Pace and intensity is creating high speed in business leadership.

In this video I am sharing with you key leadership behaviors and skills to increase the pace of yourself and the intensity in your workplace.

https://youtu.be/M48eqcyCDko

As leaders when we outwardly show these leadership behaviors it inspires and grows our people not just because of what we say, or what we do, but because of who we are!

"Let your pace manage your steps, and intensity manage your attitude" ~ Mike Phillips

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Where focus goes, energy flows.

That statement carries a powerful message. This quote that has stuck by me throughout my business career that was shared originally by Tony Robbins.

The premise is that whatever we focus on; we receive back in abundance.

https://youtu.be/vq5hXNDi-QI

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In this video I am sharing with you some leadership behaviors and skills that will help you with conflict resolution.

These tips will help you whether you are seeking solutions to resolve conflict one-on-one or between multiple parties. As leaders when we outwardly show these leadership behaviors it inspires and grows our people not just because of what we say, or what we do, but because of who we are!

https://youtu.be/R6Uh0L2DjXg

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This week I have another amazing guest... Sharifah Hardie of "Ask Sharifah"

The FRONT podcast is going live!

Sharifah Hardie, also known as Ask Sharifah, is the CEO of XroadsTV.com and InTheNewsPR.com. Sharifah is also Host of 'Ask Sharifah' a video interview webisode for entrepreneurs and influencers. AND she is an amazing woman and a joy to talk to! I encourage you to join us this week, the show is going to be 🔥🔥🔥

https://youtu.be/gVUt00VrKFY

There is so much good content and conversation. Watch here!

You can connect with Sharifah Hardie through www. AskSharifah.com and check out her upcoming book!

"Live Leadership Lessons from The FRONT" are live interviews with people that are known for their performance, work ethic, character, integrity, business skill sets, and of course their leadership skills.

These are the experts to tune in and learn from!

We hope you've enjoyed the show! Each podcast is a 15-30 minute live interview.

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Today I'm sharing with you my 5 Step Sales Process example that drives proven results.

This process can apply to many verticals in business and over a multitude of products. And, if you implement this, it can really simplify your life, and maximize the time involved from greeting to closing the sale.

https://youtu.be/bm_38RtA80o

This works best in B2B or B2C sales environments when you engage face to face with your potential buyer. Whether you are selling widgets, steak knives, paintings, cars, or houses, you can apply this right now.

For me, this resulted in over 25 units per month personally (auto sales) and has generated over $30 million per year in retail sales for the company.

http://www.LeadTheTeam.net | http://www.MichaelShawnPhillips.com

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Greet the customer.
Wants and Needs Evaluation (Qualify)
Present the product
Demonstrate the product (allow the customer to do this)
Close the deal.

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If you do this ONE THING you are on your way to achieving your dreams!

What are your dreams? What do you want to accomplish today, tomorrow, or for your future?

https://youtu.be/y9fJYMb-Mt8

So often, people have great ideas, they have passion; they have fire and they have things they want to do. And just as often, we fall short. Why? No action, you have to execute on what you want.

The primary message for this video - TAKE ACTION. The key is consistent action. And BEFORE you start, you need to get clarity. Be specific with what you want in the outcome. Because if you aren’t specific, you WILL get a result, but it may not be the one you intended on.

For me here’s what works. Three steps. I keep it really simple.

Write down a plan. (This can take time)
Review the plan and tell someone else about it. Not because you want their opinion, but so that as you start executing, they can ask and see if you are being held accountable to move towards your goal.
START NOW. You must take action.

People often get caught up in planning, reviewing the plan, planning, reviewing the plan… you get the idea. And a perfect plan never executed will never ever come to fruition.

So the key to achieving your dreams is to take action, to start. Start where you are. Doing something towards your goal or dream every single day. In the beginning, it doesn’t matter if it’s 5 minutes, or 15 minutes - the time is not the determining factor, it’s that you moved closer to your goal, closer to your dream.

What are you waiting for? Get going!

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It's important for anyone in a leadership role to be empowering people. This is a basic principle to achieve high levels of success in an organization.

Why? Because we can’t do everything ourselves. And if we don’t give responsibilities and power to others, then ultimately we will be forced to take on tasks ourselves. Including tasks that should be taken on by people that are better suited than us.

https://youtu.be/912rcIg7osc

Empower at its core is to give someone the power to do something; it’s also making others stronger and more confident in themselves. Because when people are stronger and more confident, especially in business - more gets done, we see better results and everyone profits more. From the employee, the manager, the leader, and the organization.

So let’s talk about a few ways to provide empowerment.

Training - improving peoples skill sets in many areas allows them to get stronger; training creates confidence.
Communication - when you communicate well with people it helps them understand the depth of decision making they have. It gives clarity.
Trust - trust is hard because sometimes people will make mistakes. If or rather when mistakes happen. Use them as learning opportunities. And keep in mind, the better-trained someone is and the better YOU communicate with them, the fewer mistakes and the stronger the level of trust.

So those are a few ways I used to empower my employees, and the people I work with. What are the things you do? I would love to hear in the comments what methods are you using to empower people in your business?

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Let's talk about the leader shift that must take place in business so that everyone can continue to enjoy success.

This is relevant to both leaders that are already running a business, and also those that are about to be taking on leadership responsibilities.

https://youtu.be/SZYeIZQrrKI

Social media, technology, peoples mind about social media, and technology are all changing on a daily basis. Leadership has to progress forward as quickly too, and sometimes I think we get stuck. Stuck in how we were trained in management. People become afraid to try something new because the outcome is untested.

With as quickly as things are moving in society and in the world today. People in leadership roles need to do the same. They have to move quickly, be efficient and be open to change. Leaders have to constantly be upgrading themselves and evolving if they want to stay relevant.

Just think about this - not that long ago, people worked hard to get a title. When these "bosses" made it into management, many thought they had made it. And for the people that worked for them, it was “listen to me.” That no longer works, now, it has to be, “I’ll listen to you” and then “we can work together towards the desired result."

I share three key items today to keep making a leader shift n your leadership.

What are some key ways that you see that leaders can make a shift to have stronger leadership right now?

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The FRONT podcast is going live! Join me this week with my awesome guest Mat Koenig! ROUND 2!

This is a fantastic way to close out the Live Leadership Lesson series/season!!! Mat is such a great guy and I always absolutely love talking with him. Join us here!

Mat is known for his outside the box leadership, sales, and marketing tactics. He is the co-founder of the Rockstar Events and the Rockstar Un-Conference and is the creator of the first Spanish Classified and Spanish Website Solution.

He is genuine, insightful, and full of amazing tactics for you to achieve more, be more, and help others to do the same!

This show is great! It is a MUST watch episode for sure!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgpkX3d_fIY

There is so much good content and conversation. It's just too much to write down here and get the message across! You have to watch!

You can connect with Mat through RockstarAutoConference.com

These are the experts to tune in and learn from!

We hope you've enjoyed the show! Each podcast is a 15-30 minute live interview.

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This week's Live Leadership Lesson from the FRONT is with another great guest Edward Karram.

Edward is an entrepreneur, public speaker, business coach and the CEO of SELL-U.

After owning several businesses from restaurants, martial arts studios, to construction companies, Edward stumbled, almost by accident on to the financial services sector. Here is where he felt his true calling was. Facing numerous obstacles and powerful people who didn't like his direct approach and "Tell it how it is" honesty, he managed to build one of the fastest growing training platforms in the country, helping thousands of agents and advisers across the nation and the world reach their true potential, and generate a multiple six-figure streams of income.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fynFgzo1h58

You MUST watch this episode of THE FRONT. Edward is very genuine, well-spoken and brings a lot of wisdom and insight to the show tonight. I really love the fact that he brings up more than once for success, people MUST be teachable. This is such a massive key to all of our success, not just in leadership, but certainly in life! So stay teachable!

I asked Edward what are three key characteristics for business or leadership success. He nails it here.

You must have belief. Belief in yourself, believe in your product. Have a strong foundation.
You must be driven to succeed. Keep going no matter what. You WILL fail, accept it, learn from it and move on.
And Edward says this is the most important. Do the things that no one wants to do, but must do, to enjoy success - BE RELENTLESS!

The best way to contact Edward - check out his site at https://www.selluacademy.com/

—

“Live Leadership Lessons from The FRONT” are live interviews with people that are known for their performance, work ethic, character, integrity, business skill sets, and of course their leadership skills.

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Today I am sharing with you two key items for success in business. Motivation and discipline.

Thanks for tuning in today to this episode of The FRONT.

https://youtu.be/d3GUpwEPKNE

Two keys to business success are Motivation and Discipline

This applies hether you are an entrepreneur, a business owner, a manager, or a supervisor, or simply someone that wants to reach a high degree of success for yourself!

Of these two, the first thing in my opinion that you need is motivation. Plain and simple.

Motivation is the general desire or willingness of someone to do something. Motivation is need (or want).

Secondly, you then need discipline.

Discipline is doing things until... It’s creating the habits to do the things you don’t necessarily want to do but you know you must get done to see your goal realized.

Tune in and watch, and please, share your thoughts in the comments. What do you do to get yourself motivated? How do you stay consistent and disciplined?

Thanks for watching!

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I am thrilled and honored this week to have an amazing guest James A. Ziegler, The Alpha Dawg. I know that Jim will be bringing the FIRE during this Live Leadership Lesson on the FRONT.

Jim Ziegler, The Alpha Dawg is one of the best known, and well-respected names in the Auto Industry. A wealth of leadership and management knowledge (Probably too much for one show!), from a career spanning more than four decades! And he is always an audience favorite!

He is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) with the National Speakers Association, the highest honor, and award to be recognized by this association. He is a sought-after keynote speaker for his engaging and accurate information that he shares.

Jim is the ultimate student of the Automotive Industry. He is a foremost authority on automotive and has a proven track record in both his past performances and his predictions of what is to come next.

https://youtu.be/bT20LOetvlk

Jim is absolutely a living legend in the car business. With over four decades in the auto business, he has continued to learn, evolve, and re-invent himself many times. He is a true professional and an expert in so many ways in the auto industry.

When I asked about legacy, he commented that he said, “I am in the legacy part of my career… I want to really to have helped a lot of people, have people remember what I contributed.” I like that when talking with Jim, he sharted a lot of tangible and applicable information that people can take and use in business, especially the Automotive Business. For example, Jim shared that he has four “E’s” in Zieglarisms (for management). And, I really liked his explanation of them, gotta watch the show to get his full description. Here you go with the basics:

Evaluate – you can’t change what you cannot measure.
Educate – train people.
Elevate – make every effort to bring peoples standards up.
Exterminate – If it doesn’t work, sometimes people have got to go.

Make sure you tune in and check out the entire episode. It’s 40 minutes of wisdom, insight, and all around great information that auto dealers, or really any business can use to level up their performance.

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What are you planning? Planning for what's next ... 2019!

Everyone gets excited for the New Year and with it right around the corner, we start making plans and have ideas for what we want to do or be or achieve.

https://youtu.be/FGYNdxRdGUM

I’m going to ask today what is your plan?

Goals have to be definitive
Write things down
Tell someone
Have checkpoints with yourself
Celebrate small victories

Having a plan and having an idea is not the same thing.

The idea is “I want to lose weight this year.” A plan is definitive... I will lose how much weight and by when… and then start writing.

Get specific! Thanks for listening! Happy New Year!

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This week my guest is George J Chanos. This week I'm excited to be interviewing another fantastic guest for Live Leadership Lessons from the FRONT, the amazing George Chanos!

George J. Chanos, Esq. served as Nevada’s 31st Attorney General. He administered Nevada’s Department of Justice and acted as the state’s chief legal officer and advisor. He also successfully (9/0), argued the case of Warton v. Bockting, 549 U.S. 406 (2007), before the United States Supreme Court.

Prior to serving as Nevada’s Attorney General, Mr. Chanos had a distinguished legal career, representing individual and corporate clients on all matters relating to the growth and management of their businesses. Mr. Chanos has a common-sense approach to dealing with problems and a unique ability to understand and explain complex issues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LggjNsW_LQ8

George is an amazing individual. With such a colorful background. After suffering a major heart attack it caused him to reflect and sharpen his focus, turning his gaze to what it truly most important to him. He began writing a letter to his kids to share lessons he had learned, to impart wisdom, his knowledge, and how he thought they could find true happiness. Before he knew it his letter exceeded 100 pages and became the book. "SEIZE YOUR DESTINY: Choices That Lead to a Happy, Successful, and Meaningful Life." (You can get a copy of George's Book HERE!)

I really enjoyed our conversation especially regarding impact and influence, and mentoring the upcoming generation of leaders. His philosophy on "picking up the mantle" to be a positive influence to our future leaders is truly admirable.

There is so much insight, and wisdom shared in this episode, you must TUNE in and watch this 30 minutes of absolute fire!

He closes at the end offering a "challenge" to adults everywhere to inspire, give back, and help by mentoring others. The best way to contact George J Chanos is through his website https://georgejchanos.com/ and you can reach out to George on most every social media platform - Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

His book “Seize Your Destiny” is available on Amazon.com and his second book “Millennial Samurai”, will be released in 2019. —

These are the experts to tune in and learn from!

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Today is about the power of Positivity in Leadership! https://youtu.be/4VtEWgKsx2o

When you communicate in a positive manner to yourself, your verbiage makes its way from the inside of you to the outside world.
YES, becomes your default mode.
Positivity creates results and results attract talent.

A positive mindset is more than just looking for the silver lining. It is actually changing the way you think and the way you speak to yourself first. It is truly searching for the “best” in each situation, that best possible outcome and how you can put up points that will create a win. When you do that you will start to first affect yourself, then affect your teams, and over time it will affect and grow your business.

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I hope that you keep up with the website, social media, and me, Mike Phillips, making the magic happen online.

