The Bold Life Movement with Kimberly Rich: Recent Episodes
Kimberly Rich
The Bold Life Movement is all about empowering people to be their best, boldest, and happiest self. Each week we'll bring you true stories from inspiring people who prove that it's possible to life a passion-filled, rich life. Whether your goal is to build a business and travel the world, or cultivate better relationships, and a healthier lifestyle, The Bold Life Movement has you covered. Hear from successful entrepreneurs, bestselling authors, and other inspiring individuals, and learn how you can harness your own inner boldness to create your best life.
Wow! This is an episode I never thought I'd publish. The idea of giving up alcohol always seemed so impossible, so undesirable, so boring.
After completing my 6-week sober experiment, my experience couldn't be further from the truth. I've never felt clearer, happier, and more aligned. The once ever-present urge to have a glass of wine or a cold beer has completely subsided. And yet... all the social scenarios I dreaded giving up, continue to be available. So much of our relationship to alcohol is related to the stories we have about it, about ourselves, and the chemical hold it has on us that we may not even be aware of.
Whether you're a social drinker who craves a cleaner life, or your are someone who feels like you've been abusing the drug for a long time, there is hope in this episode for you.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why I decided to run a 6-week sober experiment (vs. 4 weeks).
- How it felt during the first few weeks of detoxing (spoiler: the struggle was real).
- Some powerful resources for helping me to understand my experience.
- The life-changing impact this one decision has had on me.
- Why I'm not claiming to "never drink again."
- How easy this can be for you too (if it calls to you).
Here are some of the resources I discuss:
- This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Find Freedom, Discover Happiness & Change Your Life - by Annie Grace
- Mel Robbins Podcast: What Alcohol Does to Your Body
Let's Connect!
- Join the #BOLDESTYEARYET Challenge
I first discovered Jesse through one of his viral Instagram videos centered on synchronicities and the quantum field. I was blown away by the magic that ensued in my life, and so impressed with his consistently inspiring content that I just knew I had to share it with my #boldlifers.
In this episode Jesse and I both share candidly about our dark nights of the soul, how non-linear the spiritual journey can be, and how to cope when it seems like no one in your life understands.
This episode is for anyone who has ever struggled with faith in a higher power, trust in their higher self, or confusion about their higher purpose.
In this episode you'll learn:
- How to invite cosmic support when you need it
- Jesse's process for staying inspired to create
- How going from 182 followers to 60K followers on Instagram has impacted his life
- Why quantum leaping is a spiritual awakening of its own
- Tips for riding the waves of the human experience
- How to see the gift in a dark night of the soul
- And much much more...
If you like this episode, please leave a review. From my soul to yours, thank you!
Let's Connect:
- Come say hi on Instagram!
- Grab my FREE Reflection & Visioning Workbook
Connect with Jesse:
- Youtube
In today's episode I share a super powerful tool for moving through conflict and disconnect inside your relationship. This incredible process can be used with romantic partners, business partners, employees, children, parents...anywhere that discord may get in the way of connection.
I recently transitioned from romance to friendship inside one of my intimate relationships and it may come as no surprise that there were some sticky moments.
In today's episode I share how we used this tool to overcome our triggers, and consciously uncouple in peace.
It's a vulnerable one! But my hope is that by sharing this intimate experience, you can save yourself future frustration and heartache.
Sending you love!Kim Let's Connect:
- Instagram - Say hi!
Resources:
- Videos on The Image Method
- Getting the Love You Want - by Harville Hendrix Ph.D. & Helen LaKelly Hunt PhD
- More Than Enough - New Training!
We're back!!
I'm so excited to be kicking off season 4 after a much needed hiatus with my higher self. In today's episode, I share the intimate details of what unfolded the past couple of years, and what you can expect in the coming months from the show!
This episode is likely to ruffle some feathers, and simultaneously act as a massive permission slip for you and your intuition.
I talk about:
- Getting fired (twice)
- Making a really hard decision and trusting that it would turn out well
- Losing my family and community
- Finding my purpose once again
- Manifesting incredible opportunities to support my mission
- Reconnecting to my faith
- How you can have your #boldestyearyet
Thank you so much for tuning in and if you
Let's Connect:
- Say hi on Instagram
Resources:
- More Than Enough - New Training!
- The #BoldestYearYet | Free Challenge - Make this your boldest year yet!
Why is it that some people are destined for success while others will never fulfill their full potential? What sets apart those that “make it” from those that never really make any money from their business ideas?
I recently attended the annual DCBKK conference in Bangkok, Thailand. This is a gathering of internet entrepreneurs from all over the world who come together to mastermind, connect, and learn about how to grow their businesses.
While there were many entrepreneurial takeaways, what stood out to me were the things that differentiated those who had “succeeded” (in their sense of the term) from those who were still trying to make it work.
In today’s episode, I share 3 things that “successful” entrepreneurs do, that others are unwilling or unable to implement.
If you can honestly say that you do all 3 of these things, and you’re still struggling to move the needle, then reach out to me! I’m sure that with some outside perspective a plan can be put in place. I’m offering free 30-minute strategy sessions to the first 10 people who sign up here.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
- Why “It’s not science, you need clients.”
- What really goes on behind the scenes of scaling a side hustle from $3K to $100K.
- The #1 thing that will keep you going when the going gets tough.
- How an illustrator created a scalable business to live her dream life.
- What it actually means to think outside the box.
RESOURCES:
- Dynamite Circle: http://dynamitecircle.com/
- DCBKK: http://dcbkk.com/
- Davis’ Business: My Consulting Offer
- Cat Coquilette: Cat’s Instagram - Check out her art!
We’ve all been there. Feeling lost, unmotivated, and knowing that it should-it can-be better.
But how do we get unstuck? In this week’s episode, I walk you step-by-step through a simple process to get you out of a rut, and back to feeling like your best self.
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW KIMBERLY: Instagram
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
- Why recognizing the rut is the first step to getting out of it.
- What is the source of your rut?
- How to switch things up to change your current situation.
- You are not alone. Read that again.
- Why taking care of yourself first and foremost will get you unstuck quickest.
- How to have habits without monotony.
When his gut told him to risk everything to build a mobile app, he listened. With no safety net, Doug went all in to build The Daily Shifts App, in hopes that by listening to his higher calling, he can help you connect to yours.
I love this interview because it showcases the real-life ‘shifts’ that can happen when a person focuses on creating better habits, trusting their intuition, and adopting a mindset of growth and gratitude.
“I had a spiritual experience that said, don’t worry about a safety net, just go for it. And so I did.” SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW DOUG: Instagram
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
- How one book in college changed the direction of his life.
- How he went from a wolf-of-Wallstreet mentality to having a spiritual awakening.
- How psychedelics played a role in the development of the app.
- The 3 things that will always bring you back to center and connect you to your intuition.
- The best tips for growing your mediation practice.
- The crazy risks Doug took to build the app.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What led you to create a personal growth app?
- Why an App? Why not a course or a journal or something cheaper to create?
- How did his leadership evolve pre and post spiritual awakening?
On a night like any other, Jess found herself working late at her high-paying financial job. But as the stack of project papers landed on her desk, a realization settled in her heart.
She had to quit.
A few months later she set out on the solo trip of a lifetime, hiking 2,000 miles, over the course of 6 months.
This bold move changed the trajectory of her life and now empowers her to help others make similar shifts in their lives.
QUOTABLES:
“Opportunities rarely come when it’s convenient or comfortable.”
“I let the part of me that wanted to find my passion and move forward, and win, over the part of me that was scared.”
“I wanted to know that what was within me was far greater than anything happening outside.”
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW JESS: Facebook
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
- Why she left a 6-figure job to reconnect to a purpose-driven life.
- How that decision led to her hiking the Appalachian Trail.
- How a bold decision leads to unseen opportunity.
- How to battle the fears that come up when we follow our truth.
- How she kept going on the 2,000-mile hike when she wanted to quit.
- The importance of finding a partner-in-believing.
- Why courage comes before confidence.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- How did she make the decision to hike the Appalachian Trail?
- What opportunities came from following such an unconventional path?
- How did you handle lash-back from family and friends?
RESOURCES:
- GLOW + FLOW TRANSFORMATIONAL RETREAT: http://theboldlifemovement.com/retreat
“Did you move to Bali?”
Short answer: yes.
For now, at least.
When I came to Bali in April, I never had any intention of staying (says me and everyone else who winds up in Ubud.) What I’ve uncovered from following my gut to this magical place is way more than I bargained for.
”To say it was easy, would be a lie.” Fast forward five months, and a lot has changed. I created a community, a home, and a new vision for what The Bold Life Movement will look like moving forward.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
- The myth of “creating life on your terms”.
- How to crush your goals in Q4.
- What it was like settling in Bali.
- How I made the decision to leave Austin and the logistics of dealing with that remotely.
- The empowering truth behind following your gut.
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW ME ON IG FOR MORE BTS BALI FOOTAGE: Instagram
What if there was a formula for finding your passion? Would you follow it?
In this interview with my dear friend, Grant Kellogg, we reverse engineer his recent success to show how he (and countless others that have been featured on the show) discovered his passion, and how his life has changed because of it.
”I think it just comes down to committing to something.”
Whether your thing is yoga, or knitting, or coding, or writing, there IS a process that one can follow to create fulfillment and mastery. In this episode, Grant shares how he went from designing User Interfaces in northern California, to designing cacao experiences all over the world.
I love this interview because Grant embodies what it means to start before you’re ready, and he shows what is possible when you make passion a priority.
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW GRANT: Instagram
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
- How Grant’s curiosity evolved into his purpose.
- Why using your voice is so important in finding what you’re passionate about.
- Why your state plays a huge role in your success.
- How having incorporating “ritual” into your interests can make it stick, for you and for other people in your life.
- How to attract opportunities to help you succeed.
- How modeling mentors catapulted his confidence
- The secret to evolving and learning even faster. (to always be open)
- To create a movement, you have to be a product of your product.
- What is a Cacao Ceremony?
- What’s the difference between Ceremonial Cacao and hot cocoa?
- What elements are always included in a Cacao Ceremony, and how can you customize it to make it unique to you?
RESOURCES:
- Click Here to get access to the Free Training - ‘How I Quit my Corporate Job to Travel the World, Launched a Business I Love, & Became a TEDx Speaker without Knowing my “Purpose” or Having a Plan’
- YogaBarn.com
- Elah and Aussiera - Grant’s Cacao Mentors
- Keithscacao.com
- Ubud Raw
- Amazon - ceremonial Grade Cacao
- Native cacao powder
If you could undo years of trauma, and shed unnecessary emotional gunk with just 60 minutes of healing, would you?
What if it was free and I told you that it's something you already do every day?
In this special Bali-edition of The Bold Life Movement Podcast, Kimberly shares a life-changing practice that she's recently implemented, and how you can use similar tools to affect change in your life, starting today.
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
RESOURCES:
- Click Here to get access to the Free Training - ‘How I Quit my Corporate Job to Travel the World, Launched a Business I Love, & Became a TEDx Speaker without Knowing my “Purpose” or Having a Plan’
- Alchemy of Breath - Conscious Circular Breathing
If pressure is how diamonds are made, can the same be true for humans?
We think so.
In this special Bali-edition of The Bold Life Movement Podcast, Kimberly discusses the benefits of putting yourself in high-risk situations, that are outside your control, and how doing so can actually produce a greater sense of ease in your life.
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
RESOURCES: Click Here to get access to the Free Training - ‘How I Quit my Corporate Job to Travel the World, Launched a Business I Love, & Became a TEDx Speaker without Knowing my “Purpose” or Having a Plan’
Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.”
If this is true, then it pays to spend time with people who are doing what you want to be doing, and preferably 10 steps ahead of where you are now.
In this special Bali-edition of The Bold Life Movement, Kimberly breaks down the 'power of proximity' concept and why she moved to Bali to live with two of her mastermind mentors.
Access the Free Training Here:
http://theboldlifemovement.com/free-training
Watch on Youtube here:
https://youtu.be/_NZkWHM_I8w
Caty Pasternak is a Leadership Coach, world traveler, and devoted dancer, who will resonate with you on so many levels. She brings to the show, the perfect cocktail of honesty, humor and experience as a transformational coach that is hard not to love.
After creating incredible results in her life and business with strategies that seemed to “woo-woo” for traditional personal development or entrepreneurship, she knew she had to introduce some of the magical work she had studied, embodied, and mastered with her clients. She helps women EMBODY leadership and abundance through transforming their subconscious minds, awakening flow states, and activating creative resources within them so they can truly manifest whatever they desire.
She utilizes hypnotherapy, NLP, biz strategy, intuitive development, and quantum physics to support women through personal and business transformations in her private mentorship and mastermind programs.
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW CATY: Website | Instagram | Youtube | Facebook
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
- Caty’s definition of Manifestation, and how it differs from what you may have heard.
- How to start recognizing your own intuition.
- What tool she uses to access intuitive hits.
- Which brain wave to access if you want to have a transcendent experience.
- Different types of meditations and what they accomplish.
- The 3 different ways you can achieve alignment, and how to access them.
- The freedom of being an entrepreneur comes with a lot of responsibility.
- The top two habits that have been life-changing for her.
- How to use archetypes to help you become the person you want to be.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- How did your spiritual journey begin?
- What is Quantum Living?
- What is Caty’s current meditation practice.
- How do you access “flow”?
- How do you use hypnosis to change people’s beliefs and patterns?
- How do you reconcile fate or “soul’s journey” with manifestation or “creating your life”?
- What does “alignment” look like on a day-to-day basis?
- How do you stay consistent in your business, while staying aligned?
- What has been your experience with Plant Medicine?
RESOURCES:
- The Misleading Mind - by Karuna Cayton
- You Are a Badass - by Jen Sincero
- Sexy Soul Masterclass
- Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself - by Dr. Joe Dispenza
- Japa Meditation Audio - by Wayne Dyer
- WealthDynamics.com
- Human Design
- Myers Briggs Personality Test
- Sexy Soul Radio
- ✨Return to Radiance Retreat ✨
Internationally recognized, award-winning sexologist and best selling author (Red Hot Touch), Jaiya is the creator of the Erotic Blueprint Breakthrough™ and the Erotic Blueprint™ Quiz. Through more than two decades of client observation and clinical research she discovered a map of arousal that reveals your specific erotic language, a revolutionary framework to create deeper connection and sexual satisfaction.
I first found Jaiya’s work when an ex-boyfriend of mine introduced me to her “Erotic Blueprint” quiz. It was so life-changing, that I’ve since shared this quiz with dozens of people, in the hopes that it will help them as much as it helped me. Her work is so effective that each year Tony Robbins invites her to speak at his private Relationship Seminar for his Platinum Partnership group (cost starts at $80K to join.)
Piqued your interest, but still have no idea what I’m talking about? Think of your Erotic Blueprint as your sexual love language; a tool to help you better understand yourself, your partner, and how to have the best sex of your life.
One of the reasons I wanted to bring Jaiya on the show is because so often the sex advice we receive tailors only to one type of blueprint. Our society gets its sexual education from Cosmopolitan, Playboy, and even-less-realistic, porn. We’re taught to think that sex should look a certain way, end a certain way, and if you don’t enjoy it, or can’t climax, you’ve failed.
Jaiya’s Erotic Blueprints show us that not only are we all wired differently, but there are superpowers (and shadow sides) to each of these sexual blueprints. If you’ve ever wondered why your sex life doesn’t feel like what you see in the movies, or why you were more compatible sexually with one partner more than another, this episode is for you.
Part of living your fullest life, is loving the deepest and experiencing the greatest ecstasy between the sheets. This episode will help you get there.
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW JAIYA: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
- Why immersion is the best way to become a teacher of something you’re interested in.
- Who her sexuality/tantra mentors were.
- How having more conversations about sex can heal the shame we have around this taboo topic.
- What the different erotic blueprints mean for you (Energetic, Sensual, Sexual, Kinky, Shapeshifter)
- The pros and cons (superpowers and shadows) of each blueprint.
- What socially normative sex looks like.
- The 4 steps to find satisfaction with a partner who has a different blueprint.
- Why bright lights cause the body to close up!
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- How did you become a somatic sexologist? What is that?
- What types of workshops did you take?
- If sex is everywhere, why are sexual blueprints not mainstream yet?
- Can your Erotic Blueprint change?
RESOURCES:
- Erotic BluePrint™ Quiz - Click here to discover yours!
- Jewel and the Lotus - by Bodhi Avinasha
- The Art of Sexual Magic - by Margot Anand
- Joseph Kramer - Sexological Bodywork
- Kenneth Ray Stubbs - Institute of Somatic Sexology
Ever wondered how to get paid more for the work you’re doing? Then you’re going to love today’s episode. Kathlyn Hart is not only a Salary Negotiation Coach, but she’s also the motivational speaker to get your ass in gear to follow your dreams (and get paid well to do it.)
Similar to my story, Kathlyn quit her 9-5 job to travel around the world and start living life on her own terms. Her passion for helping women find greater confidence, and greater financial recognition, led her to create her Be Brave, Get Paid program, and she’s spent the last few years teaching these concepts from the stage.
Kathlyn is an energetic hustler, and we relate on so many levels about the realities of running your own business. Whether you’re a business owner, looking for reassurance about the realities of entrepreneurship, or your someone with a traditional 9-5 job looking to get a bigger slice of the pie, this episode is for you.
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW KATHLYN: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
- We Kathlyn paused her podcast.
- What happened when she burnt out in her business.
- How her course launch looked & why you need to do a beta version.
- Why she got into Salary Negotiation and how it’s transferrable to all areas of your life.
- How to know what financial security means for YOU.
- How she and her fiance developed another income stream while traveling.
- Why you should diversify your income streams.
- What you call yourself doesn’t really matter, it’s how you make people feel.
- How to decide what you’re worth in Salary Negotiations.
- The reality of growing a youtube following
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- How did you afford to travel after quitting your job?
- What types of venues do you enjoy speaking at the most, why?
- What does your typical day look like?
- How do you implement discipline as a work-from-home business owner?
- What’s your favorite part about being an entrepreneur?
RESOURCES:
- Be brave, get paid program - https://www.bebravegetpaid.com/
-
Book in a Box - https://scribewriting.com/
-
Lau Hanly - https://lauraiswriting.com/
- The Alison Show - http://thealisonshow.com/
Welcome to the show! In this week's Episode, I take the chance to welcome new listeners to the show, and share what we're all about. Hint: It has to do with creating life on your terms. I also share some details about my recent hiatus from the show, AND where we're going to be taking episodes in the coming weeks.
I've never felt more aligned with the content that's coming, and I can't wait to share it with you.
Here's what you can expect:
A better life = better relationships.
Look for more episodes on communication, masculine & feminine energy (and why that matters), plus some awesome new information on how to have better sex! (hell yeah!)
Learn to harness universal laws.
To create life on your terms, you'll need a plan of action, sure. But you'll also need the art of allowing. In these episodes, we'll talk more about what you can do to be manifesting the things you really want, and why you might currently be blocking them.
Go behind the scenes.
As I begin working with my editor on the forthcoming book, and I start to build out more live events into my offerings, I'll give you behind the scenes looks at what goes into that process.
RESOURCES:
- Kimberly Rich TEDx - The Antidote to Regret
-
UNCUT 1 - Behind the Scenes of Living in Bali
-
UNCUT 2 - Why You're So Tired & Knowing When to Pivot in Life
-
UNCUT 3 - How to Get Clarity, Find Your Passion, & Be Resourceful with Your Money
-
UNCUT 4 - Katie B. Gives Kim a Live Energy Scan and Intuitive Reading
- Past Episodes on Writing:
- Mark Manson Interview - Embracing The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
- Jenni Brown - Solving the Entrepreneur's Dilemma
When their first child, Jonas Paul, was born without sight, Laura & Ben Harrison made it their mission to give him (and other children like him) a chance at a normal life. They dove head-first into a business creating stylish eyewear for children and partnered with organizations worldwide to bring quality eye care to developing countries.
I loved learning how they infused their innate creativity (as former photographers and designers) to create a brand that brings happiness to kids all over the world. What's more, through our conversation, you'll see just how easy it can be to add a social impact component to your business.
If you're craving fulfillment and want to hear an inspiring story about real people doing really big things, then this interview is for you.
"The fear of missing out on the opportunity we felt like we were called to be in, was greater than the money we would spend to invest."
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW LAURA & BEN: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What does it take to launch an eyewear business?
- What was the initial investment for this type of product business? Where did you source from?
- How did they transition to a home-try-on business?
- How did you pick your non-profit partners?
- How did you land The Today Show and other great media exposure for the business?
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN:
- How Laura & Ben got the clarity they'd been seeking to merge business with impact.
- Why their background as Destination Wedding photographers played a huge role in their desire to improve their son's sight.
- How their previous businesses helped them avoid the 'failure to launch' syndrome.
- Some of the tricks they used to get good pricing and minimum order quantities from manufacturers when they first launched.
- How they found advisors and investors for their cause.
- Why consistency in marketing has been the most integral piece.
- How they chose coordinated the social impact piece of the business.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- CBM International
- Ashlee Newman Photography
- The Antidote to Regret - Kimberly Rich TEDx
Jason Zook is one of the must creative and innovative entrepreneurs I know. He lives his life (both on and offline) by one rule: he must Do Things Differently, however possible. This is evident in everything from his website copy, to his wacky businesses where he even sold his last name to a company for a whopping $50,000.
I love the authentic boldness he brings to his ventures, and to his life, and in today's episode we go behind the scenes of how he makes it all possible.
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW JASON: Website | Twitter
FOLLOW WANDERING AIMFULLY: Website | Youtube | Instagram
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- Which of your [crazy] projects stands out the most?
- Why did you let people watch you write your first book?
- What advice would you have for someone who is mostly done with a first draft, but hasn’t finished it?
- What last name does your wife have?
- How did you and Caroline gamify paying down $100,000 in debt?
- How do you and Caroline prioritize all their businesses?
IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:
- How he got the idea for selling his last name as a business and how much he made for it.
- Once his contract ended with the company that bought his name, how did he choose which last name to land on?
- How he got a publisher to pick up his book after writing it.
- How long it takes to publish a book with a traditional publisher.
- Why you need an editor even if you’re not done with the first draft.
- What you can say to your credit card companies if you can’t pay them, and want to get rid of your debt.
- Why you shouldn’t buy Wandering Aimfully if you just started your business.
- Why he and his wife are showing ALL the behind the scenes steps of merging their businesses into Wandering Aimfully.
- How he and his wife begin every business meeting to keep rapport high.
- And much more...
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- www.watchmewrite.co
- jasondoeststuff.com/working - article about 'Working to Live'
- www.dearbookpublisher.com
- Essentialism - By Greg McKeown
- Asana - https://asana.com/
- Airtable - https://airtable.com/
- Minaal.com
- Jimmy Hayes on The Bold Life Movement Podcast
This week's episode is unlike any other. In this mini-series finale, Katie gives me a LIVE intuitive reading and energy scan. It gets extremely personal as I divulge what's going on in my life and Katie shares how that relates to what she saw in her visions.
Call it woo-woo, but it's one of my favorite episodes yet. If you've never had someone channel for you, or read your energy, I urge you to take a listen. And if you love this stuff, then you're in for a treat!
PS - Within 24 hours of Katie's reading, I drove through a cloud of bubbles, had a friend tell me he was going to Hawaii last-minute and saw a giant Big Bird birthday cake. Listen to the episode to hear why that is B-A-N-A-N-A-S.
IN TODAY'S EPISODE WE CHAT ABOUT:
- How the energy scan actually works.
- What Katie's visions mean, and how she downloads them.
- What information a real psychic would never tell you.
- Why trusting your gut is actually more of a scientific approach to decision making than you think.
- How to use intuitive readings as a useful mirror.
SOME RESOURCES FROM TODAY'S EPISODE:
- Jenna Herbut on The Real Rebel Podcast
- The Virtues Project Cards - https://virtuesproject.com/
Roz Savage is one of the most interesting people I've ever chatted with, let alone interviewed for the podcast. She's fiercely smart, but chose to leave behind her successful career in corporate consulting to row across 3 major oceans all by herself!
I was curious about what motivates someone to undertake such a quest, how she endured it,and what she learned along the way. Roz has since authored a number of books, give speeches all over the world, and even been invited to Yale to teach a course on courage.
All those accolades and she's still incredibly down to earth. I'm sure you'll agree that her bold adventure is beyond inspiring so take a listen and leave a comment below!
"It all started to seem frighteningly doable."
THE BOLD LIFE MOVEMENT
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW ROZ: Website | Facebook | Twitter
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What thoughts occupied your mind most?
- What was one of the scariest moment?
- What did you consume?
- What did training look like?
- How much do you talk to yourself? What do you say?
- What did the boat look like? How did you afford it?
- What was the most surprising part?
- What made kept you laughing while at sea?
- What was the coolest animal you saw?
- Who inspires you now?
IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:
- How starting with the “end in mind” is what led her to radically change her life to avoid regrets and lack of fulfillment.
- Why she kicked off her adventure with a trip to Peru, and what happened when she tried Ayahuasca.
- Why she chose rowing as her sport of choice, and what led her to decide to cross the three major oceans.
- How her mission to raise environmental awareness played into her quest.
- What courses and classes she needed to take to prepare, and how many hours per day she needed to train.
- How she survived when all 4 of her oars were broken by massive waves.
- What you learn when you’re alone with your thoughts for months on end.
- The closest she came to dying, and what kept her going.
- About her new global initiative called “The Sisters” and why she’s so excited about it.
RESOURCES:
- Roz Savage - Rowing the Atlantic: Lessons Learned on the Open Ocean
- Roz Savage TEDx Talk - "Why I'm Rowing Across the Pacific"
- Stephen Covey - 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
- James Redfield - The Celestine Prophecy
- Richard Rudd - The Gene Keys
Do you have those days when it's just a slog to feel anything but "meh"? Don't worry, you're not alone. In today's episode, I give you a quick and dirty breakdown of my secret weapon for pulling myself out of a funk.
It's SO effective, in fact, that now it's becoming a daily must. I credit my high vibe attitude and feeling of unstoppability to this habit. The best part? It only takes 5 minutes.
CHALLENGE: If you're on the fence about the efficacy of this daily to-do, then I challenge you to do it for 30 straight days. If you see NO difference after that time, I'll give you your money back.*
*I will give you a virtual high-five because this is a free piece of content, but I admire your stick-to-it-ness!
IN THIS EPISODE WE CHAT ABOUT:
- How Purpose and Grief are the global themes for April
- How we are universally being pushed to strip away the things that are NOT working in our lives right now.
- The grief that comes from letting go of the things that aren’t serving you.
- Cutting the shit that doesn’t light you up.
- Collective Consciousness.
- The difference between focusing on the things that make you feel good, AND understanding that it doesn’t mean avoiding the things that are uncomfortable or you have resistance to.
- How to start getting CLARITY of focus.
- Understanding the benefit of transferable skills when you’re focusing on things that are “fun” but not necessarily profitable.
- HOW TO FOLLOW THE FUN!
- How to pay down credit card debt.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Lee Harris Energy - https://www.leeharrisenergy.com/
- Danielle Laporte - Fire Starter Sessions
- Lee Harris - Empaths vs. Narcissists
- You Need A Budget - Budgeting Software
- Billy - Business accounting for freelancers and small businesses.
- Ramit Sethi - I Will Teach You to Be Rich
- Jen Sincero - You are a Badass at Making Money
- Wallace D. Wattles - The Science of Getting Reach
Lauren Robertson is a modern-day medium, Hay House Author, and coach. Through her faith and commitment, she built up a strong career as a medium, before using her intuition to land a publishing deal with one of the world's leading publishing houses in spirituality.
Lauren is a magical woman, having manifested her dream man, and a chance to dance on stage with Jason Mraz. She believes that we all have magic within us. We all have a voice that deserves to be heard, and an ability to use our own mediumship, to share the voices of those who longer can.
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW LAUREN: Website | Facebook
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- How does her practice of mediumship differ from “Fortune tellers”?
- What are the different modalities you use?
- What are the different “Claires” and what do they mean?
- How do you respond to people who don’t believe in signs or spirits?
- Who do you look to for spiritual mentorship and inspiration?
- How does she help her public speaking clients?
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN:
- How your destiny can be altered.
- There is no distinction between mediums
- How to tap into your own medium-abilities
- What the term “Mediumship” actually means
- The “Hard Problem” of consciousness.
- You don’t need a list to put on an event, you put on an event of such quality, and that is how you build your list.
- About Lauren’s upcoming speaker retreat at a castle in Scotland
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- SpeakerSuperstar.com - Speaker Superstar Talk Template
- Medium in Manolos - by Lauren Robertson
- Danielle Laporte - http://www.daniellelaporte.com/
- Gabby Bernstein - https://gabbybernstein.com/
- Gina Devee - http://www.divineliving.com/
- The TommyKnockers - Stephen King
- On Writing - Stephen King
- Invent It, Sell It, Bank It!: Make Your Million-Dollar Idea into a Reality - Lori Greiner
- A Course in Miracles - https://www.acim.org/
Thursday is my birthday ya'll! And for this week's #MondayMotivation I wanted to share with you one of the best birthday gifts I ever received. I'm willing to bet... it's not what you think.
