Podcasts about when benjamin

Do you know how to leverage your network? Do you know how to communicate with your personal and business connections in a way to foster relationships? And what’s the best communication medium to get the job done? Benjamin Shapiro joins Darla and Natalie in this episode of Wingnut Social to share his personal formula for success. Don’t miss it! Benjamin Shapiro—not to be confused with the political commentator—is a Brand Development and Marketing Strategy Consultant. With 15+ years of experience in marketing, he honed his skills to find THE best method to leverage his network. His goal is to help companies grow and scale using effective marketing strategies. He is also the producer and host of the MarTech podcast.  What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social [0:53] Twizzlers + Tequila  [2:19] All about Benjamin Shapiro [6:29] How Benjamin got into marketing [13:59] The ROI Benjamin sees from networking [16:45] Should the approach be different for designers? [18:07] How important are LinkedIn connections? [19:04] Mixmax: the email software Benjamin embraces [21:23] How to adopt this strategy to your own business [22:42] GDPR/Privacy Policy implications [27:02] How to stay in front of your prospect [28:46] What up Wingnut! Round [35:03] Blooper Reel! Connect with Benjamin Shapiro The MarTech Podcast Benjamin’s Website Connect on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter Resources & People Mentioned MixMax CCPA GDPR BOOK: Born to Run BOOK: Built to Sell Leverage your network by being relationship-focused When you market a new product or service, most people think they have to start by marketing to people they don’t know. Instead, Benjamin emphasizes that you need to be relationship-focused and start with the people you know. You can skip steps by working with the people you’ve already built trust and credibility with.  For example, when Benjamin launched a website he started an email campaign. He broke his professional network into three segments: The people ahead of him in his career The people he considered his peers The people already in the consulting space He notes that the way you reach out to each of those groups is going to be different. So Benjamin formed a personalized formulaic email to start conversations with each category.  The moral of the story? The same way you think about targeting your customers is the same way you should target the people within your network. Take the credibility you’ve developed and leverage that. You can shift the focus to just your products and services and not have to worry about selling yourself. Why Benjamin is an avid fan of email marketing You have to think about: Who do you already have credibility with? What is the lowest-friction way to get in front of them?  How many people you need to connect with and convert depends on what your relationships are like, what your products are, what your price point is, etc. So how does Benjamin prefer to connect with his network? Email. Benjamin believes that a one-to-one email is the most personal and has the highest conversion rate. When Benjamin emails somebody, he often sees an 85% open-rate and 25% meetings scheduled. The conversion rates for having email conversations with people you already know is astronomically higher than marketing to them through other means.  Benjamin prefers to use the MixMax platform (over services such as ConstantContact or Mailchimp). Why? MixMax allows you to create an email template that allows for different variables to be filled out by you (name, time period, project). Instead of writing a whole email, it’s filling in a few words. What’s the best approach for a new or seasoned designer to take to leverage their network? How can you adapt this strategy to fit your business? Listen to the whole episode to find out! Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social www.WingnutSocial.com On Facebook On Twitter: @WingnutSocial On Instagram: @WingnutSocial Darla’s Interior Design Website Check out the Wingnut Social Media Lab Facebook Group! 1-877-WINGNUT (connect with us for your social media marketing needs) Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn Audio Production and Show notes byPODCAST FAST TRACKhttps://www.podcastfasttrack.com

