thought of, commonly, as a tier-one cloud provider in a lot of different directions, so the utility of learning how that platform works for someone who's planning to be in the industry for a while might potentially not get them as far.But again, there's no wrong answer. Whatever interests you, whenever you have to work on, do it. The obvious question of, “What technology should I learn,” it's, “Well, the ones that the companies you know are working with,” [laugh] so you can, ideally, turn it into something that throws off money, rather than doing it in your spare time for the love of it and not reaping any rewards from it.Mark: Yeah. If people ask me what should they use it to build something? And I think about what they want to do. And I also will say, “What will get you to ship the fastest? How can you ship?”Because that's what's really important for most people because people don't finish things. You know, as an engineer, how many side projects you probably have in the closet that never saw the light of day because you never shipped. I always say to people, “Well, what's going to get you to ship?” If it's View, use View and pair that with DigitalOcean, if that's going to get you to ship, right? Or use Angular plus Google Cloud Platform if that's going to get you to ship.Use what's going to get you to ship because—if it's just your project you're trying to run on. Now, if it's a company asking me, that's a consulting question which is a different answer. We do a much more in-detail analysis.Corey: I want to thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me about, honestly, a very wide-ranging group of topics. If people want to learn more about who you are, how you think, what you're up to, where can they find you?Mark: You can always find me spreading the love, being positive, hanging out. Look, if you want to feel better about yourself, come find me on Twitter at @marktechson—M-A-R-K-T-E-C-H-S-O-N. I'm out there waiting for you, so just come on and have a good time.Corey: And we will, of course, throw links to that in the [show notes 00:36:45]. Thank you so much for your time today.Mark: Oh, it's been a pleasure. Thanks for having me.Corey: Mark Thompson, developer relations engineer at Google. I'm Cloud Economist Corey Quinn and this is Screaming in the Cloud. If you've enjoyed this podcast, please leave a five-star review on your podcast platform of choice, whereas if you've hated this podcast, please leave a five-star review on your podcast platform of choice along with an angry, deranged comment that you spent several weeks rehearsing in the elevator.Corey: If your AWS bill keeps rising and your blood pressure is doing the same, then you need The Duckbill Group. We help companies fix their AWS bill by making it smaller and less horrifying. The Duckbill Group works for you, not AWS. We tailor recommendations to your business and we get to the point. Visit duckbillgroup.com to get started.Announcer: This has been a HumblePod production. Stay humble.

Do you want to conduct high-impact interviews? Then it's time to ask better questions. Host Joshua Rhodes welcomes Andrew Warner, the founder of Mixergy and author of Stop Asking Questions. After interviewing 2,000 of the world's best entrepreneurs, he has sought-after strategies he wants to share with you today. For one, converse from a place of honest intention. People quickly pick up your energy during interviews. If they sense your genuine respect for them, they'll open up to you. To gain more wisdom, listen to this episode. Tune in!Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! http://rhodestowealth.com/

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! today we hear from Dora Maria, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills. Interesting facts --> loves dance, music, photography, poetry, theatre, movies and sports.

Simone is joined by "Chief Meaningful Work Officer", Lynn George on this week's episode. Lynn shares her journey from waiting for others to recognize her, to taking control of her own career.  She and Simone talk about finding your purpose and bringing out your brilliance.   Resources discussed during the show: Toastmasters.org The Power of Choice by Michael C. Hyter What To Do Next? Connect with Simone Stay inspired by reading  The Power of Owning Your Career Book. Continue your transformation with our guidebook that outlines 52 specific tips for owning your career. Reach Lynn on Linked In or LynnGeorgeConsulting.com Show up to discuss the show in our LinkedIn Group. Leave a review wherever you listen to the podcast.  