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🔵 My Main Website: http://www.LeadTheTeam.net 🔵 My Personal Website: http://www.Michael ShawnPhillips.com 🔵 Podcast: http://leadtheteam.libsyn.com

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Today I am talking about the #1 sales skill. Please join me, and share your opinion on what the number one sales skill is in the comments below!

https://youtu.be/-8sWvnMr2oM

🔥 Thank you for listening 🔥

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With me this week on The FRONT is Cory Mosley, this guy is an all-around amazing business leader!! Cory is an award-winning business strategist, coach, and speaker. He has been an entrepreneur since the age of 14 with business interests in the salon, laundry, business consulting, automotive, and confectionary sectors. Cory has a track record of creating 7-figure revenues, serving small business owners and successfully negotiating deals with major corporations like Volkswagen, BBDO, Urban Science and COX Enterprises. Cory is an accredited Certified Speaking Professional with the National Speakers Association... and... he is an all around great person! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuhFm6qjBhw

Cory is about big ideas and where he can go with others. He is about vision in business and going BIG. And he is focused on "the breakthrough."

One of my favorite statements that Cory shared was about tiering up. For example, if you are making $48,000 you need to tier up first to six figures, then seven figures, and then move up from there. You don't have the depth or experience to see Richard Branson level income from where you are living right now.

He shared that people need to be trainable and coachable, or they are replaceable.

This amazing piece of insight Cory drops near the end. You have to watch the entire episode! It's great!

"What is it that connects your passion to your ability to create the lifestyle that you want?" ~ Cory Mosley There is so much wisdom shared in this episode, you have to TUNE in and watch this 30 minutes of absolute fire!

Cory is a great person, and this episode is a great addition with his wisdom on leadership, business, and entrepreneurism! Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

The best way to connect with Cory is through his website at https://CoryMosley.com. I am certain that if you want to grow, tier-up, and have your own breakthrough you need to connect with Cory Mosley.

These are the experts to tune in and learn from!

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Today on The FRONT I am doing live Q&A on Leadership and Sales. Please join me. If you are LIVE, join in the conversation in the chat bar. If you are watching later - love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! Here are a few questions I address today.

How can you grade a leader?
How do you grow once you are at the top?
How can I find good people?

https://youtu.be/NG1Uol2JsgA

I would love for you to share your additional leadership or sales questions! Drop those in the comments below.

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This week my guest is Lisa Copeland! Lisa is an amazingly influential and hardworking businesswoman! She travels the country speaking to small businesses, associations, and large corporations teaching methods that got her to the top of her field. She understands what customers want and how to motivate them to buy. And because she understands the buyer, she is able to coach the salesperson through a successful process!

Lisa has been featured in Bloomberg, Marie Claire, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fox Business, The Street and many more!

https://youtu.be/r8CxXBJ3bJY

Lisa is all about influencing others, sharing knowledge and creating community! One of my favorite statements that Lisa shared - was "To be a great leader you must have people that want to follow you. You have to root for and support your organization!" Bullies only make a boss, but they don't make great leaders!

"To get more done, and work less... get up earlier in the morning!" ~ Lisa Copeland You must tune in and watch this whole show! Really great information on leadership, how to structure your day, and good candid conversation!

The best way to reach out and contact Lisa is on Facebook. And, if I were you, I definitely recommend checking out her Big Sellers Mastermind Group. It's absolute 🔥🔥 FIRE! 🔥🔥

Lisa is an absolutely fabulous woman and an amazing leader! Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

Download This Episode Now!

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Today I am talking about listening to each other and having meaningful conversations. It's important that when someone is wanting or needing to connect that we make the time. This can be for management or leadership, listening to their people. Vice-versa this is important from an employee perspective when you need to connect with someone else.

One of the keys is not just to listen, but to truly hear what it is that the other party is trying to communicate.

Tune in today and let's talk about having meaningful conversations.

https://youtu.be/KmTmcdP1qcs

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This week my guest is David Villa! With me, this week on The FRONT is a multi-talented businessman, speaker, and author... David Villa!

David Villa is the founder and CEO of iPD, a marketing, media and training firm that works with companies of all sizes and industries across the United States. He has over 20 years of national sales and executive management experience that he brings to his company.

David is a highly sought-after motivational speaker that brings innovation, excitement, and fire to any stage he is on!

https://youtu.be/f_dTy3AmR5Y

David shared that great leaders have three phases:

Motivation. These are the things we see outwardly, such as on social media or other outlets, maybe if you don't know them.
Inspiration. This happens when we can actually engage with other people and be impactful.
Influence. This is a high area of leadership when you can really affect other peoples lives.

I asked David what are three characteristics of great leaders, or leaders he is looking for in his organization. I thought he had a really great answer. He said he doesn't often hire leadership from the outside. First off, he said they do a lot of growing people and promoting from within. This by itself is a great statement and forward-thinking leadership example.

He said that he looks for servitude, that servant leadership. Because of the fact that "leader's lead." People that are passionate, because passion is contagious. Someone who has passion doesn't just light their own fire, they light others that are around them! Third, is persistence. How do they handle themselves when they fail? Do they learn and move on, or do they dwell on the failure? Those characteristics in people are ones that propel leaders forward.

"Keep impacting people. Keep putting it all out there. Start where you are." ~ David Villa

Fantastic. You must tune in and watch this whole show!

It was really great to connect with David and have an awesome conversation and get his insight and wisdom on leadership. Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

The best ways to connect with David is on Facebook, send him a message, look for his Game Changer Group (<--- click here), or you can call his office at (813) 630-5888

These are the experts to tune in and learn from!

We hope you’ve enjoyed the show!

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With me, this week on The FRONT is the talented and brilliant, Glenn Pasch Glenn Pasch is CEO of PCG Companies, an Inc 5000 agency that specializes in helping dealerships generate qualified shoppers. As an expert in digital marketing, he’s been featured in CBT News, Dealer Marketing Magazine, Auto Success, and Automotive News.

He’s the co-author of two books including Selling Cars in the Digital Age and The Power of Connected Marketing.

Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JDEcSwEETM

What a great conversation and a great interview with my new friend Glenn Pasch. He is most proud to be a husband and father, and he is an accomplished and successful businessman.

You'll see throughout the conversation Glenn is a hands-on leader and trainer, and an absolute expert in business processes. He is all about building people up, coaching, and then continuing to build and establish accountability.

Part of the conversation that stood out to me is when I asked him about the decision making and the important decisions he makes on a daily or monthly basis. GREAT RESPONSE:

"One of the biggest decisions is... staying in my lane. Often leaders are trying to get too involved, and it may display a lack of trust." ~ Glenn Pasch You 'll have to watch the entire interview to pick up all of the wisdom that Glenn shares on this Live Leadership Lesson. It's really, really, good.

The best way is to connect with Glenn is through social media. You can reach out on Facebook or LinkedIn where he is active. Or feel free to reach out to Glenn@PCGCompanies.com

These are the experts to tune in and learn from!

We hope you’ve enjoyed the show! Each podcast is a 15-45 minute live interview.

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Are you pursuing perfection? You may not be likely to achieve perfection. So many people that are successful are chasing perfection.

https://youtu.be/Eb9UrlyyeUk

Pursuing perfection isn’t about being a perfectionist, or even ever catching it. It’s about checking your work though, and then double checking your work.

I think that everything that you are chasing should be a pursuit to make the physical world as good as the amazing things that we have in our heads. It’s hard for many people to ever achieve and match the visions that are in their head, to what is real life. Part of the advantage of chasing that imagination and that perfection is it creates an unbelievable journey.

Me right now with video - I get a lot of compliments on the productions I create. I had someone comment the other night about how every time I get new equipment that those shows always have a ton of engagement and views. The thing is, I am just pushing a little bit more each time to get the type of message and production out in the video so that it matches the excellence in my head.

When you pursue perfection in anything, even if you don’t ever get it “perfect,” you never catch perfection, you will achieve such a high level of excellence in the process - you will have achieved something that others only dream of.

So in that pursuit, here are seven things that I would recommend you do in your pursuit of perfection.

Get clarity in your mind.
Work on yourself, every single day.
Check your work. (Double check it).
Try two more times.
Be ok with change.
Acknowledge that perfection is unattainable.
Accept the excellence that comes in the process of mastery.

So keep getting up early, keep fueling passion, keep chasing sunsets. There is power in the pursuit.

Have a great day!

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This week my guest is the amazing and ever humble, Matt Raymond! Matt is a boots-on-the-ground leader working within the Auto Industry as the BDC Director of the Team Auto Group.

Matt was many years in law enforcement which gave him a multitude of skills in working with the public. After law enforcement, he has 10 years in the auto industry and has become a well-respected member of the automotive community, an amazing leader, and industry expert in many areas within the dealership.

Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

https://youtu.be/BYOtMr00v28

Matt is truly one of the most genuine and real leaders you will ever meet! He embodies the attitude of servitude and really wants his people to succeed. He even made the comment that he would love to see them go on to a level of success so that they could be in his position!

When I asked him about his favorite three characteristics of a good leader, he had a simple and to the point response. First, Matt said, "Let me tell you more than a good leader, this is what GREAT leaders possess:

They must have a servant's heart. Do the things that they expect of others. Lead by example. Operate with integrity. This was overall a really great interview! We even talked about unicorns... and the unicorn perspective on leadership... seriously!

One of my favorite quotes that Matt shared is this:

"You can delegate responsibility, you can't delegate accountability." ~Matt Raymond

We talked about so many other great aspects of leadership. Being a coach, a mentor, a leader and SO many more! Tune in and check it out!

The best way is to connect with Matt is through Facebook. He did say that they are getting ready to open a third store... but if you message him, he'd love to hear from you and help you grow!

Thanks for watching and listening to the show!

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We hope you’ve enjoyed the show! Each podcast is a 15-30 minute live interview.

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Today I am sharing some thoughts on kindness. You know I have either been involved in, or watched some unkind things happening around me lately. So I thought I would just share this reminder today.

How does it fit in with the FRONT - It’s hard sometimes to stay kind to people or situations that we disagree with.

https://youtu.be/CZROs4Dc1qI

Nice is pleasant; agreeable; satisfactory, fine or subtle

Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Kindness takes grace.

They are not the same.

And there are benefits to being kind.

Everyone is affected by an act of kindness. Kindness is contagious and you never know just how big of an impact a small gesture of kindness can have.

Kindness improves our quality of life and It brings people together.

One of the unique things I have been thinking to myself about kindness is this: contrary to popular belief, kindness is not weakness. It is the ability to stay nice and considerate even when difficulty arises. It’s not sacrificing your values for another person, or the situation at hand. That is how you maintain your grace and stay kind at the same time.

It does not mean that you agree with, or condone someone else's position. Simply that you will not trash them for having that position.

Be kind, share a smile.

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3 Tips for Live Streaming Success This is not my normal type of show for “The FRONT” however since I am often doing a lot of Live Streaming, I thought I would share some tips that I use to have successful shows.

What better way to have this discussion than through a live stream! If you have questions pop them in the sidebar or the YouTube comments. So here we go.

https://youtu.be/jXigAuJlAHY

Test your equipment. Includes whatever it is that you are using. Camera’s, lights, phone, mic, etc Be prepared. You don’t need a script, but you do need a plan. Be consistent. Just like uploads, people need days or times that you plan to post so they can participate. Bonus - Don’t worry about labels. Just be yourself and carry your message. My message is always training, motivation, and leadership.

What are your suggestions for a great live stream session?

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Here are 7 success facts that you should know! (Or at least that I would like to share with you!) These are business principles that I have learned throughout my time in business, as a youth sports coach, and in leadership. So tune in and check them out!

https://youtu.be/64z2mLZ4U0A

7 Success Facts Success will not depend on your education, but on your attitude and the actions you take. You are either rich or you are poor. It’s a mentality. There is no in between. True freedom comes from more than a 40-hour work-week. Entrepreneurs understand this. Real success is that you work while you are awake. No one else truly cares if you succeed or fail. Your view of success and someone else’s view of failure may be much closer together than you think. You must learn how to sell, whether you like it or not, you will always be selling, yourself, your product, your company. You will never get paid what you deserve unless you sell. You must negotiate it. Be confident in yourself and what you have to offer. You'll get paid the most to do what others refuse to do. Be an expert in simplicity. Nike has built their whole company on this slogan. “JUST DO IT.” Thanks for watching or listening! If you have principles that you would like to share, please leave them in the comments down below.

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This week my guest is Evan Carmichael! If you are not previously familiar with Evan, he is like a motivational DJ of video content on YouTube! His channel is truly inspiring and Evan and his team have fresh remixes of leadership, motivation, innovation, and growth every day on his channel.

Evan believes in entrepreneurs. At 19, he built then sold a biotech software company. At 22, he was a venture capitalist helping raise $500k to $15mil. Evan now runs the biggest YouTube channel for entrepreneurs with 1.5M+ subscribers. He breathes and bleeds entrepreneurship. He aims to help 1 billion entrepreneurs and unlock human potential. He's set 2 world records, uses a stand-up desk, rides a Vespa, raises funds for Kiva, wears 5-toe shoes and created Entrepreneur trading cards. He speaks globally but Toronto (#EntCity) is home. He loves being married, his son, salsa dancing, DJing, League of Legends, and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Evan is the author of Your One Word, the powerful secret to building a life and business that matter and The Top 10 Rules for Success, Rules to Succeed in Business and Life from Titans, Billionaires, and Leaders who Changed the World.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyYbAGZTy_4

One of my favorite statements that Evan makes on the show is that as a leader, you have to want the people that are working for you to win, more than you want them to win with you! And, he gives the reminder that it's important for the people behind the scenes to celebrate wins. Remind everyone that their work matters.

This is one you are going to have to watch to get all the nuggets and awesomeness! Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

The best way is to connect with Evan is to tune in to his YouTube channel! http://YouTube.com/ModelingTheMasters

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Today, I have a simple conversation and remind you to... Do what you love! I just decide to record this off the cuff. No agenda, no bullet-points, just conversation from my head with what's on my heart and this reminder.

So here it is.

https://youtu.be/wi-IZRpbeAE

Hope you enjoyed today's episode. Please SHARE this episode!

Hope you have an amazing day!

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This week my guest is Ben Gay III! I am blessed for this episode to have an amazing coach, an amazing salesperson, and an amazing leader, with me this week on The FRONT, and they are all the same person... Mr. Ben Gay III

Ben has authored more than 12 books on selling and living successfully. He was nicknamed "The Attitude Coach" by Commander James Erwin of Apollo 15. His accomplishments over an amazing career spanning more than 50 years include being the top salesperson for the LARGEST network marketing company in the world at the time, and in fact, crushing his goals and being #1 in every sales organization he worked in!

Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbfUBG_g1j0

Ben has shared his knowledge with millions of salespeople around the world - THIS WEEK IT'S A MUST WATCH EVENT!

Ben has a truly unbelievable and colorful background and history! He is an unbelievable salesperson first of all. He has worked with some of the most renowned leaders, such as Zig Ziglar, and executives within NASA and built multi-million dollar businesses from the ground up!

I asked Ben, what does he do that has made him so very successful especially in his sales career? His response was thoughtful, simple and to the point. "I just did my job."

He actually gave me a few really good points on being highly successful.

Work ethic. Do your job to the best of your ability. Continue learning. Learn the product, learn the scripts, and get to work. Listening and communication are critical to every aspect of success - regardless of the area, and regardless of the business. Ben shared two statements that will stick with me for a long time. First, I asked him, If he could offer advice to someone else coming up in business and leadership - what would you tell them?

"Get serious sooner." ~ Ben Gay III

Meaning the sooner you get real about what it is that you are doing, the sooner you will be successful and make good money at it. I also asked Ben, "With so many different things that you are involved in - what are you MOST passionate about? What fires you up?" He offered me this amazing statement.

"I want to turn the lights on for others... because I had others turn the lights on for me.

You see, a purpose-driven successful life is about helping others, leaving people better than when you started, being truly impactful and lifting others up.

I am telling you... you need to watch this whole episode. It's well worth it, Ben shares a wealth of knowledge and wisdom.

The best way is to connect with Ben is by email (yes... I am going to make you watch the show to get the email!) - OR - through his website at http://bfg3.com/

AND - if you would like to get started on his book series "The Closers" which will get you on your way to mastering sales you can buy those here - https://www.ebay.com/str/ronzonebooks

Thanks for watching and listening to the show!

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This week my guest is Sean Kelley! Bringing straight awesomeness this week with my guest Sean Kelley #TheCarBizCoach!

Sean has a proven track record of performance coaching with managers and executives to improve business volume and profitability. He is currently utilizing his self-developed coaching framework, "D.R.I.V.E.C3", to help automotive groups, software companies, government employees, financial advisers, nonprofit organizations and other many other companies obtain big results.

Sean helps his clients succeed through building on many "coaching wins" over time, which cascade into massive victory. Sean has documented hundreds of coaching wins. From increasing employee engagement, career growth, lowering turn over, increasing sales, profit, and bolstering many other key performance indicators.

Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

https://youtu.be/wx7tC9tRzi4

Sean is one of the most kind-hearted humans I have had the pleasure to speak with. You MUST watch the video and you will certainly see why! He is a great leader, an amazing coach, and he is truly all about raising other people up in business.

When I asked him about the characteristics of a leader, he had a simple and to the point response.

Leaders MUST learn to coach. That's it. Learn to coach. They have to be invested and lead people not for themselves (the leader), but for the people they are leading. "Coaching is a language. It's a way to communicate." ~ Sean Kelley We also talked that there are several different verticals and aspects of leadership. Being a student, a mentor, a manager, a coach, a teacher, a leader and SO many more!

Oh, last thing... How does leadership compare to Legos? (YOU HAVE TO WATCH TO FIND OUT!)

You need to watch this to get all of the awesome insight that Sean shares check out the video or the podcast!

The best way is to connect with Sean is through social media, his Car Motivators Group on Facebook, or he said you can call him (No... I'm not listing his number here, but if you watch, you'll get it!).

Thanks for watching and listening to the show!

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This one is a GREAT replay of one of my most popular shows!

https://youtu.be/-iPSs_46Rp4

Here are 5 tips in about 5 minutes to get motivated and stay motivated! 1. Define your want or need (WHY do you want or need this goal?) Some people say to find a “WHY” or at least a large enough “WHY.” 2. Write things down. Keep a list of notes. Write down and continue to evolve strategies 3. Focus on the goal every single day. Look at it, repeat it to yourself. Tell other people about it. And then, keep going until you hit it 4. RE-check your “WHY,” regularly. Make sure it’s still important to you. Check to see if it has evolved. Re-define and re-strategize. 5. Repeat.

Thank you for watching and listening!

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This week my guest is Dan Moore! Leadership 🔥🔥🔥 being delivered this week! Dan Moore is the president of VistaDash, a company based in automotive that measures and weighs where traffic comes from to your website and to your store. Dan has a wide array of experience in marketing and leadership which has given him a unique perspective on automotive and brand marketing. He is a big idea thinker and strategist, with boots-on-the-ground experience in dealership.

Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sszSpJPWPbo

Dan is a favorite speaker at multiple seminars and conferences throughout the country. You MUST watch the video and you will certainly see why! He is real, straight-forward, and is always wearing a smile, which has allowed him to maintain a great reputation throughout the auto industry.

As I always do, I ask the question about the characteristics of a good leader ...

Dan offers some absolute #FIRE on the subject!

He said he has always practiced that a good leader should "clear the runway" for their team. Move obstacles and offer the people that are executing a smooth takeoff.
Fight the status quo. Leaders need to evolve and stay relevant. When they don't stay relevant, they fail.

Best quote of the night... "If it's working good, BREAK IT!" ~ Dan Moore We also talked that there are several different verticals and aspects of leadership. Being a student, a mentor, a manager, a coach, a teacher, a leader and SO many more!

Oh, last thing... How does leadership compare to Legos? (YOU HAVE TO WATCH TO FIND OUT!)

Great episode of THE FRONT and I would encourage you tuning in either to the video or the podcast! (And the wrap up is 🔥🔥🔥)

The best way is to connect with Dan is through social media. He available by carrier pigeon, social media... Facebook and LinkedIn or you can email him at Dan@VistaDash.com

Thanks for watching and listening to the show!

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This week my guest is Jonathan Liebert! Jonathan Liebert is a mover and a shaker in the Colorado Springs Community. He is a grassroots leader that leads by example and is the tip of the spear on some really exciting movements and projects! Both in the local community and headed potentially onto a national stage! This man is a force of innovation!

I am excited to be talking with Jonathan this week and bringing a solid Live Leadership Lesson on The FRONT! Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6nMQ6_Hms0

Jonathan is an innovative, inspired, and face-forward leader! Jonathan is exposed to and engaged with multiple levels of leaders in the business community, because of his work with the Better Business Bureau. When we were talking about leadership qualities, he immediately pointed out what he thought to be #1 - TRUST

Trust is an absolute must for people in the business at so many levels. He brought many more great pieces of the conversation to the table. We talked about things like transparency in business, servant leadership, and being authentic and passionate about what YOU do.

Jonathan encourages the next generation of leaders to choose wisely when they are entering into business, and that there are exciting, new and other options available to them as they are coming up in the workforce. Most of all to quote Simon Sinek - "Start with WHY!"

Great episode of THE FRONT and I would encourage you tuning in either to the video or the podcast!

The best way is to connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn

Thanks for watching and listening to the show!

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From @DeionSanders on Instagram today

FEAR is a LIAR https://youtu.be/ZuayWwryPgw

Oftentimes those things you fear the most are those things that seem to overtake you.

God does not promote Fear of people, places, or things. Be brave, be courageous, accept the challenge, stand up, get your slingshot & stones & look at your enemy eye to eye with confidence that God has your back!

FEAR is a LIAR! You're built for this. Hold on baby your best days are on the other side of that FEAR. #Truth

(Also mentioned in this episode @GaryVee)

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This week my guest is Robb Holman! Robb is the author of "Lead the Way: Inside Out Leadership™ Principles for Business Owners & Leaders"

Over the last 20 years, Robb has successfully led countless business owners, executives, and leaders through his exclusive and proprietary method of Inside Out Leadership™ Coaching. In helping his clients learn how to connect with their unique life’s purpose, they are finding success in a way they never expected - from the inside out!

I am very excited to spend a few minutes interviewing Robb this week and having a really strong Live Leadership Lesson on The FRONT!

Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fctHaUngonU

Robb always has such a great energy and is right on-point with his insights and information! I asked the question, " What are 3-5 strong leadership characteristics?" Robb shared some great wisdom by listing these:

One who walks in humility. It's not about them. It's about lifting others up.
Someone who is a really good listener. People are honored and feel appreciated when we listen.
Passion. Passion doesn't have to be loud. It can be someone who is very comfortable with themselves, and simply knows what they want.
Someone filled with purpose. They know what they want and they go after it. They are excited about their mission in life.
Focus. Focus is sometimes underestimated. People in leadership often get spread thin, they have to multi-task and so focus does not appear to be on the forefront; but it still is.

This episode is really, really amazing, and I would encourage you tuning in either to the video or the podcast!

You can connect with Robb Holman on social media or his website at http://www.robbholman.com/ or http://leadthewaybook.com/- and you can buy his book by CLICKING HERE!

Download This Episode Now!

These are the experts to tune in and learn from! We hope you’ve enjoyed the show!

Each podcast is a 15-30 minute live interview.

Thank you for watching and listening! Please tune in to http://LeadTheTeam.TV and SUBSCRIBE!

Lead the Way: Inside Out Leadership™ Principles for Business Owners & Leaders

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Are you welcoming in things that don’t grow you or others? https://youtu.be/k4zw71kEeYU

I think often times, this is a question of more than just “what are you inviting in,” but, what are you actually WELCOMING into your life?

See inviting is extending an invitation - welcoming is actually being excited when that person or thing shows up in your life, or in your space.

For example… you have relatives show up at the house. What is the natural reaction… we welcome them into our home. But we have all have people that have “overstayed their welcome” - right? So what started out as a friendly gesture, or an opportunity to connect becomes something undesirable and frustrating.

We've all been there for more than just somebody showing up at the house. This happens in so many different areas of our lives that sometimes we don't even realize it.

So even though this is a maybe a short and simple message this afternoon I would ask yourself you can assess this in many ways.

You may ask yourself:

What am I welcoming into my head?
What am I welcoming into my business?
What am I welcoming into my family?
What am I welcoming into my life?

If these are not things that are helping you grow or move forward or move in the direction that you want to head, then you need to stop doing.

This statement has really been speaking to me a lot lately, “ where focus goes energy flows!”

And I've done previous episodes on it, but this is one of those things that it's just speaking to me right now because whatever it is that you are focused on your attracting to you. You're welcoming it to you. So if you want a different outcome you want a different result to change your focus.

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This week my guest is Elise Kephart "The YouTube Diva!" Elise has been an innovator in the automotive space for over a decade! She was an early adopter of Video and YouTube which has transitioned to Video Email platforms today. She is an absolute beast on the phones and in building Automotive Internet Sales Processes and BDC.

I am honored and excited to visit with Elise this week. If you are a business person and want to learn to stretch yourself and better communicate with your customers... YOU MUST WATCH THIS ONE!

Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

https://youtu.be/PyyIJJTldNY

Elise and I had a great conversation and we went overtime! She shared some really great insight. She has had an opportunity to visit and engage with Dealer Principals, General Managers, GSM's, Directors and executives at many levels throughout many automotive organizations. We talked about leadership characteristics and she pointed out these:

Top-Down Leadership. Leaders have to practice what they preach.
Leaders know when to praise and promote versus coach and counsel.
Social proof is REAL! When you can document and demonstrate what you do, people will put you in high demand!

This is an absolute MUST watch episode! Elise is genuine and real. She is someone that loves the industry she is in, she has a passion for what she does, and you can hear it in her voice when she speaks.

This episode is really, truly amazing, and I would encourage you tuning in either to the video or the podcast! The best place to connect with Elise is through Facebook, and you can check out the Elise Kephart Experience right here - http://elisekephart.com/

Download This Episode Now!

These are the experts to tune in and learn from! We hope you’ve enjoyed the show! Each podcast is a 15-30 minute live interview.

Thank you for watching and listening to the show!

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Football season is back! So is this episode!!! (By Popular Demand) https://youtu.be/vlthxgwv7yU

An excellent coach isn’t in the huddle. They let their players play!

When it is game time. In business also, you must trust your people to execute. The coach is not on the field with the players, so let the leaders lead in the moment. And, vice-versa, as a top performer, you know what to do… DO IT! The job needs to get done and you need to be able to be counted on to do it and to make the play!

The same goes for business, if you are a staff member, maybe a middle-manager, and you have been trained and you know what to do. You know what needs to be done by others to execute. THEN DO IT!

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Thank you for tuning in and watching or listening! Please check out my other episodes at http://www.LeadTheTeam.TV

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This week my guest is Pastor Nate Davis! Nate is a Pastor at World Overcomers Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is a truly amazing person that has been an educator, a coach, and a pastor. All that rolled into an unbelievable leader.

He is genuine and caring, and just an all-around good person. Nate and his wife Tequilla Davis bring real life and the fun and benefits of a God-Guided relationship to the social media world! (Date Night Car Chronicles) He is an amazing person that is authentic, raw, and brings all of his light and passion to the world! I am so excited to have a conversation with Pastor Nate this week!

YOU HAVE TO WATCH THE SHOW because some of his stories from his journey give goosebumps! He is really unbelievable!

Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6wr5Q1FMO0

Pastor Nate had some insightful knowledge! As we were talking, he shared some amazing characteristics of a leader. 1. Be relatable. You have to be a people person and be able to relate to them. Relate to their wins, their losses, their journey of who they are! 2. Leaders can demonstrate. They have to be able to do (at least once) what they are asking of others. 3. You have to make sure that other people know that what they are doing is important. You must be able to accentuate someone else's purpose. You have to make them and their purpose the most important thing in the world, to them.

This is an absolute MUST watch to get the details on his discussion of these points!

I got the chills when Nate shared this statement.

"Even though he got so high... he stayed so low." ~ Pastor Nate Davis

This episode is really, truly amazing, and I would encourage you tuning in either to the video or the podcast!

You can connect with Pastor Nate Davis through Facebook, Instagram, and just about any other social media platform! @PastorNateDavis

These are the experts to tune in and learn from! We hope you’ve enjoyed the show! Each podcast is a 15-30 minute live interview.