I won't spoil the surprise, but I will tell you that the more novel you can make someone's life, the better. So buck up, be bold, and be willing to do anything for the bit.
Like these solo eps? Drop me a comment on Instagram: @theboldlifemovent
In today's Episode of #UNCUT with Kim & Katie B. we get real about why so many of us lose inspiration, motivation, and when it's okay to pause-and even pivot-in our life and biz.
Katie shares some of the things you can do to re-set your nervous system and the poor health that often comes with feeling overwhelmed and unfulfilled.
IN THIS EPISODE WE CHAT ABOUT:
- "Should"ing all over yourself
- How to know when to Pivot
- Why you need to create the right energy before sitting down to create something for your customers/readers/listeners
- Causes and effects of adrenal fatigue and how to remedy it
- My love-hate relationship with beer and Ben & Jerry's
- And most importantly, why any of the above matters in the first place.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Grass Fed Coffee
- John Ban: The Benefits of Being First to Market - #TBLMPodcast
- Ecstatic Dance Austin
- The Adrenal Reset Diet - by Alan Christianson
- The Obstacle is the Way - By Ryan Holiday
Our #UNCUT episodes are super real, so grab your favorite glass of wine, and get cozy. We hope you love hanging out!
Juan Bendana is one of the most inspiring people I know. If you've ever caught one of his Instagram stories, you'd know: the man truly walks the walk. His positivity and motivation are not just for show, and he's using that energy to spread his message as an International Youth Speaker.
Juan was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by personal growth, and people who knew the value of living an intentional life. The problem? Those people were all 3 times his age!
To give today's youth a fighting chance at creating a life on their terms, and making an impact big or small, he's hustled his way to becoming one of the most charismatic youth speakers I've ever seen. I wanted to bring on today's episode to show you that it's possible to create an impact at any age.
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW JUAN: Website | Instagram | Youtube
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What was the turning point in your youth when you went from from partying and poor social choices to finding your passion?
- How did you discover your passion for speaking?
- How pivotal is your peer group to your success?
- What was your biggest struggle when you first started speaking?
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN:
- How Juan's peer group has shaped his success.
- What Juan learned from 3 failed masterminds.
- The first step you should take when you want to find an inspiring peer group.
- The biggest mistake new speakers make.
- The one thing that helps you prepare for the dreaded Q&A portion of a speech.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Goals to Greatness - by Juan Bendana
- Global Youth Leadership Summit
- The Alchemist - by Paulo Coelho
- The Rise of Superman - Steven Kotler
- The Motivation Manifesto - by Brendon Burchard
- The Talent Code - by Daniel Coyle
No matter what happens in your life, you always have the opportunity to choose suffering, or choose joy. To let go, or to control. Hint: the ability to control is an illusion and an endless uphill battle.
As I prepare today for a visit from my ex-boyfriend, and his new fiance, I realize how different my life has become since choosing to surrender. Since realizing that not everything is about me.
So much more love can enter when you aren't trying to control it. So much more joy is possible when you trust that it is inevitable.
This is a personal episode and one that I wasn't intending to share today. I hope that it resonates with you, allows you to loosen your grip on certain areas of your life, and to trust that the Universe always has your back.
This is the first episode in our #UNCUT with Kim and Katie B mini-series. I loved getting to have real-talk with my co-host Katie B from the Real Rebel Podcast; I'm secretly praying we will extend this 4-part series indefinitely.
Katie is a dear friend I met on a recent trip to Bali and given that we're both about living that unconventional life, and DOING YOU, we thought wanted to get a bit more candid in front of the camera (and behind the podcast mic) for the benefit of YOU, the listener.
IN THIS WEEK'S EPISODE WE CHAT ABOUT:
- What happens when we visit a fortune-telling High Priestess
- The story of Luna
- Tips for first-time travelers to Bali
- How Ubud differs from the beach towns
- Some of the perils and perks of living in South East Asia
- What led both of us to fly halfway around the world
- How to tell if you've been in Bali too long
- What is the 'feather collective'?
- And much more...
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- The Bold Life Movement Podcast Episode 66 - Kimberly Rich
- Real Rebel Podcast Interview w/ Jenna Herbut
- Real Rebel Podcast Interview wi/ Kiley
- Airbnb.com
- Agoda.com
Luis Angel is a memory expert and is best known for winning the Fox TV show, Superhuman, where he used his skills to memorize the names and cities of every audience member. I've seen his magic at work when he memorized a 40 digit number in under a minute, but his life was not always this way. Growing up around gangs, and watching his family struggle to make ends meet, he saw a different future for himself.
I brought Luis on today to show what is possible when you surround yourself with the right people, and follow your curiosity and passion for a better life.
Luis will tell you that his memory skills are something anyone can learn!
His process for memorizing insane amounts of information is so fascinating to me, that I asked Luis to describe how this skill can be transferred to your life. He's so passionate about how memory mastery has changed his trajectory that now he’s teaching other people how they can do the same.
Imagine never forgetting someone’s name again... Think about how much more influence you could have if you remembered every person you met and something about them!
Well, Luis can show you how. Listen or watch below and if you like the episode, leave a comment over on Instagram!
THE BOLD LIFE MOVEMENT
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW LUIS: Website | Podcast | Twitter | Instagram
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What is a memory master?
- What made him want to go see one initially?
- What is the process that Luis and other memory experts use to retain huge amounts of information?
- What’s the hardest thing Luis has ever had to memorize?
- Who are some of Luis’s mentors
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN:
- How getting kicked out of college led him to become a memory master.
- How anyone can become a memory maste.
- The #1 thing you need to do to enhance your memory.
- How Luis can memorize a string of random numbers in under 1 minute (forward AND backward!)
- How to use a memory palace.
- Why you should care about improving your memory.
- What a brain boardroom is.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Better Memory Now
- How to Remember Names and Faces
Woohoo Season 3 is officially underway! In this episode, I go behind the scenes of my recent trip to Bali and share how this season will be different than any other. Hint: more solo episodes like this one.
You can expect a lot more #realtalk, both in the new solo episodes (released every Monday) and in a brand new collab series I'll be doing with Katie B. from The Real Rebel Podcast.
More boldness coming at you each week! If you like the new format, leave me a comment over on instagram: @theboldlifemovement.
Steph Jagger is a Guinness World Record holder, published author, & avid skier; and from July 2010 to May 2011, she circumnavigated the globe in search of one thing: snow. What she didn't plan on finding atop the world's whitest peaks, was herself.
For a year, Steph traveled and skied full-time and in the end, she skied over 4.1 Million vertical feet, breaking the world record for most vertical feet ever skied in a single year. Her original goal was 4,000,000 feet—but when she found out about the record she couldn’t help but beat it!
In our interview Steph shares candidly what went into planning and executing on such a bold trip, and how she was able to translate that experience into her new book, Unbound: A Story of Snow & Self-Discovery.
THE BOLD LIFE MOVEMENT
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW STEPH: Website | Facebook | Instagram
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- Was it a quick decision or something you hemmed and hawed over?
- How did you afford it?
- What were some of the most trying situations from the trip?
- What is the first step someone should take if they’re feeling stuck?
- What was coming home like?
- How can people avoid post-adventure blues?
- Why did she pick traditional publisher over self-publishing?
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN:
- How to differentiate between something you’re being called to and something that your ego is telling you to do.
- Why she felt comfortable taking a year-long solo trip.
- How to sustain the new you after you’ve experienced shifts in perspective.
- How her book, Unbound, came to fruition.
- How to put together your book proposal and get picked up by a traditional publisher.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Big Magic - https://www.amazon.com/Big-Magic-Creative-Living-Beyond/dp/1594634726
- Your Big Beautiful Book Plan - http://yourbigbeautifulbookplan.com/
- Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too loud - https://www.amazon.com/Too-Fat-Slutty-Loud-Unruly/dp/0399576851
- Marie Howe Poems - http://www.mariehowe.com/
- Becoming an Alchemist - Guide for the Modern Magician - https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Alchemist-Guide-Modern-Magician/dp/1590306872
- On Being Podcast - https://onbeing.org/
- Cheryl Strade - http://www.cherylstrayed.com/
- Anne Lamott - https://www.facebook.com/AnneLamott/
- Claire Bidwell Smith - https://clairebidwellsmith.com/
Mary Shores and I first met when we were both crewing a Tony Robbins event, back in 2016, and at the time she was in the final throes of writing her book, Conscious Communications: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Harnessing the Power of Your Words to Change Your Mind, Your Choices, and Your Life.
What I didn’t know at the time was that Mary had actually WON a chance to be published through Hay House Publishing. In case you’re not familiar, Hay House is an internationally known publishing house that has produced Best Sellers from people like Mike Dooley, Gabby Bernstein, Mariane Williamson, Wayne Dyer, and countless others.
So yeah… kind of a big deal.
Mary is a long-time entrepreneur and now, a Best-Selling author, but you'd never guess how she's managed to merge her worlds to create such a fulfilling career. Passionate about re-writing how our country faces debt, Mary has built up her debt collection agency over the past decade, and she's used this experience as a catalyst to help people choose the words they use to better their life. The debt industry is fraught with negativity and shame, but through research, Mary has been able to articulate in her book how a simple shift in our language can reframe our entire experience.
“Alignment is when your words, thoughts, actions, and choices are all going in the direction of what you want." I love getting a scientific approach to personal development, and Mary's book delivers just that. Take a listen to today's interview, grab a copy of her book, and start to see how conscious communication can change your life.
THE BOLD LIFE MOVEMENT
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW MARY: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Linkedin | Youtube
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What are the different kinds of affirmations?
- How can people start to focus on the positive?
- What is the difference between conscious and unconscious communications?
- What advice would you give to people who don’t know the outcome they want to bring about, they just know they don’t want the situation they currently have?
- What is the 'Cleanse or Clog' method?
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN:
- How her book differs from others in this space.
- What does it mean to be “in alignment” and why you want it.
- What is a neural pathway.
- Why words are easier to control than your thoughts.
- The 5 different types of self-expression.
- How your involuntary speech patterns affect your reality.
- How you create self compassion by changing the chemicals in your head.
- How long it can take for affirmations to create new neural pathways.
- What is ‘The Magic Eight’.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Hay House: https://www.hayhouse.com/
- Dream with a deadline: http://maryshores.com/dream-with-a-deadline
- Conscious Communications Guidebook: http://maryshores.com/cc-guidebook-free/
This week's guest is easily one of the most passionate we've had on the show. In this episode, Michael holds nothing back as we chat about the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, and how he went from being a wedding videographer, to filming for big names like Tony Robbins, Tim Ferriss & Richard Branson.
Through his journey, Michael discovered that the secret to finding success (AKA the crossroads of achievement and fulfillment, a la Tony Robbins) is to avoid the "shoulds" at all cost, and never stop taking action. Massive Imperfect Action, to be specific.
Be it his career as a film & video expert, or as a coach for creatives, Michael has held his ground when it comes to chasing every new trend, and following the advice of everyone else in the industry. Sometimes, the best way to build your business, is to do what lights you up.
One thing that Michael has done so well is persist in his attempts to connect with top influencers. And based on his portfolio, it's served him well.
“I have nothing to lose by reaching out; I have everything to gain." Tenacity (and admittedly, naiveté) have paid off in his pursuits of big name gigs. His advice: always show up with energy, and invest in the long game. Michael says, “For me, a non-response just means they didn’t see it."
THE BOLD LIFE MOVEMENT SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW MICHAEL: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Linkedin | Youtube
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What was his transition moment?
- Why take Massive Imperfection Action?
- Where did the Jumpstart analogy come from for his in-person events?
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN:
- How he was able to work with Tony Robbins, Tim Ferriss, Brendon Burchard, & Richard Branson.
- How he got started as an entrepreneur.
- What product put him on the map.
- How he went from scared to speak in front of the class, to teaching large groups of people and crushing it on video.
- The one thing you have to have to be able to pitch big names your product or service.
- The two most important things to consider when reaching out to an influencer.
- What’s wrong with a lot of courses out there now, and why people aren’t getting results.
- Why the in-person trainings are more effective than virtual teaching.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- The Jumpstarters Experience - http://jumpstarters.net/
- Zen Habits - https://zenhabits.net/
- 4 Hour Work Week - https://fourhourworkweek.com/
- Charlie Hoehn - https://charliehoehn.com/
- Disc Assessment - https://discprofile.com/what-is-disc/overview/
After quitting one of the top Universities in Canada to move to New York, Sean Kim sold everything he owned and headed south. But when he reached the U.S. border, he was denied entry and the visa he'd been relying on for his new life, was revoked.
This unfortunate turn of events took him all the way to Argentina with no money and no plan. In an effort to avoid any additional shame on his traditional Asian family, he was determined to make it work. Through geo-arbitrage, ingenious personal branding, and his entrepreneurial spirit, Sean went from nothing to building a successful language learning business, and hosting an inspirational podcast with some of today’s most well-known authors and thought leaders.
"I booked the ticket and naively believed that I would figure things out." THE BOLD LIFE MOVEMENT
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW SEAN: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What was the turning point that led him to drop out of college?
- What led him to move to Argentina?
- How did he pitch himself as a consultant with no degree, or experience?
- How did he afford to start his business??
- Why did he launch a podcast?
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN:
- How Sean completely disrupted the status quo in his family.
- What to do when everything you plan for goes to shit.
- How he used geo-arbitrage to double his money.
- How he used angel list to hack getting consulting gigs.
- How to find success working remotely
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Thegrowthlist.com
Kevin Dubrosky is easily becoming one of my favorite people to jam out with on all things entrepreneurship and personal growth. His book 'The Whale Vomit' method is an exciting and entertaining deep dive (pun intended) into the process that businesses can follow if they want to sell their products for top dollar and become a sought-after brand.
After following his own advice and growing his marketing and branding consultancy over the past decade, he's now decided to pursue High Performance Coaching full time. So, why would someone make such a bold transition, from a profitable business? And what on earth is The Whale Vomit Method?
In today's interview with Kevin, I answer these and so much more. So grab a pen and paper and be ready to take notes. In this fun conversation, you'll learn the simplest, fastest, easiest way to stand out from the competition, sell your stuff for top dollar, and still sleep like a baby.
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW KEVIN: Website | Facebook | Twitter
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What is the origin story to “The Whale Vomit Method"?
- What does it even mean?
- How can you turn your commodity product or service into a Whale Vomit Brand?
- Why did Kevin choose to be a High Performance Coach?
- What are Kevin’s three “secret” words of intention?
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN:
- The three things your brand needs to be to be able to charge TOP dollar.
- Some examples of Whale Vomit brands you’ve already heard of.
- How this can be applied to any industry!
- Why your customers are HAPPY to pay a premium for your Whale Vomit product or service.
- How to add humor and novelty to your brand even if you don’t think you’re funny or creative
- The 3 things you need to give your brand a personality
- Why your customers don’t actually care about the “quality” of your product
- Universal fears that most writers face.
- How to start creating your best work.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Buy 'The Whale Vomit Method'
- Brendon Burchard
After building and selling a multi-million dollar healthcare company, Laura Coe had an epiphany. She realized that success without fulfillment is nothing. But how do we achieve fulfillment? How do we feel a sense of purpose when on the surface we’re doing everything right?
Her answer: authenticity.
Step one was to revisit her passion for philosophy and she started taking action based on what ancient philosophers had noted about passion and purpose. Now, she takes those ideas and through her coaching, her podcast The Art of Authenticity, and her writing she is able to help others to do the same. Laura's hope is that everyone can uncover their truth and build a life that is successful and truly meaningful.
Her book, Emotional Obesity, is a guide to shedding the unnecessary thoughts and patterns that add dead weight and keep us from living a joyous life.
THE BOLD LIFE MOVEMENT
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
FOLLOW LAURA: Website | Facebook | Twitter
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:
- What is emotion obesity?
- What causes a mid-life crisis and how do we avoid it?
- Advice for people how want to feel fulfilled but don’t know what that looks like?
- What are junk food thoughts?
- What to actually replace our negative thoughts with.
- How to get back to your “true north”
- The trick to tapping into your true self
- Why she doesn’t believe in one true calling.
- One tool she gives all of her clients.
DON’T STOP THERE:
- Get Laura's book, Emotional Obesity: http://emotionalobesity.com/
JP Sears is a YouTube sensation and author of How to Be Ultra Spiritual: 12½ Steps to Spiritual Superiority, and I’m thrilled to have him back on the show! If you’re not familiar with JP’s hilarious, satirical videos, you can check them out at AwakenWithJP.com and listen to when he was on the show during season one.
I invited JP to come back on the show because I wanted to know how life has changed since publishing How to be Ultra Spiritual, and learn more about his plans for the future.
JP’s even more popular than last time he was on the show, and that comes with both new challenges and opportunities. He’s using the friction to maintain clarity and evolve, as a spiritual being and as an online personality.
JP is getting more “unapologetically direct” with his message, but he’s not ditching the comedy. He’s learning how to use it in new ways to connect with and reach even more people.
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SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher Radio | YouTube
Click Here to download
FOLLOW JP: AwakenWithJP.com | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- How has JP become more spiritual since launching the book?
- How is JP spiritually responsive to “the haters”?
- How does JP decide what to say no to and what to say yes to?
- What are JP’s most and least spiritual habits?
- What are tactical or actionable ways that JP shows his girlfriend that she’s a priority?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- How JP’s approach to creating videos has evolved.
- How he makes decisions with his heart.
- The awesome projects that JP has planned for the near future.
- How JP connects to people with comedy.
- How JP, and comedians like Kyle Cease, are breaking new ground in the world of spirituality with their comedy.
- What JP’s creative process is like.
- How JP maintains clarity in his business (and why clarity is so important for high performers).
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP THERE:
- How to Be Ultra Spiritual: 12½ Steps to Spiritual Superiority by JP Sears
- A video by Kyle Cease: “How Enlightened Families Argue”
- I Hope I Screw This Up: How Falling In Love with Your Fears Can Change the World by Kyle Cease
- The Sanctuary at Two Rivers
Manu (better known as "Swish") is an inspiring young man, who I knew I wanted to interview as soon as I heard his story. He's a 19 yr old student at the University of Toronto, who ALSO happens to be an award-winning serial tech entrepreneur, a UN Youth Ambassador, an early stage tech investor, and TEDx speaker, JUST to name a few.
I wondered, how can someone have accomplished so much at such a young age? How did he know this was even possible? What inspires him?
“In no other time in history has it been easier to start a business."
In today's interview I find out the core set of beliefs that Swish embodies on a daily basis to continually go after people, projects, and experiences that others would avoid for fear of failure.
We also learn who Swish considers to be his biggest mentors, and what is next on the horizon for this 19-yr-old college student. You'll be shocked to hear what he's lined up.
Manu is an embodiment of what it means to take bold action. Never held back by age or or location or any other "limitations" that people often use as excuses to keep them from their goals, Manu proves time and time again that anything is possible when you get creative, get persistent, and take bold action.
“You don’t go to a TEDx talk to learn about things as much as to get inspired to go DO Things."
FOLLOW MANU: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN:
- What beliefs did Manu have to have to accomplish all that he has at such a young age?
- Who were Manu’s mentors and how have they impacted his life and career?
- What’s the one skill that Gary V. has nailed, which Manu is actively trying to learn right now.
- Manu’s tips for connecting with influencers (who may appear to be inaccessible).
- The #1 skill that has led him to speak at TEDx, and connect with people like Gary V. (hint: it’s probably not what you think).
- The #1 thing you should know if you want to give a TEDx talk.
- Why the Mentorship Movement is such a positive thing for today’s CEOs.
- How you can leverage LinkedIn to spread your message.
- Why he believes anyone can become an advocate for a cause.
- The true reason a lot of people initially get into non-profit and advocacy work, and why they won’t admit it.
- Why he thinks boot strapping trumps getting investors.
DON'T STOP THERE:
- Manu's TEDx Talk
- Thought Spot App
- GaryVaynerchuk.com
- Michael Hyatt (Dragon's Den)
Bari Tessler is a Financial Therapist, Mentor Coach and Mama-preneur. She has been healing people's stories with money for over a decade, and each year she leads hundreds of people in a global, year-long money school, which integrates Money Healing, Money Practices and Money Maps.
Her work has been featured on Oprah.com, Inc.com, and the Huffington Post and in US News & World Report, Reuters Money, The Fiscal Times, Experience Life Magazine, Yogi Times, Best Self Magazine and Emerging Women.
Bari’s gentle, body-centered approach weaves together personal, couple, and creative entrepreneurial money teachings into one complete tapestry. It's a great addition to our financial mini series.
If you missed the earlier episodes, check them out here:
- John Lee Dumas: The Millionaire Mindset
- Sophia Bera: Financial Planning for Millennials
Last year Bari released her book, The Art of Money: A Life-Changing Guide to Financial Happiness, which I'm currently (and joyously) leading a group of women through following Bari's Book Club Guide.
“I’m going to be updating and fine tuning my relationship to money, every year, forever."
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher | Youtube
FOLLOW BARI: Website | Facebook | Instagram
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:
- What is somatic psychology?
- Why it’s so important for your intimate relationships to understand your money story and be able to speak to it.
- What does financial therapy entail?
- How to receive the financial education we didn’t receive in school.
- The three phases of Bari's financial healing methodology
- The power of a body checkin when it comes to changing our relationship with money. (and when to use it)
- How The Art of Money evolved into a year long program
- How to make money management more YOU, and more fun.
- How money dates can move you forward.
- The importance of picking a bookkeeping software (and deciding if you’re going to learn it on your own or hire someone to teach you).
- Why “renaming” your money categories can add deeper meaning and make it more playful.
- Why some people get stuck in the visioning and planning phase.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Bari's Book Club
- Quickbooks
Vanessa is the lead investigator at the Science of People—a human behavior research lab. She is the national bestselling author of Captivate: The Science of Succeeding With People, which was chosen as one of Apple’s Most Anticipated Books of 2017.
She writes a monthly column on the science of success for Entrepreneur Magazine and the
Huffington Post. Her original research has been featured in Fast Company, Cosmopolitan, TIME Magazine, Forbes, INC and USA Today.
As a human behavior hacker she runs original research experiments on topics such as the science of leadership, human lie detection, body language hacks, the psychology of attraction and successful people skills and you can find all of these at ScienceofPeople.com.
Vanessa is a recovering awkward person and has spent years studying what makes people act the way that they do, and now she's sharing her knowledge with you here. Whether you're an introvert, an extrovert, single or married, there's something in this conversation for you.
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher | Youtube
FOLLOW VANESSA: Website | Twitter | Instagram
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:
- How to adjust your social patterns to optimize your interactions.
- How you can use the science of people to ensure you’re targeting the right customers.
- The power of a Personality Matrix.
- Why we sometimes pick the wrong people to be friends with.
- Why even extroverts can suffer at networking events.
- When the first impression is actually made.
- How the concept of “capitalization” can help your intimate relationships.
Do you call yourself a creative? Do you also struggle to merge your passions with your professional pursuits?
Today I'm chatting with Jenni Brown, cofounder of San Francisco based branding agency, Prim’d Marketing, and host of the soon to be released podcast Type A Creative. And in our conversation we talk about how you can take successfully merge both the left and right brains to find fulfillment as a creative entrepreneur.
If you love to create and fantasize about paying the bills through your creative work, you may find that this pressure can sometimes leave your creatively constipated. This is no way to live, and will likely leave you broke and unfulfilled.
Jenni shares with us the ongoing practices she uses to create space for her creative pursuits, and how to relieve the pressure we often place on getting paid for these projects.
She also explains why she went back to school for her MFA, despite feeling like you do not need a piece of paper to call yourself a writer, sharing how this pursuit of education may not have shown an obvious return on investment, but left her feeling full nonetheless.
"Your art has value that may not show up in the form of dollars in your bank account."
If you've ever wondered how to thrive as a creative in a professional world, this interview has your name on it. Rest easy knowing that you're not alone! And there is a way to have the best of both worlds.
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher | Youtube
FOLLOW JENNI: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:
- How to merge the left & right brain to find fulfillment.
- The struggle many creatives face when trying to buid a business.
- How Jenni & her partner Sophie successfully manage their business partnership.
- How Jenni uses her MFA in her branding agency.
- How to create space for your own creativity.
DON'T STOP THERE:
- The Brand Plan
- Big Magic - by Elizabeth Gilbert
Emilie Wapnick is what she calls a “multipotentialite”. And recently I learned, I'm one too.
There’s a good chance if you’re reading this, you have some multipotentilite tendencies as well.
According to Emilie’s site:
"Multipotentialites generally have diverse interests across numerous domains and may be capable of success in many endeavors or professions, they are confronted with unique decisions as a result of these choices."
In her new book, How to be everything - A Guide for Those Who Still Don’t Know What They Want to Be When They Grow Up, Emilie dissects exactly what it means to be one of these gifted, multi-talented individuals. In it, she explains how you can more easily approach a world where specialization reigns supreme, and we learn that in today's society flexibility can prove to be more lucrative than specialty.
I first came across Emilie’s work when one of my clients told me about her community of multipotentialites, called “the puttytribe” and I knew I had to connect with her. As someone who firmly believes that not everyone is built to follow one true passion, I knew that Emilie would have some awesome insights to share.
Apparently I’m not the only one who resonates with this concept, because her TEDx talk titled “Why some people don’t have a true calling” went viral and has since been viewed over 3 MILLION times.
Emilie is paving the way for the polymath/multipotentialite community, and really anyone who has ever felt like they couldn't be fit into a box.
SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher | Youtube
FOLLOW EMILIE: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:
- How goal setting differs for someone who has a lot of interests.
- The three most common areas of stress or concern for people who identify as multipotentialites.
- How to know which projects to work on if you have so many
- Common careers for multipotentialites
DON'T STOP THERE:
- How to Be Everything - by Emilie Wapnick
- Emilie's TEDx Talk: Why Some of Us Don't Have One True Calling
- Start With Why - by Simon Sinek
You may remember Nat from season one, when I brought him on for a back-to-back interview series. His transparency and willingness to talk about taboo things is exactly why I invited him back for Round 3 to talk about his new book, Come Again, What Men Need to Know About Amazing Sex. Nat and I waste NO time in this interview and quickly dive into what drove him to write such about such a sensitive topic. This interview is definitely one of the more explicit ones that we’ve aired on The Bold Life Movement, but equally important in my mind. Better sex leads to a better life, and Nat is here to deliver on that. SUBSCRIBE: iTunes | Stitcher | Youtube
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:
- How & why Nat stumbled into this genre.
- Why the other books like this on the market AREN’T good.
- Why men don’t typically talk about how to improve their sex life with each other.
- The most exciting (and shocking) takeaway from his book about sex.
- The exercises men can do to last longer in bed.
FOLLOW NAT: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
DON'T STOP THERE:
- Nat on TBLM Podcast: Nat Eliason - From Lifestyle Entrepreneur to Writing About Sex
- Nat on TBLM Podcast: Nat Eliason - Deep Work & SEO - From 0 to 250K Visitors Per Month
- Come Again: What Men Should Know About Amazing Sex - by Nat Eliason
- David Deida
Sophia Bera has been featured on everything from CNBC to Forbes, from New York Times, to Fortune Magazine. She is THE go to financial planner for millennials, and founder of GenYPlanning.com.
I invited Sophia onto today's show to shine light on what so many of us try desperately to keep in the dark; our struggle to be financially savvy.
If you're reading this, then you're likely part of Generation Y. Which means, you may be at the point in your life, or in your career, where you're doing big things and starting to reap the rewards. Or maybe you're experiencing some major life shifts (like starting a business, buying a house, or getting married).
But there's slim chance you were taught in school how to be financially proactive in these situations. Since so many people have no clue that they too could benefit from a financial planner, I asked Sophia to come on and school us.
Who doesn't want to be smarter with their money?
It takes some transparency, and some intentionality to set yourself up for success. And with that financial foundation, you're much more likely to achieve your dreams and find the "freedom" we all crave.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:
- The difference between a bookkeeper, an accountant and a financial planner.
- The biggest mistake Millennials are making with their money.
- The first thing you should do if you are in debt, to start being more proactive.
- Easy wins you can get if you feel “bad with money"
- The first financial move you should make if you start a new business.
- The best tools for managing your money.
- How to make money tracking easier if you're a business owner.
FOLLOW SOPHIA: GenYPlanning.com | LinkedIn | Facebook
John Lee Dumas is an avid Podcaster, successful entrepreneur, and transparent business owner. I invited John to kick off Season 2 because these first few episodes are all about MONEY. And my friend John is fluent in the language of finances.
For years he's been publishing his income statements and tracking revenue on his site EntrepreneurOnFire.com and I knew he'd be able to share some amazing pro-tips.
Known for his daily podcast episodes with the worlds brightest entrepreneurs, John found his entrepreneurial success teaching the world how to have a profitable podcast. Since then he's run two successful Kickstarter campaigns for his Freedom Journal & Mastery Journal, and was kind enough to send me one recently. Can't recommend it enough!
With all this financial success in his business, John has learned what it takes to consistently turn a profit. He's also learned where we often hold ourselves back.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL LEARN:
- Why John opted to be so transparent with his finances from an early stage.
- The Pros & Cons to Publishing Income Statements.
- When you should hire a Bookkeeper for your business.