Today we remember the first woman to have circumnavigated the world. We'll also learn about the wealthy horticulturist who built a magnificent estate on the shores of Lake Waban. We celebrate the botanist who was the first editor of Rhodora, the New England Botanical Club's journal. We also salute the father of British plant geography. We honor the Reverend, who wrote two sweet little books for Burpee about sweet peas. Today's Unearthed Words feature some silly light-hearted poems about the garden. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that gives us something to do in terms of projects for our garden, And then we'll wrap things up with the story of the woman who founded the Greening of Harlem. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news.   Subscribe Apple  | Google  | Spotify  | Stitcher | iHeart   Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy.   Curated News Landscape designer Piet Oudolf on finding solace in the garden | PBS NewsHour “The world has looked strange these past months, familiar places no longer familiar at all. Many people have turned to their own or community gardens during this period, growing vegetables and flowers, nourishing body and soul. Gardening centers have been among the first essential businesses to reopen. Sales of seeds have soared. Piet Oudolf isn't surprised.” Piet Oudolf ("Peet Ow-dolf") quotes from the transcript: "I think every day is an experience, because there's always something you will like, and it's not only about the plants. It's also about the light and the movement. Once you touch the plants and just start to work with them, there's a big chance that you get lost in the world of plants and that you want to experience more of gardening. You can think while you're gardening. You can think about life and how to follow up after this crisis. But at least people want to go to places where I normally would go to, to gardens and to parks. And I think that people will realize that we, as human beings, need that, to feel good. What I say for people that just start gardening, I think anything that you see at the garden center that you like can be a good start — to become a serious gardener."   Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events 1740   Today is the birthday of the explorer and botanist Jeanne Baret. Jeanne was the first woman to have circumnavigated the globe as part of the expedition, which was led by Louis Antoine de Bougainville.  Beret was able to join the expedition after posing as a valet to the expedition's naturalist: Philibert Commerçon. Before the expedition, Jeanne had been employed as Commerçon's housekeeper. A few years later, his wife died, and Jeanne took over the management of the household and began a personal relationship with Commerçon. Commerçon had poor health, and it was likely that he needed Jeanne to join him on the expedition because he needed her assistance. Jeanne was an excellent botanist in her own right. When the ship stopped in Rio de Janeiro, an old leg injury prevented Commerçon from collecting specimens. Thus, it was Jeanne who ventured out into the tropics and returned with the lovely tropical vine that would be named to honor the expedition's commander: Bougainvillea.   1810  Today is the birthday of one of America's most prominent horticulturalists – Horatio Hollis Hunnewell. Horatio was staggeringly wealthy. He was a railroad financier. But he also had a lifelong love of nature and gardening. When Horatio purchased over 40 acres of land along the eastern and southern shores of Lake Waban ("Wah-bin"), he built a magnificent estate there. He had married Isabella Pratt Wells, and he decided to call his impressive home Wellesley in honor of his wife's maiden name. When it came time for the nearby town and college to settle on a name, they also chose the name Wellesley after discussing the matter with Horatio, who happened to be the most generous benefactor of the city. The Hunnewell estate was so large that when the Hunnewell children grew up, seven of the nine had homes built on the property - right next to their parent's original house. Aside from the impressive homes, Horatio added many magnificent features to the estate, including a pinetum with over 325 specimens of conifers. Hollis Honeywell made the following remark in 1899 about his trees, "No Vanderbilt, with all his great wealth, can possess one of these [trees] for the next 50 years, for could not be grown in less time than that." And, Horatio also installed the very first Topiary Garden in America at Wellesley. He referred to it as the Italian Garden, and it was ideally situated along the shore of Lake Waban. When it came to the Topiary Garden, Horatio went all out. Whenever he had guests, Horatio would have them hop aboard a large authentic Italian Gondola boat complete with an authentically dressed gondola man. After they glided up to the Topiary Gardens, they would stop and take a tour. Horatio's shores rivaled that of Lake Como in northern Italy. It's difficult to fathom how much attention this one-of-a-kind garden received from the public. Thousands of visitors from all over the country came to Wellesley just to see the topiary garden firsthand. Many more took in its beauty through photographs and engravings published in the most popular periodicals of the time. To this day — a century and a half later — the Hunnewell Topiary Garden is among the most spectacular sites in the region. There are a few stories about Horatio I discovered during my research. The first is that Horatio and his friend Nathaniel Thayer Jr. brought the game of tennis to America. The second story is that Horatio was the first person to cultivate and popularize rhododendrons In the United States.   