Thanks for watching and listening!

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Do you learn when you lose? High School Football season is back! I love this time of year. Connecting with other parents, having pride in watching all of our kids play. And like each of the players, and other fans that are cheering for our team - I WANT THEM TO WIN!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAMlsB5Lyn8

Our oldest son’s football team suffered their first loss of the season yesterday. It was against a team that is very good, they were rated better. But, our team played phenomenally! As parents, fans, and even the coaches - we want to see them excel, even when it means sometimes we don’t take home the “W”

After the game, certainly our boys were upset, that happens, because in the moment, that WIN is the most important thing to them. As parents, we can see past the one game.

One of the coaches and I were talking after the game and we both agreed, better to take a loss now early in the season, and really learn from it - with the hopes to take home a bunch more wins!

See as long as you learn from a loss, you take home a lesson from your mistakes. That is what is most important. See the other team had beaten us, not because they outplayed us significantly - but it was based on us making simple mistakes. So the time is now to correct those things and then have a really amazing ongoing season.

Another note - you get better when you play against people that are better than you. See if these young men were lined up all season against teams that weren’t so good, then it would be a cake walk… UNTIL… they met someone that was a contender. This way they are going in eyes wide open for the rest of the season. They will (hopefully) have that challenger mentality!

So for all of us that are success driven in life, we only want to take the wins; be aware, if you don’t take a loss sometimes and learn from it - you will NEVER REACH THE FULLEST POTENTIAL OF WHAT YOU ARE MEANT TO BE!

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This week my guest is Terry Lancaster! Terry is the Author of "BETTER: Self Help For The Rest of Us," he is an Automotive Trainer, Works in Advertising, and he is one heck of a Motivational Speaker. Each time I speak with Terry, I leave feeling inspired and better than when we started the conversation! Terry says in the interview, he wants people to have their health, happiness, and prosperity! He is really an all around great person!

He has character, is one of the most down-to-earth guys you will ever meet and has a wealth of practical knowledge for professionals in the business.

Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cKV2xIspYc

Terry had some really excellent info to share tonight! I asked him for three characteristics that define a leader. Without missing a beat. 1. Empathy for others. 2. Niceness. (Which we talked more on, this is something that has not been trained prior in business!) 3. Strength.

This is an absolute MUST watch to get the details on his discussion of these points!

I got this awesome quote from Terry during our chat. Simple, direct and to the point.

"Niceness is good for business." ~ Terry Lancaster

This episode is really, really amazing, and I would encourage you tuning in either to the video or the podcast!

You can connect with Terry on social media or his website at http://TerryLancaster.com/ - and you can buy his book by CLICKING HERE!

Download This Episode Now!

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This one is one of my most requested replays, on how to generate customers as a car salesperson! Here are my 10 ways to generate customers (These work for most any sales field really!) https://youtu.be/nmuhG1NTZkw

So here they are briefly recapped!

Work with the people that you already have in your database or already know.
Ask everyone that you meet for referrals.
Social Media.
Online Video.
Networking groups – join one.
Hook up with a good Realtor (start with yours!)..
- ALSO – Hook up with a good Insurance Agent.
- OR - other salespeople in the service field!
Create company purchase programs.
Use business cards the right way.
Volunteer in the local community for things you believe in.
Be responsive.

Thanks for checking them out! Do you have any other ideas? How do you prospect and look for customers? What are your favorite ways to connect? Let me know in the comments!

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This week my guest is BOBBIE HERRON! Bobbie is the President of The Bees Knees Agency which partners with automotive dealerships to make smart decisions and train people for peak performance. Bobbie is a problem solver. She is an amazing trainer. She is genuine, professional, and an absolute force... but most of all she is known for spending her days working on world domination and her polished badassery!

Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

https://youtu.be/0DugSl1yyi0

I am such a fan of Bobbie! She is just a phenomenal woman. Well-rounded, strong business professional, and still talking with her she is always warm, caring, and makes you feel like the only person in the world. She is great!

Some really good points that Bobbie had to share regarding leadership are: 1. You have to CARE. If you don't care about your people and their growth. They won't care about you. 2. Let go of control. People that are in management and leadership are often wanting to have total control. You have to let that go or your people won't grow. 3. Learn to coach with grace. You have to have grace and compassion to coach people, which may include really tough conversations or even terminating them. Be caring in coaching too!

This episode is really, really amazing, and I would encourage you tuning in either to the video or the podcast!

You can connect with Bobbie on her website for The Bees Knees Automotive Agency here or the Facebook Page here - https://www.facebook.com/TheBeesKneesAgency/

"Live Leadership Lessons from The FRONT” are live interviews with people that are known for their performance, work ethic, character, integrity, business skill sets, and of course their leadership skills.

These are the experts to tune in and learn from!

Download This Episode Now!

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Some people are coaches, some are teachers.

Coaching and teaching and the similarities or differences are something I have been thinking about recently.

Both teaching and coaching are of course helping someone learn a particular skill or set of skills or sharing a certain piece of knowledge, and both of them are gifts that are given to a student.

https://youtu.be/RHnE_spkmus

One of the things that I see is teaching is providing information from the teacher to the student. It’s a more one-way interaction.

I have often viewed myself as a teacher, because of sessions such as this. I am sharing my knowledge on a skill or subject – and what you do with it is your own. You can teach on a massive scale, especially in today's online environment. One video, on a blog post, can reach the masses.

Coaching, on the other hand, is more give and take, coaching is about feedback. Information from the coach to the student, and then feedback on progress is given back from the student to the coach. And sometimes the plays change. Coaching, to me is certainly more one on one.

So in these examples, the biggest difference is that, ultimately, teaching is about the teacher and coaching is about the student.

As I mentioned before a teacher maybe can reach 10,000 people with their message, on the other hand, it would be tough to observe and offer one-on-one feedback tot hose same 10,000 people to truly coach them.

When it comes to business you need both sets of skills. I am not saying one outweighs the other. But, I do think it’s important to acknowledge that there is a difference between teaching business (the education side) and coaching someone in business (the practical side).

Teaching is a form of education, is more academic and knowledge-based. Coaching is more practical and skills-based or job focused.

Thanks for listening!

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This week my guest is Kevin Knebl! Kevin is an absolute expert in relationships! He speaks on the power of connection, rapport, and relationship building in business. And, Kevin is The Most Recommended Business Speaker in the World among over 281,298 Business Speakers Worldwide (LinkedIn 2018).

Kevin's specialty is sale by relationship. It may not be the fastest, but it certainly is a method that will endure over time.

Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

https://youtu.be/VQRvSCypnyM

It was a really good and candid talk with Kevin tonight. He is just so knowledgeable on relationship building.

Two keys that Kevin shared are: 1. All things being equal, people do business with people that they know, like, and trust. 2. We should spend more time establishing relationships like kids do. They don't have any motives. They just care, love and have a genuine interest in the other people... right now, in the present.

This episode is really, really amazing, and I would encourage you tuning in either to the video or the podcast!

You can connect with Kevin all over the place and certianly check out his website at http://www.KevinKnebl.com

These are the experts to tune in and learn from!

Download This Episode Now! We hope you’ve enjoyed the show! Each podcast is a 15-30 minute live interview.

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Being kind to others matters. It is impactful in so many ways. Right now this is weighing on my mind to be kind to others based on an interaction I had just yesterday in our dealership. Let me share with you the story… (Watch the video to get the story and not just the notes!)

https://youtu.be/2mhVOFxWlz4

So here are a few notes and lessons I’ve learned about kindness over the years:

Everyone is affected by an act of kindness. Kindness is contagious and you never know just how big of an impact a small gesture of kindness can have.
Kindness improves our quality of life. It brings people together.
Being nice actually impacts our psyche and the way we look at ourselves. Doing something good for someone else makes us feel good without any expectation of return.
Spreading joy is an act of kindness. So smile at strangers, and laugh with other people!

Here are some notes and things you can do to spread kindness as a leader in your workplace:

Lead by example. Others will emulate you. If you are kind, and you say please, and thank you, your people will too.
Be kind to others. At work, you are all working for a common goal. Remind yourself of that before you remind others of it.
If you can’t say something nice… you know the saying, so let’s keep it positive. Build people up, don’t tear them down.
Recognize one another’s strengths. A pat on the back can go a long way. And as a leader, one thing I have seen over and over again – is that people will fulfill what you tell them they are. So if you tell them they are great – in most cases, they will live up to your expectations and be great!

So, take a breath, share a smile, and tell someone they are awesome today! Be kind! Talk to you soon!

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These five tips can bring massive success! Here we go! These by no means are the ONLY tips to see success in life or in business. But these five are speaking to me right now. So I thought I would share! This may be a refresher for some and an epiphany to others.

https://youtu.be/G8JZh5I6Xpc

Consistency. Being consistent is an ongoing and common theme in being successful, whether it be in business or in personal life. Consistency in my opinion also includes some planning. You must plan to be consistent and consistently plan.
Do things that matter towards your goal. This is simple, but not always easy. Just ask yourself the question – “What I am working on right now… is it moving me closer to the goal or further away?” If it is moving you closer. Then do that. If not. Stop it.
Connect with people. One thing I have learned over time is that we cannot achieve the highest level that we want to by ourselves. We must build relationships. Nurture those relationships. Because connecting with people and helping them to grow helps us grow in the process. And the more you reach out and connect, the more you will find that your skills complement others and theirs will compliment you!
Show no fear! Remember the “NO FEAR” shirts in the 90’s? I thought those were so cool… I collected them and wore them out to the point, I have none left. Anyway – this is not saying to HAVE no fear, I ‘m saying not to display it. When you show that you are nervous about something, it magnifies. The people around you see it, they get nervous and play off of it. Fear can be crippling, not necessarily when you have it. But when you allow it to become a focus for yourself or others.
Take action – ACT! This has been a mantra of mine for some time! You have to GO! It’s one thing to say you will do any of these other four things, and another to take action towards them. Even if it is 5, then 10, then 15 minutes per day. Spend some time working, like really working on or towards your goals!

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This week my guest is Jairek Robbins! Jairek is a motivational speaker, strategic company evaluator, and high-performance coach! At only 23 years old, Jairek was awarded the Congressional Award (Gold Medal) from the United States Congress. And, he is a trusted advisor and board member to a variety of different companies.

Jairek now has over a decade of performance coaching experience. Now he works with professionals to unlock and maximize their personal performance and the organization's success. Jairek is dedicated to helping professionals, leaders, people just like you in achieving success by living a life with purpose and succeeding both personally and professionally!

You can check out his latest book "LIVE IT!" is all about achieving success by living with purpose! CLICK HERE To see reviews and order a copy for yourself!

I'm excited that Jairek and I had the chance to talk this week! Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

https://youtu.be/k-7oe4sr66g

I am really inspired by much of the insight that Jairek shared with me on this episode!

Some key things that Jairek shared tonight which I thought were great! I asked the question, "What are some key characteristics that define a good, or great leader?" 1. The psychology of the leader determines the actions of the leader. Their psychology and how they view things will determine how effective they are. 2. Transparency. What people see on the surface and the underlying things that are happening... are they congruent? We have to be REAL with what we are saying and doing. 3. Alignment in making the company a great place. With as much time as people spend at work. Give people a place that they can enjoy as humans. A work environment that allows them to enjoy their life!

This episode is really, really amazing, and I would encourage you tuning in either to the video or the podcast!

You can connect with Jairek in many ways... as he says in the video, you can look him up on most social networks! Also at http://www.JairekRobbins.com or by CLICKING HERE

These are the experts to tune in and learn from!

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We hope you’ve enjoyed the show! Each podcast is a 15-30 minute live interview.

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Live It!: Achieve Success by Living with Purpose

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This week my guest is Joe Cala! Joe has over 20 years in business and leadership, Joe is a source of spiritual inspiration and daily motivation in positivity & sales strategies! Joe connects with people he ignites their passion, processes, powerful truths and helps them motivate themselves on a plan to execute immediately!

This guy is a powerhouse!

Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

https://youtu.be/uzt1RJVCKaA

Some key things that Joe shared tonight which I thought were great!

If you are going to make it anywhere in leadership, you MUST love and care for people.
Total transparency and honesty are very important. You must love your people enough to tell them what they need to know, not just what they want to hear.

I pulled this quote from Joe tonight: "When leading people, their worth and their behaviors are two different things." ~ Joe Cala

That is so, so powerful. Meaning no matter what, people are valuable. Sometimes we want to change and shape the behaviors; even destroy negative behaviors, but hang on to the people.

This show is great! It is a MUST watch episode!

You can connect with Joe at https://www.JosephACala.com

These are the experts to tune in and learn from! We hope you’ve enjoyed the show!

Each podcast is a 15-30 minute live interview. — AND please SUBSCRIBE and you can tune in to the replay on http://www.LeadTheTeam.TV

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Leaders are leaders because they have influence! This video was such a hit, so by request... here are three things you can do to increase influence.

If you engage actively, and spend the time to really work on or learn these three things, you can increase your influence and your leadership aptitude.

https://youtu.be/MJj2U9iD2k8

1. Know yourself and your team.

2. Be an open and authentic positive influence.

3. Active Listening.

If you would like to read the previous full blog article, CLICK HERE.

Leaders have clarity of purpose and they communicate well to get their ideas across to others. They have confidence, not arrogance. They are confident in themselves, their abilities and how they can groom others to have a high level of confidence. And they have the courage to tackle the unknown. They can leap and lead in the darkness, knowing that they can shine their own light to see enough to guide other people no matter what.

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This week my guest is Anthony Alagona! Anthony is a nationally recognized Sales, BDC, and Motivational Trainer. He is an absolute rockstar on Business Development Center Training. He helps find customers, maintain customers, and create an amazing post-sale experience for people that buy. His roots are in hospitality and his heart is now in the car business! Anthony and I have talked on numerous occasions and he is an absolute force and a class act! Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

Make sure and check out this great addition to the “Live Leadership Lesson Series”

https://youtu.be/2eZWznOreeY

His three primary leadership characteristics really hit home with me!