- How John continues to up-level his financial mindset
- The truth about our relationship with success and wealth.
MENTIONED IN TODAY'S EPISODE:
- Secrets of the Millionaire Mind - by T. Harv Eker
- EOFire Income Reports
- The Freedom Journal & The Mastery Journal
- CPAonFire - with Josh Bauerle
- The Big Leap - by Gay Hendricks (on Upper Limiting)
That’s a wrap! Season 1 of the episode is complete with 50 episodes under our belt.
I love hearing your feedback and would love to know wht you want to see and hear more of (or less of) in Season 2, coming February 2017. Check out this recent Facebook Live I did, asking for YOUR feedback, and drop me a comment to have your voice heard and help us make Season 2, the best yet.
A few years ago, Joel got tired of living an average life. He was waiting for things to happen but they never did, so he decided to do something about it. He created a list of the things he used to think were impossible and started doing them. Now he lives a life of adventure, runs multiple online businesses under the IMPOSSIBLE brand, and continues to do the impossible.
“How many things out there that you’re telling yourself are impossible are easily doable if you just put in the time, effort and training it requires?”
It all began with The Impossible List™. The list begain small, with just one thing he wasn’t sure was achievable: completing a triathlon. From there, it grew to dozens of Impossible challanges created and completed.
Once you do the impossible, you start to redefine your limitations. The blog isn’t a bucket list, or a list of things he hopes to do before he dies – it’s an ever-expanding list of his limits and what he can go beyond.
In his business, Joel is focusing on building out his team under the IMPOSSIBLE umbrella. He’s also breaking out his content across different subjects into separate businesses so that each can niche down even further.
“I’m getting better at being more explicit in what each business does, what needs to be done to run it, and who I need to take actions on those tasks.”
The next step is scaling it all. Joel is investing money, resources and his own time into preparing his team so that they can better help him grow the IMPOSSIBLE brand. He’s leveling up his role from manager to owner.
Joel and his team at Impossible X recently re-launched the 777 Project – an endurance, adventure and philanthropic initiative to run 7 ultra marathons on 7 continents in order to raise money and awareness to build 7 schools with Pencils of Promise. They will provide opportunities to those for whom a basic education can be impossible.
Loved getting to grab time with Joel amidst all of his adventures
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- If Joel could go back to the early days, or maybe even not that long ago, what would he do differently?
- What were the resources that Joel looked at that helped him start the business?
- Joel has a lot of different projects in different interests under one umbrella. How does he manage that all?
- What’s giving Joel the juice these days to feel inspired?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- To redefine the impossible
- The value of focus in an online business
- The difference between being a manager and being a business owner
- The importance of niching down
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Follow Joel: Impossible HQ | Impossible.org | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Facebook Live: That’s a Wrap on Season 1 of The Bold Life Movement
Production & Development for The Bold Life Movement Podcast by Podcast Masters
I hope you’re sitting down! Today’s episode is as interesting as it is powerful.
Mansal Denton is an entrepreneur, published author, and in his early 20s was sentenced to 4 years in the Texas State penitentiary for stealing and selling historical documents from the Mazal Holocaust Library.
“It really is the best thing that ever happened to me and it’s really a completely different lens I see life through now.”
In our conversation, Mansal shares how between the ages of 17 and 25, he manages to publish a book about one of his favorite topics, commit a felony to fund his dreams and move to europe, later serve time for this crime, and eventually emerge far happier and wiser than if he’d never been caught.
Now based in Austin Texas, Mansal has run a variety of businesses, and credits much of his fulfillment to the time he spent behind bars. The perspective he gained was priceless.
“There are certain trials in life that people go through and I think oftentimes, especially with middle class and upper-middle class people, people who have a relatively comfortable life don’t ever experience that suffering. They don’t go through that rite of passage of suffering, and that’s really what prison felt like for me.”
Mansal looks at this experience as a rite of passage, and he is a different person now because of it. He has more gratitude and takes greater responsibility for his past and future actions.
“Pushing the boundaries of potential is my why.”
I really appreciate Mansal sharing his story so openly with us. We all have dark and light sides to our stories; but when we can use them to fuel a better future and inspire others to do the same, that’s when we transcend our transgressions and create a truly bold life.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- How did Mansal know how to write a book at the age of 18?
- What happened? Give us more detail about what happened with stealing the historical documents, how that played out afterwards and how it has impacted where Mansal is now.
- Was Mansal in court?
- Mansal had a business launch happen right as he was going to prison?
- How did Mansal’s two businesses play out?
- Obviously going to prison wasn’t on Mansal’s life plan. What came out of that experience that he wouldn’t trade?
- When Mansal exits prison, what does life look like?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- The breadth of opportunities for creating an online business
- Mansal’s powerful story
- The importance of undergoing trials
- How prison made Mansal a better person and entrepreneur
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Guest Links & Resources: Website | Facebook
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Nootropedia.com
- Battle for Narva, 1944 by Mansal Denton
Production & Development for The Bold Life Movement Podcast by Podcast Masters
Today we’re learning from Bridgette Mayer, an artist, entrepreneur and author of The Art Cure: A Memoir of Abuse and Fortune. For the past 16 years she has been running a top contemporary art gallery in Philadelphia helping her clients and the artists she serves improve the quality of their life through art.
Bridgette transitioned her gallery from a public model to a private model because many of the artists she has worked with were doing larger, more global projects. This business model better accommodates the needs of artists working on a global scale.
“I started to grow rapidly, and part of that growth was always looking beyond the gallery walls.”
Bridgette looks for opportunities to exercise her creativity and grow her business outside of her gallery. She attends art fairs; offers consulting opportunities for individuals and corporations; and signs on to larger consulting projects, in which she might sell 2-300 paintings. Larger consultations evolved into consulting on public art installations and municipal art programming.
The next step in Bridgette’s evolution was writing The Art Cure to share her powerful story and unique business model. She started running workshops for artists on how to create a vision, build their careers and actually make money. Bridgette is called to work with artists because the most important lessons that she has learned aren’t taught in books or in art school – they’re taught through years of experience.
“You don’t find the stuff that I’ve learned through running my business and working with artists in books.”
When Bridgette talks to artists, she imparts the fundamental habits and beliefs that seven-figure artists have:
- It starts with establishing a vision about what you’re making. What impact do you want your art to make on the world?
- Completely reconsider your preconceptions about money. Bridgette grew up in poverty and she had to reprogram what she thought was possible for her financially.
- Effective communication skills are necessary to attract the right audience, and then you need the confidence and language to sell and connect with people.
“My goal is to get more artists making a living, thriving and enjoying what they’re doing professionally.”
I really appreciate Bridgette for her ability to be a beacon not just for artists, but also for people from difficult backgrounds. She empowers her audience to understand that their past does not dictate the future. You can get empowered by picking up a copy of The Art Cure or heading to BridgetteMayer.com.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- When did Bridgette first realize art was pulling her, not just personally but also professionally?
- Give us insight on moving from a public model to a private model.
- Where did Bridgette learn the business skills she needed to run a business, if she didn’t have anyone to teach her?
- Does Bridgette feel that anyone, with any medium, can become financially successful with their art?
- Does Bridgette believe that it is people’s sense of imposter syndrome and limiting beliefs that’s actually holding them back?
- What habits and beliefs do seven-figure artists have?
- Does Bridgette have examples of some of her clients to show the process of going from an artist to an artist & entrepreneur?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- A history of poverty does not dictate a future of poverty
- How Bridgette developed a unique business model for artists
- The habits and beliefs of seven-figure artists
- How Bridgette grew her business by transitioning from a public to private business model
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Guest Links & Resources: BridgetteMayer.com | BridgetteMayerGallery.com | BridgetteMayerArtAdvisors.com
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- The Art Cure: A Memoir of Abuse and Fortune by Bridgette Mayer
- Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Production & Development for The Bold Life Movement Podcast by Podcast Masters
I first heard today’s guest, Michelle Poler, speak at the World Domination Summit about her 100 Days Without Fear Challenge and I found it SO inspiring. She faced 100 fears, documenting the entire thing on YouTube. After going viral, she quit her job and now travels around speaking about the life changing benefits of facing our fears, and recording YouTube videos every Wednesday to answer one question: WTF Are We So Afraid Of?!
She has an awesome story, and I’m excited to share it with all of you.
100 Days Without Fear was a project in which Michelle faced 100 fears in 100 days – all while attending graduate school and holding down an advertising job. She used her mornings, lunch breaks and late nights to complete the challenge between classes, work and homework. On top of all that, Michelle also created regular videos to share her journey.
Michelle challenged her fears by doing things like:
- Speaking at a TedxHouston
- Watching the sunrise, by herself, from the Brooklyn Bridge
- Riding a roller coaster for the first time
- Dancing like nobody's watching, in Times Square
- Walking a trapeze
- Skydiving
Michelle’s challenge was a huge success, in large part because she had the foresight to create a defined brand that resonated with people before launching the project. The tone, visuals and audio all added up to an empowering and exciting experience for the audience to follow.
Since finishing the project, she has been approached with a number of amazing opportunities. She’s focusing on speaking and expanding the YouTube channel – because she loves it.
“I feel I have a strong message I want to communicate to younger girls, and they are on YouTube.”
Moving forward, Michelle is trying to direct her message at a younger generation of women. She is creating a new YouTube series, in which she will be speaking to her younger self: a really scared kid who was too comfortable. The new series is expected to launch in January.
“I’m never going to be that relevant to anyone if I keep trying to appeal to absolutely everyone.”
Michelle leveraged her mastery of branding to monetize what she loves – speaking to inspire people, especially younger women. If you haven’t seen it, check out Michelle’s journey facing 100 Days Without Fear and subscribe to her YouTube channel, Hello Fear, to see what she does next. If you have one of your own experiences that you would like to share to inspire people, send it to Michelle at HelloFear.com, where she is sharing other people's’ stories about facing their fears.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- Michelle was doing the 100 Days Without Fear challenge while in graduate school and working a job. How did she do it?
- How did Michelle fund her challenge?
- Was it a particular video or fear that helped the channel go viral?
- Did Michelle face any fears that she does not want to face again?
- Did Michelle have to get used to approaching people about the project while she was recording?
- What are other amazing opportunist that have come up because Michelle underwent The 100 Days Without Fear challenge?
- What new fears have come up since the challenge wrapped up?
- How is Michelle monetizing the project since it wrapped up?
- Did Michelle have speaking experience before she started the challenge?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- Why Michelle started the 100 Days Without Fear challenge
- Why you should define your brand before you launch a project to make a more powerful impact
- How Michelle funded and monetized her journey
- How Michelle is leveraging the success of her project to take advantage of even more opportunities
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Guest Links & Resources: Website | YouTube | Medium
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- 100 Days Without Fear playlist
Production & Development for The Bold Life Movement Podcast by Podcast Masters
Get ready for an extremely powerful and emotional episode of The Bold Life Movement. Today’s guest is Geoff Woods, host of The Mentee podcast, General Manager of the Publishing Division at Keller Williams Realty, Inc., and currently building a business with Jay Papasan at The1Thing.com.
Geoff worked in medical device sales for five years. He made a good living selling a device that actually saved lives, but he knew he was meant for more. He knew he wanted to own a business that made a massive impact and provided financial security for his family, but he didn’t have a compelling reason to make a change.
“I didn’t have a compelling reason to make change. There wasn’t enough pain in my life that forced me to make change.”
In one week, things changed dramatically. One of his colleagues suffered a stroke at 35, and then his income was slashed by 40 percent. Geoff was compelled to move forward, and that’s when he heard the Jim Rohn quote, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
None of Geoff’s five closest people were doing what he wanted to do – owning a business that made an impact in the world and provided financial security – and he realized that he could either take the easy road or the hard road to level up his five.
- The Hard Road – Setting a goal, settling a plan and figuring out how to get it done. You’re waking up every day and guessing.
- The Easy Road – Establish what you want, meet the people who already do it and let them tell you what to do.
“I can take the easy road or the hard road. Most people are offered this choice everyday, and they don’t realize they’re choosing the hard road.”
How did Geoff connect with the mentors that inspired him along the way? He started by gaining clarity on what it was that he wanted and identifying the people who inspired him. Then, when given the opportunity to speak with his ideal mentors, he dropped his ego and made himself vulnerable. There’s two ways to make the initial connection with your ideal mentors:
- The Six Degrees of Separation – The idea that you can be connected to anyone in the world through six connections.
- Be a Connector – Go out of your way to add value to the people around you. “If you become a person who goes out of their way to add value, people will go out of their way to be in a relationship with you.”
“Extraordinary results are not hard.”
Every time I talk to Geoff he blows my mind. I really wanted to share his powerful story because it demonstrates that we can choose to make our lives more Bold, and we can all have a massive impact on the world. Learn more about Geoff and his businesses by listening to The Mentee podcast or heading over to The1Thing.com.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- Did Geoff know at the time that being a business owner was something he aspired to, or necessary for the life he aspired to have?
- When Geoff first launched The Mentee, what did the podcast look like?
- How did Geoff connect with his mentors?
- For people who don’t know what it is they’re looking for, what types of mentors should they be surrounding themselves with?
- How do people get that mentor-mentee relationship kicked off?
- What is one thing that has surprised Geoff during his journey?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- How Geoff went from employee to entrepreneur in just 10 months
- How to surround yourself with five people who inspire you
- How to be a connector
- How to start a mentor-mentee relationship
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Guest Links & Resources: Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- The Mentee podcast
- The ONE Thing by Gary W. Keller and Jay Papasan
- Profit Factory
Production & Development for The Bold Life Movement Podcast by Podcast Masters
I’m excited to have Lori Darley back on the show today. She is a leadership coach, trainer and CEO Founder of Conscious Leaders, LLC, which aims to train and develop leaders to practice conscious capitalism. Lori published her first book, Dancing Naked: Claiming Your Power as a Conscious Leader, in September.
If you didn’t hear my first interview with Lori, she’s great and I highly recommend listening to it. We discussed the concept of a Conscious Leader, which is being clear in the way we think, creating a space for ourselves where we give ourselves permission to wake up to our own biases and assumptions, and how that actually impacts the decisions that we make so that we’re actually freer and more intentional about the way in which we lead.
“We don’t necessarily have a choice about how our brains are thinking, so we have to understand that there is an automatic nature to the brain.”
Dancing Naked contains empowering messages that people can use to take back control of their lives and realize that we have the ability to reprogram ourselves, and reprogram our reality, whether or not you are in a leadership or management role.
The first half of the book is titled, “Claiming My Power,” and it’s made up of stories that illustrate the automatic nature of how we are programmed as a child, as well as some of Lori’s experiences as a dancer.
“I know there are not that many dancers in the world, and yet the way in which I experience life is much like everybody else’s. I call it the human condition.”
Lori believes the term “dancing naked” encapsulates the experience of tapping into our own wisdom and expressing it in the world in a way that gives our gifts to the people we impact. People often approach self-improvement through a series of prescribed steps, but Dancing Naked suggests that the human condition is not linear.
“Dancing Naked is a metaphor that really points to a willingness to be fully self-expressed and vulnerable to giving the world your gift.”
Dancing Naked approaches self-improvement through The Clearing Process, which includes the Four C’s of Clearing. These aren’t steps, they’re conversational spaces.
- Clarity – The clearing for self-acceptance.
- Completion – The clearing for your relationship to the past.
- Creation – “Every moment is the opportunity to create one’s life.”
- Capacity – Once we have a clarity around where it is that we are going and we are free from the past, then we get to consider the level of impact we want from our life.
Lori is afraid of the consequences of people not working to create a sense of self-awareness and intentional action, because then we aren’t living our purpose in life – we’re living our life based on what other people’s expectations are. Never learning to “dance naked” is like living a life with your ego on autopilot.
“Achievement is an extraordinary thing to experience, but sometimes we lose ourselves as we step onto that path.”
Thanks for coming back on the show, Lori. I was really excited to talk about Dancing Naked, and I’m proud that you made it through this incredible journey. Head to consciousleaders.us and sign up for their email list to receive a bunch of free resources, including a series of worksheets that will help people expereice The Clearing on their own, and to pick up your own copy of Dancing Naked: Claiming Your Power as a Conscious Leader.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- For people who might not be in a leadership or management role, what takeaways can they extract from the book (Dancing Naked) and apply in their day-to-day life?
- Why did Lori choose the title Dancing Naked?
- What are the consequences for people or leaders that don’t implement what Lori is teaching in the book?
- Can Lori speak to any of the results she’s seen in people’s lives after performing what she calls The Clearing Process?
- The Four C’s of the Clearing are described as conversational spaces as opposed to steps. Can Lori tell us what the Four C’s are and why it’s significant to use that terminology?
- What was the hardest part of the book-writing process?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- How Dancing Naked can empower anyone to take back control over their lives
- What “dancing naked” means
- The consequences of not becoming more fully self-expressed
- The Four C’s of Clearing
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Guest Links & Resources: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Dancing Naked: Claiming Your Power as a Conscious Leader by Lori Darley
Production & Development for The Bold Life Movement Podcast by Podcast Masters
Today’s guest, Mark Manson, is a bestselling author, blogger, and internet entrepreneur who writes about “personal development that doesn’t suck.” He recently published his second book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life, and he regularly writes articles on a blog with over two million monthly readers.
“The first book was actually extremely easy … this one was a total bitch.”
When Mark started writing his first book, Models: Attract Women Through Honesty, he had already been blogging about relationships for years. It was just a matter of sitting down and getting it all out. When he started writing his second book the pages didn’t pour out of him. He started and threw away two drafts.
“When you talk about failures in past-tense it never really feels like a failure, because everybody knows you turned out alright.”
When Mark started his third attempt at a second book, he only had a vague idea of the concepts he wanted to cover and he didn’t have an overall vision or theme. Mark thought he was going to self-publish his second book, but he started losing confidence. It took months and months of writing – tens of thousands of words – just to get to the point where Mark had nailed down the theme he wanted to work with. “I realized that maybe I need some help with this.”
Mark hit a turning point with his book when he published an article, also titled The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck, that received over seven million page views. He signed on with book publisher HarperOne and they helped him pick the title and focus his writing. They told him some of what he wrote was good and some of it sucked.
“It hurt to hear that, but it’s what I needed to hear.”
Mark writes about self-improvement and advice, but he does it in a very contrarian manner. For example, Mark touches on the subject of affirmation in the book, which is a popular autosuggestion technique intended to guide one’s own thoughts, feelings and behavior. He sees benefits to the technique, but he believes the benefits are blown out of proportion. His philosophy doesn’t prescribe specific techniques, because different processes work for different people. His self-help philosophy is to provide principles that can be applied to anyone’s life, in nearly any situation.
“The book is principle-driven, it’s about discovering new ways of looking at things in life. The way to implement that into your life isn’t doing specific things, it’s simply applying these principles to things you’re already doing.”
It was awesome talking to Mark and exploring his unique perspective on the self-improvement and advice industry. He’s hilarious and insightful, and you owe it to yourself to check out some of his writing if you haven’t already. Mark’s new book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is available now – even in the Barnes & Noble on 5th Avenue!
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What are some challenges you face when writing a book (compared to other forms of writing)?
- Did Mark approach a book agent once he had figured out the theme for his book, or did they come to him?
- Mark’s book is in the self-improvement / advice category, but it’s very contrarian. Who does he look up to in that space?
- What are Mark’s thoughts on autosuggestion and the science behind things like affirmations?
- When did Mark first consider himself a writer?
- In the book Mark writes about picking your problems. What are some of the problems and some of the pains that Mark has actively chosen to come with being a NYTimes bestseller?
SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS:
- Dan Morris - Does Mark have any tips for embedding some of these habits or values into your life? How can he make them actionable so he doesn’t forget?
- What is one of the biggest decisions that Mark’s made that he was really uncertain of the outcome?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- Why Mark ran into more challenges writing his second book than he did writing his first book
- Why Mark is a contrarian in the self-help and advice industry
- Why Mark implemented a subscription service on his website
- How to take the principles in The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and apply them to your own life
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Guest Links & Resources: Website | Facebook | Twitter
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
- Models: Attract Women Through Honesty by Mark Manson
- 3 Important Life Skills That Nobody Ever Taught You by Mark Manson
- Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Production & Development for The Bold Life Movement Podcast by Podcast Masters
“Being bold is having the courage to listen to your inner voice and live in a way that makes you light up despite what other people think.”
Jake Heilbrunn is an author, blogger and speaker who, at the age of 20, is already living a pretty bold life. He dropped out of college after his first semester, backpacked around South America alone (without a phone!) and then wrote a memoir about what he learned. Off the Beaten Trail is a coming-of-age pilgrimage that led Jake to realize there are unlimited ways to live and that people can create their own destinies when they trust their intuition and take action.
“When we take a leap of faith based on our gut, based on our intuition, things tend to work out and we find the happiness in the pursuit of what we’re doing.”
By the end of his first semester of college, Jake was unhappy and unhealthy. He had a passion for traveling, but he was afraid of the unknown. Then a career counselor asked Jake two questions that changed his life:
- What is the worst thing that can happen?
- What is the best thing that can happen?
“I realized that I was living a life based on the expectations of others. The life I was living and the life I wanted to be living were not in alignment.”
Two months later, Jake was on a plane to Guatemala with a backpack, no cellphone and very little Spanish. He spent four months backpacking through Guatemala, Nicaragua and Costa Rica so he could explore other ways of life and disconnect from a society dominated by social media.
As Jake learned to find happiness in the journey, he became a more process-oriented person. He adopted an intense morning routine, inspired by Tony Robbins, that helped him write 100,000 words in three months:
- Wake up at 5:30 AM.
- Take a cold shower.
-
- “It’s the analogy of doing something uncomfortable to start your day because you get in the mindset of doing other uncomfortable things and just do it.”
- 10-minute guided mindfulness meditation.
- Make tea or coffee.
- Put on Hans Zimmer and write.
- Take a break to work out or do yoga.
- Go back to writing.
- At the end of the day, Jake would visualize jumping out of bed to start writing the next morning.
“With or without writing a book, writing is a very powerful way to process what you experience.”
Jake demonstrates the power of visualization to manifest a better (and bolder) life. By visualizing the future he wanted and taking bold action to achieve it, he manifested book endorsements from two awesome influencers that he really looks up to – Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul and The Success Principles, and Chris Guillebeau, NYT Bestselling Author of The $100 Startup and The Happiness of Pursuit. Like a GPS system, visualization can keep you in route when you are heading towards a goal.
“Because I’ve been visualizing it, it’s like I set this GPS in my head … If you take conscious action that’s guided by vision there’s less re-routing.”
You can pick up a FREE Kindle version of Jake’s book on Nov. 2nd & Nov. 3rd by going to Amazon and searching for “Off the Beaten Trail: A Young Man's Soul-Searching Journey Through Central America”
It’s really awesome to see someone as young as Jake setting such a good example for people of all ages. He shows that life experience isn’t necessarily tied to how many years you’ve been here, but how intentional you’ve been with the time you have had. Pick up a copy of Off the Beaten Trail (Kindle version is free Nov. 2-3, 2016) and get inspired.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What are some of the fears Jake had to overcome to get on the plane, and why didn’t he bring a cellphone?
- How did Jake become exposed to the mindfulness practices and people like Tony Robbins that helped him become confident enough to write a book at 18-years-old?
- How has Jake’s life changed since coming home? What does he do differently on a social level?
- What strategies can listeners employ to connect with influencers or mentors that they look up to?
- How can Jake advise people to start trusting their gut or their intuition, if they don’t know how it feels?
- What is feedback Jake has gotten from people who have read his book or heard him speak, and what actions have they taken that he inspired them to make?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- A powerful story about self-reflection, self-growth and bold action
- How mindfulness practices helped Jake structure an effective morning routine
- How to listen to your intuition
- Strategies for connecting with influencers and mentors that you look up to
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Guest Links & Resources: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
- Off the Beaten Trail by Jake Heilbrunn (FREE on Kindle Nov. 2nd & Nov. 3rd)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- You Are The One by Kute Blackson
- Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
- Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen
- The Success Principles by Jack Canfield & Janet Switzer
- The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau
- The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau
Production & Development for The Bold Life Movement Podcast by Podcast Masters
I met today’s guest, Emily Nolan, back in High School, and feel both proud and privileged to feature her as today's guest. Emily is the voice of MyKindOfLife.com, a professional model and the founder of #BePrettyBrave (formerly TOPLESS Yoga). It is a bras on, bellies out self-confidence event used as a tool for self-love, and it is about exposing vulnerabilities by practicing radical self-acceptance.
My Kind of Life started four years ago as a vegan lifestyle blog – very different from what it is now. Slowly, she started sharing more stories about modeling, and eventually eating disorders. Things started to take off. Emily started to connect with her audience, and she started to share more broadly about issues relating to body image.
“I’ve been a size 0, I’ve been a size 16. You talk about happiness, and I realized that happiness never came, ever, from a size. Happiness was always a permission that I gave myself, and I could have that at any size.”
One of the more talked about moments from Emily's career, was a photoshoot she did for Curves. Curves is an art magazine featuring a number of celebrities that write and speak about self-love. The shoot involved Emily shedding her clothes, and taking photos in a variety of different yoga poses (this was right after finishing her yoga teacher training), and Emily went on to write about the experience in a popular mindbodygreen post. From there it was picked up by more than 25 online publications, including Cosmopolitan magazine.
“I want to show people that my body is a vehicle. My suit is just a vehicle for physical experience.”
Now she's spending her time leading women's retreats to empower women to #BePrettyBrave. She takes small groups of women all over the world to participate in events that transform the way we think about our relationships with our own bodies. In the past she has hosted one-day immersion events sponsored by Lululemon, and the success of these events led her to create extended experiences in the jungles of Costa Rica and the mountains of Idaho.
“#BePrettyBrave is the permission to believe that bravery is the token to what you’ve been searching for.”
Emily is a goddess when it comes to walking her walk. She is a champion of radical self-acceptance, and shares her story vulnerably and openly on My Kind of Life. I thrilled to be participating in one of Emily’s upcoming #BePrettyBrave retreats. Be sure to follow Emily's story below and share this episode with your friends!
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- When did My Kind of Life transition from a blog to something more?
- How does Emily discern between the things that are worth bearing for her readers and the things that are best kept between her and her family?
- Tell me about the nude photos that were picked up by Cosmo. What was the motivation for that shoot, and why does Emily think it received the coverage that it did?
- What does #BePrettyBrave look like for people who want to get more involved with that?
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Guest Links & Resources: My Kind of Life | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter
- Participate in a #BePrettyBrave event
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Curves by Victoria Janashvili
- “Why I Decided to Share My Nude Pictures” by Emily Nolan
- “This Woman Explains Why She Decided to Share Her Nude Photos Online” by Tess Koman
Production & Development for The Bold Life Movement Podcast by Podcast Masters
Today we’re going to Awaken With JP. That’s right, I’m talking to YouTube star, comedian and real-life emotional healing coach JP Sears. He is also currently working on a book titled How to Be Ultra Spiritual, which is coming out March 7th and currently available for pre-order on Amazon.
“The way I coach is really all about vulnerability. It’s helping people help themselves connect to emotions, feelings, memories and experiences that are essentially stuck in their emotional digestive system.”
For the past 15 years, JP has run an emotional healingand coaching practice where he works with people all over the world via Skype. In the past he has also led retreats around the world on different healing and personal empowerment themes for like-minded and like-hearted people to come together to learn, grow, and heal.
On the AwakenWithJP YouTube channel, JP creates videos that help people help themselves. This includes the ultra hilarious, Ultra Spiritual Life video series, which uses humor to share messages about health, wellness, and spirituality. One of JP’s favorite videos to make, How to Take Yoga Photos for Instagram - Ultra Spiritual Life 34, features JP posing precariously in Australia to teach us… well, probably not how to take yoga photos for Instagram. “How do you create a successful yoga photoshoot? I’ve got two words for you: man-bulge and man-bun.”
His willingness to teach, knows no bounds...
“True art gives people what they need, not necessarily what they want, and I think what we need is a deeper connection with yourself.”
JP also uses the comedy of Ultra Spiritual Life to tackle very serious concerns. In his fifth video, Using Ayahuasca, JP uses comedy to shine a light on the questionable use of a spiritual and sacred psychedelic by party goers.
“I was just really called to break the spell of the secret, voice what was not being voiced, shine the light on a shadow that a lot of people can see but nobody is talking about.”
I had SO MUCH fun talking to JP about his journey from life coach, to youtube star, , how he uses comedy in his videos to help others on their spiritual journey, and how he manages to stay grounded through it all..
If you’re not already subscribed, go to YouTube NOW and check out AwakenWithJP then head over to Amazon to pre-order How to Be Ultra Spiritual. Your spiritual fate depends on it.
Subscribe in iTunes or Youtube, Listen on Stitcher Radio, or Click Here to download
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What did JP do before his YouTube channel?
- What can people expect with JP’s 1-on-1 coaching or retreats?
- What is the most fun video that JP has filmed?
- Are there any videos that JP was a little nervous to publish?
- What process does JP use to come up with his videos?
- How can pet owners help their pets become more ultra spiritual?
SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS:
- Andy: What are you like when you’re not in character?
- Jan: What would you like to hear read in your eulogy?