1864  Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist Benjamin Lincoln Robinson. In 1892, Benjamin was appointed the curator of the Asa Gray Herbarium at Harvard. When Benjamin took over, both the herbarium and the library were in dire straits. Benjamin brought in funding and expanded the herbarium. Today, the Gray Herbarium and library are still housed at Harvard at 22 Divinity Ave. In 1899, the first issue of the New England Botanical Club's journal, Rhodora, was published. And, Rhodora's first editor was Benjamin.   1881  Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist and the father of British plant geography Hewett Cottrell Watson. In recognition of his significant contributions, the botanical society of the British Isles named their journal Watsonia. Beginning in 1834, Hewett was one of the first botanists to research plant evolution. Hewett's work also paved the way for a new science now known as ecology. When Darwin created his theory of evolution, he was standing on the shoulders of curious early evolutionists like Hewett. Darwin's popularity and success overshadowed the folks like Hewett, who came before him. Yet, it's evident that when Hewett read Darwin's Origin, his reaction was one of wonder... and also self-reflection. He spent his adult life trying to reach Darwin's conclusion. Now, as an older man, he could see the match he had lit being passed to a true torch-bringer. After reading the origin, Hewett wrote to Darwin. Hewett's letter is a part proud dad, part awed fan, and yet, he still takes time to advise Darwin on areas to improve or take heed. In two different passages, Hewett points out that Darwin had succeeded where he had stopped short, saying Darwin had figured out the quo modo or the method to knit the strings of the theory of evolution together. Hewett's letter to Darwin is quite something to read – even after all this time: 21 Nov 1859 My dear Sir Once [I started] to read the ‘Origin’ I could not rest [until] I had galloped through [all of it]. I shall now begin to re-read it more deliberately. Meantime I am tempted to write you [my] first impressions… 1st. Your leading idea will assuredly become recognized as an established truth in science, i.e. “natural selection”. (It has the characteristics of all great natural truths, clarifying what was obscure, simplifying what was intricate, adding greatly to previous knowledge). You are the greatest Revolutionist in natural history of this century, if not of all centuries. 2d. You will perhaps need … to limit or modify, ... the principle of ‘natural selection’. 3d. Now [that] these novel views are brought… before the scientific public, it seems truly remarkable how [we didn’t see them sooner].. A quarter-century ago, you & I must have [had]the same state of mind... But you were able to see & work out [the theory], … while I failed to grasp it. ... How greatly this...will shock the ideas of many men! very sincerely | Hewett C. Watson to C. Darwin | Esq. Darwin Correspondence Project, “Letter no. 2540,” accessed on 26 April 2019, http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/DCP-LETT-2540   1895  On this day, a photo of the horticulturist and Reverend William T. Hutchins of Indian Orchard, Massachusetts, appeared in the Springfield Republican. William is remembered for his book called "All About Sweet Peas," published in 1892 by the Burpee Seed Company. Five years later, William wrote another book for Burpee calledSweet Peas Up-to-Date.William's writings were used as promo material for Burpee, and customers positively received them. Incredibly, Burpee distributed fifty thousand copies of "All About Sweet Peas." In August of 1898, The Star-Gazette out of Elmira New York reported on a talk that William had given about the history and culture of sweet pea. “Mr. Hutchins said that the flower is a native of Sicily, and is widely cultivated there, but in late years it has come into popular favor in America, and is now raised in nearly every part of the country.  