You MUST be selfless. Invest in other people. When you help others grow, you grow too!
Accountability. You must hold yourself and others accountable.
Create good habits. Your habits dictate your results. If you have crappy habits = crappy results. Good habits = good results.

Best line/quote in the video EVER... "Business development isn't a department, it's a mindset." ~ Anthony Alagona.

AND learn the D.I.M.E. concept! (You have to watch to learn about it!)

I really took away a lot of amazing This show is great! It is a MUST watch episode!

You can connect with Anthony at http://www.AnthonyAlagona.com

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This is a replay today from one of my highest rated episodes. The Leadership Ripple Effect. It's just like throwing a rock into a pond. The ripples and waves push outward.

Whether you are positive or negative, the leadership ripple hits the shore. It produces a powerful force and distributes either the positivity or negativity along the shore. You must understand that as a leader, mentor, and manager, your attitude, energy, and emotions are amplified through the people you work with.

https://youtu.be/s2UWrLUMn5g

The ripple of leadership can be a powerful force of positivity or… it can be the opposite. I choose to focus on the positive, so let’s stay there.
You are a driving force as an emotional wave of leadership that will influence other people. I encourage you, focus on the positive, build people up. Focus on the things that others do right. Celebrate their wins! Shine your light on other people and they will be positive and spread even further! Be the positive ripple!

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This week my guest is Shawn Hays! Shawn is known for his all-around awesomeness. Shawn has been an absolute force for good in the auto industry. He talks about the power of positive change, training, and daily inspiration. Shawn is just beginning his own leadership journey and he is someone truly leading from the front lines!

I really enjoyed talking with Shawn today. The few major takeaways I took with me tonight. And they are all massive.

It's about the people
Work ethic is important, as it proves leadership
Growth and opportunity are more important than the money. The money will follow growth.

Make sure and check out this great addition to the "Live Leadership Lesson Series" Make sure and check out this great addition to the "Live Leadership Lesson Series" This show is great! It is a MUST watch episode!

https://youtu.be/UD_1DeOjmz4

--- "Live Leadership Lessons from The FRONT" are live interviews with people that are known for their performance, work ethic, character, integrity, business skillsets, and of course their leadership skills. These are the experts to tune in and learn from! We hope you've enjoyed the show! Each podcast is a 15-30 minute live interview.

AND please SUBSCRIBE and you can tune in to the replay on http://www.LeadTheTeam.TV

Download This Episode Now!

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My channel for leadership and motivation is http://www.LeadTheTeam.TV and please check out the shop for great gear at http://www.LeadTheTeam.net/shop

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Motivation at its core is NEED. Maybe it’s also want. And, motivation is the desire to accomplish something. It is the desire to get better, to have something better, or to at least have something different than what we have now.

The word motivation is derived from the Latin root "mot" which means to move, the reason for action. And it talks about moving in a direction with intensity.

https://youtu.be/QYVK5GWi1es

Also as a side note, the Latin word "motivus" means power. So broken down, motive and us; we as a group have power.

So how does someone get motivated? They must know their direction and their need. Other people can’t do it for you, but they can support you.

Here is an African Proverb which has been linked back to many motivational people. “Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up, it knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're the lion or a gazelle-when the sun comes up, you'd better be running.” ~ Credited to Dan Montano an Economist in 1985

What motivates the Gazelle is different than what motivates the lion directly, but each of their respective desires to live life is the core.

Many people find motivation a mystery. I’ve heard it said… I can’t motivate him or her. It’s because you can’t truly motivate anyone else. You can support them – when you know what their direction is and what their desires are.

How do you find that out as a leader? Talk to your people. Have meaningful conversations. How do you find what motivates you, yourself? The thing is… most people already know, the key is to grab hold, and start running!

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My channel for leadership and motivation is http://www.LeadTheTeam.TV and please check out the shop for great gear at http://www.LeadTheTeam.net/shop

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That's right! YOU... are excellent! Whatever day or time you are watching this video, I want to remind you that you are an amazing and unique being. You are excellent! In fact, stand up and tell yourself that… “I am EXCELLENT!” (You can yell it if you want to!) And for anyone that is listening, they should hear it too!

https://youtu.be/4C3Sq8Aa2Es

So often what we do every day becomes the norm. We become numb to it. Our abnormal, the stands outs or the things that used to be outstanding and special or amazing become normal. These become everyday mundane actions. And, they become expected.

Oddly, sometimes, if someone asks us about how we are special, or different, or what we do that is excellent, sometimes it’s hard to search for the words. Because it’s how we engage and what we do every day.

Let me share an example, our dealership, is in the running for an award based on customer service. Now we all would like to think we have outstanding customer service, but the customer’s experience is more than just being nice. And our management team was being interviewed by a group of evaluators, the question, I’ll give as an example, was about training, and how often, and what we do, and who conducts training?

Then… how do you decide what to train on? We stopped and stared at one another… 10 seconds is a long time in that situation, each one of us knowing, but not wanting to stumble over the other… “Well because we just do, we are in tune with what needs to be done in our stores.” The evaluator became visibly frustrated, and said, “NO! But what caused you to train on those items, and how do you know they got it?” And more importantly, how can you measure it.

Measurement in so many areas of business is critical to success to know if you are headed in the right direction or not. After another minute, maybe, to put it into words, what over time has become second nature to us… we do those things. The decision is made what to train on and who to train it based on surveys provided to our staff, they vote on what they need. We poll management to determine strengths and weaknesses and using those, we develop a schedule up to 60 days in advance.

Then we create a plan of specifics for those items, handouts, etc. Then once the information is presented, we test our staff on it to know they have it. And ultimately these items are measured by surveys presented to customers and statistics based on areas within our sale.

So it’s all there, and not egotistically, we are good at it, but over time, it has become normal, numb, and expected.

I encourage you. Remind yourself… say it again, “I am EXCELLENT!”

Think about the things that you are doing in your regular day-to-day routines that you are good at, maybe even an expert, write them down. It’s important that you remind yourself how good you really are sometimes.

In fact, do me a favor, share one or two or three things in the comments below that you are excellent at! I’d love to continue the conversation with you after the episode!

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This week my guest is Subi Ghosh! Subi is an absolutely awesome woman! Subi is known mostly for her business shenanigans... but seriously, she absolutely crushes it when it comes to Company Culture, Consumer Experience, Branding, and the concept of Leadership vs Management. She has a straightforward and commanding leadership style. Subi works for Stream Companies which is a full-service digital ad agency based in automotive.

I got a lot out of her discussion on external versus internal culture influences. Make sure and check out this great addition to the "Live Leadership Lesson Series" Make sure and check out this great addition to the "Live Leadership Lesson Series" This show is great!

It is a MUST watch episode for sure!

https://youtu.be/2uhPxOYR2o8

These are the experts to tune in and learn from! We hope you've enjoyed the show!

Each podcast is a 15-30 minute live interview. --- AND please SUBSCRIBE and you can tune in to the replay on http://www.LeadTheTeam.TV

Download This Episode Now!

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My channel for leadership and motivation is http://www.LeadTheTeam.TV and please check out the shop for great gear at http://www.LeadTheTeam.net/shop

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Do you have those days that you just don’t want to? When you want to push your projects and … well, anything else for that matter to the back burner.

The days where you would rather eat cake and sit on a couch, maybe play video games, rather than make any strides towards great accomplishments? SURE! We all do!

https://youtu.be/teWWGgoSi9I

You must ask yourself, why are you putting things off in the first place. Here are a few of the primary reasons that people put things off according to Psychology Today.

Reason #1 You are putting something off because you are afraid you will screw it up.

Reason #2 You are putting something off because you don’t “feel” like doing it.

Reason #3 You are putting something off because it’s hard, boring, or otherwise unpleasant.

While there may be other reasons also, I think many of us can categorize the things we put off, heavily into these three.

And the good news is that you can train yourself to be deliberate in NOT putting things off! Here is the number one thing that I do when I find myself putting something off.

Visualize what the accomplishment will look like when it’s done. Take a time out and spend time, maybe in a meditation to see what it will look like when the task is done. Feel the emotions you will feel when you can look at yourself in the mirror and compliment yourself on a job well done. Or the joy in receiving the accolades from others. Sometimes we can set ourselves up for success in that manner.

For me, the feeling of accomplishment always crushes the illusion of fear. The happiness you will feel in getting things done will always outweigh the doldrums or the boredom.

So whatever it is that you may be putting off right now – Nike has a saying for that… JUST DO IT.

Once you do, and often once we get going, taking that action, putting in the effort, sometimes, that in itself makes it easier to keep going.

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This week my guest is Mat Koenig! You can connect with Mat through RockstarAutoConference.com

Mat is known for his outside the box leadership, sales, and marketing tactics. He is the co-founder of the Rockstar Auto Conference and is the creator of the first Spanish Classified and Spanish Website Solution.

What a great interview. Mat really cares about people and wants to make a positive and lasting impact on others. Make sure and check out this great addition to the "Live Leadership Lesson Series"

What I got the most out of this session #LoveAndLivelihood This show is great! It is a MUST watch episode for sure!

https://youtu.be/WvqKvL-lpZw

These are the experts to tune in and learn from! We hope you've enjoyed the show! Each podcast is a 15-30 minute live interview.

AND please SUBSCRIBE and you can tune in to the replay on http://www.LeadTheTeam.TV

Download This Episode Now!

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Today, on this Father’s day episode of the FRONT... I just wanted to share the three things I am thankful for, my three kids: Colin, Carter, and Emersyn. And here are a few notes on what I am most proud of from each of them. https://youtu.be/5ejjUHqJb1A

Colin
- His character, he has a very strong moral compass, at 17 we trust him beyond measure to make good decisions.
- Integrity and honesty, he is always direct and straightforward.
- Work ethic, in everything he does, he pours himself into it; from school work to athletics.
Shawn Carter
- Integrity, Carter is legit. If you ask him something you can expect the honest answer.
- His Intelligence, he works to expand his intelligence daily and is always trying to figure out how things work.
- Confidence, especially as he heads into his teenage years. He is really coming out of his shell.
- His desire to improve, in athletics for example, right now he requested to go to the gym and work on his skills five days a week, to get better and advance.
Emersyn
- Her caring. She is such a loving little girl. She just lets her emotions be her guide. She wants everyone to be happy and included.
- Her work ethic. We see this in school and in her gymnastics. She puts in a lot of effort.
- Her fortitude. You may think it is silly to describe a little girl with fortitude. But, man, when she locks onto something there is no question figure it out and get what she wants.

So again, Happy Father’s Day to you if you are a dad, or a granddad, or an acting dad! You rock!

If today is just “Sunday” to you, or any other day, if you happen to be catching this later; I hope you make today amazing!

What are some things you are thankful for, or most proud of? I would love for you to share in the comments below, and let’s carry on the conversation!

Have a great day and a Fantastic Father’s Day everyone! Talk to you soon!

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My channel for leadership and motivation is http://www.LeadTheTeam.TV and please check out the shop for great gear at http://www.LeadTheTeam.net/shop

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This week my guest is Mark Tewart! You can connect with Mark on his website at Tewart.com.

Mark is known nationally for his leadership and sales performance both inside and out of the Automotive Industry!

What an amazing interview. Great insight, genuinely caring. Mark Tewart was such a fantastic way to start out the "Live Leadership Lesson Series"

This show is great! It is a MUST watch episode for sure!

https://youtu.be/-woFMKFww74

These are the experts to tune in and learn from! We hope you've enjoyed the show! Each podcast is a 15-30 minute live interview.

AND please SUBSCRIBE and you can tune in to the replay on http://www.LeadTheTeam.TV

Download This Episode Now!

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If you want to have the most growth. You must have an open mind. I often think about what are our biggest opportunities to learn, and to grow, and to be further forward tomorrow than where we are at today. I think one of the most important traits that allows for efficient growth and human potential is open-mindedness.

https://youtu.be/d75rCK9q4IY

First, let’s define what open-minded is. Open-minded is being willing to consider new ideas. It’s being unprejudiced to how your current state is. AND here is a big one, it is caring enough about yourself to listen to others, even when the advice isn’t something you want to hear.

Here is why I am sharing that. Often, we may ask others for advice but then, fail to accept what it is that they have to offer, especially if it doesn’t coincide with what we think we want. And sometimes, it isn’t that we are asking for advice, but for reinforcement of what we are already doing. Meaning, we want the other party to simply tell us we are doing great – so we can feel reinforced that what we have done up to this point is the right thing or is good enough.

Just keep in mind the people that care about us the most, and care about their integrity, to be honest, are the ones that will be honest. They will tell us the truth – good, bad, or ugly. And sometimes, that opens our eyes, but only if we approach this with an open mind up front.

We must be willing to at least genuinely consider and play through what the potential outcomes are if we do things some way that is not the way we are considering doing them … right now.

For example – if you ask a best friend, or a spouse, “What is it that I do that annoys you?” You better be prepared mentally and emotionally for the answer. Because they know the answer. And probably you know the answer… but you have to be asking the question from a place that truly has you willing to grow… or you will reject whatever answer that is given.

And I’ll give you a tip – it won’t change anyway. It already annoys them now… they just feel that you can’t handle the truth. So we stay cordial and polite.

So if you want to grow… Come from a place of confidence and ask really good questions. You just have to accept when you receive really good answers.

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Here we go... in the beginning... – "Live Leadership Lessons from The FRONT" Today on the FRONT I am talking about my upcoming series. https://youtu.be/Kq-lUvFY-UM

So a few things – 1. Beginning next week – the Wednesday shows will be live on Facebook and will be interview style shows that run from 15-30 minutes (I am starting this on my personal Facebook Page and will distribute to The FRONT with Mike Phillips Facebook page) 2. Sunday shows will be the traditional episodes of THE FRONT. Some may be live, some pre-recorded content and shared beginning on my YouTube and The FRONT Facebook Page (http://facebook.com/TheFRONTwithMikePhillips) 3. If you are in leadership or know someone in leadership that would be a good fit for the show and to do an interview! Let me know! AND you can sign up on my website at http://www.leadtheteam.net/about/guest-booking-for-the-front/

What is the FRONT Leadership Podcast About? I have three primary focuses. 1. Sales Training – for every industry. People are people. And salespeople’s prospective clients are people. 2. Motivational Content - Motivation is ultimately a need or want. What are people passionate about and gets them fired up. I want to keep things positive and upbeat. 3. Leadership – This is what the Live Leadership Lessons series will focus on. The people that fearlessly get out front and make things happen. They’re the ones cut the path.