- Courtney: What is the most spiritual way to keep your favorite yoga classes boyfriend-free?
- Jackie: What do you do for your hot bod?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- Why vulnerability is key for JP’s approach to spiritual and emotional coaching
- Why true art often challenges people
- How comedy can be used as a tool to share important messages
- What JP Sears is like when he’s not on YouTube
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Follow JP: Website | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
- Pre-order How to Be Ultra Spiritual by JP Sears
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- How to Have an Ultra Spiritual Re-entry After Unleashing Your Power Within [Kimberly’s parody video from UPW]
- The Tony Robbins Experience - Ultra Spiritual Life Episode 40
Production & Development for The Bold Life Movement Podcast by Podcast Masters
Amy Jo Martin is the author of New York Times bestseller Renegades Write the Rules, a keynote speaker, an angel investor, a podcast host and an innovation advocate. She has worked closely with world-renowned brands such as Hilton Worldwide, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Shaquille O’Neal to successfully humanize their presence.
“Innovation is being redefined by one primary force today: social media. It is irrational, even irresponsible, to start a business, launch a podcast, raise awareness, or build a brand today without including a social media strategy.”
– Amy Jo Martin, Renegades Write the Rules
The above quote from Amy Jo’s book was true when it was published in 2012, and it’s just as true now. However, with so many different options on social media, it can be difficult for people to decide which social media strategy is right for them.
“It really comes down to humanizing the brand, in my opinion. Whether it’s a big, huge company or a small company, it’s about exposing who the people are behind the logo and why they’re doing what they’re doing. People connect with people, not logos.”
If you are an individual or small group who has just started a company, Amy Jo has a few simple systems and processes that will help you engage with followers while maintaining a life and time to work.
- Start by evaluating whether or not it makes sense for your company to have multiple touch points and profiles. If you are the company, there may not be a need for create a second profile that doubles your content development and engagement reciprocation.
- Establish your value – not just as a company but as an individual – and how you are going to deliver that.
- Maintain diverse “Value Balance Buckets” – keep balanced and diversified values to resonate with more people.
“Listen more than you talk, and when you do that you start to see where you can blend in and where you can add value versus trying to create a new island of value from scratch. It’s leveraging what already exists and that momentum around a certain topic, a certain conversation, in a certain community.”
Amy Jo continues to pursue her passion and learn more about social communication. She is taking a new course and, over the past year, Amy Jo has researched the relationship between the virtual world and the physical world, and how our behavior online affects our behavior offline. Specifically how acts of kindness shared via social media can have a ripple effect and generate more kindness in the real world.
These days Amy Jo is inspiring people all over the world to take action on things that they’ve otherwise been too scared to pursue. Her new podcast “Why Not Now?” features professional “Why notters” (as she calls them) who have mastered the art of starting before their ready. They provide examples for what is possible when you eliminate excuses and follow your interests in spite of fear, and in spite of insecurity. Some of her latest interviews include Mark Cuban, Troy Aikman, Sophia Amorusa, and Lewis Howes.
I’m so grateful to have connected with Amy Jo at the World Domination Summit this past August. She is an incredibly accomplished person who has managed to remain so down to earth and continues to inspire me all the time.. Be sure to check out her awesome new show, Why Not Now? with Amy Jo Martin, and pick up your own copy of Renegades Write the Rules.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- With all of the different options available now, how can people decide which social media strategy is right for them?
- What systems and processes does Amy use to engage with followers, but still maintain a life and get work done?
- How do solo-preneurs or new entrepreneurs get in front of people, stand out or engage people on social media?
- How do people elegantly draw the line between authenticity and being overly transparent? Is there a line?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- How to decide what social media strategy is right for you
- How to engage people with authenticity on social media
- Why it’s important to maintain diverse values on social media
- How our online behavior impacts our offline behavior
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Guest Links & Resources: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
- Renegades Write the Rules by Amy Jo Martin
- Listen to Why Not Now? with Amy Jo Martin
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- World Domination Summit
Production & Development for The Bold Life Movement Podcast by Podcast Masters
Srinivas Rao (or “Srini” as he’s often called) is the founder of Unmistakable Media, host of The Unmistakable Creative podcast and author of multiple books, including the Wall Street Journal bestseller The Art of Being Unmistakable. Srini’s most recent book is Unmistakable: Why Only is Better Than Best.
So when it comes to being not just recognizable, but undeniable, memorable and ultimately unmistakable...well, he literally wrote the book on it.
In his podcast, Srini has conducted over 600 interviews (!) with thought leaders and people from all walks of life. This has cultivated an incredibly distinctive view on branding, storytelling, and marketing with so many great sources to draw from.
Since so much of the creative process includes elements that are outside our control, Srini believes we have to fall in love with the process of what we do, and be less concerned with external feedback. While it’s important for your business to track sales, and measure engagement, you have to decide, will you base your joy off of these numbers? One tip? Pick things that you’d choose to create even if you weren’t getting paid, even if there was no way for people to “like” it or upvote it in some way.
“When you’re no longer concerned with all of these things you can’t control, that really is a place of freedom.”
When you let go of this need to manufacture some sort of result, when you can let go of those outcomes and focus on the process, all of the anxiety and energy that were put into outcomes are now translated into the process.
Srini believes, the enemy of process is distraction. It’s ally is a concept called Deep Work, introduced by Cal Newport, which is the ability to go into a cognitively demanding task for a long period of time. The more you do that, the more that you build what Srini calls Creative Momentum, the more you start to get into a state of Flow.
“If you can actually resist the temptation for distraction, you will build your ability to go into deeper states of Flow, and not only that but you will sustain the ability to go into deeper states of flow for longer periods of time, and as a result things will actually get better.”
Srini’s book, Unmistakable: Why Only is Better Than Best, illustrates that anyone is capable of standing out from the crowd, being authentic, and avoiding the alluring trap of mimicking those that have come before them.
How do you avoid succumbing to the tempting mimicry epidemic?
- Curiosity – “What are you naturally curious about? Not what you think will lead to some sort of result or outcome, but what is it that you are curious about?”
- Experimentation – “Experiments don’t have to be expensive, don’t have to be time-consuming, but they give you a tremendous amount of feedback.”
“We’re trying to boil down something that has no formula into a formula.”
Srini is a passionate surfer, and his experience with the ocean has shifted not only the way he shows up in business, but also the way he shows up in relationships. For example
- He’s cultivated resilience in the face of difficult situations.
- He also practices letting go of any expectations from these situations.
“What you learn by being in the ocean is that the conditions are always changing. It’s always dynamic, it’s always interesting, and your job is to keep adjusting to what the conditions are. There are days where the conditions are perfect, but if you’re just standing around waiting for the conditions to be perfect you’ll never do anything, you’ll never take any risks.”
Srini is a wonderful guest and, indeed, unmistakable guest. He shares a lot of great tools and tips to improve our productivity, break free of distractions and become unmistakable. I greatly appreciate him stopping by, and you should go check out The Unmistakable Creative to hear more from Srini.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- How does Srini cultivate more creativity in his life?
- What tips would Srini give people who are just starting out and haven’t honed what makes them unmistakable yet?
- Where does Srini see the business going and what does the future of the Unmistakable brand looks like?
- Can Srini think of a habit or tool from his 600+ interviews that stands out that he has implemented in your own life?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- How you can be Unmistakable.
- How to cultivate creativity in your life.
- How to break free of the distractions of technology.
- How to attain a Creative Momentum and achieve a state of Flow.
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Guest Links & Resources: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
- Listen to The Unmistakable Creative podcast
- Unmistakable: Why Only is Better Than Best by Srinivas Rao
- The Art of Being Unmistakable by Srinivas Rao
- “Why Practice Matters Just as Much If not More Than Performance” by Srinivas Rao
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- The Life And Times of a Remarkable Misfit by AJ Leon, a free collection of essays about changing the world
- “‘The Artist’s Way’ in an Age of Self Promotion” by Carrie Battan
- Ego is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday
- The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor
- Deep Work by Cal Newport
- Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield
- Cal Newport’s TEDed Talk on Passion
- Focus@Will – mobile productivity application
- Hey Focus – desktop productivity application
- MacJournal – simplified word processor
- Grammarly – free grammar checker
- Calm – mobile meditation application
Production & Development for The Bold Life Movement Podcast by Podcast Masters
Darius Nabors is unlike any guest I've had on the show before, but his story is something I knew my audience needed to hear. Over the past year, Darius has been on a trip he’s dubbed #59in59, with the goal to visit 59 national parks in 59 weeks, alongside his friend Trevor. The end of their trip brought them to Acadia National Park in Maine on August 25, 2016, for the National Parks Service 100th Anniversary; something they'd planned from the start.
Growing up in Colorado, Darius has felt at home in nature nearly his entire life. Since childhood, one of his dreams has been to see every U.S. National Park, which culminated recently with his idea for #59in59. The deadline of the NPS Centennial created a “now or never” feeling in Darius, which pushed him into motion.
One interesting lesson that Darius took from the trip, is the concept of a condensed timeline. This means that when you're filling your life with new and different experiences, it actually feels like MUCH more time has passed. This notion became obvious when he linked up with friends at the end of his travels, who he'd seen earlier in the trip. For them, not much had changed, and it felt like no time had lapsed since their last visit. For Darius though, SO much had happened. He'd lived lifetimes of adventures, and created so many new memories because he was proactively seeing new things each day.
We can incorporate this lesson into our own life by consciously choosing novel activities. By filling our weeks with 'newness' we can ensure that at the end of our life, it doesn't all blur together.
When Darius shared his #59in59 plans with friends and family, he naturally was mat with some skepticism. Surprisingly, the naysayers were all from the younger crowd. Older generations supported Darius in his journey, but most people in his own age range met the idea with pessimism and doubt, most likely brought about by limiting beliefs, or possibly jealousy.
To support the cost of his journey, a large part of the funding came from a crowdfunding campaign they hosted through Rocket Hub. Contributors were offered a variety of rewards for their donations, such as allowing fans to join Darius & Trevor in-park for a “B&B” experience, or the sillier gift of having a stick named after you. Rocket Hub was an easy choice for their preferred crowdfunding platform after Darius chatted with the CEO Brian Meece. Meece's dedication showed how much the company cares about the projects that they help fund.
Obviously this sort of adventure requires some intense planning and preparation. Here are some of the steps Darius took to ensure the trip would be a success.
Before the Trip Began:
- Brainstorming - while watching through the Ken Burns documentary The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, Darius jotted down notes on the parks and requested materials for the parks service to help plan his trip.
- Finances - in addition to money in preparation for the trip, Darius relied on Rocket Hub to help supplement the funding for the trip.
- Transportation - originally, Darius considered flipping an old bus or van as a travel vehicle, but in the end his parents offered for him to use their Dodge Ram 2500, providing for a similar size vehicle at zero cost. (score!)
- Sleeping - at the beginning of the trip, a tent was an easy choice. As the trip went on, Darius decided to save time by sleeping in the bed of the Dodge or in a hammock. Set up and tear down time was taking away from precious experiences.
Notable Memories:
- Glacier National Park - while going up a trail ridge, a high-pitched wailing sound signaled a marmit (descrip), running down a nearby cliff heading straight for Darius and his group.... And then proceeded to simply run away.
- In Transit To Alaska - a bull moose appeared on the freeway, crossed the road, and walked right near their car.
- Kindness Of Strangers - Darius was constantly offered to join others for meals, received leftover food, invited in to other’s lodgings, and oen couple even purchased a huckleberry pie for them from a local restaurant.
The trip was not difficult to accomplish physically, but Darius struggled trying to stay aware and updated with all of his ongoing plans, social media, and the blog for the #59in59 website. However, one notable struggle was an evening in a car in the Florida Everglades, where temperatures refused to drop below 80 degrees. (Note to self: don’t visit the Everglades in July). In general, the expectations for a lower standard of living throughout the trip kept Darius & Trevor extremely content.
The reason Darius spent so much time with content creation and social media for 59in59 was fueled by his drive to get readers out of the house and into the parks. Not everyone grows up with a love and respect for nature, and he hopes that he can change that for the readers of his blog.
Next up for Darius is updating his followers of the rest of the trip, uploading the last batch of photos, and sending off the final rewards from his contributors. At home, Darius has been caring for his four younger siblings, but plans to get back into the working world this November.
“As long as you keep working hard and trying, if it’s something that you really care about, stuff just happens… it’s like the universe is conspiring to help you.”
Darius continues to live his life as though he’s preparing for his older self; not for retirement, but for memories. There is no vision of his future that contains regret, as he’s working consciously to prevent future resentment. According to him, it’s too easy for people to wish they had done something, and then later on regret that lack of action.
I’m glad to share this unique story with you all, and I hope Darius’ journey resonates with you. And for all of you glued to your laptops and phones, use this episode as inspiration to get out into the natural world!
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What did you prepare for before embarking on the trip?
- What are some notable stories from the trip?
- Did you experience extra kindness or generosity from the people you met on the trip?
- What was a particular aspect of the trip that was difficult?
- Why did you decide to blog and stay active on social during the trip?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- The importance of living a life without regret
- Why constant action can turn the universe in your favor
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Guest Links & Resources: Website | Instagram
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Rocket Hub: Online Crowdfunding
- Hammocks by E.N.O. & Hennessey
- The National Parks: America’s Best Idea by Ken Burns & PBS
Production & Development for The Bold Life Movement Podcast by Podcast Masters
I connected with Mike Vardy at the World Domination Summit in August, a worldwide gathering of remarkable people, and he is no exception.. Mike is a writer, speaker, podcaster and founder of Productivityist. He also manages to add a lot of humor and entertainment into the productivity space.
Mike is a productivityist, or a productivity enthusiast. He enjoys studying the tools and habits of productivity, and he looks at the world differently because of it. Through the Productivityist blog and podcast, Mike is helping people stop “doing” productive and start “being” productive, by giving them the tools to start paying attention and setting the right intentions.
We start our conversation about productivity discussing non-alcoholic beer and decaffeinated coffee. Seemingly tangential, body and energy are directly tied to productivity so I was interested to hear about his recent experiments in cutting both of these from his life. “I really enjoy finding ways to keep the rituals I have, but also do it in a way that’s responsible and allows me to be the night owl that I am ... but not have those productivity spikes.”
Mike sees most people getting stuck in a trap of doing just for the sake of doing, and that’s not productive. “They’ll basically go through the motions, they don’t really segment out their to-do list, and as a result they end up with a fragmented to-do list.” They work haphazardly, trying to get as many things done as possible, until the day is done. Then they get home, wiped out, and do nothing.
“The problem is, when we do that, we aren’t moving forward with any kind of purpose.”
At World Domination Summit, Mike talked about the idea of theming your work days, and the idea resonates with a lot of people. “Your calendar should be your overarching guide, but the details are in the to-do list.” What people tend to do is look at a given day, without giving it any meaning or purpose, then go through a checklist without intention.
Mike doesn’t like the idea of letting your schedule be your guide, or hyper scheduling, because it leaves no room for flexibility. If you theme your day and something unexpected comes up, like a last-minute coaching session, then you aren’t lost when you get back to work.
“I think there’s some merit to giving themes to each day so you have an overarching focus, but when you hyper schedule yourself you run the risk of just completely falling off track, feeling overwhelmed and feeling that you haven’t accomplished what you set out to do over the day.” It doesn’t matter if you’re a startup founder, working on your side hustle or a stay-at-home parent, theming your days can help you be productive.
For someone who can’t completely untether him or herself from their email, at least make it more manageable. Mike talks about the idea of Inbox Today. While many people try to get to Inbox 0, Mike tries to clear the backlog so that you only see email from today. Additionally, your inbox shouldn’t be where you go to look for things. “It’s a loading bay, not a warehouse”
Mike has a system called Three Mail, where each email goes into one of three folders. It’s a simple process:
- Set up folders for every day of the week that you want to deal with e-mails (if that’s every day, that’s fine).
- When you get an e-mail, decide what day you want to deal with it, and then move it to the appropriate folder.
- When you first sit down with your email on a given day, deal with the folder for that day first. Then, organize your backlogged emails again.
Mike uses a number of physical and digital tools to improve his productivity:
- He believes that a digital task manager is a must in this day and age. “Your mind really is meant to be a factory and not a warehouse, so if you keep trying to store things in here you’re just going to slow things down.” It’s important to have a digital task manager for long term things, even if you’re a paper person.
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- Mike uses todoist, and Wunderlist is also simple and collaborative. He also uses Asana for team-based tasks.
- To maximize productivity, you may also want to track how long you spend on different tasks. To track how long you are spending on different websites, so you can see what is taking most of your time, RescueTime is a great tool. If you want to track where team members are spending their time, Time Doctor is a great tool.
- Mike also uses a device called Saent to track his time. It’s a small button that you click to track how long it takes you to perform certain tasks, and it allows you to label websites as good or evil.
- Mike is beta testing a new product, called a ZIE. It is like an 8-sided die with blank sides, which you label. When you turn it to any given side, it starts tracking that time. It then integrates with a tool called Toggl.
“I like both the Saent and the Zie, because it’s physical. It sits on your desk. You can’t help but see it. I think physical tools, like having those visuals in front of you, are really important, because, frankly, digital tools can hide in the background. This can’t.”
Mike isn’t actually a diehard tracker, but he believes the tools can be helpful for putting yourself in a good, productive mindset. Your brain sees the day or time, sees what it should be doing, and everything outside of that can fall away. “Again, paying attention and setting the right intentions. These tracking tools, unless you have the right intentions for them and then you find a way to pay attention to them, they’re not going to be as much help to you as you’d like them to be.”
“I’m a big believer in human automation, the automation that you set up … I’m not as huge a believer in setting up a bunch of digital automations because they can break, and they’re not as connected to you.”
Productivityist recently self-published The Productivityist Playbook. It includes video interviews, audio and a number of productivity plays. When you buy the guide, you receive 15 plays, and you can assemble your own productivity playbook out of them. If listeners of the show go to Productivityist.com/TheBoldLife, they will get one play for free! (Thanks Mike!)
“I’m a big believer that even when business isn’t personal, productivity always is. I don’t think there’s enough talk about the personal component of productivity, and I really want to put the personal back into it. That’s what this whole guide is designed to do.”
Mike is probably the most entertaining person in the productivity space, and I appreciate him coming on the podcast to talk. He gave us a lot of great tips and tools for living a bold life with more attention and the right intentions.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- Where are the biggest areas that Mike sees people struggling with their productivity?
- What are easy wins that people can implement into their life to get time back?
- Favorite tools to become more productive and track their productivity?
- What are Mike’s favorite books for newbie Productivityists?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- How to avoid just going through the motions with your daily schedule.
- How to start each work day by paying attention and with the right intention.
- A better system for organizing your emails.
- A number of must-have tools for managing and tracking productivity.
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Connect with Mike Vardy: Productivityist | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest
- Go to Productivityist.com/TheBoldLife to get one free play from The Productivity Playlist
- Listen to The Productivityist Podcast
- Pick up The Productivityist Playbook by Mike Vardy
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- The Bold Life Business School
- World Domination Summit
- Todoist
- Wunderlist
- Asana
- RescueTime
- Time Doctor
- Saent
- ZIE
- Toggl
- “Ego is the Enemy” by Ryan Holiday
- “The Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod
- “Zen to Done” by Leo Babauta
- “Making Ideas Happen” by Scott Belsky
- “The Go-Giver” by Bob Burg & John David Mann
- Clausthaler Alcohol-Free Beer
Today’s episode is a little different, because we’re talking about the legal matters entrepreneurs might not be aware of in their businesses. We're getting down and dirty on all things legal, with my guest Sarah Kornblet. Sarah is an online attorney, business owner and passionate traveler.
Sarah is super passionate about keeping your passion protected. She does so, by helping business owners better protect themselves at every stage of business growth. Her Let’s Get Legal! packages provide a strong legal foundation to build your business upon – for startups, growing businesses and pros. She also offers a la carte services for businesses looking for specific legal protections, and more affordable templates for the DIY entrepreneur who still wants comprehensive legal protection.Sarah frequently sees entrepreneurs making two major legal mistakes:
- They don’t have any legal protections in place at all – “The result of that is people often end up having to learn their lessons the hard way.” This includes not having contracts ready when you meet clients, and not having the right policies to protect the products on your website.
- A template is one way to get yourself protected, without making a larger investment.
- The other big mistake is repurposing contracts and legal agreements from other businesses. Do not re-purpose other contracts for your own business. It may be copyright infringement, because contracts are licensed for individual use, and the protections aren’t guaranteed to be what your business needs.
“Copyright law is such that, whenever you create something in a fixed form – so the moment you publish this podcast or hit publish on a blog post or put out a video – you are the legal owner of that content.” The difference with copyright is that, if you want to actually bring a legal action in the court of law, you have to register the copyright with the government.
If anyone steals your content after the copyright is registered, you have the rights to statutory damages and money. If you don’t register your copyright you still have rights, such as sending a cease and desist order and asking violators to remove the content, but until you register the copyright you don’t have the right to bring legal action.
“The best you can do is have things in place, register stuff. That gives you a little more protection. Be aware. Periodically do searches if you suspect someone. Chances are it’s going to happen, but you do have options when it does.”
Hiring a lawyer to draw up the standard policies and contracts that any online business needs will vary in price. A lawyer at a law firm will likely be much higher than if you work with a small business online – a single contract can be thousands of dollars compared to Sarah’s $600 contract. “What’s great is that online business lawyers are really popping up, and making things much more accessible and cheaper than the traditional route, which is something really exciting because it enables more people to be protected.”
For most service-based entrepreneurs, the most important documents you’ll need include:
- One-on-one services agreement
- Policies on your website – A privacy policy is legally required if you are collecting email addresses or other personal information
- Terms of Service / Terms of Use – Explains to visitors what they can and can’t do with your information
- Disclaimers – Often included in the terms of service, disclaimers are very important. “You want to make sure to protect yourself from claims of liability, and disclaimers are what does that for your business.”
That’s the bare minimum. Once you get into hiring virtual assistants, running group programs or building a membership site, all of those things will need their own legal agreement. As your business grows, you will need to build on the above protections.
“We all enter into legal agreements all the time that we don’t sign, and probably don’t even know about.” For one-on-one services, it’s always a smart practice to have your clients sign a contract. For any sort of group program or membership site, you can have a legal agreement or contract called Terms of Purchase.
Basically, the Terms of Purchase outlines the terms of the program or membership site: how your refund policy works, disclaimers, jurisdiction and more. Whoever is buying agrees to it at the point of purchase. “At that point, you are entering into a legal agreement whether you know it or not.”
People who are drop shipping or selling products on Amazon need additional legal protections. “One of the most important things they need to have is a solid contract in place with their manufacturer or supplier.” They really need to know what the payment terms are, what happens with damaged goods, what happens with late shipments, what are they entitled to and what they are they on the line for. People selling online also need to include a similar Terms of Sale and Terms of Use to a service-based business. “If you are not the manufacturer, you do not want to be held liable for issues with the actual product.”
Sarah believes that entrepreneurs should wait to trademark their product or brand until they are positive the name and logo will not change. “If you are investing legal dollars in a lawyer, you’re better off, at the very beginning, thinking about making sure you have the proper policies and contracts in place, and then thinking about trademarking down the road when you’ve really built a solid brand.”
“Once you start saying you’re in business, you’re in business.”
As soon as you start selling a service or product, you are a sole proprietor. You may have to register a sole proprietor and name with your state, but that won’t offer any legal protections. “Limited Liability Company (LLC) is what I usually suggest small business owners start with.” There’s no need to start a huge corporation if it’s just you selling a product online.
A registered LLC can provide a number of benefits to small business owners:
- If there is a claim against you and you lose, your personal assets are protected
- It makes your business appear more legitimate if you are trying to get investors, partners or even customers
- You can get a Federal Tax ID number, which is great for a business bank account
- You can choose to be taxed as an S Corp
- It’s not a huge investment
“Just starting out, LLC is definitely the way to go.”
Your business name does not need to be the same as your LLC. However, in the copyright statement at the bottom of your web page (or any other legal documents), you need to use the name of the LLC.
Sarah has done an amazing job following the success steps necessary to create a business that thrives, and she’s helping other entrepreneurs protect their passion along the way. This episode is packed full of useful, necessary information that entrepreneurs need to ensure adequate legal protections for themselves and their businesses.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What are the biggest mistakes that business owners are making time and time again, when it comes to having their legal matters in order?
- Does the copyright text at the bottom of a webpage protect your content?
- How much does it usually cost to have a lawyer draw up the standard policies that should be on your site?
- What legal protections do people need if they are drop shipping or selling products on Amazon?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- The most common legal mistakes made by online business owners
- The legal documents every online business needs to ensure legal protection
- The basics of Copyright Law as it relates to content creators and online businesses
- How to legally protect yourself if you are drop shipping or selling products through Amazon
- Why Sarah suggests establishing a LLC when you are first starting an online business
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Connect with Sarah Kornblet: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- The Bold Life Business School [Group Program] - Coming September 2016
Amy smith is a highly experienced life coach dripping with authenticity and style. At The Joy Junkie, she endeavors to help her clients gain self-confidence, stand up for themselves and live a more joyful life.
“The nucleus of everything that I do is helping people stand up for themselves without being assholes.” It’s two-fold really: it’s the internal component of believing in your own self-worth, believing you’re valuable enough to speak up for your thoughts, opinions, stances and beliefs, and the external component of what that looks like. How does it sound to establish a boundary?
Without a doubt, Amy has found that the most common reason that people struggle to stand up for themselves is because they are afraid of what other people are going to think. People's’ fears are shrouded in a number of topics: they’re not going to accept me, love me, they’re going to think I’m stupid, etc.
“It’s all about what someone else might put a brand on you as. ‘If they think something about me, then that must be true,’ and somehow that that will equate, or negate, your own self-worth.”
“What I see people do most of the time is people-please, and silence who they really are, what they really think, and what they really feel.” Amy believes there is a huge fallacy around what it means to stand up for you and stand up for your convictions. In many situations we silence ourselves, because we have convinced ourselves that speaking up is rude or aggressive.
As a basic jumping off point, one of the things that you can start doing as a sort of check-and-balance in the different relationships in your life, is to always ask yourself: is my silence making me a liar? Is my silence giving me a false sense of compliance? Amy helps her clients realize:
“I don’t have to be a dick. I can decline that sort of conversation with the utmost kindness and grace.”
Amy has another tool, which she calls, “If this, then that,” and it’s where we take a circumstance and we create a truth from it. The idea is to take the negative stories we tell ourselves, such as, “If I don’t get this job, then I’m a failure,” and remove their charge: “If I don’t get this job, then I didn’t get the job.”
She also has a quick and dirty tip for building confidence: “One of the fastest avenues to confidence is to start really doing things that you’re proud of.” Start looking at what you need to do today, or how you can conduct yourself today, that you will actually be proud. We need little wins that create a compound effect.
One of the biggest shifts that Amy believes we can make to alter our relationship to confidence is unpacking our concept around self-worth. The idea is conceptual. Currently, most of us evaluate our self-worth based on accomplishment, adoration or accolades from other people. It’s not just something that we have. Amy advocates that that worth is inherent. It is something that we already have.
“What if you were already worthy, you were already valuable and enough as is, and everything else in life were simply experiences?”
Through her own experiences, Amy has developed a new management system: the way in which she manages self-talk and hardship. One major piece is her allies, what she likes to call her soul tribe. She knows that, when something happens in her life, she will need to tell that story to a few people in her soul tribe to process it.
There’s another element: core value system. Amy teaches that your core values are elements that you need in your world in order for it to be fulfilled. “Am I honoring the things that I know bring me joy?”
If you head over to Amy’s website, TheJoyJunkie.com, you’ll see a free e-workbook and audiobook called Stand Up For Yourself Without Being a Dick. It’s nine different, very actionable challenges that are designed to help you catapult your self-love and self-confidence.
Amy and The Joy Junkie stand for everything that I stand for here at The Bold Life Movement, so I’m really excited to share her message with everyone. Listen, enjoy and check out The Joy Junkie!
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What are some of the top reasons that Amy hears people struggling to stand up for themselves?
- How to be more assertive if you’ve created this pattern of people-pleasing in your life?
- Does Amy have tools she gives her clients to help them cultivate more confidence?
- How is Amy implementing some of the stuff she learned through her own personal development path to get back to her baseline joy, when it seems like stuff is going wrong? What are tools that she uses?
- What did the process of becoming a coach look like for Amy?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- How to stand up for yourself without being a dick
- A better way to evaluate your own self-worth
- Tools for building confidence
- Amy’s new ways in which Amy manages self-talk and hardship
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Connect with Amy Smith: The Joy Junkie | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | YouTube
- Listen to The Joy Junkie Show
- Go get Stand Up For Yourself Without Being a Dick
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- The Bold Life Business School [Group Program] - Coming September 2016
Laura Hanly, a writer specializing in content marketing for online businesses joins me today to drop some incredible value for business owners struggling to nail down their content strategy. Through her business, Laura Hanly Content Marketing Agency, she helps online businesses hone their competitive edge with powerful content marketing processes. Great news for us all, Laura is also writing a book entitled, Content That Converts: A Profitable and Predictable B2B Content Marketing Strategy. You can follow Laura’s progress, get early chapters, and loads of free advice on writing in her private Facebook Group.