The speaker mentioned some of the rare varieties and told how they are obtained…  He also gave a most interesting description of the gardens of Mr. Eckford in England, whose cultivation [of] about seventy-five of ...the choicest sweet peas have been given to the flower lovers of the world.” And, in 1950, Charles H. Curtis, the editor of the Gardeners' Chronicle, wrote, “Fifty years ago, a parson from Indian Orchard, Massachusetts, stood on the platform in the Lecture Hall of the Crystal Palace. He was the Rev. W. T. Hutchins, an enthusiastic grower of Sweet Peas, who had a voice as sweet and persuasive as the fragrance of his subject. I can hear him now.”  One of my favorite articles featuring William was published in The Atlanta Constitution on March 31, 1991. The title of the article was "Oh, Sweet Peas, Please Climb Above My knees" and was written by Laura Martin. Laura dug up this quote by William, who said that the sweet pea has "a fragrance like the universal gospel." And, regarding the sweet pea, Laura wrote, “Finding a plant with outstanding beauty and fragrance is a treat. Many roses, of course, offer this combination, but easier and far less demanding are old-fashioned sweet peas, which will trail and climb in your garden while emitting a delicious scent. Common name: Sweet Pea . Botanical name: Lathyrus odoratus.” The Greek word lathyros means pea or pulse, and the Latin word odoratus means fragrant. Today, Japanese varieties have the most abundant blooms, and some Australian varieties are frilly. Sweet peas are a long-lasting vase flower, which makes them quite popular with florists and brides. Finally, in terms of floriography, or the language of flowers, sweet peas convey bliss and pleasure. They also mean saying goodbye after having a good time. Nothing says thank you like sweet peas. Finally, of the sweet pea, John Keats wrote: Here are sweet peas, on tiptoe for a flight;  With wings of gentle flush o'er delicate white,  And taper fingers catching at all things,  To bind them all about with tiny rings.   Unearthed Words July 27 is Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day - a silly, light-hearted day that brought to mind these nonsense poems.   One fine October morning In September, last July The sun lay thick upon the ground The snow shone in the sky The flowers were singing gaily The birds were full in bloom So I went down to the cellar To clean the upstairs room — Anonymous   There should be no monotony In studying your botany; It helps to train And spur the brain-- Unless you haven't gotany. It teaches you, does Botany, To know the plants and spotany, And learn just why They live or die-- In case you plant or potany. You learn, from reading Botany, Of wooly plants and cottony That grow on earth, And what they're worth, And why some spots have notany. You sketch the plants in Botany, You learn to chart and plotany Like corn or oats-- You jot down notes, If you know how to jotany. Your time, if you'll allotany, Will teach you how and what any Old plant or tree Can do or be-- And that's the use of Botany! — Berton Braley, American poet, Science Newsletter, March 9, 1929, Botany   Grow That Garden Library Rustic Garden Projects by Marianne Svärd Häggvik  This book came out in February of 2019, and the subtitle is Step-by-Step Backyard Décor from Trellises to Tree Swings, Stone Steps to Stained Glass. I tell you what; if you're bored and looking for something to do in the garden, this book is a charming gift to have on hand. It is loaded with ideas and gorgeous pieces of garden art. The projects will give you something to do and help you express yourself in the garden. Some are simple and quick, and others might take you a few days to complete. Projects include: Willow baskets Conical votives Personalized walkways Raised flowerbeds Lion's head fountains And more! The author Marianne is an engineer based in Stockholm. She had been puttering around in her garden for ages before Marianne and her husband decided to compile a book of their beautiful and fun garden projects.Marianne is the owner of Heliconia Garden, a garden design company in Sweden. This book is 256 pages of ideas and projects - all shared with today's gardener in mind. You can get a copy of Rustic Garden Projects by Marianne Svärd Häggvik and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $5.   Today's Botanic Spark 1949  Today is the birthday of the founder of the Greening of Harlem Coalition, Bernadette Cozart. Bernadette was a professional gardener and urban gardening advocate. She founded the Greening of Harlem Coalition in 1989. Her efforts transformed Harlem, bringing flower gardens and green spaces to areas previously covered by concrete and neglect. It was Bernadette Cozart who said, “Instead of taking children on field trips to see farms and gardens, why not bring nature into the community? I don't think it's fair that they should have to go outside the community to have that experience of seeing things grow.”

