The Jon Talks Podcast: Recent Episodes
Jon Cox
Designer and entrepreneur Jon Cox talks about overcoming adversity, defeating your past, leadership lessons, and reaching your greatest potential.
Tired of the anxiety that comes from living paycheck to paycheck? Do you work your butt off just to make payroll? Do you wish you could spend more time with the things you treasure, and less time worrying about money? In this episode, we talk about how to get rich right: Know your values, know […]
Coming off of a couple of hard falls? Are you ready to scale your business, or just looking to up your personal growth game? In this episode, Jon shares how he and Aqua Vita have grown over the years, lessons he’s learned and what he’s done to scale his business, financial and personal successes. Books […]
Can you have it all? Aqua Vita Co-Founder Jessica Cox talks about what it’s like to start and run a business and a family in today’s fast-paced world. Plus, Jess asks Jon some precarious questions about his rocky past. You won’t want to miss this one!
Jon and Jess take a break from business talk to discuss things they’re excited about this summer: The upcoming launch of the American Heartland Theme Park and Resort in Vinita, the Rush Springs Watermelon Festival, a hot tip for making new friends and building community, filming for the Wichita Tribe, bespoke pies, the World Champion Squirrel Cook Off in Bentonville, and more!
Do you get nervous when it’s time to talk about money? Do you struggle in strategy, discovery and sales meetings? Don’t know where to start when you’re negotiating a deal? This episode is for you!
What’s up everybody! Welcome to Part 3 of our Down to Business series. Last week, we talked about the mechanics of running your business: Building the DNA of your brand, finding your “Why”, crafting core values, money management and hitting profit goals. This week, we’ll talk about growing your clients naturally and organically over time […]
In this episode, Jon talks about the basic mechanics of business, from crafting core values to hitting profit goals.
In this episode, Jon talks about the basic mechanics of business, from crafting core values to hitting profit goals.
Do you dream of running your own business, but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you’ve been running it for a few years, and it’s not what you thought that it would be. Maybe you feel run ragged, worn out and you need some perspective. You’re in the right place! In this episode, Jon […]
How do you take a business from one guy mowing lawns to three successful companies and a full on legacy for your team?
Local business owner, philanthropist and world traveler Aaron Wiltshire shares his 38 years of experience in the trenches, and gives us a look into how faith, family and purpose guide his steps.
He might even give us a glimpse into how his recent experience on an ancient Christian pilgrimage in Spain and how that changed his life.
It’s going to be a great show, so grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and enjoy the ride with us!
Description: Jon interviews Don Patterson, Elder of the Tonkawa Tribe. Topics discussed: Surviving and thriving in a rapidly changing world, one man's history of his Tonkawa people, the Scalp Dance, and more.
Topics discussed: The power of fellowship; starting a new company; cooking squirrel and learning the land; striving and adapting in this insane economy; Coke 2; fail fast, fail hard; the love and hate of Dark Souls; gratitude over expectations; the Savoy experience; tea time and crafting experiences; marketing minute: link building overview.
How to endure difficult times; when you're going through hell, keep going; tips to break yourself out of a funk; showing up, even on bad days; "Endure"; having fun vs. creating amazing stories through difficulty; tough times resulting in growth; choosing between positive and negative responses; "The Compound Effect"; creating/maintaining momentum; positive relationships; daily routines; taking time to rest/rejuvenate; don't superglue yourself to countertops; find what rejuvenates you; "Man's Search for Meaning"; rejecting false hope and maintaining a positive outlook; finding meaning in the hard moments; how to recognize and cure mental, physical, spiritual exhaustion; faith as an anchor; recession marketing parallels; volunteering; trim the fat; reading good books; "Profit First", "Pumpkin Plan", "Whatever Happened to Penny Candy", "Clipper Ship Strategy."
Connect with Jon, Jess, and Caleb on LinkedIn.
Connect with Aqua Vita on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Like our podcast? Subscribe and never miss an episode! General Tips: Support your body with exercise, and nutrition. Surround yourself with positive relationships, friends, and family. Get outside / change location & perspective. Show up. Do what you can. Take tiny steps to maintain/build positive momentum. Take time to rest & rejuvenate. Choose positive responses. Don't expect things to get better overnight. Believe things will get better in the long run. Look past today's pain. Think about how this has meaning as part of in your life story. Cut unnecessary things (financial & time commitments). Feed your mind with excellent books. Find ways to support the community & volunteer. Keep the faith.
Topics discussed: Moving cross country and breaking into a car during an ice storm; the wheel of life; finding balance; pretend bobcats (“big ‘ole bobcat!”); setting goals and pushing the needle; fighting ugliness and maintaining a positive frame of mind; long-distance relationships; Kim Kardashian, the art of selling; building a professional network; and more.
Connect with Jon and Caleb.
Connect with Aqua Vita on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
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In the world of gaming, he's kind of a big deal.
He's a world-renowned composer, and is credited with writing and aiding in such works as Super Smash Bros, RWBY, PUBG Mobile, League of Legends, and so many more!
Join us, as Mason talks shop, his process for creating world-class compositions, and what it takes to succeed in 2021 as a composer.
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Jon Talks on Apple Podcasts
Creativity Meets Leadership Jon Cox and Lane Castleberry (Communications Director of the Jenks Chamber of Commerce) talk about the launch of one of our latest tourism projects - DiscoverJenks.com - PLUS what’s up next for the City of Jenks! And special shout-outs to some of our favorite local hangouts: Oklahoma Aquarium, George’s Pub, Andolini’s Pizza, Burn Co. BBQ, Jenks Riverwalk, Veteran’s Park, Reasors, and Andy B’s Bowling Alley.