Laura has been in the industry of content promotion for a long time. She worked in the major Australian publishing houses for several years, promoting and reviewing books, before starting her own online business. When she moved online and started working with e-commerce and B2B companies, she found that most of those businesses had a really incomplete approach to their content marketing.
“Once I had been in the online space for a while and honed that part of the expertise, it seemed like a really unique opportunity to me to combine those two types of experiences to help businesses actually see a return on all of the effort they are putting into their content.”
When Laura is onboarding a new client and getting familiar with their needs, she has three key questions that get at the basis of any sound marketing strategy:
- Who are your customers?
- What are you offering them?
- How are you delivering that?
It’s all about understanding who your audience is, getting really clear about who you’re actually communicating with, what your offer is, and, finally, figuring out your messaging. Her introductory questions ensure that her clients are really clear about those three elements, and then helps to determine a guiding principle, a north star, for their content marketing strategy. This is how Laura is able to hone in on someone’s voice, whether to assist her in ghost writing the content for them, or to help them be more consistent in their messaging.
“You have to start with a really broad view and get to know the business and the people running the business, before you can get down to those nitty-gritty bits.”
There are a couple areas that many entrepreneurs are struggling with:
Many entrepreneurs don’t have a complete strategy around their content. “It’s really not enough to just pump out blog posts or podcasts. They really have to be part of the ecosystem.”
- You want to make sure you have an opt-in offer, or a lead magnet, that’s going to capture all of the traffic that comes to your site
- You want to have email funnels that educate people and move them towards taking action with you
- Regular sales offers and goodwill campaigns that make money and keep the list healthy
People struggle to produce content regularly.
“A lot of entrepreneurs have these amazing skills and really are experts in really interesting fields, but it’s a struggle for them to communicate their expertise. My big focus is helping them put systems in place that are really going to enable them to communicate their expertise in a way that’s not overly-draining or time-consuming for them.”
The most important high-leverage system that Laura has implemented for her clients is a quarterly content plan filled out with content themes. Pick three or four things that you really want to be known for in your industry, and put those into a quarterly content plan that maps out exactly what each piece of content will be each week, along with three or four key points you want to touch on for those posts. If you fill out this plan, you will know what to do whenever you sit down to produce content.
How and when you deliver your content will vary based on industry. High-end consulting and coaching businesses will want to create a luxury or catered experience. B2B will want to be consistent and less frequent thanB2C, where you have more flexibility. However, every business in every industry is different, so you will need to test any content distribution methods to find what is most effective for you and your industry.
Deciding the right email-marketing client to use can be daunting. Laura uses ActiveCampaign because of their segmenting capabilities, and because their workflows create effective funnels. Drip has similar capabilities, and is a little more visually appealing. If you are looking for something enterprise-level, InfusionSoft and ONTRAPORT are amazing tools if you have a complex offering, a business with a lot of moving parts, or your business is already established. It’s important to be aware of your company’s needs, your current budget, and not to sign on with a platform that is so overwhelmingly techy that it prevents you from getting started.
Laura often encounters resistance to delegating content production responsibilities, when she is working with entrepreneurs who have a defined personal brand. “Everyone who is the face of their brand, or whose reputation is connected to their business, is just terrified of outsourcing their content.” It’s totally understandable, but it also puts hard limits on what an entrepreneur can achieve with their content.
“This is where the quarterly planning spreadsheet comes into play, because it’s an opportunity for you to map out exactly what you want to be communicated to your audience, the language you want used, the positioning and everything. Planning all of that out with a writer you really trust gives you the opportunity to communicate all of that, while only spending a very small amount of your own time.”
If you aren’t working with a content marketing team or specialist, then the quarterly planning spreadsheet can still help. After you have your content schedule, plan days to write and finish batches of content. Batching can be a more approachable way of getting that work done, and it can help you make sure each piece of content relate to each other.
If your business is a little bit newer and you are looking to grow your list, web summits are performing really well for list growth. A web summit is a collection of people within an industry who, usually over the course of a couple days, will talk about a variety of topics within an industry.
“If you can get together with a few other people in your industry, and do a bunch of interviews and make it really valuable for people who are interested in your particular expertise, then that’s a great way to cross pollinate with other people in your area who have complementary businesses. It’s also a great way, down the line, to establish affiliate relationships.”
Lately, Laura has also been helping people produce books for their business by ghost writing. “I think books are one of the biggest opportunities for businesses online at the moment.” Producing a book is a great way to differentiate yourself from your market, particularly if you have a lot of aggressive competitors.
“It’s a really powerful calling card. I think there’s really no better way to establish yourself as an authority than by writing a book.”
Writing a book shows that you are a serious player in the industry, and you can use a book to create multiple revenue streams. There are the sales of the book, but you can also send the book to prospective clients. “When you have a really high price-point offering … it’s a great way to show that you’re really going to be worth it.”
Laura packed this interview full of value and helpful tips about content production, email marketing and writing books for The Bold Life Movement. I highly suggest heading over to the Content That Converts Facebook Group to check out updates on the book.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What was the transition like when Laura decided to double down on her writing skills and create a content marketing agency?
- When Laura is onboarding someone, what are some of the typical questions that you will go over with them?
- What is one thing that entrepreneurs seem to be struggling with the most?
- What are content production systems that entrepreneurs should have in place?
- How does someone know which email client they should use for content marketing?
- What are some ways that people can repurpose old content, and not feel like they are starting anew every quarter?
- Tips for growing and nurturing a baby list?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- How to plan a complete approach to content marketing
- The three questions that can help any business draft a sound content marketing strategy
- The areas that entrepreneurs struggle with most in content marketing
- The importance of a quarterly content plan
- How to decide the right email-marketing client
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Connect with Laura Hanly: Website
- Content That Converts Facebook Group
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- The Bold Life Movement (Book) Facebook Group
- ActiveCampaign
- Drip
- InfusionSoft
- ONTRAPORT
I’ve been pouring over my notes from last week’s World Domination Summit and I was originally going to share my “top 5 takeaways” from the event, but I realized that all of my favorite takeaways fell under one central theme.
So instead I’m going to focus on that one theme and use examples from the conference to show you how integral this thing is to our lives, and how powerful it can be to take controlled of it.
Can you already guess what it is? I'll help.
IT'S MINDSET.
Now I hope that you didn’t just fall flat in your seat because you’re like KIM NOT ANOTHER EFFING SCHPEAL ABOUT MINDSET. But bare with me.
WDS is a 6 day long event, and I noticed that EVERY day there was some talk, some session, or some meetup where the underlying theme (whether explicitly stated or not) was how to change your mindset to change your life.
Some people snuck it in, so you didn’t even realize that’s what you were doing. Others used scientific research to back up their points. But whether it was a keynote speech, an Academy, or a meetup in the park, they were all speaking on the same underlying truth. And that is: your thoughts become words, your words become habits, your habits become your character, and your character becomes your destiny.
So it sort of makes sense that we would want to affect our thoughts in a way that makes us happier, more intentional, more productive, and
So let’s dive into some of the core lessons that I took from the conference, and how you all can start using these in your life now. (Be sure to listen to the episode for the full stories from each of these talks).
WHO TAUGHT IT: MARC AND ANGEL
Marc & Angel shared a story about one of their clients which illustrated how people can so often perceive a situation inaccurately, solely based on their expectation of how it's supposed to be. And when we interpret things different from how they actually are, we change our thoughts and our reaction about them.
LESSON: Understand how you can impact your perception of a situation that isn't up to your standards. Instead of “WHY ME?” ask “What could I be happy about? grateful for? excited about?”
It’s no secret that we see more of what we’re looking for, EVEN WHEN IT DOESNT EXIST. So be intentional about what you’re letting your mind look for.
MarcandAngel.com - Practical Tips for Productive Living.
WHO TAUGHT IT: MIKE VARDY
Mike's example shows how systems you create can affect your mindset, and ergo affect your productivity, which affects your life!
He suggests setting up theme days for your work week. Ex: Monday is engagement/social media, Tuesday is Podcast, Wednesday is Online Marketing, etc.
LESSON: Structure helps to relieve the overwhelm that can come with ALL the things we have to do in our business each day.
It gives your mind something easy to focus one, and then helps us think “Oh, its just online writing day! So today that’s all I have to worry about” which puts us at ease, gives us small wins, and makes us happier on an ongoing basis because we’re less stressed.
TheProductivityist.com
WHO TAUGHT IT: CHARLIE GILKEY
"When we don’t finish ideas, we become creatively constipated."
When you become backed up, you get toxic and start saying negative things about yourself. This is not conducive to producing quality content, serving your clients, or being HAPPY about your business!
LESSON: Reframe your expectations around your work. Create goals that are palatable and achievable. Set yourself up for success so you can FINISH things. This boost in confidence is great for building integrity with yourself.
Productiveflourishing.com
WHO TAUGHT IT: CAROLINE WEBB
Caroline shared a story about a workshop she was hosting once. The vibe was good, the class was enjoying themselves, and about halfway through, a woman comes blowing into the room like a tornado (energetically speaking). She was visibly late, and visibly frustrated by the fact. Within minutes the rapport of the room had been zapped. Caroline had lost her class.
LESSON: Research shows that our emotions synch up with those around us within 5 minutes. CHOOSE to be the person who lifts people’s emotions, not brings them down. Be aware of this power you have and use it intentionally and kindly.
Author of How to Have a Good Day
WHO TAUGHT IT: ZACH ANNER
"Failures, Faults and Major assists don’t need to be excluded from a narrative of success."
LESSON: It’s so easy for us to get caught up in compare and despair when we see these movie reel versions of other people’s lives, or other people’s businesses. But the reality is that reframing what success is, understanding that mistakes and falls are PART of the journey to your goal, and much of what makes a good story, we can then start to embrace those tough moments. We can be grateful for the challenges.
If Zach was born without CP, he likely would not have met the people he’s met, traveled the places he’s traveled, or experienced half of the AMAZING things that he’s gotten to experience.
Our struggles, and the things that make us different can and should be part of our story for success.
Author of If at Birth you Don’t Succeed | Youtube
WHO TAUGHT IT: MICHELLE POLAR
Our brain puts all the similar moments of our life into ONE box. Which means that every day we go to work, we drive home, we watch tv, we maybe have sex with our partner, then we wake up and do it again, it all blurs into one memory. Nothing stands out.
LESSON: When you do things that are radically different, you’re creating new experiences in different boxes. Your life feels much more full and rich. Your not living any more hours in the day, but because you are having an increased range of experiences, it feels like you’re living MORE of a life. I think this is AMAZING.
When I was living abroad in different cities every couple months, I definitely had this condensed timeline. Relationships felt richer faster, and it just seemed like SO much happened to me in such a small amount of time. You can create this sensation in your life now.
All you have to do is start injecting, NEW and DIFFERENT experiences into your life. Michelle chose to do things that made her uncomfortable; you can choose to experience things that are scary, taboo, or just new to you! Explore your city as if you were a tourist, take a new class, meet some new people. Just be sure to spice up your life, so you actually have memories to look back on at the end of it.
100dayswithoutfear.com
Kyle Gray, author of The College Entrepreneur and founder of Conversion Cake is a tenacious young business owner with some great advice about creating your own career path, even if you've started on a somewhat traditional path.
The College Entrepreneur is the missing ingredient to a lot of the problems that students are having when they are graduating and can’t find a good job that they love doing. “There’s more opportunity than ever, so it’s a shame to see so many students struggling.” It’s not that everybody should be an entrepreneur, but when you’re able to embody the skills that entrepreneurs need, you can be more proactive in whatever position or job you do have. You might even be more fulfilled by it!
In The College Entrepreneur, each chapter opens with a story about a student creating his/her own business, and then breaks down the specific action steps taken; it serves as kind of a playbook.
Kyle couldn’t connect with a lot of the classes he took in college. They didn’t relate enough to getting out in life and being successful. “This book details the changing of that process, discovering how I could use my university to connect with the real world. Build up a business or build something that I really cared about and that I wanted to do and that I could direct, instead of simply always having a professor guide me or someone at a job tell me what to do.”
“I had this asset that I was building while as a student, and using my universities’ resources to grow it and to make connections with different entrepreneurs, different thought leaders, and building a brand around it.”
At one point, Kyle worked with Chandler Bolt from Self-Publishing School to develop his content marketing strategy. Learning from Chandler's 'launch-team' strategy--how to put together a team of people that will help you launch your book and make a big impact early--was particularly helpful. “What I think Chandler does really, really well is give people a perspective to do this if they don’t have a big brand, or a big business already … he gives you a strategy to put together friends and family, and anyone who is interested on social media.”
Even for somebody who doesn’t have a large brand yet, you can have an impact and a successful book launch with some of the things that Chandler gives you. When people feel like they have contributed to the end product, they are more willing to share it and they want to see you succeed.
Kyle had a unique way of reaching out to people and making them feel involved when his book launched: he offered to write a postcard to anyone who reviewed his book during launch week, thanking them for participating and helping out.
In 2013, Kyle founded Conversion Cake, a digital marketing consulting agency that helps small businesses with content marketing strategies, email marketing automation, and sales funnel implementation. His challenges have involved trying to find the company’s unique voice, and deciding which market to target and what their core offer is.
“If you just have that one offer dialed in, and you can just create a great experience, I think that’s when things can really start to take off. You can scale, you can grow, and you can market yourself in a lot of better ways.”
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
Does the book document Kyle’s story or is more of a how-to (spoiler: it’s both)?
Is the book applicable for someone who has never thought of themself as an entrepreneur?
What did Kyle learn from Self Publishing School that helped him strategize the launch?
What are some of the experiences or opportunities that Ryan has been able to have by going against the grain?
What are some of the struggles in building up Conversion Cake?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
Why The College Entrepreneur is the missing ingredient for many students who graduate, but can’t find a good job that they love
How to leverage the resources at college to develop yourself as an asset
How to have a successful, self-published book launch
How Conversion Cake is helping small businesses with content marketing strategies, email marketing automation and sales funnels
Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
Connect with Kyle Gray: Website | Twitter | Instagram
The College Entrepreneur
Conversion Cake
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Self-Publishing School
Welcome to part 2 of our Episode Series with Nat Eliason. Be sure to check out Episode #30 if you haven't already!
In Episode 30 we talked about developing his brand, setting goals and why he started writing about something as taboo as sex, on what had been a lifestyle and business blog up until that point. This week we’re digging into the writing process, his lifestyle business and he's offering up some SEO advice.
As we learned, Nat is in the process of writing a book for men who want to improve their sex lives. The idea is simple: “Guys don’t talk about sex, but here’s everything they should be talking about with each other.”
He describes the process of writing a book, after so much time writing short form blog posts, as an ongoing struggle with himself. He's open about his experience with ''Resistance, a concept introduced in The War of Art. Resistance is your emotional side fighting with your rational desires, which prevents you from doing anything good, creative and artistic.
Nat started working against the Resistance with a simple quantitative goal: 60,000 words. Over time, that has evolved into a pure Process Goal. He is influenced by an idea central to Cal Newport’s Deep Work: “Long, uninterrupted stretches of complete focus on your most important source of output.”
“Get your three or four hours of Deep Work a day, and you’ll be amazed by what you can get done.”
Often the biggest obstacles to Deep Work are the ways in which we use technology.
“Your technology is there for your advantage, not everybody else’s … When you start to think of your laptop or your phone as there to help you and make your life better, and not to make you more responsive to what everyone else wants from you, you start treating it differently.”
Nat embraces this relationship with technology when he uses Habit List to reinforce his daily Deep Work sessions. He also sets some pretty high stakes for himself. For example, he made a bet with a friend that he would either deliver an early rough draft of his book by end of day Friday, or he would pay $1,000. Talk about accountability!
Nat breaks down his writing process was, and how he would tweak it for the future.
- Actual process: Wrote the outline, started writing individual sections on the outline, and then realized his original outline was broken. He put everything on index cards and reorganized them until he had a new outline that was better. Then, after he filled in that outline he realized there were still a lot of holes. “I basically didn’t do enough research up front, because I kept falling into holes.”
- What Nat wishes he did: Take a whole month or two just to do initial research and draft an outline that is as detailed as possible. Make sure you have read everything you will need to read, and keep it organized. Then, you can just start writing.
One of the articles Nat is most known for is: How to Travel for Six Months and Come Back Richer. In it, he offers a Runway Calculator and goes over the calculations you'd need to make before making big life transitions like moving overseas to travel. The calculater helps you see how much passive income you'd need to afford this lifestyle.
One way Nat created passive income for himself was through an information product. “If you know something that not everybody knows, there’s most likely a way you can sell that information.”
Books are the original information product. Courses are a popular choice now. Nat developed a product called Programming for Marketers. He wrote a great article detailing the process of launching and marketing this course: $58,150 in 5 Months: How to Build a Lifestyle Business Step-by-Step (Emails, Tools, Everything).
To get the initial traffic to Programming for Marketers, they started with a landing page detailing what courses would be offered in the future. They marketed it on Internet Marketing-related sites like Growth Hackers and Inbound. This generated a lot of interest. When someone signed up, they were sent an email (using Zapier) that encouraged them to refer a friend, and they received bonus material for referring a friend. This referral process added about 30% to their total sign-ups.
Nat doesn’t do anything do anything fancy to drive traffic to his site, and yet he averages 10,000 people every day. 70% of that is organic! He doesn’t use an SEO plug-in, and he doesn’t do extensive key word optimization.
So how does he do it?
Nat relates good SEO to being healthy. What someone needs to do to be healthy is extremely simple, but there is a lot of money invested in convincing people that being healthy is complicated. The same is true for SEO.
“SEO is actually extremely easy.”
The simple approach to SEO:
- Write an article on a topic being searched for
- Answer that question in a way that is enjoyable to read and takes care of their problem.
- Drive some initial traffic – just a couple hundred visits – to signal to Google that it is a valuable article
I had a blast talking with Nat, and I hope you did too. These conversations are absolutely packed full of Nat’s personality, the processes he has developed and a lot of really great resources!
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What is Nat’s process for writing his book?
- What advice does Nat have for handling resistance and distraction?
- What did the different versions of the writing process look like?
- What are examples of passive income streams that people might create?
- How did Nat initially get traffic to his online course?
- What are tips for SEO beginners?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- How to use technology for your advantage, not everybody else’s.
- Strategies for developing a passive income stream.
- The simple approach to SEO.
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Connect with Nat Eliason: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
- How to Travel for Six Months and Come Back Richer
- $58,150 in 5 Months: How to Build a Lifestyle Business Step-by-Step (Emails, Tools, Everything)
- Programming for Marketers
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- The War of Art: Winning the Inner Creative Battle by Steven Pressfield
- Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
- Habit List
- Nomad List
- Teachable
- Zapier
- Video Fruit
This is part 1 of our first ever two-part episode series! Nat Eliason is a content marketing expert, an amazing writer with an extremely diverse range of topics, and has built himself a nice little lifestyle business that allows him to travel the world.
When Nat was preparing to leave the corporate world and make his transition into business-owner, he overloaded on books about entrepreneurship. He's come to the conclusion that people should invest more of their time consuming books after they start a project, not before. Reason being: you don't know what's important yet, because you haven't made any of your own mistakes.
“What I didn’t realize when I was reading [so many business books] was what was important, and what wasn’t … if you haven’t had those problems, it’s hard to see what’s useful from it.”
To understand when you should be consuming, Nat identifies two ways to learn:
- Pull knowledge – You need to learn something, so you seek out the information. Like when you run into an issue in your business, so you seek out the answer from people with more experience.
- Push knowledge – A school, book or other authority gives you a large amount of knowledge, hoping some day it is useful. This is the case when you pre-load yourself with a ton of information, but don't have anywhere useful to apply it yet.
One of the biggest challenges new business owners face, is understanding how to properly plan and set goals. First, it's important to set specific quantitative goals that you can track.
But it's equally important to set what is called Process Goals – an idea developed by Bill Walsh in The Score Takes Care of Itself. You don’t set goals based on a certain outcome; instead you commit yourself to regularly performing a particular process (such as making the best podcast you possibly can by Friday, or writing the best sex advice article available). The idea is that, if you commit yourself entirely to the process, success will follow eventually.
Originally Nat was hung up on getting a lot of email subscribers for his website (quantitative), but now his goal is to establish himself as an authority in content marketing, and creating consistently good blog posts (process) can establish that authority just as well as a large audience.
One thing that attracted me to Nat was his ability to develop a distinct brand with a diverse range of topics: content marketing, sex, brewing kombucha, psychology and more. Nat credits this success to a combination of SEO and ensuring each article is as valuable as the last.
These articles are a great outlet for Nat to practice his writing – he now averages 10k daily visitors and they serve as a great testing ground for Nat’s new ideas. “It’s almost a great way to do minimal viable products in the form of articles.” He tracks the most popular articles, and he realized the only consistent variable in what did well was content that he spent a long time writing and put a lot of thought into.
“There was no marketing technique or whatever that made the difference … if the article said something interesting, or solved a problem for someone in a very effective way, it did well.
One of the more taboo topics that Nat has stumbled into is Men's sexual health. His research revealed there were very few sources offering authentic sex advice for men, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, most men he asked couldn't refer him to any.
So he decided to write the book himself.
Often when something doesn't already exist, it's because there isn't a market for it. When it comes to sex advice for men though, he has a theory:
- No man wants to write it – “This is by far the hardest thing I’ve ever written. The amount of imposter syndrome you have to deal with writing about this topic is really painful.”
- A traditional publisher probably won’t want to publish it.
I really appreciate Nat being so transparent and authentic during our conversation. Be sure to check out Episode #31 as we dive deeper into the lifestyle business that Nat has built, how he is helping other people do the same, and we talk more in depth about his book writing process.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- Are people born entrepreneurs, or is it something you can learn to be?
- What are strategies entrepreneurs can apply to business planning?
- How did Nat create such a strong brand on so many different topics?
- What feedback did Nat receive from readers when he first launched the sex section?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- How to use a Quantitative Goal to drive your business growth.
- Why Process Goals will help you create great content.
- How Nat grew his brand organically.
- Why he started writing about sex tips for men.
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Connect with Nat Eliason: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
- $58,150 in 5 Months: How to Build a Lifestyle Business Step-by-Step (Emails, Tools, Everything)
- Programming for Marketers
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- The Score Takes Care of Itself: My Philosophy of Leadership by Bill Walsh
- What I learned Losing a Million Dollars by Jim Paul
- The Truth: An Uncomfortable Book About Relationships by Neil Strauss
I am delighted to share a conversation with Jill Stanton today. Jill and her husband Josh are exceptionally authentic throughout the branding on their businesses ScrewU and Screw The Nine To Five, and she really brings that authenticity to this conversation.
Jill and Josh Stanton started their first online business in 2012. They wanted to start a movement, but they didn’t have a lot of direction. They have done everything – blogs, podcasts, a Facebook group, videos, online courses – but they found it was important to trim the fat. It isn’t necessary for Jill and Josh to do all the things. They learned to focus on what they love doing, and go all in.
“We’ve been on this three year journey of figuring out what we do like, and cutting what we don’t, and creating a business that not only serves, but feels good to us.”
If you are interested in screwing the nine-to-five lifestyle, but you don’t know where to start, Jill has some tips. Start by doing a brain dump: figure out what you’re good at, what you’re skilled at, and what you enjoy doing. Identify the things that you are most drawn to and research them. Develop related skills, and try to identify a problem that you can solve.
“When you are first starting out, you don’t know what you don’t know.”
If you are having trouble coming up with something, ask your friends and pay attention to the things that people ask for your advice on. This might shine a light on the skills and knowledge you have that other people don’t.
One thing that Jill and Josh have learned about entrepreneurs is that many of the people building their business in the personal brand space go through a particular progression, and they created a model called Momentum Marketing. The model has five steps:
- The Grind – Coming up with an idea, validating the idea, doing research, putting a plan in place, building a website, setting up social media, and creating any other assets that need to be prepared.
- The Hustle – Build visibility by creating consistent content each week, emailing your list regularly, joining communities, developing an offer, and forming relationships. It’s hard work, but you can’t skip it.
- The Engine – Creating sales funnels, running webinars, and other things that create consistent, sustainable monthly income.
- The Traffic – After you’re making a certain amount of revenue, start playing around with paid ads, hiring a team, and focusing on big picture growth.
- The Profit – You’re supervising launches, taking yourself out of the day-to-day aspects of your business, and focusing on the managerial aspects.
Jill and Josh are currently overhauling their ScrewU course program to reflect the five stages of Momentum Marketing. The goal is to cut down on things that are overwhelming and give entrepreneurs only the things they need to focus on at each stage.
A huge aspect of Screw the Nine to Five is its community, which Jill and Josh put a lot of time into building. A lot of entrepreneurs want to create an active community, particularly on Facebook, but it’s not for everyone. Entrepreneurs first need to consider if their business needs an online community. Then they need to put in the work.
“If you’re not willing to show up every day, and really put that time and effort in to building that up, then I don’t even think you should start a community. In fact, I think if you’re not 100% devoted to giving those people your time, especially in the beginning, then you could have even more success showing up in other people’s communities.”
If you show up in a big way, and give more than you get, then you will provide value to the community and people will come to you. Jill manages and automates the posts she makes on social media with Meet Edgar.
If you do have a strong community, then you might be interested in hosting a retreat or live event in the future. Jill believes that, if you’re going to do a live event, you have to be very clear on the purpose of it. “When we had a clear purpose, everything flowed much easier.” Jill urges that you enlist some help, but she also warns that it’s still probably going to exhaust you.
Jill was a lot of fun to talk to. I’m really excited that she shared her tested strategies for starting an online business, building communities and digital marketing with the Bold Life Movement audience.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- If someone is interested in “screwing the nine-to-five” lifestyle, what are first steps that they can take?
- Inside the Screw community, what are some things that people can expect?
- What advice would Jill like to give people who want to start a community on Facebook?
- What are awesome tools that are integral to Screw The Nine To Five?
- If an entrepreneur is interesting in hosting a retreat or live event, does Jill have any lessons she has learned?
- Are there steps that Jill and Josh took to get so good at marketing their business?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- Strategies for screwing the nine-to-five lifestyle
- How to start an online business using the Momentum Marketing model
- When it is appropriate to build an online community, and how to start building it
- Why authenticity is an important aspect of a brand
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Connect with Jill Stanton: Facebook Group | Instagram | Twitter
- Screw The Nine To Five
- ScrewU
- ADdicted: Lower Your Facebook Ad Spends & Increase Your Conversions
Daniel Gefen is all about working on his business, not in his business. Hard work and dedication has built a life where he can do what he wants with his time, and this is , to him, is real freedom. In this episode he shares many nuggets of wisdom that can get you on the path to passive income as well.
Daniel had a rough go of things back in 2008 when he lost his 6-figure job (which he had negotiated up from $60K) due to the economy. This left him homeless with his wife and child, until he moved back to London to work at his dad’s grocery store. He was grateful to his father for taking them in, but he couldn’t stand working at the store. Being fed up with his job led him to pursue entrepreneurship.
He decided to start a virtual office and telephone answering company (Jet Virtual). It was a lot of work at first as he was filling all roles within this new company. Daniel hired people as the company grew, but this too came with its own set of headaches.
When his lead receptionist quit, he learned that you should “Never, ever rely on one person to do everything.” Her leaving really hurt as she knew all the protocols and handled all client issues and needs. On top of this, that same day he received a notice that he had to vacate his office within the next two weeks.
This was too much for him and he was about to close the business when he decided to make a rather bold and unconventional move. He decided to outsource all his clients to a competitor. This turned out to be the best decision he’d ever made. Over the next year he was a one-man crew building his company with a laptop and free internet access from a local hotel. He’d turned a disastrous situation into a passive income generating machine that didn’t require much work from him to continue running.
According to Daniel, the biggest area that people struggle with in business is second guessing themselves. The only way to overcome this is through action. “Once you start taking action, the action starts to get results and the results start to boost your ego and self-esteem.” This leads you to realize that you really can do this and can find success.
One other simple yet profound piece of advice is to “Stop consuming and produce”:
- For every book you read, write an ebook
- For every 10 videos you watch, make a Facebook Live video
- For every 10 Snapchat stories you consume, produce one
“You can’t earn money by consuming, the only way you’re going to earn money is by producing; putting stuff out there.”
To get entrepreneurs producing more, Daniel wrote an article entitled, ‘Focusing on ONE thing.’ He says that by nature we want everything and we’re distracted by all the shiny things out there. But we only have so much time in the day so we need to focus on ONE; product, platform, niche, etc. “People who try to be everything to everyone end up being nobody to no one.” Start small, conquer that area, then expand.
This was a great interview with Daniel, a flexible, honest and creative person who has built a business that allows him to live the life he wants. Now that you’ve heard some of his wisdom and great advice, get out there and start producing more for your business.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What was the motivation behind Daniel’s first company?
- What made him want to start his podcast?
- What’s the biggest area that people struggle with in business?
- How can people put the idea of focusing on the one thing that will grow their business?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- Why Daniel thinks it's important to under-promise and over-deliver
- Why you shouldn’t wait for the results of your work but just continue to produce.
- Why it’s important to view taking risks as simply experiments and not potential failures.
- That the reality is it takes years to build a successful business and it won’t happen overnight.