When Benjamin is preparing Mosiah to be crowned king, he “gave him charge” over the plates of brass and the plates of Nephi, along with the sword of Laban and the ball/director (Liahona). Why were these items important to pass on and preserve? Many scholars have pointed out that they were both sacred objects representing God’s hand in leading the Nephites to the promised land and emblems of Nephite kingship which established the credibility and legitimacy of the Nephite rulers. They were parallel to the sacred objects stored in the ark of the covenant among the ancient Israelites. Read athttps://knowhy.bookofmormoncentral.org/knowhy/why-did-the-nephites-preserve-some-items-as-national-treasures

Best Sellers In History Series 4 - "Benjamin Franklin"   This is the fourth episode for the Best Seller in History series. This time around, the sales spotlight is on Benjamin Franklin.  Despite Benjamin Franklin only having two years of formal education, his inventions are used to this day. He was a phenomenal writer when he was a teenager and was an inventor throughout his life. Franklin was a statesman, designed a musical instrument used by Mozart and Beethoven, and was an abolitionist in his later years. It's worth noting he was also a writer, painter, political philosopher,  politician, Freemason, diplomat, and so much more, including a phenomenal seller. We will explore five reasons why.   Sales Spotlight - Benjamin Franklin   One of the founding fathers of the United States, Benjamin Franklin grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. Due to financial constraints, he wasn't able to finish his formal education so he worked as an apprentice for his brother who was in the printing industry.  When Benjamin was 15 years old, his brother founded a newspaper called The New England Courant. His experience in his brother's company helped in shaping his skills as a phenomenal seller.  There are five reasons why Benjamin Franklin was so effective:   1.Problem-solving skills Curiosity  Ability to seek knowledge 4 .Learning from smarter people and masterminding  Ability to build a strong rapport   Ability to solve problems     Benjamin Franklin had extraordinary skills in problem-solving and used this talent throughout his life. James Franklin, his brother, was running a newspaper but he wouldn't allow Benjamin to write for the publication. He realized the solution was to ghostwrite through anonymous letters, under the guise of being a middle-aged widow. The anonymous letters focused on what was going on in the community so it naturally piqued the interest of the readers.  Benjamin would slip the letters under the door of James' newspaper each night. Each morning, James and his friends would discuss and debate the content of the letter. The letters got published and Benjamin's alter ego became a popular contributor to the paper. His brother wasn't happy when he found out that it was Benjamin who was writing the anonymous letters but had no choice but to continue publishing for the readers who loved the anonymous letters.  Sometime later, James was thrown in jail after writing something that wasn't favorable to the government. During his absence, Ben ran the newspaper without major issues. When his brother came back, Ben presented the idea of partnership. When James didn't agree with Ben's proposal, Ben decided to leave and went to Philadelphia.   Problem-Solving skills as a sales rep   There are times when buyers don't even recognize they have a problem. They are so focused on the status quo and happy with their current system that it doesn't occur to them to change things. They refuse to learn more or don't realize there is more to learn.    The prospect may even have problems they're not aware of.  Others have identified their problems but they just have a band-aid solution to ease the discomfort. As a sales rep, you need to find a way to actually solve the problem. That's what Benjamin did. Even when he asked his brother, James said No repeatedly. Ben thought outside the box and he thought of ways to address a problem regardless of the decisions made by James. Your job is to help your clients recognize the problem and present them with a solution, even if they may have objections.    Be Curious    Benjamin Franklin was curious and was a voracious reader, consuming books and literature.  He was always learning. This love of learning led him to create an almanac where he included tips and advice that could be applied to everyday life. As a result, his almanac stood out from the rest of the competition.    Benjamin's curiosity was ever present, even after his retirement in the publishing industry. He made many inventions and even received recognition from the King of France due to his skills as a scientist. Money wasn't his motivation for inventing things.  It was more for satisfying curiosity and creating a better society.   Curiosity as a sales rep   Sales reps who are curious are the ones who are able to dig deeper and as a result, offer true value. Take for example a sales rep selling a SAS software solution. It is a service that allows you to send mass messages to clients and interact with them. If the sales rep presenting the product jumps directly into the proposal and price offering, he will likely lose the deal.  