So why the LIVE interviews? Let me give you the WHY! 1. Because success leaves clues. So the people I want to talk to (mostly automotive based). I hope to have conversations as to how they go to where they are and more importantly, what can you do to follow in their footsteps. 2. Collaboration is powerful. The act of working together with someone. Can create greatness! You have heard the saying… Two heads are better than… ? (You said one.. didn’t you??) So I want to bring in people that have been there and collaborate with them. 3. Impact other people for good, and greatness. I want to have an awesome off-the-cuff library of people that have character, integrity, solid work ethic. The ones that fought fear and have been in FRONT more than once!

Thanks for joining, watching, liking, sharing and SUBSCRIBING! Download This Episode Now!

My channel for leadership and motivation is http://www.LeadTheTeam.TV and please check out the shop for great gear at http://www.LeadTheTeam.net/shop

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RECORDED ON YOUTUBE LIVE!

You MUST love the purpose more than the process! I was training with some people this past week and this just came out.

“Love the purpose more than the process.” ~ Mike Phillips

https://youtu.be/-KP95JBiHTo

Purpose is the WHY is something getting done. It’s the reason.

Process is HOW. It’s the actual actions and steps to accomplish a task.

Now at the time, we were talking about navigating through a sales call. What is the purpose of the sales call. Ultimately to serve the customer with enough connection and information that they agree to meet – in this case come in and look at a car.

Then I started thinking – that applies to so many other areas of our life as well. So often we fall in love with the process of doing things. The WHY to get it done, rather than the HOW or WHAT needs to get done.

Let’s look at several scenarios.

Youth Sports – I have three kids in athletics. And as a former youth coach myself so often, I became wrapped up in the steps. But… what about the outcome? The outcome to score, or win, or at least progress and propel the rest of the team forward.

Parenting – This one is tricky. In our minds – before we are parents. We love the thought of this perfect process. What your kids will do, what they will be, how they will handle situations. Then there is reality. This one sets in so heavy that the purpose – your kids growing up to be contributing adults and quality members of society, your kids seeing success, doing it better and having it better than what you had… that single thought, what you want for their purpose, trumps any other ideas you thought you had about how you were going to get there.

Sales – For example, we use a five-step sales process – greet, qualify, present, demo, close. Yes. There are a lot of other processes and options that can be inserted. Again… what is your desired outcome? Sell a car. Or sell your product.

Sales calls – it’s the same, what do you truly want the outcome of the call to be. You want to feel as though it is a success and your customer to feel the same. So regardless of what is said, or what should be said. Care. When you care about the person on the other side and their success (in purchasing a product) – the purpose of the call outweighs the process you are supposed to go through.

When you love the purpose, it helps you to easily love the process.

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There is something special about willingness. This is straight up having the will, preparedness, desire, and the want to do something.

When you type the word willingness into Google, It’s just a bunch of definitions. There aren’t a plethora of articles, or blogs, or people talking about what it is to be willing… to do something.

https://youtu.be/-4yS41tzI4I

You’ve heard the saying: ready, willing, and able.

Often people get to the point of readiness. They are ready, for example, to take on a new position or opportunity. They think it has become suitable for them and they can obtain that “thing” whatever it may be.

BUT – if they are ready and never willing, that thing will pass them by. That thing will remain undone, or untapped.

Same thing with ability. When people are able to accomplish something. They have the skillset. They have the power, the proficiency, and the intelligence.

BUT again – if someone is not willing, all of the intelligence in the world is no replacement for taking action. Feeding the fire and passion and desire to DO.

So I take you back a few minutes ago to the beginning of this episode today. Willingness is the connector. It connects ready and able. It pushes us to action.

Willingness to do something – take a chance, on a part in a play, or a job, or love; this is what separates the have’s from the have-nots.

So given the choice, be open, be willing, SAY YES!

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Today I am sharing some reminders for my kids. And actually... these are also reminders from my kids! https://youtu.be/dllhy8VEeWE

These three items are things that can work wonders. I remind my kids of these things regularly. Especially my daughter right now, this has been her mantra. We approach this with youth athletics, with our family, and I figured it would also apply to business!

So here they are:

Work Hard. - Having a good work ethic is important. When it comes to putting it all out there on a sports field, or in business, it is important to push yourself to work hard on what is right in front of you at the time. This will help get more done, and it will do wonders for your psyche too!
Be Awesome! - This is all about how you talk to yourself. Being confident. Being kind when you speak to yourself. It's how we wire ourselves for internal dialogue. The better you treat yourself in your mind, it will display outwardly in your confidence and performance.
Do what needs to be done. - Simple and straightforward. When a coach, a peer, a boss, or anyone asks you to accomplish something. Often our first success is in the attempt. Don't hesitate. Just go after what is being asked of you. Often you will accomplish more than you thought possible anyway!

So that's our mantra! Thank you for tuning in and joining us today!

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This episode of the FRONT is about the phone call and making the connection with the customer. This one is about sales. Whether you are in front line sales, especially auto sales, business development (or BDC), this one is for you.

https://youtu.be/KFlZcaWWWx8

I appreciate that there are options other than just the phone call – there is text, chat, FB Messenger etc. But, as I have said in prior shows, I still love the art of the live phone call. The reason is that to me that is the tipping point – it’s right before you are going to get the meeting, or set the appointment with the customer. It’s the rush, before the real-life meeting.

So here we go. These things are not process driven per se, but things that I see you must execute on during your call to set an appointment.

Voice tone and set the tone. This is so critical to convey emotion over the phone – and so often we are simply not good at this part of the conversation.
Works towards the next step. Every single thing you do should be to progress to the next step closer to your appointment. If it isn’t moving you closer to the appointment, it’s moving you closer to ending the call.
Sell the positives. Be conscious to sell what you CAN do for the customer, rather than what you can’t do. We are often quick to tell a customer, “NO” because we think it allows us to stay in control of what we are offering. Think to yourself, how can I re-work this to tell them what I can do?

So there it is. Also, this works on texting too, or email. You just tweak it a little to quit the medium. i.e. Carefully choose your words, Work towards the next step, Sell what you can do.

Thank you all for tuning in today! Go have an amazing day and rest of your week! Also, check out the LEAD THE TEAM SHOP and get cool shirts and stuff!

http://www.LeadTheTeam.net/SHOP

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Have you ever stopped in front of a building and watched the interactions at the door? I was walking out of a convenience store the other day, as a man moving slowly with a cane was approaching – my natural thought was then to step out and hold the door for this older gentlemen. That is when I thought of this episode.

https://youtu.be/nC6gxBkuYVQ

You see, some people hurry through the door. Others hold the door for the people behind them. What makes you decide to hold the door for the people behind you?

When we hold the door for others, it makes it easier for them to get through. It makes things flow more quickly, not always for you, but for those coming behind you. And in most cases, you get a, “Thank you.” And if there are more people… there are more thank you’s. So… by doing the right thing for someone else, it also makes you feel good, even if only for a moment.

What other interactions take place. How about not holding the door for the next person, why is that? Maybe we are in a hurry to get to where we are going, and it makes the action less significant, and the person behind us not as important as our current mission.

Similar interactions take place at elevators, escalators, and in parking lots. People have a split second to make a decision to be courteous, and helpful to the success of others – or they can be short and worried about themselves. And in most cases, when someone is worried about themselves, do they get to the destination any faster… NO! But they end up at the destination at the same time as the person they cut off, just to feel frustrated and sometimes embarrassed – because that person that was in the tail… they are standing next to you – staring at you with a smile. 😊

So this philosophy also relates to success, for yourself and others. When you have people coming to the point that you are at in business, or skillset – “hold the door” for them. Sometimes you start a conversation along the journey – and you make a new friend in the process. You see that they are further along in some areas and can return the favor, and hold the door for you.

Leadership is doing the right things at the front, being courteous, kind, caring, and as much as I say you should be in the front with your people – when it’s the right thing to let them go first – you have to have the wisdom to know that.

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My #1's from each speaker at the Rockstar Auto Conference, May 2018 Today I am going to share my top take away from each speaker at the RockStar Auto Conference in that happened this past weekend in Vegas.

These are not in order of importance, and there was certainly an entire LIST that I could share from each person. This would be an 8-hour show in itself – so let’s get started.

https://youtu.be/8Z426fTjG-I

First, Mat Koenig and Chris Speer – amazing. With everything in the details, from the way the room was set up, to keeping on track, adjusting as needed. Perfect. Really the logistics and flow of the conference, was all there!

The speaker lineup – just fantastic. All very relevant people in automotive. Genuine, real, good human beings. Everyone was outstanding at connecting with the audience, well-prepared – and the content, just really second to none, fresh and engaging. I know I got a lot out of the conference, I feel like so many other people really did. My wife who is NOT in the automotive industry was blown away. She LOVED the show, and the fact that everyone was so positive, and more than just sharing statistics or automotive only tactics – most every session included pieces on faith, motivation, inspiration and how to grow as a person and a professional at the same time.

So here we go with my #1’s for each session!

To start – Mat – Be honest, be open, be present! So often we attend conferences or seminars and we are doing other stuff. When you go somewhere to learn – LEARN! And I think everyone did that!

DAY 1

Coach Sherry Winn - Become a, “Yeah AND…” person.

Frank Lopes – When you get that thing in your belly, the fire or passion in your soul – LISTEN TO IT! DO IT!

Mike Phillips (ME) – I said this one at the very end, and it is one of those things that is just right, but it wasn’t part of the presentation. “As a leader, if you are not constantly replacing yourself… you will constantly be replacing your people!”

Timmy James – He was so calculated. "Video" has not come close yet to hit critical mass. You can do so much with the combination of data and video, it is mind-numbing. Video creates trust – so you should be doing that because people buy from people that they trust.

DAY 2

Tony Dee – Social Marketing is a new and untapped frontier, and so is the regulation of that. Be compliant!

Shawn Hays – There is NO, hiding who you are. It will always come out. So be so straightforward and honest that it beats any unknown to the punch. Exposure is exposure.

Dave Benson – Evolution is not optional it’s necessary. At one point websites had to have all kinds of information, now less is more – funnels create more engagement with less clutter.

Glenn Lundy BONUS - Glenn was asked while he was there to share. I got more out of the way he spoke than the words that he said – and the message was POWERFUL! He was heartfelt when you speak and carry yourself from the heart – you need to backup, no slide deck, no prep. You just are.

Mark Tewart – The best way for you to win is to think for yourself. For example, what if you did the exact opposite of what you are trained to do? Then you are unique and special. Mark is an extremely powerful speaker.

Joe Cala – Thoughts create feelings. Both good and bad. If you want to change thoughts, or crush thought – SPEAK!

Scott Pechstein – I always enjoy hearing Scott speak. What I got the most out of from Scott, the industry is still moving forward. You MUST move with it. A lot of the stats are the same or similar to what they have been, but the timing in the pro

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Happy Mother's Day!

To all of the mom's - THANK YOU! You are unbelievable and amazing people!

https://youtu.be/bAxnsUEL7tc

For all of the things you do, the time, the energy you invest in your children, and your families. We love and appreciate you!

Happy Mother's Day!

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One valuable lesson that I learned from coaching youth sports, is some of the best lessons are taught on the spot.

They are learned in the moment, in the NOW! https://youtu.be/IprqVd6nPH8

Often in leadership, we strive for structure. We want to have a training session, or a one-on-one opportunity, or a plan to mentor someone.

Plans are good, we need those – but just as valuable are the life lessons and real-life application that comes from the right now.

For example – let’s equate this to sports. Football, I like football as an analogy for business and especially sales.

When you are learning a new play. You plan the play, you maybe watch the play happen and then you DO the play, you execute it. Or at least attempt to. As running back, for example, your job is to run the ball and score points – that’s the core. Maybe the play coming up is for you to receive the ball and run right. You run left. About the time of that first left mis-step, the coach is yelling, the whistle blows, play stops – that coach, if they are worth their salt will stop the play and make the correction in the moment – before game time. The is the type of correction I am talking about being made in the moment.

The same should happen in leadership. So often though, we are waiting for the perfect opportunity to meet, the perfect plan to unfold. We let our people run the entire play, just to talk about what did, or didn’t work the next day… or worse the next week – “You remember last week when…” – NO!! That time and opportunity for learning has already passed. If there is something going not right, the moment your employee, mentee, your peer, whoever the person is, that takes that first left mis-step –

CARE ENOUGH TO STOP! Make the correction in the moment. Talk about it with them, have a dialogue, quickly figure out their thoughts, their plan – and collectively move forward. In business the scoreboard is usually dollars, it’s based on results. It is your obligation as a good leader to coach your team to win.

One key way to accomplish that – make corrections in the moment when they need to happen! Your people will excel more, you will be happier, you’ll have less stress, your people will make more money, and you can count on more wins!

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I’ve heard this quote before today – “Be Brave Enough to Start a Conversation That Matters” and It speaks to me. I’ve had notes on my list to have a talk about this for a bit, and today is when it matters 😊 Today – I have a little different format than normal. Today on the FRONT is not about a list, or steps, or taking notes – it’s just some candid conversation. (Maybe you want to watch or listen to it twice)

https://youtu.be/i2VOZ9sbtVQ

This is a reminder for the people that are looked up to. If you are a leader, a mentor, a parent, counselor or coach, anyone in a role that listens and offers advice, that is what today's topic is about.

Conversations with other people are key to changing lives. They are a key component in us changing our own lives, and in changing the lives of others. They can shape our model of the world.

Yet, sometimes, even when we know we need to have, “that talk” with someone about whatever “that talk” is we fear and we flee. We avoid having the conversation for fear of the outcome of the talk with the other individual. See, we build up in our mind sometimes what is the worst possible outcome – and then we avoid talking with the person we most need to talk to – and then what happens? The worst possible outcome.