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Connect with Daniel: Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter
- ‘Focusing on ONE thing’: Article
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- ‘The E Myth’ by Michael Gerber
- ‘The 4-Hour Workweek’ by Tim Ferris
- Gary Vaynerchuk’s first ‘Wine Library TV’ Video
Chris Reynolds has always had incredible community building skills and puts them to good use with his latest business, The Entrepreneur House. For over a year now, Chris has been bringing together experienced entrepreneurs from all over the world, to live in a shared home (or homes) in a variety of countries. During their stay, lasting anywhere from 1-3 months, they mastermind, attend local events, and help each other to grow their businesses to the next level.
Chris knows intimately what it’s like to go from rock bottom to thriving business owner. He started his entrepreneurial journey selling real estate educational packages. This was a fun learning process and ended up being very financially rewarding. But, the crash of 2008 put a stop to this and in the process he lost his home, his car, everything. Determined to make it as an entrepreneur, Chris started over.
It was an arduous process but Chris was committed to reaching his goals of financial and location independence. He started off selling products on Amazon and eventually got into niche websites; this is where he started to gain traction selling real-estate info products. After two years of this work he was able to achieve his dream of being a location independent digital nomad; supporting himself as he traveled the world.
Leaving his home brought him many adventures and ample growth, but it came at the price of leaving a great community of like-minded entrepreneurs that he was a part of. His first major destination was Costa Rica. While living there he was surrounded by people wanting to only hang out and surf. Fun, if that’s all you’re into, but it didn’t offer the entrepreneurial minded growth that he was looking for. Chris turned his need for like-minded community in a profitable business, and this was the catalyst for the Entrepreneur House.
The first House he created was in Barcelona and he had 12 great entrepreneurs join him there. This incredible group of people helped him develop what the House has become today. Together they shaped and molded the masterminding and goal setting processes, and today the features and perks of living in the house are much more evolved. Since the first iteration he’s created four other Entrepreneur Houses, and has many more planned for the future.
Having an international business such as this presents its fair share of problems. But Chris works through those by trying to understand the cultural differences of the countries he’s trying to work with. The logistics of finding short-term housing that suits the needs of the participants would be a struggle for many people, but Chris has honed this process. Many countries outside of the US actually make it easy to lease a large fully-furnished house for any time frame.
When traveling abroad to a new city, it can be hard to source accommodations, good internet, a great community all on your own. This takes time away from the work you want to do. The goal of the Entrepreneur House is to take care of these things for people so they can be more productive.
Some of the amenities that the House offers:
- Weekly Masterminds where you can pose challenges and the group helps you through them.
- Workshops with advisors on topics ranging from Facebook to funnels to SEO to content marketing and more.
- Sunday dinners where everyone eats together and bonds like a family.
- Weekend events for team building or just fun activities.
- Private rooms for all with great internet and in the center of the city.
- Plug-ins to local festivals and events.
Chris was a great guest for the podcast. He’s created amazing memories for the communities he’s created as well as opportunities for people to grow personally and professionally in a way they wouldn’t have otherwise.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What was the transition like from rock-bottom to now?
- How did Chris become drawn to the nomadic lifestyle?
- What was the catalyst for creating the Entrepreneur House?
- What are some struggles faced when setting up international endeavors such as this?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- What famous person gave Chris (and myself) the motivation to become a world traveler
- The simple piece of advice he would give to anyone wanting to travel the world
- How he chooses the city for the next Entrepreneur House
- How fear can propel you to work hard and succeed
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Connect with Chris and the Entrepreneur House: Website
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- ‘Lone Survivor’ by Marcus Luttrell: Book
- Airbnb: website
Thrilled to be joined today by Emma and Carla Pappas, of The Merrymaker Sisters. These two are super energetic, fun and refreshing and I know that hearing their story will absolutely inspire others to take action, make changes in their lives and do the things they’re passionate about.
When The Merrymaker Sisters created their online business, I learned that they never really thought about the perfect avatar that they were trying to attract. (Something we're often told to do as business owners). Instead, they just created the brand and business that they knew people would find value in, and learned and made changes along the way. Their inspiring and health conscious brand, attracts mostly women of all ages, and these women have realized that there’s a different way of living that fits each individual. Emma and Carla have honed in on how to help each woman discover exactly what is right for them.
Born DOERS, Emma and Carla know that the best way to make changes in your life is just to take action. Their best advice for new entrepreneurs: Get started now and put yourself out there.
Just do the best you can do right now and make tweaks and improvement as you go. Equally important is to not get so tied up in what other people are posting – compare and despair gets you nowhere. Everyone’s content (from Marie Forleo to Gary Vaynerchuck) had room for improvement when they were first starting out. “Compare to yourself, don’t compare to others because that’s paralyzing.” You may just end up hating what you’re doing and sucking all the joy out of it.
An integral lesson they learned along the way is the idea that “what you focus on grows.” At the time they worked horrible jobs with toxic people and constant negative thoughts swirling in their heads. Realizing that spending 8 hours per day in this situation was getting them nowhere, this gave them the courage to leave their jobs as soon as possible to devote more time to their brand. Making the business their priority, spending extra time on it and jumping into action led to incredible growth and success. Momentum is everything.
It’s obvious from this interview that Emma and Carla are full of energy and are super positive people. But, like all of us there can be times when they fall back into a negative space in moments of sadness, sensitivity or being overwhelmed.
“It’s okay that we do fall back, it’s just how fast we come back to where want to be in our mindset that matters.”
Yoga, meditation, walks outside or expressing gratitude are some of the ways that the sisters get out of this type of funk. The girls are big fans of practicing gratitude and say, “It’s such a simple thing, but it’s magical.”
To grow their business from a simple idea to a strong brand, Emma and Carla have had to do many scary things; quitting their jobs, putting themselves out there, public speaking and writing their first cook book just to name a few. They know first-hand that as you do more, things become more normal to you and you don’t realize how big and bold you’re actually being.
Speaking of putting yourself out there, One of the things I ask Emma about is her public relationship with fellow entrepreneur, Dan Norris. She shared that deciding to this was all part of putting forth her real, authentic self on social media. Some people put up a front and pretend to be somebody else on social media, but that’s pretty hard to keep up.
“Being you is so easy and way more fun.”
Emma and Carla were so much fun to talk to and I’m thrilled that they’ve shared their brand and incredible relationship with the Bold Life Movement audience.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What did the evolution of their brand look like?
- How do the sisters bounce back when they're not feeling exceptionally positive or energetic?
- How do they decide what to share on social media? Is there such a thing as being too authentic?
- What were some of the big takeaways they’ve gotten from the guests on their podcast, MerryBiz?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- Why taking action trumps all.
- How the name of your brand might not be as important as some claim it is.
- How our thoughts attract and decide what we’re going to do in the future.
- How training your brain through meditation and yoga can get you back to a positive mindset more quickly.
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Connect with The Merrymaker Sisters: Website | Snapchat | MerryBiz Podcast
- ‘Make it Merry: A Healthy Cookbook’: Website
- 2017 Starters and Makers Event: Website
I’m thrilled to connect with James Kyson and to be able to bring you his story in today’s podcast. You might know James from his starring role in the NBC hit show, ‘Heroes,’ and since then he’s made many other appearances on the big and small screens.
According to James, there's actually a lot of overlap between the life of an entrepreneur and an actor. He’s learned a lot from his time in Hollywood, and one thing in particular is how to deal with the rejection and struggle that actors often face. Some actors dread the necessary but ultimately painful act of auditions, but not James. He’s learned to reframe and relanguage the experience: Instead of an "audition" it's simply "an appointment to share." He’s not going out there to try and win some thing, but instead he’s sharing himself with others and any job that comes from that is a byproduct or “icing on the cake.”
Entrepreneurs can use this mindset when thinking about their products or content, and therefore can take the pressure of. Share value (do your research to know it's valueable) and avoid concerning yourself with haters or rejection for what you're putting out there.
James also embodies an intentional entrepreneurial mindset in that he finds freedom within the structure of the morning ritual he's created with his wife Jamee. Their mornings are blocked off for time spent with each other doing things that enrich their lives like exercise, breakfast, reading and meditation. By the time he hits the computer and email at 11am he’s already had a very productive and enriching day. These morning rituals ensure that his personal life is fed first and that spills over to his professional life as well.
In addition to his morning routine, James habitually keeps his phone on airplane mode and then batches reactive tasks throughout the day. He'll also combine these mandatory to-dos with other activities he enjoys to further create the type of life he wants to be leading. For example he’ll make all his calls at once, but do so while he’s out for an hour long walk. This practice of avoiding the distractions of email, texts and instant messenger requests has led him to being much more productive.
“When things are focused and allocated to a specific structure, you allow yourself to be more honed in and more productive within that time frame.”
One of the great things about batching and doing things on your own schedule is that people just get used to it, they adjust to your pattern. What you do and how you respond will become their expectations of you.
A great practice that James has is taking stock of a typical week and seeing how his time is spent because what is measured can be controlled. This comes in two steps:
- Awareness & Measurement – what activities and how long do you spend doing them?
- Change if necessary – look at what will serve you in the long-term and make changes to achieve balance and your ideal use of time.
If he knows he’ll have a computer-heavy week, he’ll make adjustments for balance. “Human beings weren’t meant to live in a series of boxes.” Many of us are stuck in a terrible cycle: waking up in a box, driving to work in one, sitting all day in one, heading back home and spending the next 12 hours in one. Look for ways to break this pattern and do the things that humans were meant to do like move around, get sunlight, enjoy nature and communicate with others.
In addition to his acting, these days James keeps busy working on a handful of projects with his wife, Jamee. One example is a series of videos they are developing focused on finding your soul mate. He says that the first step for those looking for love is to first come to a place of love within yourself. With online dating and social media nowadays, it’s very stressful looking for the perfect mate. Why not instead ask yourself, “What is the best partner that I can become for somebody else?” When you focus your energy and time into that journey, dating and romance takes care of itself.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What are some of the ways James has helped himself persevere through rejection and struggle in Hollywood?
- How can somebody avoid the constant distractions that come with living in today's age?
- How has his experience with acting changed his relationship with fear and uncertainty?
- What steps did James take when attracting Jamee, and how can our listeners utilize these?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- A simple way to cut down your Facebook distractions.
- How to gain more control over your time.
- How improvisation and acting can lead to valuable life lessons.
- How James and Jamee intentionally create experiences for themselves and others, and why this is integral to creating a life you want to live.
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Connect with James Kyson: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter
- James and Jamee: Website | Twitter
- James & Jamee Wedding Highlights Video: YouTube
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Kill News Feed app for Chrome: Download
I’m so excited to get the chance to catch up with Dan Norris in today’s podcast. He’s the kind of guy who knows how to get stuff done and this was a great interview as he shares with the audience how he attains much of his success.
Dan started his online career through blogging. He’s always been a content machine, but it wasn’t until just a few years ago that he started writing great content that gained traction. This traction led to his first book, and perennial best seller, ‘The 7 Day Startup.’ He’s never been able to sit on content after it’s created, so as he wrote the book over a handful of weeks, he would publish parts of it as whole articles on his blog to see what stuck with readers.
When it comes to creating content, Dan doesn’t have any kind of daily rituals to force him to churn it out. Instead, he writes in short bursts when he feels the inspiration to do so, and only on things that really interest him. (that's the key!) “It’s quite easy to write a lot when you’re actually really into it.”
Of course the book turned out great, and with the aid of a community Facebook group, he was able to get the word out about it and elicit many great reviews. He now has two versions of popular 7-Day Startup membership groups; the free Facebook group, and a paid membership site where users get advanced support on their business and access to educational content.
To help manage these groups, he depends on the support of his assistants. This is another process that Dan leverages to free up his time: utilizing low cost support to do the bulk of the necessary tasks that help with nurturing the group. Some of the things that his VAs handle within the group:
- Welcoming new members
- Posting the weekly topic to spark conversations
- Promoting the paid-group within the free group
- Drafting the weekly thread summary email
- weekly tasks that would otherwise take up too much of Dan’s time
Outsourcing is a cheap way to get really good people. He works with a small team in the Philippines where the cost of living is much cheaper, so the lower wage is actually quite good.
Protip for outsourcing: For each task you hand off to your VA, Dan recommends creating a set of instructions using text, images and video detailing exactly how it should be done. There’s some hand holding in the beginning, but repeat tasks get learned quickly and you’ll eventually start saving yourself loads of time.
Dan is definitely a doer, and a go getter and he embodies the boldness that is being the person that will put themselves out there while others sit back and watch. He believes, If you do this enough, you will get rewarded. He notes that for someone like him, the entrepreneurial life is naturally where he belongs. He felt out of place doing anything but, and he likes the freedom of being an entrepreneur and the rewards it brings.
“The people who get rewarded are the people that just do the work”
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- How did he reach such a large audience with his first book?
- Does Dan have a daily writing habit that helps him pump out the content?
- Can he explain the process of outsourcing to a VA in the Philippines?
- Has he transitioned to outsourcing his content creation?
- How did Activision (creators of Call of Duty) come to contact him to create the Black Hops beer?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- How Dan gets away with not having a daily writing habit
- How his VA helps him with his valuable Instagram account
- The reason why you may want to use a personal brand to support and share your products
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Connect with Dan Norris: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Snapchat
- 7 Day Startup: Website | Facebook
- Delegate your Instagram Marketing Strategy for $30 per Week: Article
- Starters & Makers: Website | Facebook
- Black Hops Beer
- WP Curve
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- The Dynamite Circle: Website
- The Bold Life Movement Book: Facebook Group
Best known for his best selling books, $100 Startup, Art of NonConformity, Happiness of Pursuit, and now Born For This, Chris Guillebeau is an impressive guest on so many levels. He's also one of the most humble humans I've ever met.
As anyone who attends one of his events can see, the foundation of Chris’ work is connection and community. A question that he’s always asking himself is, “How can I be a part of someone else’s life?” He enjoys connecting with people who are already excited and motivated but who might lack a tool, resource or accountability.
He’s all about practically helping motivated people to become more awesome or to find another expression of their awesomeness by giving them what they might be lacking, and that's why we connected on his recent book tour, and he's now gracing The Bold Life Movement Podcast with his unconventional view on the world.
Chris’ most recent book, ‘Born for This’ is an essential tool for anyone who is looking to find the work they were born to do. One idea that I loved was this concept of resigning from your job every year. Since we often get stuck in a situation, neither too bad nor too good, that we don’t attempt to get out of, this is a great rest to ensure that we're always intentionally choosing our own circumstances. This is a beneficial because now you can look forward to the coming year knowing you’ve actively made the best decision for you.
As a child Chris found much inspiration from his father. Nowadays he draws inspiration from people in the community that are doing awesome stuff and are on a journey or a project of their own. These inspirational people are just regular folks who do the work because they’re committed to it. Their sacrifices and struggles are what truly inspire him.
One of the things that attracted me most to Chris, is that [he too] has always had an issue with authority and is generally a non-conformist. He began to see this as a gift for himself, which since has led to extensive world travel and many great life experiences. His entrepreneurial journey started as a search for freedom at first, but has evolved into a life purpose, became a way to serve the world. He's constantly looking for ways he can add value to others.
Chris’ message reaches such a broad audience, and he actually goes as far as to say that you don’t have to niche-down for success. “Who you are is much broader than any niche.” Whether you go broad or focus on a niche, though, the message you deliver is critical. Your message is your beliefs, and you’re putting them forward as an invitation or a challenge to those who resonate with it. The message is not optional, his advice is to focus on this more than anything else.
To Chris, being bold is taking risks, being afraid and doing hard things that lead to good things in life.
”Once you go down the road of adventure, you don’t always know where you’ll end up. You may get where you’re hoping to get but you may get even further or to a totally different, interesting and exciting place.”
Chris has made tremendous impacts in the lives of thousands, and he’s a man of much humility with a powerful message to share. It was so surreal and humbling to connect with someone whose message and whose story is so empowering.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What is one example in Chris’ life where he was bold and tenacious in pursuit of his goals?
- Will his next quest be related to the work he’s doing on his inner self?
- What skills is Chris actively learning right now or in the near future?
- In terms of book writing, or planning for projects, how does he combine his planning/incubation process with the concept of “start before you’re ready”?
- What advice does he have for people not wanting to target a small niche?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- How Chris’ is coping with feelings of anxiety, and why these can still be present with high levels of success.
- Some tips for getting clear on the work you were born to do.
- Why deadlines and accountability are crucial to success.
- The one person Chris would love to have as a speaker at the World Domination Summit.
- What Chris asked me once we had stopped
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Chris Guillebeau: Website | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn
- Chris’ new book Born for This
- Full list of Chris's Books
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- How to Actually Connect with Influencers
- World Domination Summit (WDS)
- School of Greatness Podcast
- The Bold Life Movement Book – Exclusive Facebook Group
I’m excited to introduce Lori Darley to the listeners. She is a leadership coach and trainer who uses her skills to foster communication within the organizations she works with. Her coaching focuses on communications and giving and receiving feedback within the organization.
For a long time now, Lori has been involved in conscious capitalism; the idea that we can conduct business through mindful social, economic and environmental practices. She runs her business, Conscious Leaders, LLC this way and it’s a part of the values she coaches her clients and their employees in.
“When you pay attention to the value that everybody brings to the organization, and they are seen and heard as valuable individuals, then they become more engaged.”
The purpose of her company is to evolve the consciousness of the entire planet. Quite a goal, but Lori is absolutely capable of affecting this type of evolution.
To make any type of transcendent evolution or even just to solve a problem you’re facing, Lori recommends to change your perspective and look at things from the future as if you’ve already accomplished what you want to do. Ask yourself, “What was the first thing I did to overcome the problem?” When you do this, a pathway unfolds that wasn’t present for you before because you were stuck within the problem.
People can often be resigned to the career they’ve chosen, their problems or the life they’re living. They’re stuck in an unhappy place, but don’t know how to get out. Lori gives a few questions to ask that might illuminate a direction to head to break out of this funk:
- What is it that makes them feel stuck?
- Why are they resigned to staying in this situation?
- What mind blocks are in place?
- How can they put their bandwidth to use elsewhere to satisfy their creative needs?
Lori will soon release a book called ‘Dancing Naked: A Journey for Conscious Leaders’ (to be released this fall). Fitting the writing of a book into her schedule is darn tough, but she decided to hire a team to support her in the process and to get beyond the resistance. “They light a fire under my butt that I can’t put out on purpose.” The team that she has is a circle of rigorous support. Having support like this makes it easier to keep your promises as they hold you accountable and don’t let up that easily.
Lori has a few habits she’s put into place to help her stay aligned with her beliefs:
- Meditation – this daily practice allows her to look at the contents of her mind in different ways
- Journaling – this is great for bypassing the thinking mind. Putting pen to paper and writing daily for ten minutes has shaped her thinking and her conversations with others in a positive way.
Lori believes that a bold person is one who continuously steps into their fears and won’t back down from a challenge that scares them. This was a great interview with Lori, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy our little chat today.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What is Conscious Leaders, LLC?
- What does the term “transcendent evolution of leadership” mean?
- How can a person be what they need to be in order to achieve what they want?
- How did Lori’s life evolve from dancer to dance school owner to founder of Conscious Leaders, LLC?
- Does she have any advice for people who want to feel expressed in their work, but didn’t choose a career path that lets them lead or act creatively?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- Lori’s motivation for starting Conscious Leaders, LLC and what benefit can people get from her coaching.
- How she’s gradually adding virtual coaching/training into her business model.
- How she was able to fit writing a book into her busy schedule.
- A technique of journaling which gives her great results.
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Lori Darley and Conscious Leaders: Website | Facebook | Twitter
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- com
- Social Venture Network
- Headspace App
- ‘Wild Minds’ by Natalie Goldberg: Amazon
- com
Simone Sauter is a broken heart coach who uses her own life experiences to help women get beyond the end of a relationship. She’s the creator of DatingRocks.de and she was a terrific, insightful and authentic guest for the show.
Simone went through a terrible breakup at the end of her 10-year long relationship with the man she thought she would marry. She wallowed in depression for a long time after that, until a couple years later she unexpectedly had her “epiphany moment” where she suddenly felt relief and was able to finally let the relationship go.
She decided at this moment that she would now dedicate her life to helping other women deal with heartbreak. To educate herself in this new line of work, she began reading countless books, going to seminars, seeing a therapist, and even went as far as hiring her own broken heart coach. All of these experiences prepared her for landing her first client.
One of the things that Simone teaches is that dealing with loss is all about your own mindset, and your mindset is something you control. “I’m the only one who can give permission to myself to be happy.” Happiness doesn’t come from the outside, but the inside.
Simone knows first-hand that no two clients are alike, so she caters her coaching to the individual. Everyone deals with heart break and betrayal differently, and there are actually 3 main causes for breakup suffering that Simone helps clients deal with:
- Emotional wounds from the past – a recent breakup can resurrect old wounds that never fully healed
- Grief of losing someone – breakup emotions are very similar to the emotions of dealing with death
- Wrong beliefs – feeling like you’re worthless and that you don’t deserve love or lasting relationships
At the beginning of every potential new client relationship, she starts with a quick 15 minute call to see if she and the new client are compatible. If they decide to continue the client/coach relationship, then her coaching is focused on three aspects of healing:
- Let Go – this is the toughest part, to accept it’s over and to let go of the relationship and your ex-partner
- Self-Love – finding reasons to love yourself
- Wrong Beliefs – finding what wrong beliefs are present, and bringing them to the surface to correct them
Even though her clients have many heart-breaking stories with many of them mirroring what Simone went through, she’s able avoid her own emotional past coming up and overwhelming her. She can do this because she’s fully forgiven herself and her ex for the past, and she’s able to see the light at the end of the tunnel for her clients. She knows that eventually, no matter how bad things are now, that with her expertise the client will get beyond this.
“Everything needs to fall apart to fall into place.”
When I asked Simone what being bold meant to her, she said that it is to fully loving yourself yourself as you are, knowing what you want to change in the world and working to make it happen. “If we all do our part, this world will be a better place.”
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- How did she educate herself in life coaching and broken heart coaching?
- Were there any surprising things that Simone learned during the process of educating herself?
- How does she sensitively help people get to the point of understanding?
- Was it difficult for her to be publically vulnerable when she launched this business?
- How does she see her brand growing, and where does she want to take the business?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- The 3 quick and actionable things that heart-broken people can start doing now to help them cope
- How she screens new clients to determine if the relationship will work for both parties
- How journaling can help you learn about your subconscious thoughts on relationships
- How Simone used Google Alerts to launch Dating Rocks with so much exposure
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Simone Sauter and Dating Rocks: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Paul Colaianni is a brave, open and honest personal coach and podcaster who is committed to helping others lead better lives. He’s the creator of The Overwhelmed Brain (TOB) podcast and blog which receives thousands of downloads and views every day.
Paul had always been a dedicated 9-to-5’er until 2013, when as an IT sub-contractor he became fed up with his employer’s broken promises of hiring him on full-time. At the same time, his relationship with his wife was on the rocks. With a career not on track and a wife about to leave him, Paul came to the conclusion that, “The only way that I can have confidence in anything in life is if I do it myself.”
This realization put him on a crash course into entrepreneurship, something he knew nothing about at the time. Paul was unsure of what subject to tackle, until he gained some valuable insight from a professional podcaster who said that if you’re going to be a podcaster, talk about the things you could talk about for hours on end without getting bored. Great insight!
Paul had always enjoyed giving advice to his friends and colleagues, advice which was often very helpful and appreciated. He figured he could help more than one person at a time, and coupled with his love of radio and podcasting, he created TOB.
‘The Overwhelmed Brain’ is a term used for something we all deal with in this day and age. Paul is now helping thousands of people every day through his podcast and blog, where he gives away everything he knows, for free.
Paul’s coaching differs from many other life coaches out there in that he targets people like him who feel that affirmations and positive thinking don’t always work.
We use affirmations to change our inner dialogue and the goal is to consciously change our programming. But, one of the problems with affirmations is that sometimes we can feel like frauds when we’re saying them to ourselves. “I’m a super intelligent person” really doesn’t work for someone who feels stupid. A better affirmation would be, “I feel stupid, but I’m trying to get smarter and educate myself.”
When you’re looking to hire a coach of your own, Paul recommends two points of advice:
- Choose a coach that doesn’t intimidate you, one that allows you to express yourself, to be yourself and that you connect with.
- Follow through and take action. Act on the changes they recommend no matter the uncomfortable feelings their advice triggers. The resistance you feel to these triggers are a sign that the coach is leading you in the right direction.
As a coach, Paul doesn’t really set out any guidelines or boundaries for his students. This allows the student to express themselves, and it gives him the freedom to catch points of interest as they speak, points that can lead to breakthroughs in the problems the student is facing.
To Paul, being bold is forging ahead without fear of the consequences. When you fear the consequences, you make decisions based on that fear. Eliminating the fear allows you to move forward.
I really enjoyed my time today with Paul and I know you’ll learn much from our insightful discussion.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- How did Paul come up with The Overwhelmed Brain?
- What’s an example of NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) that our listeners can takeaway and apply in their own lives?
- Are there any books or courses that he’d recommend for NLP?
- What tips or advice would Paul give to anyone looking to hire a coach?
- How did he market his podcast to get such tremendous growth?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- What NLP is and how Paul uses it with coaching clients.
- How his methods of coaching differs from others based on the idea of “put away your crystals and throw your affirmations in the junk drawer and believe it’s okay to not think positively all the time.”
- The tips he gives his audience that are different than the positive thinking and affirmations route.
- How sensory perceptions are tied to memories and emotions
- Some transformations that Paul has affected through his teachings and podcast
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- The Overwhelmed Brain: Website | iTunes | Amazon
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Bennett Stellar University: Website
- Smart Passive Income with Pat Flynn: Website
- Milton H. Erickson: Amazon
Matthew is a super authentic and inspiring entrepreneur and podcaster and we are very fortunate to have him on the show this week.
His podcast called ‘Having It A.L.L.’ (which stands for Abundant, Loving, Life) explores our beliefs, ideas, and mindsets on life and how those influence how we experience life as a whole. For Matthew, “having it all” is a mindset; it’s how he approaches life.
He didn’t always have this outlook, though. As a child he dealt with lots of anger, frustration and sadness. He kept quiet in his emotional moments and never expressed outwardly his emotions, even his mother couldn’t pry his true feelings out of him. He continued to suppress his emotions through high school and college, but once he graduated, these feelings negatively affected the relationships he had. There are three buckets of relationships in life; relationships to self, to life and to others. Matthew was suffering in all three.
In 2013 he was introduced to Day Adeogba, creator of the YourDay Balance Game (YDBG). This was a pivotal moment in Matthew’s journey to living a better life. This is where his healing started, where he learned to question the actions he was taking each day and to determine if they were leading him down the right path.
Matthew finally had to deal with unnoticed bad scripting and negative beliefs that plagued him his entire life. A key one was, “If my partner wasn’t happy, I couldn’t be happy.” He was tying his emotional happiness to that of his girlfriend at the time. He wore this badge proudly, like he was being true to his love of her. But he eventually realized that this made things tougher on her as now she was responsible for her happiness and his as well.
One thing that Matthew uses daily to help him be more authentic, happy and transparent is the Balance Chart he learned from YDBG. Balance is an acronym for 7 building blocks to living a healthy life: breath, aqua, lengthening, anaerobic, nutrition, cleansing and energize. Through daily habit building within each of these building blocks, you’re committing to develop transparency and integrity of doing what you say you’re going to do.
One of th benefits of YDBG is that it helps you to change your life for the better through a public accountability system. Each day you tell the group what you’re going to accomplish and the habits you’re going to work through and everyone encourages each other. They also see when you fail in your accepted tasks and this helps to spur you to action.
One habit that Matthew has taken up is nightly journaling. In his journal he writes about two very specific topics:
- Gratitude – he writes about the people in his life that he’s grateful for
- Magic – this is what he considers the ability to influence yourself, others and your own life in a powerful way
“What you put your mind on you create.”
With this idea in mind, Matthew has created his own Mission Statement in life. This mission statement is what he’s playing for in life, it acts as a north star for him as it helps him to live up to his top values in life which are:
- Joy
- Authenticity
- Family
- Character
- Love
- Fun
- Wisdom
Many people know their why in life, but Matthew believes that writing it down as a mission statement causes things to begin shift for you in life. The mission statement goes from a thought in your mind to being a concrete thing in written form. Then you memorize it and lastly begin internalizing it. As you progress through this process different things will happen and even more shifts in your life and mindset will occur as a result. This was a great moment in our chat for me, because I realized that while I’m clear on my beliefs, I hadn’t revisited my mission statement in awhile.
For Matthew, I learned that being bold starts when you’re willing to define what is living your greatest life and being the greatest version of yourself. Once you have this, you go into action to bring these things to life.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What does having it all mean for him?
- Have there been a couple of impactful guests that he’s learned a lot from?
- Did he have an obstacle to overcome on his path to sharing his journey with others?
- What are some of the habits Matthew uses that allow him to be a more authentic, happy and transparent person?