Consider another sales rep who is very curious and wants to figure out why they need the text messaging service. She wants to find out how the client can take advantage of the software. It will be easier for the second sales rep to actually make the sale because she's gathered more information. She's able to build more value by asking effective questions. Your curiosity will help you land deals because you're willing to put in the extra effort.  When meeting with clients, always go deeper. It all comes down to providing value to your client.    Keep on learning Benjamin Franklin had an affinity for learning and that is what made him stand out from his contemporaries. He always knew a little more. When he was left in Europe with no money, he took it upon himself to learn the printing industry of England. When he came back to the US two years after, he had an arsenal of knowledge ready to use.  He was able to successfully turn his business into a success and take advantage of opportunities that allowed him to learn more about the daily operations.   As a sales rep, you can fuel your mind by reading books and listening to podcasts related to your industry. Keep on learning more about your clients. Read more newspapers and know the trends. Read up on current events and research how these trends affect your industry. Take part in trainings and workshops that will help you improve, not only as a sales rep but also as an individual. Provide value as a consultant within your space. There's nothing new under the sun but you can always learn something new from other people.  We can never know enough.   Learn from smarter people  When Benjamin Franklin first came to Philadelphia, he was a boy who was broke, dirty, and dingy. He realized that in order for him to excel, he had to learn more. He didn't have much but he had nice clothing. He hung out with the right people, the high society. He spent so much time with these individuals, the people around him just assumed he was already successful and belonged.   This inclusion allowed him to network and make relevant connections. It was a smart strategy and he thrived. Benjamin Franklin even organized a group that would be able to benefit from one another. There were 12 members initially and all the members were from different backgrounds. What they had in common was they shared an inquisitive spirit, a desire to improve, and they wanted to help others in their community. Among them were painters, surveyors, clerks, bartenders, and more. The members were older than Benjamin Franklin but he was clearly the group's leader.    Make it a point to learn from smarter people and associate with them. Being in a group will help you thrive but the moment you become the smartest person in the room, you need to find a new group. The people within your group will challenge you, push you, and help you grow in your career.  In a mastermind group, there's a lot of accountability in place because you're there with a purpose. Be dedicated to your group and its goals.   It's important to look the part you want to become. Come to the group looking  put together and be professional.     Ability to build rapport  Benjamin Franklin knew the ability to build rapport helped him solidify his biggest deal and he understood it's one of the most important facets of sales.    The TSE Certified Sales Training Program is designed to help salespeople learn how to build value and build rapport. It helps salespeople land deals by training on what to say and asking effective questions.    Andrew Rosebrough is the owner and president of Portable Medical Diagnostics, a mobile x-ray and ultrasound company servicing various parts of Florida. His company has taken on some of these principles Benjamin Franklin taught over the years and it has helped his company to thrive.   Some salespeople think to be a great seller, one also needs to become a great orator. Contrary to that belief, Benjamin Franklin wasn't much of a speaker. He was more of a listener than a speaker. He felt like he didn't know what to say all the time. An author pointed out that the best-sellers are not the extroverts or introverts, they're the ambiverts - the ones who fall right in the middle.    The Scenario  In Benjamin Franklin's time, the United States was in trouble. They were fighting the British and the situation was bad. The American soldiers were underfunded and undersupplied.  Their circumstances were dire. The French, however, were secretly assisting the U.S. armies but they weren't fully committed to helping the soldiers just yet. Luckily, Benjamin was already famous in Europe.. He was an inventor, a scientist, and the French people knew him. He learned French and the French people appreciated that. He was charismatic and he used that to his advantage. He socialized and networked and made sure to play their game. He just didn't ask for what he needed right away. He first played the long game. He learned the way of the French and it softened them to his requests. His counterpart was John Adams but John was the typical American and the French didn't like him. He made no effort to level with the French.    