Improve your communication skills both In Real Live and on Social. | Tim and Julie Harris help you to create your plan, using key skills...* TED Talks is full of great talks on communication. Some of our favorites: “The Art of Paying Attention” by Wendy MacNaughton “10 Ways to have a better conversation” by Celeste Headlee * Consider joining ToastMasters so you can improve your speaking skills live. * Join multiple networking groups to hone your skills and expand your Social Media reach to those groups.  Support fellow members. Conclusion:  * Communication is your #1 skill online and off.  Remember it's impossible to ‘over communicate'.   * The WAY you communicate matters.  How frequently and authentically you speak in person and online does matter. * Hierarchy of communication still is the following: * In Person (now augmented by Zoom, thanks to Covid) * By phone * Text…followed by phone call * Social Media Don't convince yourself that social media is a lead generation spoke.  It's for supporting your pro-active lead generation, nurturing your relationships and expanding your reach. Part 2:  YOUR WRITINGA) How well you write effects all forms of social media.  “The best social media managers are excellent copywriters and sparkling digital conversationalists who not only embody, but enhance their brand's presence. From attention-grabbing ad copy to witty social banter, you should know how to write concise copy that elicits emotion from your audience.” -Sprout Social This is where agents and brokers start to consider hiring a social media manager because this IS something that requires work, skill and polishing to be good at it. It's not a requirement, however.  There are some easy ways to improve your own writing, but like all worthwhile things, it takes work and consistent practice. * grammarly.com is a good ‘writing assistant' to help you clean up your basic skills. * https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl Grammar Girl shows you what's correct and why so you can stop making the same mistakes. * writerscollegeblog.com * MasterClass.com search the writing section.  Famous and celebrated authors teach their craft. * Read more! Read a variety of writing; not just headlines and real estate articles, but other forms to improve your sentence structure, flow, spelling and punctuation.  Ultimately, the sites we mentioned will clean up your writing, but they don't fix issues like content and flow.   * Even after working on your writing, there's still an art to the social media post.  Here are some specifics from Social Media Today: Making your content and posts easy to read by writing at about an 8th grade reading level Using headings, bullets and lists where possible to make your content or posts easier to scan Keeping paragraphs to only two or three sentences Being as succinct as possible when writing on your topic Telling a story using pictures and video whenever possible Schedule A Free Coaching Call Listen on iTunes Listen on Spotify Listen on Stitcher Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you want to get back to basics and have a refresher course on the fundamentals of communication, speaking, and leadership, this episode is for you. My guest today is Joel Schwartzberg. You may remember him from one of our most popular episodes, How to Make a Point That Sticks. Joel is a leadership communications coach and author and today he brings his tips to help you create a "language of leadership." Joel's key message: "The most powerful tool you have as a leader—to inform, engage, and inspire—is your voice. Yet all too often, our words fall flat; we get caught in our head, fail to truly understand our audience, or simply flub the landing. But it's our words and awareness of their impact that make the difference between simply managing teams and inspiring them to do their best work. " We discuss: Why some women come across as aggressive if they are straight forward The importance of gender neutral language Ideas around what to do if you are interrupted in a meeting and how to deal with that Why leaders need to focus their communication on inspiration, not just information The importance of shifting language from merely sharing problems to solving them Do's and don'ts for conveying empathy and hope Easy ways leaders can improve the effectiveness of meetings through communication The three simple words that quickly reveal if you're getting your point across or not More about Joel: Joel Schwartzberg is a leadership communications coach whose clients include American Express, Blue Cross Blue Shield, State Farm Insurance, the Brennan Center for Justice, and Comedy Central. Joel's articles on effective communication have appeared in Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, and Toastmaster magazine. He is the author of Get to the Point! Sharpen Your Message and Make Your Words Matter, which Seth Godin calls “a manifesto for giving talks that make a difference,” and The Language of Leadership: How to Engage and Inspire Your Team, which Kevin Eikenberry says “will make your communication more purposeful, meaningful, and inspirational.” Learn more about Joel and his coaching practice here. Get Joel's new book, The Language of Leadership Want to improve your public speaking skills and check out a Speaker Sisterhood club as a guest? Your first meeting is free and all clubs are meeting online. Find the club that works for you here. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Thank you for joining us on Breakfast With Champions! Today we hear from Dora Maria Abreu, an Amplifier of diverse voices, catalyst, connector & tribe builder. Eclectic Inclusive Engineer with avid Technology, Leadership, Training, Development, Technology and Education professional. Dynamic brainstormer and volunteer within the Toastmasters, FIRST Robotics, Inclusion/Diversity/Equity and Leadership spaces for those within and outside the STEM field. Being certified on the John C. Maxwell Team, PMP and Toastmasters she has been able to not only build on these skills but also help train a multitude of others in tech & soft skills.