Let’s talk about some examples of “the talk” * An employee falling on hard times, personally or professionally. Short on money, wrong focus, or emotionally drained. * A mentor questioning the alcoholic if they had a drink this weekend. And no, it’s never ok to have just one. * A parent having the talk about sex with their teen or pre-teen child (no, I didn’t say “the birds and the bees”), don’t sugar coat it. * A talented salesperson doing just enough to get by, and not flourishing, because they are avoiding making too much money, because of life’s other circumstances. * A coach having to tell a kid they made second string – or didn’t make the team at all. And then having that talk with the parents as well

These are just some thought starters. Let me tell you – when you avoid having a conversation like this, a conversation that matters; that makes an impact deep into the life of someone else – you condone whatever outcome just happens.

So I ask you if you are a leader – What would you do if you weren’t afraid? Weren’t afraid of the outcome, weren’t afraid of the answer. Know that you are the one that has to first overcome that fear, because the person on the other side, the recipient – they will NEVER start that conversation.

And if the conversation never starts – the outcome – is inevitable. It will be whatever you didn’t want it to be.

When you are in a leadership role – in most cases, you have a level of emotional intelligence that allows you to pick up the “vibe” from someone that is just not on the mark.

When that is the case – face the fear head-on. Help them to steer the outcome rather than be a victim of the outcome. BE brave enough to start one of these conversations that matter.

Hope you have an amazing Sunday!

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Today we talk about being deliberate. Being on purpose. Living on purpose. I’ve talked about the idea of being deliberate before – in learning (The FRONT#41 & The FRONT #46), in attitude (The FRONT #63), and in other areas. But what does it actually mean to be deliberate about something?

The definition of deliberate is carefully weighed and considered, intentional.

It is being calculated in what you do.

https://youtu.be/iFW9DdC5LSY

See so often people are just on cruise control – they are getting up and going but without clear definition. They are just … there. Many people haven’t thought beyond their next 5 minutes, let alone 30 days, or more.

Social media is a prime example, people just post stuff, to post stuff. They don’t consider who it affects or how. OR what the longer-term result or outcome may be. There is not a reason behind the mention. Who does it benefit?

Being deliberate takes thought and planning and then doing.

In fact – here are three things that I think MUST happen, when we’re talking about living your life on purpose. And this goes for your personal life, as an individual, family, business, and socially –

So here are three key things to being deliberate. 1. Vision – you must know where you are going. People with vision can see their outcome before there is an outcome. You have to begin to map at this level before there is anything tangible. If you cannot see an outcome here, it is not likely you can get what you want. 2. Have Plans – This is the thought process, the ideas, the strategy and tactics. It doesn’t even have to be perfect. But it should be written down. Writing things down makes them real. It allows us to be held accountable either to ourselves or to others (when or if we share our plans). And it has to be well enough designed 3. Action – You must start. You will hear any highly engaged successful person saying, “START!” It doesn’t have to be perfect action – it just has to be pointed generally in the right direction. People so often try and wait until the plan is perfect… in the meantime, opportunity keeps moving – it doesn’t stop and wait for you. SO if not now, when?

So in closing, be on purpose. Be deliberate about what it is you are doing. If you want something – see it, plan it, then do it! Have a great day!

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I’ve been reminded this week at least three, maybe four… or five times, in a short time frame, that the most growth comes from letting go of control. People in leadership – type A people who work their tails off to get to where they’re going. You know what they have a really hard time doing?

Letting go of control. https://youtu.be/2R0EspsU2fU

People that become the strongest leaders they want to leave a legacy and make a name for others. And then other people praise their leader's name and make them legendary.

I said I have heard this (that I need to Let go and Let God for example) several times this week – it has come from friends, coaches, mentors, and then last night as a parent. My 17-year-old son, our oldest child, had prom.

If you haven’t been through this with a child - whew – for me, I realized yesterday, this is the handoff. We are right around the corner from manhood. We did the parent thing, met the young lady's parents, went and got photos… and then we had to let these two young adults – go. On our way home, I realized… he’s never done the valet, or a parking garage. Man, I hope he tips them properly. Then they are going to be out late - too late. Drive safe, be safe – stay the course. And then I couldn’t sleep.

😊 But, my wife assured me, that we have parented up to this point and all would be fine.

So let me explain how this equates to business. What I have seen people that are managers - they want to quarterback everything, they want to call shots and make a name for themselves. They keep things close to the vest, they take credit for everything and train themselves, but don’t always effectively train their people to evolve.

Leadership, sometimes, is letting go, so people can grow, and thrive, and evolve. If you find yourself unable or unwilling to let go of the power, the training, the acknowledgement – it’s likely that you are a manager – not a leader.

If you have done your job as an authentic and genuine leader. Really wanting your people to grow, then let them go and win it. It becomes your job to step in when things don’t go right – that is when you become the shield – and that is the time to accept the blame. Then you train, you grow with your people – and you let them try again, until…

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Today I’m onto a simple subject, fortitude. We’re going to have a frank discussion and pull in character, and leadership.

https://youtu.be/3Svp-Xk6fU4

Fortitude is defined as courage in pain or adversity.

Coupled with character, which is the mental and moral strength of an individual, if you have those two things, you are on your way to being unstoppable.

Let’s focus on fortitude however, it’s such an important characteristic for a leader to have. WHY? Because things don’t always go smoothly. We can kid ourselves and say that things are always sunshine and rainbows, but that’s not so.

We’ve all worked with great leaders, and not so good ones. Some have it and some don’t – you get the idea.

Here’s an example. If you are the GM of a store, automotive, retail, toy store, it doesn’t matter – anything that is a retail business. And traffic is “slow” or “off” – do you lose your cool with your staff, yell and just tell them – you need to get more people here!

OR – do you buckle down, inspect what is happening or why it’s happening? Train with your people? Invest yourself into getting traffic back to where it should be?

If you freak out or lose your cool at the first sign that something is going sideways – you won’t remain in leadership for very long. Strong leaders need to play it cool – especially when things don’t go right because that is one of the keys to getting back on course.

When you stay calm and show you care and most importantly, pull up those bootstraps and get to work alongside people – it may be one of the most defining moments you can have in business leadership.

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Doing what is right, isn't always easy. Even when it comes to success which uses mostly simple principles in the climb. Simple doesn’t always translate to easy. In fact, ask any person that you view as successful and they will likely tell you on how to hit success, one of the primary drivers, “Just do the right thing.” You’ve heard people say that... it has probably been said to you throughout your life. As a child, then a teenager, and now in business.

https://youtu.be/cH-OaEQApoA

Michael J Fox said ~ "Discipline is just doing the same thing the right way whether anyone’s watching or not." He then goes on to say ~ "Do the right thing, and then do the right thing, and that will lead you to the next right thing after that." That statement, “Just do the right thing,” has both guided and haunted people. Even if now things go terribly wrong in business or in life – the answer… Just do the right thing.

See, there is really no downside to doing what is right. Morally, ethically, and just in general in our lives. Even beginning when we were small, not only did we know, we had that feeling for what is right and wrong; we also were taught right and wrong. So why is it that sometimes we stray and don’t do the right thing or the next right thing?

Sometimes the right thing isn’t clear, it seems obscure, mystified or selfish. Even if it seems that way outwardly, you may have to do a gut check – go with your gut – because often, that can help in guiding you to the right decision.

Another reason we avoid the truly “right” is that it is hard. And it is sometimes painful. And it’s easy to fall into just cruising along and just accepting what is going on, rather than being deliberate (which is not always right). As Tony Robbins points out people will do more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure. And the right decisions, even though they may be morally right, or right for you at the time can sometimes be the most painful.

Just remember that even if there is pain, or confusion, or frustration – it’s temporary. And most of the time, the only person that will know or care IS YOU. When you do the right thing, it quickly turns things right and heals your psyche.

Because the right thing and the truth ultimately require no explanation or defense.

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Let's talk about a couple, two specifically key leadership skills! Today I’m sharing two skills that I think are highly underutilized once we get into leadership and management. And they are significant keys to success. And yes, I’ve probably mentioned these before… but, it’s one of those things that’s speaking to me right now. Before we get into it – no, these aren’t the only two things that you can do to experience high levels of success.

Number One – Active Listening, and Number Two – Follow Through. These are both huge and can heavily determine individual levels and team successes

https://youtu.be/TxwcAdWBSw4

I talked previously in episode #14 of THE FRONT about some leadership accountability traits, so maybe you check that one out too. For some other excellent leadership traits and notes.

But, today these are the TWO MASSIVELY important things I’m talking about.

So first let’s talk about active listening. 1. Active Listening - Active listening means, as its name suggests, actively listening. That is fully concentrating on what is being said rather than just passively 'hearing' the message of the speaker. Active listening involves listening with all senses. Active listening is a skill that can be acquired and developed with practice

You have to have eye contact, face the person, and really listen to what they have to say and share. Listen and think, listen to understand where the other person is coming from. To actively listen to someone. You must be invested in them, with all of your senses. Tune in to what they are saying, meaning no phones, no social, no distractions. You are not listening simply to respond to what they are saying.

The second one is follow through. 2. Follow Through – When you are in management, or leadership, follow through is often lost. What do I mean by follow through? It’s simple, DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU WILL DO, when you say you will do it, and for whom, then… FOLLOW UP to communicate that it is done.

We lie to ourselves and say that we are “too busy” – busy is a state of mind. You can always find time if you make something important enough. If it carries enough value, and when another person is involved, that person has value. SO for goodness sake. DO what you say you will!

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Welcome! Today, I’m talking about this podcast and some things I have coming up.

I’ll be happy stop a few times, since we’re live, feel free to ask some questions in the sidebar! So, let’s chat.

https://youtu.be/0dZbm61A7h0

This happens to be the 85th Episode of THE FRONT – I started this podcast to really focus on:

Being out front, by constantly working on growth for yourself and growing others around you.
Leading from the front, meaning getting up and taking action to impact others
Continuing to be on the cutting edge, and the front of management, leadership, sales and other facets of business.

One of the tough parts like so many online interactions – is you never really know who will connect with your content, or even who sees it. For me, it is about doing something good. As for subject matter, The FRONT focuses on three primary subjects that are very near and dear to me.

Sales Training – The sales training I give I try to have be practical and useful. It comes from my almost 15 years in the auto industry and more than 25 years overall in business.
Motivational Content – Motivation is ultimately a need or want. Motivation is temporary, but it’s a start. It’s a pump up and makes people, you specifically feel good!
Leadership – As I mentioned above, most of my life I have been in a management or leadership role in business. Leadership I have found is not a title that can be given. It’s an action, that others associate and connect with you as a leader

Where do I get my content? It’s a culmination of past learning, current events, impactful things that people say to me. But, ultimately it’s ideas that I figure these things are affecting, or having an impact on me, I want to share those ideas with others. Because if there is a need in one person's life, it’s likely there is a need for others as well.

A few notes: DO me a favor, if you are sharing episodes of THE FRONT on your social, with your company, friends, business people – and please do share! Use the #TheFRONT and if you are in a leadership role or management, or you want to add #ThePride.

WHY? Well #TheFRONT, is to help get the word out on the show. And #ThePride refers to a pride of lions, leaders, kings of their domain. It’s a group of like-minded individuals that have come together into a sort of strong mastermind group – these are the people I want to be able to search #ThePride hashtag and feel confident to reach out and connect with one another.

One last thing – I am relaunching tomorrow morning a daily, weekdays, Bible verse reading. I’ve titled this Morning Verses With Mike (MVWM) and will be going live from my personal Facebook page, then reposting to a YouTube Playlist, so if that’s something you are interested in, then reach out and let’s connect!

Thank you for reading, or watching, or listening. You are awesome! Download This Episode Now!

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An eye to eye meeting and greeting of people is always valuable. And, one of the most important pieces of information that you will learn as a sales consultant is the professional greeting.

https://youtu.be/5ScyC94Yy44

Whether you are a sales consultant in retail, working with customers in your everyday life. Or if you are B2B sales, hoping to deal with other professionals and sell your product or service. The way you greet people in person, eye to eye heavily will determine your success in sales.The script that you use, over and over again, the body language and mannerisms that you develop when meeting someone for the first time. Will have an impact on your level of success.

Whether they should or not, people still judge by the first appearance, regardless of if they say they do or not, it happens. While I personally am a fan of the first meeting of professional dress i.e. shirt and tie, etc. I think for a first meeting this is always valuable.

Here are a few steps to follow to have a successful first meeting with a prospective customer. Step 0 – Your greeting of any business prospect or customer begins when you first get up in the morning. It starts by you, as a professional being properly groomed, clothes pressed and what sort of attitude you choose to start your day with. There is a lot to be said for the “setup” beforehand. Still Step 0 - It is always more ideal to have an appointment. Especially in a vendor partner or B2B relationship. “Just popping in,” doesn’t often work because people are busy.

Once you are LIVE - IT SHOULD START OUT THE SAME (Or at least similar) EVERY TIME! Step 1 – Make eye contact. Eye contact is instinctive with humans. Beginning with infants, they prefer looking at faces that gaze back at them. Brain activity studies in babies shows that they process gazing faces more deeply than faces that are looking away. As adults eye contact triggers an increased state of self-consciousness and consumes extra brain power. Most relationships start with eye contact; including relationships in the business world.

Step 2 - Carry yourself confidently from the chest, or I prefer to say, from the heart. When you practice that body language and posture, it creates a confident stance. You carry yourself from the heart and are direct. Why are the approach and handshake such an important step for those of us in sales? The reason is that it creates personal congruency. If your approach is lackadaisical, shoulders slouched and then you wave, rather than shaking hands with your prospect, what does that tell them?

Step 3 – SMILE. It is proven that smiling activates neural messaging that benefits your health and happiness. ... The feel-good neurotransmitters — dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin. So, let’s start out the interaction this way, by feeling good and making the other person feel good too.

Step 4 - Shake hands. Believe it or not, I believe this takes practice. We all know how to shake hands with someone right… or do we? Where do we learn the handshake from? Maybe the Dads or Moms and Grandparents would take you aside and “practice” to have a firm handshake. However, something to consider, for most people in any sales industry today, you’ve been learning to shake hands from strangers.