Understand your clients As a salesperson, you need to understand your clients and what they like to do.  Try to be part of that. Discover what makes them tick. Spend time with them and get to know them on a personal level.    This can be difficult because you may have other things you like to do more. This is, however, an investment to land that big deal. John Adams didn't take the time to understand the French and because he was forcing business, he was kicked back to the U.S.    Employ the platinum rule like Benjamin Franklin did. The platinum rule says, treat others the way they would like to be treated.    Best Sellers In History Series 4 - "Benjamin Franklin" episode resources Benjamin Franklin was an amazing seller. Here are the five reasons why:  Problem-solving skills Curiosity  Ability to seek knowledge Learning from smarter people and masterminding  Ability to build a strong rapport Connect with Andrew Rosebrough via his LinkedIn account or visit their website.   If you have more sales concerns, you can also talk to Donald about it via LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for any sales concerns.  This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It's a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can also call us at (561) 570-5077.   It's also brought to you by B2B Sales Show with a different podcast format. It has a rotating co-host and they brought in multiple sales though leaders and half a dozen other co-hosts that are either interviewing the guests or sharing quick hit tactical content themselves from their own lessons throughout their sales career. They have multiple episodes a week.  We have a new semester beginning in January and we would love to have you and your team join us. Follow this link to apply to the program.  We have a new semester beginning in January and we would love to have you and your team join us. Follow this link to apply to the program.  We'd love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to.  You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial.  Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

If scars are stories, Harrison Scott Key has more than enough to fill the books that he writes. Growing up in the south, he’s taken his share of licks and has come through each harrowing event with another funny story to tell. He contemplates life while washing kitchenware and feels that our uncertainty is what unities us. When Benjamin sits down to chat with Harrison, the two dive into humor, family, and many, many anecdotes. This is Harrison Scott Key.

For a city that was built on a foundation of distraction, in the aftermath of evil, Las Vegas is awake. The locals waited in line for eight hours to give blood. The city has started funds and efforts to house the families of the fallen who seek to come into the city to see the ones they've lost. When Benjamin went free listening in the streets of Vegas, he talked with many people struggling to make sense of how they feel. Today we all pause to reflect on what it means to listen in times of anguish.

He had escaped, he was free.   Most, if not all, in his position, would have kept running, and not looked back. They would have fled to the Northern Free States, or perhaps British North America, to try and start a new life there, just out of reach of their slave master. That was what his father had done before him when the boy was still too young to remember him. Not young Nat Turner though. After a month in the wilderness, he would return to his master by his own free will. Later, he would explain to Thomas Ruffin Gray, a lawyer who frequently represented slaves, and who'd go on to write “The Confessions of Nat Turner”, “the Spirit appeared to me and said I had my wishes directed to the things of this world, and not to the kingdom of heaven, and that I should return to the service of my earthly master.”   In many senses, though Turner was different than his brothers and sisters in bondage, something that was recognized early on in his life. Though a slave, his first master, Benjamin Turner, would let him be educated in reading, writing, and religion. When Benjamin died in 1810, the ten-year-old Nat faced an uncertain future, sold three times after that. Still, what had stuck with him was the religious training he had received from the youngest of ages, and it had shaped who he would become. Fasting, praying, conducting Baptist services, reading his bible, he would become known as the Prophet by his fellow slaves. In his mind that was exactly what he was, a modern Moses who had come to lead his people from slavery. In his words, “I heard a loud noise in the heavens, and the Spirit instantly appeared to me and said the Serpent was loosened, and Christ had laid down the yoke he had borne for the sins of men, and that I should take it on and fight against the Serpent, for the time was fast approaching, when the first should be last, and the last should be first.” It was just that he had to wait for the sign.   