Like our podcast? Subscribe, and never miss an episode! Jon Talks on Apple Podcasts
Enjoy a few elevated minutes learning about the cadence of accountability as Jon and Jess continue their review of The 4 Disciplines of Execution.
A Team in Rhythm Adding accountability to your regular routine ushers in a previously unattainable level of productivity. But finding the right method is key. No Team Member Left Behind When we started meeting weekly to keep a rhythm of accountability, we discovered struggling team members, projects that hadn't gotten the attention they needed, and miscommunications needing clarification. Our weekly huddles have brought us together as a team in ways we couldn't have imagined.
Like our podcast? Subscribe, and never miss an episode! Jon Talks on Apple Podcasts Comments From Our Team! Cindi, Social Media Manager Frankly, without our team huddles at the beginning of each week, and then our little base touch in the middle of the week, I can tell you I would get absolutely LOST in the whirlwind of the many social media accounts I manage. Taking a break to regroup, remember what I MUST accomplish in a day or week skyrockets my efficiency and productivity. Faith, Graphic Design The cadence of accountability encourages team learning and problem solving. By sharing our personal successes and failures during our WIG meetings, we are able to learn from each other and help clear the path for others.
Jon and Jess guide us through tracking data with a scoreboard to bring accountability to the table and keep lead measures top of mind for the whole team.
Use a Team Scoreboard Everyone Can Track Tracking data with a scoreboard just works. It provides accountability, lead measure organization, and communication with the team to guide everyone to track success. This simple method instantly drives workflow and - if you do it the right way - can lead to more success in business. In fact, you can even apply this to your personal life. Guest Appearances by Jamie and Cindi Our copywriter Jamie, and social media manager Cindi join in to testify to the significant change brought by the team shift to using a team scoreboard. As they point out, sometimes, you just need to know someone is watching. And having lead measures (two things you must complete by a set time and day) on a public board is just the thing you need to grow to the next level.
Like our podcast? Subscribe, and never miss an episode! Jon Talks on Apple Podcasts
Comments From Our Team! Caleb, Graphic Design It's helped me keep my focus on what's going to further our company goals. Michelle, Project Manager Keeping a scoreboard has really helped me keep lead measures top of mind through the whirlwind. As I'm sure everyone knows it's hard not to get sucked into the urgent things that come up everyday. And then the end of the week rolls around and you completely forgot to do your lead measures. The scoreboard keeps those in front of you so you can remember to make time for them.
Want to plan and predict success in business? Jon and Jessica Cox take us through part 2 of their review of the book "The 4 Disciplines of Execution."
Lead Measures Over Lag Measures Learn to determine outcome of your work by planning the steps needed to see results. Jon and Jessica Cox take us through part 2 of their review of the book "The 4 Disciplines of Execution" and the 4DX methodology of lead and lag measures in this episode of Jon Talks.
Using lead measures instead of lag measures allowed our work at Aqua Vita Creative to become more productive, and it can help yours too!
Like our podcast? Subscribe, and never miss an episode! Jon Talks on Apple Podcasts
Comments From Our Team! Michelle, Project Manager When we first implemented 4DX, one of my lead measures was to check scope on our clients twice a week, because I knew scope creep was a problem, but I didn't know how much of a problem it was. Once I started looking at that, it was REALLY illuminating and helped us start to recoup the costs. Cindi, Social Media Manager Lead measures literally lead my day. Without that focus, the crazy sets in. With it, I have more excitement about my own work because I've seen a success. It just feels good to know I'm winning at something.
Jon and Jess Cox offer their insight into the power of using the 4DX method outlined in the book "The 4 Disciplines of Execution."
The 4DX methodology came at just the right moment in our business journey. Every member of our team has ideas and visions of what could be - but we found we ourselves struggling to accommodate all the possibilities. The simplicity of focusing on just one or two wildly important goals caught us by surprise.
When we applied these principles, things changed for us and every client who joined us in this endeavor. One client even quadrupled their profits within a short period of time! Our goals became reality when we focused on just one goal at a time.
Like our podcast? Subscribe, and never miss an episode! Jon Talks on Apple Podcasts
Our journey began in a tiny village in Bolivia... Twelve years ago, clean, life-giving water poured into a small village in Bolivia through the work of Engineers in Action. But their work was funded by our efforts as a tiny marketing team looking for our place in the world.
Inspired by the success of our service, we dubbed ourselves "Aqua Vita" - from the Latin for "water of life."
From there, we gathered the rest of our team of marketing and business development specialists and built ourselves up through education, hard work, and joy-filled moments. Getting the right people on the bus is only one step toward greatness. Since 2009, well over 200 companies have worked with us - great people bringing good things to the world around them.
That's not to say it's always been easy. Things like election years (when no one wants to spend money on marketing), a global pandemic (yeah, we didn't see that one coming), and the ensuing drastic changes to the global economy and technology developments can crush a business.
But we're still here, and that's nothing to sneeze at. Since our inception, Jon has built our company on a solid foundation, a strategy that includes staying debt-free, staying educated as a team, and practicing the highest level of ethics in all our dealings. We're not doctors, but we're here to help. As we continue to adapt to the challenges around us, we'd like to share what we know it takes to maintain growth, survive global changes, and endure the harrowing moments, all while staying out of debt and keeping your sense of humor and your sanity. Join us in learning as Jon talks!