- Did this “healing journey” that he embarked on start by himself or together with his wife?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- Why transparency and authenticity in your word and actions is so important
- How we can “try on” habits like a pair of jeans, discarding the ones that don’t fit us so well
- How we create all the experiences we have
- The difference between your spouse being a partner or a project in your life
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Learn more about Matthew: Website
- Having It A.L.L Podcast: Website
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Your Day Balance Game: Website
- Esther Perel on the School of Greatness Podcast: Listen
“At the end of life, the person who wins is the one with the most stories.”
This one sentence perfectly encapsulates Sean Ogle’s attitude to life and business. He’s an adventurous and relatable entrepreneur, who has created a strong community and a portfolio full of travel and epic narratives.
Sean started his entrepreneurial journey after an eye-opening trip to Carnival in Rio de Janero. Upon his return to the States he decided to leave his 9-5 job as an analyst and hasn’t looked back.
His genuinity and curiosity led him to befriend Chris Guillebeau of the Art of Non-Conformity Blog, early on. Chris recommended that Sean start his own blog, not for the writing necessarily, but as a means to make his goals public and to add some accountability, kicking him into action.
Sean credits his willingness to connect with those he respects as a great precursor to his success. He gives lots of great advice on how to do this:
- Be genuine in your communications.
- Follow their advice then tell them about the success you had by doing so.
- Get in touch and go one step further than others would by sending them a personal physical hand-written letter.
- Find their address by getting on their email list and sending it to the address at the bottom. Genius!
Sean developed a three-step process for creating a location independent life after unintentionally going through it himself in the first two years of building his successful blog, Location Rebel. He credits this process as the key to his success:
-
Learn relevant skills – SEO, copywriting, social media for business, WordPress and design fundamentals. Practice these skills as much as possible.
-
Freelance work – Put your newly found skills to work helping somebody else.
-
Apply the skills in your own biz– Create your own projects that utilize the skills you’ve learned.
He decided to put this strategy to use by creating Location Rebel, a course and community for growing a location independent business. His goal is to get all of his members making $100/day. When you’re making this much you have something to work with and build upon.
One of the funnest things about Sean is his ability to accomplish so much and still find time to do many of his favorite hobbies and activities. He would say that in actuality, he doesn’t find the time--he makes the time--as this is what energizes him. He credits doing fun things on a regular basis as helping him overcome resistance to doing work. He’s also consistently putting in at least two hours a day of solid work. It might not sound like much, but when you’re consistent about it, you can accomplish a heck of a lot.
Putting in consistent work like this is a big part of his success, but Sean also credits his relationship to uncertainty and how he’s learned to overcome it. According to Sean, there are three phases of uncertainty:
-
Fearing Uncertainty – fearing uncertainty causes people to not do the things they really want to in life and avoid risking their “comfortable life”
-
Overcome the Uncertainty – when people are scared but doing it anyway because they trust that the outcome will be positive.
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Embrace the Uncertainty – this is where most successful entrepreneurs lie.
- “Because I have no idea what’s going to happen in the future, I can create any future that I want.”
To Sean, being bold means embracing uncertainty. “If you can embrace the challenge and embrace the unknown then that’s about as bold as you can be.”
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- Who inspired Sean to start writing?
- What was the catalyst for his blog Location 180?
- What new products is Sean working on?
- What are some of the lucrative decisions made due to the mastermind that he’s involved in?
- How does Sean get work done and consistently overcome resistance?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- Which influencers and thought leaders has Sean connected with and how he does it.
- How Sean is putting ‘The ONE Thing’ to use in his business
- Some great tips for webinar conversions
- Which areas he’s undisciplined in and how he gets around this
- The habits and beliefs that Sean credits for much of his success
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Learn more about Sean: Website | Instagram | Twitter
-
Location Rebel: Website
-
Location 180: YouTube
- “A Secret to Business Success” Vlog: View
- Sean’s Quest to play the top 100 golf courses in the world, Breaking Eighty: Website
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Chris Guillebeau and the Art of Non-Conformity: Blog
- Taylor Pierson from Episode 2 of The Bold Life Movement: Listen
- ‘The One Thing’ by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
Jodi Ettenberg
It was wonderful having Jodi Ettenberg on the show. She’s an articulate, strong and fun woman who for 8 years has been successfully doing what many dream of: traveling the world, leaving a demanding job behind and making a living as a travel and food blog writer.
It all started with a planned year-long sabbatical to Siberia from her job as a lawyer. Her intention had been to return to work, but after a year came and went, she realized that she had outgrown that path in life, and would prefer to remain on the road.
Her travel blog, Legal Nomads, was also starting to gain some traction. She had initially started the blog so her mom back home could keep up to date with her adventures, but lo and behold, it caught on with people who loved her genuine and sincere personality.
8 years ago when Jodi started her journey, the travel blog space wasn’t as saturated as it is now; growing a following was easier than it is today. But she does have some advice for those who wish to live this lifestyle: Build skills. Figure out your goals, and build skillsets that will benefit you and put you on the path to those goals. Ask yourself:
“How can I get better at what I do so I can use it for my life’s work?”
Her passion and commitment led Jodi to revenue streams that she never even had to pursue or seek out. Freelance writing, books and public speaking gigs stemmed from people being attracted to her personality and authentic writing. Equally important, Jodi cares about her brand so much that she never puts anything out there that she isn’t willing to stand behind, as she knows that the internet is forever.
We talk about the fact that even though Jodi has been all over the world, she prefers the city life most. She feels at home in places like New York, Bangkok and Saigon. The energy in these places is just fun and there’s always so much going on. “You can fall out of your front door and into an interesting situation immediately.”
One word of caution that Jodi wants to pass on to anyone interested in nomadic living, is that travel doesn’t fix any of your problems. People often think that their problems will melt away as they travel and see the world. Nothing could be further from the truth! Wherever you go, there you are, so if you don’t work on fixing what’s inside you, you’ll just take your problems around the world.
“If you travel to escape darkness, it’ll find you.”
Jodi has many exciting projects on the horizon. She’s currently developing detailed translation cards for many more countries to help people with celiac disease eat healthy as they travel. She also has some exciting public speaking gigs coming up, including a speech on storytelling at a Denver conference. And more food maps are on the way!
We chat about living a bold life and she tells me, being bold is unapologetically believing in something and educating people about how you’ve done it, but not being aggressive in how you do so. Not shoving it down their throats. Believe in yourself and do what you care about. That’s Jodi in a nutshell.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What advice would Jodi give to somebody who is intentionally creating a similar lifestyle?
- How did she find and pursue her different revenue earning opportunities?
- How does she nurture her incredible social media following?
- What types of places does she like to live in?
- How have her relationships been affected by a transient lifestyle?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
-
The unlikely way that Jodi was able to turn her travel and food passions into profits
-
What keeps her inspired to write and continue her traveling lifestyle
- How she manages her time and is able to accomplish so much
- Which thought leaders and writers have been huge inspirations to her
- Some of the big life lessons she’s learned from her travels
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Learn more about Jodi and Legal Nomads: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
- Gluten Free Travel Guides: Website
- Food Maps: Shop
Jeremy is a tenacious and successful podcaster who’s about to take his show the ‘Create Your Own Life Podcast’ from 3 days a week to 5! He’s so dedicated to providing value for his listeners, and he knows that adding the extra two days will give that much more to his subscribers and take his show to the next level.
The ‘Create Your Own Life Podcast’ was born from his desire help others to lead the life of their dreams. The guests on his podcast give usable action steps that listeners can run with to build the life they envision for themselves.
Not only do his listeners get great insights from his podcast guests, but Jeremy does as well. He recently had on Calvin Wayman and one of the lessons that Calvin discussed that really hit home with Jeremy, was the idea of not waiting for things to be perfect before you take action. It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to be done.
There are many reasons his listeners tune in, but one thing that Jeremy hopes many of them get is a mind shift from thinking and worrying about problems to being geared towards finding solutions. Problems lead to solutions, and solutions lead to potential business ideas. This simple shift also makes the different between feeling hopeless, vs. Constantly seeing opportunities.
Jeremy has worked hard to determine his goals and why he’s pursuing them. When you understand what you really want and why this drives you, you’re motivated to focus on the actions that push you towards your goals. This has led to some incredible success with his podcast.
From the get-go, Jeremy knew that for his podcast to be a success he needed to interview some big names with large followings of their own. He gave us some great tips for communicating with and gaining the trust of influential people:
- Make a list of 100 important/influential/admired people that you really want to talk to, interview and network with.
- Find their email addresses – sneaky email hack: firstname@company.com or firstnamelastname@company.com are great guesses.
- Compose tantalizing emails where you show them the impact they’ve had on you, how you respect what they’re doing and how you can help them achieve more.
- Know what they are working on now and how you can help with that.
- Offer to help and even to work with their PR people.
- Use boosted posts in Facebook for promoting influential guests with large followings.
To make the most of your time with influencers:
- Be the person most interested in him or her. You’re not asking questions for your listeners, but for yourself to learn and grow from. This helps to create a real relationship as opposed to it being just an interview.
- Do your research and target your questions and comments around the things the guest is interested in but nobody ever asks about.
- Show you care!
Jeremy believes that being bold is ignoring the negativity, forgetting what the outside world is telling you, knowing your purpose and always moving forward. So many gems in this interview with Jeremy, he's definitely one to watch.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- How do his beliefs differ from people who are not creating life on their terms?
- Which thought leaders have inspired him on his journey?
- Did big name guests help to promote their appearances on his podcast?
- Why take the show from 3 episodes per week to 5 per week
- If he could be mentored by any [living] person, who would it be?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- Some of the great lessons that Jeremy learned from interviewing guests on his show.
- What it was like to be recognized in-person for the first time by one of his listeners.
- How problems lead to innovations and growth.
- How Jeremy got his download #’s up to 10,000/month.
- Why you need somebody to talk your problems out with.
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Learn more about Jeremy: Website | Facebook
- Create Your Own Life Podcast: iTunes | Stitcher
- Lewis Howes: Website |
Podcast
Brandon Nolte is the founder of HealthyHempOil.com and one of the most persistent entrepreneurs I know. Healthy Hemp Oil started as a simple drop-shipping store, but has grown to a 7-figure business with a global team, and a number of new products. As a business owner in the sensitive hemp-based industry, Brandon has faced numerous obstacles along the way, but always manages to barrel through them, and keep his business growing, and his products and services of the highest quality.
His company sells CBD products, which customers purchase to aid with sleep issues, anxiety, inflammation and a range of other symptoms. CBD (Cannabidiol) is a chemical compound found within hemp and marijuana, and Healthy Hemp Oil sells it in many forms: capsules, gums, tinctures, topicals and vaporizer oils.
Before Brandon started HHO, he considered a handful of business ideas. Once a successful Kindly publisher, he decided to pursue e-commerce because of the skillsets it would help him develop: copywriting, product creation, email marketing as well as blog and video content creation. Since he'll be able to utilize these skillsets for years to come, he recommends anyone looking to start a new business from scratch take the same approach. If you've been interested in dabbling in entrepreneurship or creating a side hustle, ask yourself a simple question:
What skills do I want to learn? What business model will aid in the creation of those skills? (And of course, where can I provide the most value?).
It took a lot for Brandon to grow his business into the incredible success that it now has. He credits a willingness to spend money on courses and programs that he believed would give him the skills necessary to achieve grow and improve not just as an entreprenear, but as a person. The education he’s pursued has helped him to radically change his belief systems and frameworks and has shifted his mindset to make room for wealth and success.
Brandon avidly believes that your mindset can shape your actions, and ergo the results of your life. He first learned of this concept in the book ‘Think and Grow Rich’ by Napoleon Hill. It now only empowered him to truly believe in himself, it radically changed the trajectory of his life.
”Anything that you can focus your mind on, you can expand within your life.”
He’s used this idea, as well as affirmations and statements of truth for the future to expand his thoughts and pull himself toward his goals. Getting a business coach, while the cost could be prohibitive to some, was another investment that Brandon claims was well worth the expense.
Eben Pagan and his business courses have really helped Brandon to see things in a different way as well. We all grew up with different habits and self-limiting beliefs like “Money doesn’t grow on trees.” Getting rid of these “invisible scripts” will help anyone attain more success. By replacing these beliefs with those of someone who is much more successful, your life can begin to emulate theirs.
Brandon works on building sustainable beneficial habits into his life all the time to ensure constant growth and continued success both personally and professionally. He assesses his habits on a weekly basis and systematically tries to add useful habits into his life while simultaneously cutting out the destructive or wasteful habits that aren’t serving him.
A naturally curious person, and driven by self-improvement, Brandon is constantly pushing himself and evaluating how to live his best life.
“Boldness is finding the edge of discomfort and being willing to push through it... You can tackle anything if you believe in yourself.”
This episode is a must for anyone interested in understanding the hemp industry, or wondering how to get started as a new entrepreneur. Brandon is a fascinating guest, so it was awesome to get inside his head!
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What are some of the best investments that Brandon has made in improving himself?
- How has his personal life evolved since growing the business?
- What are some processes or systems that have been integral to Brandon’s success?
- What’s an ideal day for Brandon and how is the business structured to support this?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- How people benefit from the use of CBD.
- How a coach can push your business forward.
- The roadblocks that Brandon faces in his industry and how he’s gotten beyond them using a team approach.
- How systematically assessing and working on your habits will increasing lead you to your goals quicker.
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Learn more about Brandon: Website
- Learn more about CBD: Website | Twitter
- Click Here for the Free eBook ‘Cutting Through the Clutter’ for Bold Life Movement Listeners
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- ‘Weed 3’ Documentary by Dr. Sanjay Gupta on YouTube
- Think and Grow Rich (Napoleon Hill)
- Eben Pagan’s ‘Self-Made Wealth Program’
- The Entrepreneur Roller Coast (Darren Hardy)
You may know Aaron Anastazi from his incredibly popular Superior Singing Method YouTube channel, where he’s had millions of views and has helped untold numbers of people improve their singing voices.
But what you may not know is that Aaron is also an actor, film producer, author, speaker and coach whose main goal in life, and what he’s most passionate about, is helping people live fuller and freer lives. We were incredibly fortunate to have Aaron join us today to share his hard won success.
Aaron hit a rough patch with his business back in 2011, so he had to pivot from his marketing plan of Google ads to something else. This is when e started giving away his content for free on his YouTube channel.
Admittedly, Aaron was a bit hesitant to give away so much free and valuable stuff in the beginning, but that mindset of scarcity didn’t sit well with him for long. He saw that his confident and trust-inspiring personality in those free videos helped to develop a huge following, and that’s when things really started to blow up for him.
Aaron knows that if his viewers appreciate what he gives them for free and if their lives and singing voices are changed for the better, then they’ll be interested in the other resources he has to offer.
“My goal now is not to sell any one product, it’s to make a fan and create trust in somebody that I do really good work.”
Aaron had to become a different person in order to make the Superior Singing Method a success. The turning point came when his coach asked him, “Who do you have to be in order to get the results that you want?” Aaron realized that grinding it out day after day and working hard wasn’t enough, he had to shift his thinking in such a way that would lead him to getting the results he wanted.
This search for success and improving himself led to Aaron’s first book called ‘The Voice of Your Dreams: Turn Down the Voices of Limitation and Turn Up the Volume of Success.’ It’s written to teach others how to lead themselves in any area of their life they want success in.
For his entire life, Aaron’s been counseling people for free, and inspiring those around him. He never really saw the power that he had for himself because:
“Oftentimes we’re blind to our biggest strengths because we live inside of them and we just assume everyone has the same strengths.”
Seeing his students improve their lives is invigorating for Aaron and it taps into his bigger value of wanting people to live fuller and freer lives.
There was a year in Aaron’s life where he found great success in his singing business, developed a wonderful relationship with his wife and wrote his book. He credits a few principles for this amazing year:
- “Faster, Slower” – after slowing everything down he became the most prolific he’d ever been and accomplished more than ever before.
- “It’s either a hell yeah or it’s a no” – this limits him to only the things he’s truly excited about.
- “Steady plodding” – he likens himself to the tortoise in the old fable Tortoise and the Hare, so by committing to write two pages every day, 5 days per week, he was able to finish his manuscript in 6 months.
- “Completion” – commit to completing something no matter what, don’t stop when it loses its luster. Finishing something grows confidence in your ability to complete tasks.
Aaron has so much to share with the world, and you will absolutely get incredible value from this episode.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What process did he have to go through to be genuine and authentic on camera?
- How did he take his successful singing practice into a book that’s about to launch?
- What was Aaron’s path to speaking?
- How was Aaron able to get his business success, develop a great relationship and write the book all within one year?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- How Aaron’s systematic style of teaching appeals to people and is why he has so many loyal followers.
- How you can get beyond your fear of public speaking.
- About the avatar he uses when he’s speaking to the camera for his YouTube videos.
- How improv classes can play a big role in making better coaches and speakers.
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Superior Singing Method: Website | Youtube | Facebook
- The Voice of Your Dreams: Website | Facebook - book launches April 12th, 2016
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- ‘Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box’ by The Arbinger Institute
- ‘The Three Laws of Performance’ by Zaffron and Logan
- ‘Life’s Golden Ticket: An Inspirational Novel’ by Brendon Burchard
We are so fortunate to have Nada Lena on the podcast today to share her inspiring story and all the incredible things she’s doing to help empower people around the world.
Nada learned early about the entrepreneurial lifestyle from her father. As young teenagers, she and her brothers would help him run the myriad of businesses he owned like restaurants and trinket shops. Such responsibility at a young age, coupled with the confidence her father had in her helped to create the self-assured and strong person that Nada is today.
Before she pursued her own entrepreneurial endeavors, Nada traveled the world as a singer, dancer and producer with the Young Americans. This is a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower and inspire people globally through music, and she’s still involved in the organization today. In her travels, she met many young performers like herself, but sometimes they would be saddled with insecurities and issues.
This led her to became a mentor to these young performers by being a role model and a positive source of inspiration. She says that it’s often the people you surround yourself with that help to drag you down.
“If you’re constantly hanging out with negative people that are putting you down or that feel really bad about themselves, it becomes a cesspool of negativity.”
At a pivotal point in her life, when all seemed downhill and hopeless, in the middle of a plane flight Nada had an epiphany. She had two options, either quit and go home to cry for months, or she could use her pain as fuel for growth. Of course she chose the latter and this decision manifested into Rise Up For You: a social media network dedicated to empowering women to work towards living their best life.
The first thing Nada did with Rise Up For You was to start a super helpful and inspirational podcast. Her reasoning behind this was to give immediate and free resources to women that they can use to help empower themselves to be better. When she started the podcast, she asked herself three questions to help her guide the show:
- What’s my message? Empowering women to be better.
- What’s my mission? Give strategy tips and resources that are within the six categories below.
- How do I build? Reaching out to experts and professionals in the six categories and getting them on the show.
Nada tackles 6 elements of life through Rise Up For You:
- Relationships
- Investing
- Self-worth
- Entrepreneurship
- Love
- Health
“If you can find happiness in all six of those elements, you are going to be living your best life possible. And if one of those elements isn’t at its fullest potential, you’re going to struggle.”
One of Nada’s best pieces of advice is, “If you want to go into a field where you help people, give stuff away for free.” And don’t worry about giving away too much for free, because if you’re great at what you do, your audience will want to work with you beyond the free content you give them.
Well, Nada absolutely delivered for us here today, and everyone will learn much from her in this interview. So listen and enjoy!
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- How did Nada transition from being a positive, confident person for herself to mentoring and coaching others in this regard?
- Did her prior coaching experiences help her turn the tide when she was at the lowest point of her life?
- What are some of the biggest lessons Nada has learned through coaching?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- How you can reverse engineer the steps that got you to the negative space you’re in now and how you can begin to get out of it.
- How a fear of failure and feelings of inadequacies can hold you back from advancing in life and career.
- How Rise Up For You helps to empower and educate women.
- Having a personal coach is only part of the equation, and being receptive, willing to change and eager to put in the work are the other parts.
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- Rise Up For You website
- Rise Up For You Podcast on iTunes
- Rise Up For You: Empowered Women Rise Conference in November (Nada said in the interview that she’d give you the link to this event page. I couldn’t find it online.)
- @riseupforyou on Snapchat | Instagram | Facebook | Periscope
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- The Young Americans
This week we have blogger, Digital Marketing Consultant, and creator of the "Year of Fear" challenge, Kendra Wright on the show. Kendra has massively improved her happiness and quality of life by facing her fears, and now she wants the same for you.
Many people know Kendra from her inspiring ‘Year of Fear Challenge.’ This challenge was spawned from her realization that many failures and non-starts in her life came from a fear of failure. She figured the best way to get beyond this was to face her fears head-on, and thus the challenge was born!
Amazingly enough, Kendra was so committed she exercised this daily challenge for an entire year! She's now gone on to complete over 700 "comfort zone challenges, and she'd be the first to admit it was well worth it.
The challenge led her to face fears (like heights), do things she had never considered before (like a police ride along), and she's also knocked-off some of those bucket list items that tend to accumulate in everyone’s life (like hot air ballooning). It even led her to change her peer group as she firmly believes in the saying:
“You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with.”
From the outside it might look like such an adventurous and active person must naturally be outgoing, positive and brave. But that's not necessarily true. Kendra admitted that positivity doesn't come naturally and she’s had to develop some enjoyable daily rituals for self-improvement in the area of mindset, including:
- Structured sleep – 7 hours per night
- Treadmill – 30 minutes first thing in the morning with some motivational videos
- Full Lunch break – dedicated decompression time from the work day
- Nightly journaling – recording important thoughts/events from the day
Kendra’s a firm believer in living her own life and doesn’t let anybody tell her what she should or shouldn’t do. Even though she believes that you should say “Yes!” to anything you haven’t done before, you should still pick and choose things you think will be fun and add to your life. She still does things that scare her, but there’s got to be some enjoyment for her to do it and she’s not afraid to say “No.”
Speaking of being afraid, facing her fears and living outside of her comfort zones has led to bigger successes in life. Kendra actually left behind a great job to go full-time in her own consulting business, and went sleepless with worry for three weeks because of it. But it’s been the best thing for her, and she credits her yearly challenges to laying the groundwork for her to believe in herself enough to pursue her dreams. She says that people need to wake up to how their fear holds them back:
“Most people don’t realize what they’re able to do, what their real possibility is ‘cause they never swing the bat, they’re always in the dugout. I’d rather swing and miss and at least going for it than sitting in the dugout. You’re never getting on base if you don’t try.”
Kendra wants people to stop comparing themselves to what they see in social media. She says, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook are highlight reels; you only see the best things that people want to put out there. We shouldn’t be comparing our uncut life to the awesomely curated highlight reels of others on social media because everyone has their own stuff to wade through.
“It’s going to be messy, but at the end it will be the biggest beautiful mess you’ve ever seen if you just keep going.”
Kendra is a super inspiring person and I count myself lucky to consider her a friend. I'm positive you'll get a kick out of Kendra's views on life and feel inspired to go out and take your own risks!
THE BOLD LIFE MOVEMENT PODCAST Subscribe on iTunes or Stitcher Radio.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK: * Who inspired Kendra to make some of the life changes that she did? * How she finds time for daily journaling with her active social life? * How Kendra came up with so many fear challenges and what kept her motivated? * What are her 2016 comfort zone challenge ideas?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: * About the lifelong hardships that Kendra has pushed herself through. * Kendra’s secret weapon to personal development and achieving success in life. * How she’s learned to handle her limitations and get beyond them * What Kendra learned from following advice from Tony Robbins * Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE… * HeyKendra.com * 100 Adventure Ideas (and 57 cost nothing)
Corey Blake comes on today's episode to share with us the value in being openly vulnerable in today's world, how that's impacted the success of his business and relationships, and how he's spreading the word.
In 2005 he started Round Table Companies, which is a story telling company that supports organizations, CEO’s and thought leaders. Corey believes every successful company or person has a compelling story to tell, and he helps them verbalize it in a way that’s captivating, appealing and leads to deeper connections with their audiences.
Getting back to Core Values, RTC actually has seven of them:
- Brilliance
- Love
- Momentum
- Honesty
- Community
- Growth
- Courage
Corey went into detail on three of these values:
Brilliance allows for a black and white approach to the quality of work they produce. “Is it brilliant or not? Do we feel magic in it?” If the answer to either of these is “no”, then it’s back to the drawing board. Love it!
The staff at RTC and their clients are challenged to lean into Courage in all the work they do, to dig in there and do things that might scare them.
Momentum for any creative agency is key in finding the magic and poetry in everything they do. What a fortuitous coincidence, “Momentum” is my theme for the week!
Corey practices what he preaches in a big way, and actually has an executive coach on retainer for his staff of 40 to take advantage of at any time. He firmly believes in developing himself and his team and notes:
“The company is only as strong as I am and the company only has the capacity that I represent as its leadership. As we continue to grow, that expands to the capacity of other people on the leadership team… ultimately we’ll get the company that we deserve.”
In addition to running RTC, Corey is fully invested in the “Vulnerability is Sexy” movement that he's created. It’s a metaphor for the work they do in the world by supporting people that invite their audience into a loving space where they get to know each other’s humanity. The movement is catching on and gaining momentum (there’s that core value again).
“Vulnerability is Sexy” started back in 2014 when Corey and his team created a concept called the Vulnerability Wall after seeing how people at conferences didn’t take risks until the end when it was time to leave. The wall is a huge, blank canvas on display and people can drop their insecurities, secrets, shames and vulnerabilities in a box and his artists will turn them into beautiful representations on the canvas. This helps people relieve themselves of some of their burdens and to quickly honor each other’s humanity.
“When we have the strength to be vulnerable, there’s an opportunity for an alignment check.”
Ultimately, if you’re interested in growth and living a life of purpose, then displaying your vulnerability will guide you to this even though there may be some pain associated with it.
Corey’s a super insightful, caring and open person and we really enjoyed our discussion, as I’m sure you will as well.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK: * How does Corey promote personal growth within his company? * What led him to create the “Vulnerability is Sexy” movement? * Who inspires Corey to be the person he is? * How did Corey’s Tedx talk come about?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: * How Corey plans to bring more personal development strategies to his staff * How you can be more connected or in-touch and reflective when conversing with others * How an executive coach can help your staff and company grow both personally and professionally * Why and how Corey took his “Vulnerability is Sexy” idea and turned it into a full-on movement * What the concept of “follow the invite” is all about * Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE… * Round Table Companies * Vulnerability is Sexy T-shirt * Vulnerability Wall on RTC’s Pinterest Page * “Vulnerability is Sexy” TedxSalisbury Talk * Twitter | Email
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES * Stagen Leadership Academy
Joining me on today is one of the hardest hustlers I know, Jimmy Hayes, who co-founded his business with his best friend and travel companion, Doug Barber. These are two hardworking guys who left New Zealand to develop an incredible high-end travel gear company called Minaal.
They turned their incessant love of travel and their disdain for the drudgery of “normal” jobs into a sustainable business where travel is automatically built in.
Coming up with your own products to sell can be quite difficult, but Jimmy has to give credit to Doug for his passionate dislike for the travel gear he was using at the time, and having the vision and the gall to believe he could create something better. That coupled the great feedback they received from potential customers during the prototype phase (myself included) gave them momentum and pushed them to continue past the inevitable hurdles that come with any startup.
Crowdfunding has been a game changer for the product development industry, and Jimmy threw everything he had at their Kickstarter campaign. They blew past their $30K goal in 6.5 hours, and ended their funding with $343,000 in funding. Unbelievable!
Jimmy credits this successful campaign to the work they did through the testing and sample phase of development. He says that for a successful campaign, you’ve got to be in there with your customer base, soliciting feedback and using that feedback to make your product better. If your target market is included in the process of building your product through their feedback, they’ll have a much greater personal investment in the final product because their direct input went into producing it. You will have created a customer for life by including them in the process.
The seeds for your success come before the Kickstarter. People who help in the development phase write the story of the product, and have incredible buy-in to your success.
Creating products that they would want to use and to be seen using just naturally led to their aesthetic and branding. Jimmy’s big on being authentic in life and business, and this desire unsurprisingly led them to a branding that the average traveler can relate to.
Jimmy considers his job with Minaal done when two customers meet and get married all due to their Minaal bags: “I want a user marriage!”
All joking aside, the future for Minaal is something Jimmy’s thinking about. They’re constantly taking a look at what’s working and what isn’t, and what they enjoy doing as they plan the future. He sees much more customer interactions and being facilitators for a community of people with shared values.
Some of the issues they’ve experienced is not being able to fulfill so many orders. A great problem to have for sure, but it’s something they’ll be working on in the near future.
On a personal (and business) note, Jimmy’s really working on managing the business and his time better while he’s on the road. It’s difficult to get work done while traveling full time, and he’s looking to scale back and strategize his travel more in the coming year, removing the concept that “every ticket is a one way.”
Jimmy’s enthusiasm for building a business around what he loves comes out in everything he says. You’re gonna love this interview with one of my favorite Kiwis!
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- How did they become so passionate about their products that they pursued them for so long before actually seeing an ROI?
- What went into preparing for their Kickstarter campaign?
- What does the future hold for Minaal?
- What does Minaal’s marketing look like between Kickstarter campaigns?
- How do you manage your business and your time when you’re on the road traveling so much?
- How has being nomad impacted your personal life?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- How belief in your ideas can push you through the obstacles you’ll encounter as entrepreneurs.