In 1831 that sign would finally come to him he became convinced that following the eclipse, “I should arise and prepare myself, and slay my enemies with their own weapons.” Laying out his plans to his closest friends, he would begin to strategize, plotting the next move in what would become his revolt, that rebellion that he believed he was divinely ordained to take upon his shoulders and lead. At no point was he mistaken as to what it was, referring to it as “the work of death.” Whatever the cost though it was, in his mind, the price to pay for the freedom of his people, even if it was to be paid in the lives and blood of others.   Still, as he found that though he could recruit others, building his following to 70 slaves and free blacks, many would turn their back on him. It would, at least according to him, leave him so sick that the day would pass and he would have to wait for the next sign. Just over a month later, on August 13th of that same year, as Mount St. Helen erupted and the skies took on a strange new hue, it had come. There would be no more waiting.   Just after midnight on the 22nd of August, Turner and his supporters would launch their Rebellion. Even in the earliest of hours it turned bloodied, as Turner ordered his people that they were to kill indiscriminately of age or sex all white people they would come across. He would sneak into his Master’s chamber, a man he described as kind to him. Dark, too dark for him to see, he would swing a hatch and glance his head. John Travis would awake and call out to his wife. As Turner would tell the story, “it was his last word. Will laid him dead with a blow of his axe, and Mrs. Travis shared the same fate, as she lay in bed. The murder of this family five in number was the work of a moment, not one of them awoke; there was a little infant sleeping in the cradle, that was forgotten, until we had left the house and gone some distance, when Henry and Will returned and killed it.” Leaving guns as they believed they would attract too much attention, his followers would march, almost in military formation, with hatchets and axes and knives and clubs, freeing the slaves and murdering any white people they came across. In one instance they would hack at one woman, the sword so dull that Turner would keep bludgeoning her over the head.    With a trail of violence, blood staining the streets behind them they would cut through Southampton County Virginia, leaving few alive, sparing only the poorest white individuals, believing they were in the same estate as the slave and the black. 60 men, women and children would be brutally murdered, butchered at the order of Turner in his attempt to strike fear and terror into the hearts of the white population as they sought to gain in strength and numbers to get that foothold. Turner would later claim that he had no intention of letting the murders continue, it was only a part of his preliminary plan to build on his momentum and prevent any from stopping him.   Whether that was true or not, it would bring a swift reaction, not of submission, or defeat, but anger as a Militia twice the size of Turner’s insurrection, and supported by three artillery companies would put down the rebellion quickly. In the end, the Militia would kill over a hundred blacks, and the state would execute another 56, including a number who had nothing to do with the rebellion, an almost indiscriminate slaughter that answered Turner’s indiscriminate slaughter blood for blood. Word would quickly spread through the South as rumors circulated that the rebellion was not an isolated occurrence. Executions would become commonplace over the next weeks. John Hampden Pleasants of the Richmond Constitutional Whig would call it “the slaughter of many blacks, without trial, and under circumstances of great barbarity", while Theodore Trezvant would announce that “The scouting parties through the county have killed 22, without law or justice, as they determined to shew them no mercy.” Men would be tortured, burned and maimed as the list of atrocities mounted in the name of Turner’s Rebellion, until the Commander, General Eppes of Sussex County, seeing enough of what he described as “revolting,” “inhuman” “acts of barbarity and cruelty” ordered it to stop   Turner himself would survive until November of that year when he was captured by a farmer and then executed by hanging in Jerusalem Virginia, with rumors that he had been skinned afterward. The effects though would be long felt after as Virginia debated the gradual abolition of slavery, and found that the pro-slavery faction controlled too much of the state. Instead it would be the excuse many slave owners needed to pass even more oppressive measures on an oppressed people as laws would be enacted that made it illegal to teach any black or half black to read or write, and that would ban them from assembling or holding religious service without a licensed white minister in attendance.

Ethan Sawyer, better known as College Essay Guy, is a master of questions. When Benjamin sits down with him to chat, the two quickly dig in to the power of curiosity and how our inquisitive nature can ignite passions in all areas of life. Join in on the conversation, as Ethan opens up to what it means to listen unconditionally.