- How crowdfunding can give more than just monetary benefits to a potential or growing business.
- What it takes to have a mega successful crowdfunding campaign.
- How Jimmy approached the branding of Minaal and how he made it so very personal and authentic to him and his style.
- Why they hold retreats for their people to build their company culture and brand.
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- com
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Minaal Kickstarter Video
Dr. Alexis Shields: TRAVELING THE WORLD AND TREATING VIRTUAL PATIENTS WITH NATUROPATHIC REMEDIES
Excited to have my good friend, Dr. Alexis Shields join us on episode #9. Alexis is a naturopathic doctor who has taken her practice on the road and now treats ger patients virtually from anywhere in the world. Today she shares with us the sequence of events that led her from running a brick and mortar medical practice to a thriving, globe-trotting online practice with her husband Shannon. Alexis studied naturopathic medicine in Portland, Oregon at the Natural College of Naturopathic Medicine, where she earned her doctorate degree in medicine. She found natropathic medicine when her father was faced with health issues and traditional medicine was not providing the necessary results. During his treatment, she witnessed the benefits he found through natropathic medicine and this impacted her so much that she decided to become a naturopathic doctor herself.
After graduating medical school, she started her brick-and-mortar practice. After four years in business, she and her then-fiancé decided to sell off the business and move across the country. Before settling on the East Coast, they wanted to take the opportunity to travel abroad for an extended amount of time. Alexis sold most of her posessions in preparation for the extended trip abroad, and this unfamiliar task actually helped her realize that she could do with a lot less in life - a valuable lesson to learn before starting her nomadic lifestyle.
Alexis’ travels have taken her to dozens of countries where she’s met so many incredible entrepreneurs (like myself) who have opened her eyes to the possibilities of developing a thriving virtual medical practice. Once she learned that it was possible, she and Shannon decided to develop their virtual businesses and continue their world travels, and have successfully done so for almost 3 years now.
Living the nomadic lifestyle can be tough and isolating, even with a partner in tow. Alexis and her husband now have a year long lease in Portugal, surrounded by a small community of like-minded entrepreneurs but over the past few years, they’ve spent a lot of nights in hotels or Airbnb apartments and often it’s tough to meet others and make friends.
The duo has taken it upon themselves to search out groups for support and to develop friendships with other travelers and expats and she emphasizes the importance of creating alone time when traveling with a partner. She spends a lot of time by herself in coffee shops doing work, and there she’s able to meet others and making friends. Facebook groups of like-minded people have also helped her deal with the nomadic lifestyle.
There’s never a perfect time to take an extended journey abroad. Just take the leap and go. You’ll find what you need on your journey.
Staying healthy while traveling is a major component of her nomadic lifestyle. In a new community it’s important for her to find a gym for exercise (and it’s a great way to get to know the locals). She uses some online resources as well, like Yogaglo.com (yoga, meditation, stretching and many other classes) and barre3.com (dance, pilates and weight training) for exercise at home. She uses the Stronglift App as well for strength training on the road.
Having solid nutrition principles to follow every day will really help you stay healthy and fit. Even if you’re dining out a lot, you’ve got to figure out how to eat healthily and seek out food that makes you feel good.
Alexis recommends doing yearly blood work to track your health year over year. Also, commit to doing something every day that brings you closer to your health and fitness goals. Don’t allow the “go-go-go” mentality push you to avoid paying attention to your health.
“People, when they’re healthy and feel good, perform better.”
Alexis has lots of big plans for the future.
Within the next year she’s going to take a team based approach to her business and will build a team to better help her patients. She’s also building out corporate wellness programs for companies that want their employees to be more productive and function at higher levels.
Alexis has radically changed her life and business to suit her desires, and she’s a fantastic example of what is possible when you think outside the box and have the courage to make life an adventure.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What does it take to be a naturopathic doctor and why did she want to become one?
- How did her conversation start with her then-fiancé to move out of the US to practice naturopathic medicine?
- What are some logistical things they had to deal with once they decided to stay abroad for multiple years?
- What did their friends and families say when they decided to pack up and travel abroad, and what did they say then they made the decision to live abroad and not return to practice medicine?
- What have been some of the hardest parts of living a nomadic lifestyle, especially with a partner in tow?
- What are her travel/business plans over the next 5 years?
- What are some tips she would give traveling people to stay healthy in new environments?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- What naturopathic medicine is and how it can benefit you.
- That you can get by in life with very few possessions and in fact the less you have the easier it is to spend time abroad.
- That anybody can adapt to a nomadic type of life as long as they give themselves time to adapt.
- How her clientele has changed from the brick-and-mortar practice to the virtual practice.
- How Alexis views confidence and how you can foster confidence in your own life.
- Plus much more…
DON’T STOP HERE…
- com
- Find her on Facebook
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Yoga Glo
- Barre 3
- StrongLift App
- Yi Peng lantern festival video
- Hilltribe mobile clinic video
Jen Du doesn’t hate Mondays anymore... She hates Fridays! She’s never felt more excited to start her workday…ever.
Why? Jen is the creator of ‘Before’ Elixir, an innovative, all-natural tonic preventing the flush and hangovers resulting from drinking alcohol.
Believe it or not, she actually developed the idea during a Business School project. During 2013, while a business student at Rutgers, Jen participated in a workshop called ‘Lean Startup Machine’. As part of her project, she surveyed hundreds of people and found an overwhelming need in the market for a product just like Before Elixir. To her surprise, not only did she win the competition but she did so with stellar reviews and overwhelming advice to make the product a reality.
Since her plan was always to work at a tech company or in consulting, she put the idea on the back burner. Not for long, though! It was in just her first year at Dell that she got serious about creating the formula and seeking funding. She attended a lot of events, including a meet-up called Co-Founders Austin, a networking event for local people involved in startups. The idea behind Co-Founders Austin is to connect sole-founders with partners who are experts in the areas they need help in. She was looking for a biochemist, and through this group, she was connected to a local angel investor who is a big philanthropist when it comes to entrepreneurship and science.
And with that investment, she was able to start her R&D! She literally made several variations of the elixir and sent them in tiny test bottles to friends, family and literally anyone who was willing to try the product. The overwhelming response was positive and her next step was finding a manufacturing company that made the elixir taste good.
In 2015, she launched Before Elixir through a crowd-funding campaign to finance a full run of the product for sale to the public. She surpassed her goal, with 110% funded and $14,000 in the bank. With those funds she was able to make changes to the taste, the packaging, some of the ingredients, and continues to find ways to improve with each manufacturing run.
Within just the past year, she has gotten Before Elixir into 8 stores in Austin, including a full-service grocery popular in Austin, called Wheatsville. In the first week there, she sold 150 bottles, coming out as the #13 most popular drink out 200+ beverages they stock!
Before Elixir has also acquired Australian distribution and is currently available in 17 countries worldwide. 2016 sees Before Elixir launching on Amazon, and a push to get in even more stores in Texas as well as a drive to reach shelves in California, where currently 40% of their internet sales are generated. In just the first year of business, Before Elixir has received outstanding press from Food & Wine, GQ, Mashable, The Guardian, Bustle, Product Hunt, Brit+Co just to name a few.
On a personal note, Jen has just launched a new site, called The Fierce Founder, where she shares her personal journey of starting her first company, including all the highs and the lows, and what it takes to be a fierce female entrepreneur. Her goal is to share as much as she can to help others accomplish something they’ve never done before.
If you’re listening to the nay-sayers, you’re limiting yourself. You have to throw that fear of failure and judgment out the window to get what you want in life. If you want to feel inspired, and learn how to have your personality shine out to the world through your brand, this episode of The Bold Life Movement with Jen Du is a must.
SOME QUESTIONS I ASK:
- What strategies did Jen use to raise the money for researching and developing ‘Before’ elixir?
- Why did she choose the IndieGoGo platform for her crowd-funding campaign?
- What factors influenced her marketing decisions? What existing product influenced her most?
- How did Jen go about getting her product into stores?
- What did the transition from a ‘day job’ to launching a start-up look like?
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
- What ‘lean’ methodology is and how it compares to ‘traditional’ business
- Why it’s essential to surround yourself with people who can fill your knowledge gaps
- What bar ‘trend’ has influenced Jen’s branding for ‘Before’ elixir and why
- Why Austin is such a fantastic place to run a food/beverage-oriented company
- What new habits she’s had to create as a business owner that she didn’t need as an employee
- Plus much more…
DON'T STOP HERE...
- Before Elixir’s site - www.beforeelixir.com
- Before Elixir Store Locator - www.beforeelixir.com/store-locator
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
- Lean Start-Up Machine Workshop - www.leanstartupmachine.com
- Co-Founders Austin Meetup - www.meetup.com/CoFounder-Austin
- Indiegogo - www.indiegogo.com
- Wheatsville Grocery/Natural Foods Co-Op - www.wheatsville.coop
Anton Kraly is the epitome of a lifestyle entrepreneur. His online business and community, Dropship Lifestyle, is his passion and he’s managed to create a lucrative business around running his own dropshipping e-commerce stores and teaching thousands of other entrepreneurs how to do the same.
Having had several e-commerce businesses that were successful, Anton set out to look for something new. Inspired by Tim Ferriss’ book, ‘The 4 Hour Workweek’, he wanted something that could achieve a little more on auto-pilot. So, he started a drop-shipping business, but he ran up against roadblocks when he was looking for guidance and advice online. He couldn’t find anyone who was doing the same thing who also knew what they were talking about. In fact, had he taken some of the advice thrown around out there, it would have destroyed him.
Instead, he found himeself learning it all on his own and becoming a thought leader in the space. Eventually, he decided to take his information and turn it into an online course and forum, and Dropship Lifestyle was born!
On his website, clients get access to his course as well as the community, so users can ask each other questions. In fact, so many people have built successful businesses using his course that they can actually run the community almost themselves and he rarely even has to moderate or facilitate. That leaves him the time to build out more functional assets for his clients, such as his own Shopify app that automates order-processing, ‘store-front’ fully-customizable templates, and he’s currently working on a Niche Finder app.
His goal is to create the only apps any of his users will ever need to run their own successful ecommerce stores. Dropship Lifestyle’s success has also spun off into some other successful businesses, such as his supplier directory site, live events, and a $100K+ sub-forum for the best-performing sellers.
His goal for 2016 is to grow his community even bigger. There are several clients in the community doing things he didn’t even anticipate when he first put the course out there and he sees what a big impact it has on people’s lives. So, Anton has made the commitment to spend about $30-$50K per month in paid advertising to widen the net and reach more people. He will be building another site this year that shows exactly what that kind of advertising ‘spend’ looks like and how to track it, etc., as another teaching outlet.
Anton and I chat today about his mindset shift from traditional business to online business, why Saigon has been such a lucrative homebase the past few years, and what he sees for the future of Dropship Lifestyle.
The only difference between those who are successful and those who are still waiting is a higher tolerance for risk. Anton has proven his ability to embrace risk and this boldness has served him well.
His enthusiasm for living ‘the lifestyle’ is contagious! He simply loves what he does and isn’t afraid to try new things. Join us for this motivating and fun interview!
Some questions I ask: * What is a lifestyle business? * Who inspires Anton? Where does he look for mentorship? * How quickly could someone expect to start making sales with a drop-ship platform? * How many people does Anton need to employ to run a successful lifestyle business? * What is one of the most embarrassing niches he’s come across in the drop-ship world?
In This Episode, You Will Learn: * Why drop-shipping is a lucrative opportunity for new entrepreneurs * Why you can’t just rely on SEO and why paid traffic is essential * What a typical day looks like for Anton as he’s running multiple revenue-generating businesses * Why some things that sell better online don’t necessarily work with traditional traffic sources * Plus much more…
Don’t stop here… www.dropshiplifestyle.com
www.performancemarketer.com
Additional Resources:
www.shopify.com
www.searchscientists.com
www.fourhourworkweek.com
Trey Stinnett, creator of the ‘Self-Hacker Journey’ lives a life of creation every day. He is here with us today to talk about what that really means and his mission to help others find their true happiness.
As with most entrepreneurs, Trey’s path has been a bumpy one. At just 21 years old, he was a millionaire real estate investor. Getting hit by the economic fall-out was just one loss; at the same time he lost close family members and his wife had a miscarriage. He went into a deep state of reflection and ultimately realized that when happiness is based on ‘results’ in your life, that is a very fragile sort of happiness. He started crawling out of the mire and recreating himself.
It has been 12 years now that he’s been on a path of self-development and raising his consciousness. He’s now constantly and radically happy about his life. His mission is to help as many people as he can to reach what he has attained-to be in a state of creation, to be living in each moment to manifest the desires of your heart.
Trey’s work is all about shifting paradigms to create breakthroughs in our life. Paradigms are the belief systems we have, what we believe about the world and our place in it. The first thing we can do to start this shift is understand that we are not defined by personality types, right and left brain thinking, masculine/feminine energy. All of these things are dynamic and changeable. They are relevant, but not permanent. They do not define us. We define us.
Trey has spent years studying the great thought leaders of almost every discipline. When he first started teaching others, he was imparting all of this information in the way he learned it. Today, his Breakthrough Formula Program focuses instead on creating the framework to clear your past so you can start living in the moment, no matter what kind of moment life happens to be throwing at you. He is also currently at work on ‘Limitless’, a series of in-person events that will be going live in the second half of 2016.
Trey and I talk today about breaking through self-limiting beliefs, not judging ourselves and our past, how he is trying to impart ‘living in creation’ philosophy to his daughters, and the underlying passion in everything he does.
So many of us get in our own way by doing what we’ve always done. We try and shove more in to make ourselves ‘better’ instead of doing the work of clearing out to start anew. It’s bold to embrace a willingness to change, and to do what doesn’t come natural. But it opens you up to new worlds and possibilities. Join us today for this inspiring and thought-provoking interview with Trey Stinnett!
Some questions I ask: * What did the transition from millionaire real estate investor to self-development coach look like? * What are some tips that people can use to ‘clear the clutter’ and start living in creation? * Which thought leaders have influenced Trey the most during his journey? * What advice do you have for people wanting to start a public speaking career? * What three personal factors determine Trey’s current mission? How will they affect his future goals?
In This Episode, You Will Learn: * How we can create paradigm shifts in our life to ‘complete’ past relationships and improve our ‘now’ * Why trying to ‘trick’ our subconscious does not work * At exactly what point Trey had his personal breakthrough * The most important thing we can do as a species to grow as individuals * The concept of Pattern Interruption and how Trey uses it in his Breakthrough Formula Program * Plus much more…
Don’t Stop Here… * http://www.treystinnett.com/ * www.facebook.com/treystinnett * https://twitter.com/iamtrey
Additional Resources: * Think and Grow Rich (Napoleon Hill) www.thinkandgrowrich.com * Rich Dad, Poor Dad (Robert Kiyosaki) www.richdad.com * The 4-Hour Workweek (Tim Ferriss) www.fourhourworkweek.com * Spiral Dynamics (Don Beck) www.spiraldynamics.net * The Secret (Rhonda Byrne) www.thesecret.tv * TED Talks, books, etc. www.ted.com * Awaken the Giant Within (Tony Robbins) - http://amzn.to/1ooABAs * Living the 80/20 Way (Richard Koch) - http://amzn.to/20meTZP * Stand and Deliver (Dale Carnegie) - http://amzn.to/1SdUp6c
Conferences:
- The Art of Charm www.bootcamp.theartofcharm.com
- Burning Man www.burningman.com
- Landmark Worldwide Conference www.landmarkworldwide.com
- One World Academy www.oneworldacademy.com
- Unleash the Power Within www.tonyrobbins.com/events/unleash-the-power-within/
Jenn Gietzen is the creative mind behind Write On! Design, her personal brand, and NovaElle, a partnership created with her friend and professional photographer, Jane.
After graduating from the Art Institute of Atlanta in 2008, Jenn went straight into the corporate world where she did graphic design for about 4 years. She later switched careers into a recruiting role, and while she liked it, she realized it just wasn’t fulfilling in the way that she needed it to be and was actually considering alternatives when the company laid her off.
This shocking news was actually a blessing in disguise and just a few weeks later, she met Ginny Branch, a prop stylist and ended up learning under her for many months. By assisting Ginny on shoots, Jenn was introduced to the creative community in Atlanta.
She networked heavily and eventually started using her graphic design interests and hand-lettering skills to redesign websites and later started her own company, penning unique quotes on merchandise. She started selling through a few shops but that became difficult and not cost-effective considering the time it requires to produce unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. Now, her focus is on larger scale custom projects having recently done work for Home Depot and French Connection.
Jenn’s newest project, NovaElle, which she started with friend and photographer, Paige Jones is a charitable endeavor which partners with organizations world wide who aim to support women. Merchandise sold through Novaelle features Jenn’s artwork and proceeds benefit initiatives all over the world that empower women and teach them valuable skills to excel in life. Their mission is to support programs that promote education, development or safety. For example an upcoming donation will benefit an organization rescuing victims from sex trafficking in Nepal.
In this episode, Jenn and I have a heart-felt and honest conversation about moving forward even when you have no emotional support, and how the freedom to be creative and create her own circumstances propels her forward.
If you’re complacent and without fear, you’re not moving forward. Being BOLD is all about pushing through the fear even when you can’t predict the outcome!
Some questions I ask: * What are the best ways for new artists to get their work out there and start earning an income? * What does Jenn think is the best social media platform for her work and why? * Does she have a system for organizing her social media posts so that she stays consistent? * What is her grander vision for her personal brand, WriteOn Designs? * What motivates Jenn to keep moving forward even when some days are a little frustrating?
In This Episode, You Will Learn: * Why it’s so important for artists to become familiar with their local community and ‘plug-in’ * Why you should tell everyone about your biggest dreams for your business * Tips and strategies on reaching out to charity organizations that you want to help * What inspired Jenn and her business partner and friend, Paige, to create NovaElle * Plus much more…
Don’t stop here… Jenn’s Website, Write On! Design: www.jenngietzen.com
Jenn’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/JennGeitzen
Jenn’s Twitter: www.twitter.com/jenngietzen
NovaElle: www.novaelle.org
NovaElle’s Instagram: www.instagram.com/shopnovaelle
NovaElle’s Twitter: www.twitter.com/shopnovaelle
Additional Resources Mentioned:
EventBrite: www.eventbrite.com
It’s a very interesting, transitional time to be a woman in business and Jane Claire Hervey is dedicated to riding the tide to female empowerment, greatness and success.
Jane is the founder and CEO of BossBabesATX, a local community of female entrepreneurs and creatives in the Austin area, which actually went viral when it launched in May 2015.
Discouraged by a lack of available mentors who could help Jane and her friends, all successful recent college graduates with their own businesses, they were inspired to put together a small informal group of women who might also be feeling the same way. To gauge interest and gain a better understanding of what this group could provide, Jane conducted interviews with other women in the community. She picked up on a lot of general distrust; these women didn’t feel they had a ‘safe’ place to go to grow and develop without competition, a place where they could openly support one another.
From these interviews and Jane’s own beliefs in supporting women in their creative interests and business endeavors, BossBabesATX was formed. She completely fleshed out everything before ‘going public’ and having their first meeting. The idea skyrocketed!! Overnight, they went from 10 RSVP’s to 550 and by the end of the weekend, the invite had over 90 RSVPs.
While she believed their first get-together would be small and casual, it drew so much interest and participation that it ended up being the first iteration of what is now a standard BossBabeATX “meet” consisting of hundered of women in the community. Since then, BossBabesATX has continued to grow and more attention than Jane and her friends ever imagined.
Jane credits some of the success of the community to the pillars of branding laid out well before the first meetup. She shares what these pillars are, and why having your mission statement so clearly defined saves you in times of rapid growth. With so many decisions to make and so much feedback coming in, understand the core vision for the company allows you to stay on track and continue serving the community in a really powerful way.
Finally, we chat about her childhood experiences and how they’ve made her so strong as a woman who believes in justice and equality, why she welcomes being challenged and having the ‘hard’ conversations, and why she believes ‘working for free’ is a completely skewed way of having a real sharing economy.
Jane believes that whatever you do, be authentic and aware. Being BOLD and making an impact requires you to admit your shortcomings, genuinely step out, and engage with your community. Come join us for this exciting, powerful and honest interview with Jane Claire Hervey!
Some questions I ask: * Why is BossBabeATX seeking B-Corp status? What are the benefits? * What are her long-term goals for promoting female empowerment using BossBabeATX? * What marketing tools or platforms has Jane used to ‘spread the word’ about BossBabeATX? * What gives Jane the confidence to be so profoundly authentic and transparent? * What life experiences motivate Jane to work so passionately at helping other women succeed?
In This Episode, You Will Learn: * Why having your mission statement from day one will inform your success and growth going forward * Why Jane prefers the ‘pitch’ style of meeting vs. the ‘networking mixer’ format * The strategic reasons that BossBabesATX was filed as an LLC rather than a non-profit 501(c)3 * The importance of being thorough in your brand ‘build-out’ before launching * Why it’s important to discern between constructive criticism and subversive jealousy or bullying * Plus much more…
Don’t Stop Here… www.bossbabes.org
Instagram and Twitter: @BossBabesATX
www.facebook.com/bossbabesatx
Taylor Pearson is the innovative mind behind ‘The End of Jobs’, a new book that focuses on the rise of entrepreneurship and why it’s a better career choice for today.
Taylor doesn’t consider his path from software developer to self-published author a complete transition. Instead, he’s always thought of his career and life in terms of trajectory, always improving and accelerating to the next level. That’s not to say that he wasn’t a little bit nervous about putting pen to paper! But, he’d prepared himself and felt reasonably confident enough to go ahead and give it a try.
Turns out, he’s pretty great at it. Taking inspiration from the book, ‘The 12 Week Year’, Taylor spent only 9 months on ‘The End of Jobs’, and it has been incredibly successful, quickly rising to the top of Amazon’s business category.
Despite the book’s title, it is not a blueprint on how to immediately quit your ‘day job’ and start your own business. Instead, the premise of the book looks at the four distinct economic phases that the West has experienced and why entrepreneurship is such a great choice. It’s more of a thought process rather than an ‘action list’. So many of us have been trained to follow certain professional scripts but entrepreneurship puts you in charge of writing your own script. That means everyone from the established business owner to the employee can embody the principles of entrepreneurship; it’s about a creativity mindset, a new way of thinking about work and a new view way of viewing the world.
Taylor and I sit down today to chat about lessons he learned during his book launch and how becoming an author has opened new doors for him and broadened his view on what is possible.
Many of us have an internal force, a resistance, that holds us back from ourselves. Going to war with that resistance, driving ourselves forward every day, is BOLD! Sit down, take a listen and get inspired by this episode of the Bold Life Movement with Taylor Pearson!
Some questions I ask: * What does the mindset shift look like from employee to entrepreneur to self-published author? * What are the 4 stages of the book launch process? * Should first-time authors pursue self-publishing or seek a traditional publishing house? * Which thought leaders have been integral for his success? * What motivates Taylor to explore the implications and possibilities of entrepreneurship?
In This Episode, You Will Learn: * Strategies for gauging interest in your book during the first-draft stage * Why Facebook groups are absolutely essential for building a community around your book * How the ‘Thunderclap’ stage of a book launch creates excitement and a sense of urgency * The overall benefits of initially offering your book for free * The value of joining Mastermind groups and tips on how to find and join them * Plus much more…
Continue Seeking Greatness: www.taylorpearson.me
www.taylorpearson.me/jesusmarketing
https://www.facebook.com/taylor.pearson.904?fref=ts
Twitter: www.twitter.com/TaylorPearsonMe
The End of Jobs: www.amazon.com/The-End-Jobs-9-5/dp/1619613352
The 12 Week Year: www.12weekyear.com/book-info
The War of Art: www.amazon.com/The-War-Art-Steven-Pressfield-ebook/dp/B007A4SDCG
Ray Dalio Principles: www.bwater.com/Uploads/FileManager/Principles/Bridgewater-Associates-Ray-Dalio-Principles.pdf
Anti-Fragile: www.amazon.com/Antifragile-Things-That-Disorder-Incerto/dp/0812979680
From struggling DJ to successful business owner, John Ban's entrepreneurial journey is inspiring to watch.
John, AKA 'Sonic', is one-half of the team behind Grass Fed Coffee- the first prepackaged butter coffee to hit market. Popular among entrepreneurs and productivity and health nuts, Grass Fed Coffee is going to revolutionize the bulletproof coffee scene.
Like so many entrepreneurs, John has had a succession of successful businesses, but as a former top DJ in Indianapolis, he didn't plan on the journey that led him to Grass Fed Coffee. In fact, you might even say that had he not experienced a major setback in the music business, he wouldn't be in the beverage industry today.
In 2007, John moved to Los Angeles to pursue music writing and recording. Unfortunately, this was just about the time the recession started and work was really hard to come by. He was eating ramen and living in a studio apartment with 2 other people! Influenced by the food truck culture, he went back to Indianapolis to start the first food truck in that city, West Coast Tacos. It was a huge success, and later he sold his stake and went on to create NY Slice food truck. The success of which led to expansion, and now a booming Indy food truck scene.
After selling NY Slice, He ended up selling that business and came back to L.A. to work with his mentor, now partner, on developing Grass Fed Coffee. They started implementing the idea in 2014, with the help of a beverage consulting company. In December 2015, they launched their Kickstarter campaign.
It took off like wildfire, meeting 170% of the goal within the first month. The campaign will end at the end of January 2016 and shipments will start going out to backers and become available for retail sale on their website.
As with any new idea, John did hit some roadblocks and fits and starts in the development of Grass Fed Coffee, but he's had a very strong sense of willpower and positive mindset since he was a child. Any business owner knows there are a lot of obstacles at the beginning of any project but when you break them, there's no stopping you.
John and I talk about the lessons he's learned about himself and others from his first food truck business to now, what it means to always have integrity, and his belief that we shouldn't be living our lives constrained by something as simple as money.
On this journey we call entrepreneurship, people will tell you your ideas are crazy and that you're going to fail. Don't believe them.
Always be yourself and have confidence in who you are!
Some questions I ask:
- What is butter coffee and what are its distinct health benefits?
- What does developing a new product look like from inception to launch?
- What advice would you give someone starting a food industry business or a Kickstarter campaign?
- Did John already have the end-goal in mind before Grass Fed Coffee was even formulated?
- How did your mentor evolve into your business partner?
- What does financial freedom mean for John?
In This Episode, You Will Learn:
- How sheer will and determination can lead to success in any endeavor you're passionate about
- That self-confidence is a lifetime journey-you learn more about yourself every year.
- How easy it really is to start a Kickstarter campaign
- Why John thinks having a partner is beneficial and how to find the right one
- Why character and integrity is just as important as business knowledge
- Why you can't have an ego if you want to have a successful business
- Plus much more...
Don't Stop Here...
- www.grassfedcoffee.com
- www.facebook.com/grassfedcoffee
Jared Kleinert is the millennial mind behind ’2 Billion Under 20-How Millennials are Breaking Down Age Barriers and Changing the World’, a ground-breaking book, co-authored with Stacy Ferreira.
Jared started his first business when he was 15 years old and has just kept on rollin’. As a member of the Teal Fellowship community, he was inspired to write this book at just 17 years old, after attending a conference where he met thousands of other millenials just like him-ambitious, entrepreneurial, young go-getters.
That conference, and the motivation behind his book, spoke to the 2 billion people in this world under 20 years old. It is a rallying cry to ‘spread the virus’ of innovation among millennials.
Today, that book has become much more-a thriving community and movement of talented millennials has built up around it and Jared couldn’t be more excited! Not only that, but it’s taken on a life of its own, leading Jared to be invited to not just one, but four TED talks and he’s started his own consulting firm, advising ‘Corporate America’ on how to better attract and work with millennials, everything from marketing and recruiting to retention and engagement.
Jared and I talk about ‘everything’ entrepreneurship-the hits and the misses, the valuable lessons he’s learned when it comes to really understanding his audience’s needs and wants, and his mission for building this community of aspiring, amazing millenials.
True confidence comes from not being worried about what other people think and having conscious reasons for your beliefs. And, being confident is bold! This inspiring first episode of The Bold Life Movement with Jared Kleinert is a must for everyone!
Some questions I ask: * Why is it so vital for businesses to understand the mentality and emotions of millennials? * What is the best thing that came out of writing ’2 Billion Under 20’. * Can you truly go ‘grassroots’ to fund your creative endeavors? What are some strategies? * What is the absolute one thing that you must provide to your audience, whether it’s in business or in life? * What are the benefits to starting the entrepreneurial life as a young person? * Who are your most valuable mentors? * In today’s economy, should millennials even go to college? * What is the one skill that Jared knows he could improve? * What he wishes he had known when he started his entrepreneurial journey?
In This Episode, You Will Learn: * How a book helps you make money on everything else but the actual book * Some real-life strategies and tips for getting started in the public speaking arena * How to view a mistake in business as a learning experiment and not a failure * A great approach to seeking out and building a network of mentors * The value of making conscious decisions, at any age or stage of your life * What it means to take a ‘Gap Year Mindset’ * Plus much more…
Don't stop here... * 2 Billion Under 20 - How Millennials Are Breaking Down Age Barriers and Changing the World * JaredKleinert.com * 2BillionUnder20.com * ThielFellowship.org
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