Step 5 – Begin with whatever your greeting is. And start a conversation! I recommend you should always start confidently with your name, your company’s name, and (when appropriate) their name. Then pause and give them a chance to begin a conversation.

For goodness sake – BE PREPARED!

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How do you handle it when things don’t go right?

If you are a manager or leader – YOU MUST OWN the situation. Owning anything is defined as belonging to oneself. And also accepting responsibility, being accountable in situations.

When it comes to customers you have an opportunity to win or lose big. Especially in the current connected economy.

I had a less than pleasurable experience at a hotel in Denver over the weekend. The way that the hotel management handled the situation was excellent. So when everything was finished, I left feeling like me and my family were important, valued and listened to.

As a leader, you MUST accept any and all responsibility. For your business, for the staff – When things go right, it is a team effort and the reward should be spread. The best leaders know, that when things go sideways, it’s their fault – and therefore their job to find a solution. When you do – it shows confidence, caring and reinforces strong leadership.

https://youtu.be/SlSo1Nkpvw0

So let’s talk about some steps to own and rectify situations when they don’t go as planned. Step 1. Listen to understand - the customers, or other persons, point of view; you are not just listening to respond.

Step 2. Reassurance that things will be taken care of. If you have truly listened at the onset – you should be able to offer what a potential solution is to the situation.

Step 3. Appreciation. Thank the person for taking the time to communicate with you.

Step 4. Apology. When it is necessary, if you, your organization, a person in your business, whatever, has messed up. Then ultimately, it’s YOU. Apologize. A genuine, “I’m sorry” still carries weight. It’s not always about someone getting perks, or free stuff, people just want to know that you are genuine, and they want to be heard.

Step 5. Follow through. Do what you say you will. If you are committing to additional training, reprimand, whatever it is. Follow through – otherwise, your organization will NEVER change.

Step 6. Follow up. (This may be optional, depending on the situation.) Call back, meet in person, whatever level you think necessary to speak again to the customer, or the person that felt wronged in the first place. Make sure that they feel good about the outcome and taken care of!

So I tell you this today – OWN TODAY! Accept the responsibility! You got this!

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Where does that come from? "Let's go for coffee?" I was in Denver for the Innovative Dealer Summit, an automotive conference, the past two days. I use real life for inspiration – to find and share the good! So this is today!

I had the pleasure of finally meeting my friend Terry Lancaster in person today. You may ask, how did you just meet him. Terry and I have been connected on social media for over 7 years… I checked. On my birthday each year, he has been wishing me a “Happy Mike Day” since 2011.

Prior to today, we saw that we would both be in the same place for the conference this week and like so many social media friends, business associates, and connections we agreed, “Hey, let’s meet for coffee!”

https://youtu.be/nlASlAYgLmo

The problem with these small commitments, is with anyone, they often get swept under the rug – because we are busy!

I want to encourage you of this --- Little things matter. Little commitments when we say we will do something – it is important to follow through.

The little commitments that we make take part in defining our character, not just to other people, but also to ourselves.Each of our decisions define us, they define who we are and who we might become. So when you have followed through on little things, it becomes amplified, because it is then an important item on your “to-do” list.

There is no replacement for a genuine one-on-one connection with someone. Nothing on social, or text, or phone, or even video chat, can replace sitting down and looking someone in the face to have a conversation and take a genuine interest. I would have never known that Terry was in radio, or about his family, or several of the other things we talked about – had we not taken the time today. We both still could be good guys, but we would have both robbed ourselves of the opportunity to make a real and meaningful connection.

Little commitments when we say we will do something – it is important to follow through. Even on the coffee dates, the “I’ll call you’s” and the weekend playdates. They all matter.

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Happy Easter! Happy Resurrection Day! Matthew 28:6 "He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying."

https://youtu.be/FTm1Er1UiWM

Happy Easter - May God bless you and your family today! It is today that we celebrate the resurrection! Go, spread hope and rejoice! He is risen, indeed!

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So today I returned to my kickboxing class. I’ve been out of it for a few weeks. And there was a change coming today. Humans, in general, don’t like change – and even when change is good, it can cause an initial negative reaction for most anyone.

Our regular instructor which everyone knows and loves has gone to pursue his passion. There is a new instructor and my wife has attended a few of his other classes, and she has said that the workouts are great – just different. Part of the reason my wife was bracing me for class today, is because she knows that I get in a groove of who is teaching, what we are doing, and why we are there, and what I want to get out of the class. Her concern was that I would not be a fan.

https://youtu.be/NoF0eZ-ISQw

Times are changing! As I thought about the class this morning – I had heard of some changes taking place – and I was a bit pre-determined to be cranky about kickboxing class.

Then I came to this realization. I’m not a competitive kickboxer. I’m not a competitive martial artist. I know that may come as a surprise to some… LOL. So, what I was really doing, was showing up to class to be in better shape. That was the real goal, and I asked myself that question, “So… What am I trying to get out of class today?” A good workout.

Once I said that to myself, I had no expectation other than a good workout. I didn’t have to compare the current instructor to the previous instructor. I didn’t have to question methods, or think that the “new guy” would do something “wrong” – wrong was only based on a comparison. And once I had eliminated the comparison and just wanted a good workout, it helped guarantee a positive and winning class.

Are you doing that in your daily life? Comparing people to one another? Comparing experiences – like today to yesterday? I’ve said many times to my kids – “LEARN FROM THE PAST, DON’T LIVE THERE!” So what did you learn yesterday that you can bring forward and create a win for today?

For example in sales. Sometimes, our struggle is that we show up and say, “I really NEED to sell a car (or product) today!” There is a deeper meaning – what does the sale produce for us – more ranking or status? More income? A better way to provide? Continued employment? The thrill of the sale is excellent. Selling a car (or product) a day is great, but there is more to it than that. I encourage you to also look at why you are doing what you are doing. What is it that drives you?

Ask yourself when you go to approach a task, what am I trying to get out of this? At the core? What am I trying to get out of today?

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You must stay consistent in your daily activities! I’ve said it before and said it consistently – SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES! https://youtu.be/6P2V-9xhm6g First, let’s talk about what consistency is: CONSISTENCY - conformity in the application of something. Acting in the same way over time, especially so as to be fair or accurate. Unchanging in nature. So consistency is really about doing the same things, even sometimes when you don’t want to do them, but you know they MUST be done so that you can get to the goal, or see success.

So here I will share three tactics to help you in staying consistent. 1. Know WHY you are doing the thing. What makes you passionate about the job at hand – even if this one thing is not your passion – you can find a reason to be passionate right now. For example: Doing a job well done. Completing this task so that you can continue with what you’re REALLY passionate about. 2. Schedule time for activities. Be definitive in your scheduling. I’ve heard it said before that what gets scheduled gets done. Use a calendar or a calendar app – when you put things in to get done, you are more likely to do them. NOTE – you have to actually use or look at the calendar for it to be effective. 3. Tell someone else your plan. When you tell other people what you are planning. You tell them your schedule they can help to be your partner in accountability. Believe me, if you share what your vision, your passion, and your goals are with others, especially close friends or mentors – even if it is not something that excites them, assuming they have genuine caring for you, they will ask you how you are doing towards your goals – for the day, month, years and so on.

Now keep in mind, if you miss something for one day, or even for a week – be careful not to look at it as a total loss or failure. Just get back on the horse and keep going.

And, IF you take action on these three things – they will definitely help to make you more consistent, accomplish more of your tasks or goals and emotionally will help you feel more successful!

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Basics, they really do matter in sales! What do I mean when I say basics. Well, there are a few things. Actually, four specific things that I think will produce more sales in any organization.

https://youtu.be/z80e8EOlqzM

PEOPLE. Caring about and retaining people has been a heavy subject for me lately. No business can operate without staff – it’s the people. When you have good people – nothing can stop you. When your people are uncaring, nonchalant or not in the right position, nothing can save you. People create the success of the business and they also create the failures.
COURTESY. I’m really starting to think common courtesy is not so commonplace. I’m talking simple things – like eye contact when you are speaking to someone saying please, and thank you. These things are important. Why – because intrinsically it shows the other person that they are important because you are paying full attention to them!
PRODUCT. If you don’t have a good product. Then nothing can save you. None of the other things that I share with you will help you. You must have a good product to sell… whatever it is that you are selling.
PROCESS. This is all the stuff that you do. The steps that you take and everything that goes into making a sale. This part is really what the inspiration for this episode. So let’s talk a bit more about the process.

When it comes to process – we often abandon the basics. Think about it – often in business you have heard someone say… “We have to get back to the basics.” Why do they have to do that? Because they abandoned their core. As we progress through our sales careers, new and cool, shiny things come along – the internet, email, texting, now video mail, and social media – those are all great communication tools. At the core of our basics though – it’s the human connection, the courtesy we display to others, our product and how well we navigate through our actual sales process with the customer that determines when we make a sale or not.

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I am talking about what people are pouring in, to you! I did this as another Facebook Live Episode, which I am beginning to enjoy more!

https://youtu.be/VdmiFzrFnRA

You are either in some form of leadership, you are acknowledged as a leader, or you want to be.

As leaders, actually as people, we all pour ourselves into others at times. We offer advice and opinions and share information and want to be heard. In most cases, I think people, in general, want to do good. They want to spread goodness. I know we can all get caught in negativity or gossip – but we can also get caught up in the whirlwind of learning and teaching, sharing, and pushing others to grow and all of the positivity that is in the world too!

I have said in many episodes, to always be learning, workshops, classes, Google, YouTube, online connections – here I want to caution you too. Here is a thought - you need to be mindful of what you are allowing others to pour into you. Everyone is trying to be heard right now – there are a lot of superficial connections. This is rampant right now on social media because people want their little piece of fame.

Connection is supposed to be about the PERSON, not just their position or what they can do for you. See you can choose what you let in what, put in your mind, you can choose what to watch, and what to listen to. But, often we are blinded by the lights, of fame, or popularity. And then, we let the message in no matter what. "Choice" is a powerful asset!

Ask yourself this: 1. Does the person or the information challenge you?

Does it grow you?
What value does it add?

Sometimes, you just need to listen to the message with your eyes closed and that will help you to make the decision. When you take away your sight and connect through listening and your heart – you can hear when a message is genuine or not. You can hear if the messenger is genuine or not. And, whether the information is right for you, right now, or not.

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Let's talk about KEEPING PEOPLE, and employee retention! I have been in management and leadership roles in excess of 25 years now. Owned businesses, managed businesses, coached sports at a high level, and now having been in automotive management for roughly 15 years. I’ve found that our people, our employees, really want some key things when it comes to retention. Having them stick around for the long haul, will increase your chances for your business to win!

Let’s talk about currently, this isn’t past data. I’ve worked in an automotive call center fairly exclusively for seven years. And currently, the average tenure of the employee within our call center is between four and five years. So if you know anything about either automotive, or call centers those are both very high stress, high expectation for results, and high turnover areas.

Throughout the studies of some psychology, management and leadership across medium’s from podcasts and online videos, training courses, seminars, and just the study of people; I feel this has given me some good insight and information to what employees want when it comes to their employers.

https://youtu.be/osvVdiGkjdg

So today, I’ll share three things about what I feel are the top most important things that lead to people staying with an employer. These will retain people, will allow your business to grow and flourish. This isn’t necessarily from a leaders perspective, in fact, it’s probably more from a front-line person or an employee’s perspective. And, if you do these things, it will allow you to keep your people!

Here we go: 1. Care about them – I said this in a previous episode (Love & Leadership – The FRONT #65). You must care about them as a person, care about their aspirations and hope and dreams. Care about what they view and measure as success. You have to listen. 2. Be out front – This is at the core what this show is about. Cutting a path so that others are able to follow easier than how you had it. Having some level of fearlessness to get in front of your people, accept responsibility, plan, strategize and cast vision so that people WILL follow you. You’ve likely heard the term of endearment “Our Fearless Leader” – I think there is some level of truth to that. People want someone that is strong, but still humble to lead the way. Confidence, not arrogance 3. Teach them and help them grow – The key is to accelerate them and make them the best that THEY can be. No one wants to feel that they in the same place, emotionally, skillset-wise, or financially, a year from now. When people feel like they are not growing, they leave. I’ve read about it, heard of it, and heck, watched it happen when someone will take less pay to go pursue – “opportunity.” Opportunity, by itself, doesn’t pay the bills – but the hope, vision, and growth that they will be better off a year later, that’s why people chase opportunity. It’s to be better tomorrow than they are today.

So if you are a leader listening today – do those three things and watch your business accelerate. The tough part is it takes you being genuine, and taking action, and really leading. Even if the execution isn’t perfect.

If you are an employee or a front line person – please share with me if there is something else that you think should be added to the list. What do you want from your employer, or from leadership?

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Today I’m talking about reading the Bible. I am a person of faith… The Bible and its teachings are something that I’m truly grateful for having in my life.

Whether you are somebody that believes in the gospel of the Bible as absolute truth. If you are somebody to believes that the Bible is a collection of stories. I’m not here to change your beliefs or faith today.

I believe in the truth behind the Bible.

I believe in the core and the message. What I am here to do is to remind you that the Bible at its core is love, goodness, kindness, morality, and so much more.

https://youtu.be/dskJCxWnhjc

So here is what I have decided to do – call it a challenge, a message, or a daily devotional. I decided that each day for the next 30 days I’m going to pick a verse from the Bible and read it on Facebook live. I’m planning on doing it starting at 6:15 in the morning. I would invite anybody to please join me if you if you are not able to join me at that time of the morning and please take the time to watch the verse and message. I’ll be reading form my NLT version “Every Man’s Bible”

Why I like it is because while it is not a literal translation it allows for more current and updated verbiage which is comfortable and it’s just a different way to read and learn from the Bible. My “Every Man’s Bible” also has explanations of what each book or chapter in the Bible is based on. I’ll share some of that with you when we get to the message for today.

I would also invite YOU to participate in your own reading – pick a verse and read it for the day, maybe research the meaning and then make a decision as what it means to you. And feel free to share it either with me, on your social media, or in the comments on my daily verse video. AND Please, tag me! I would love to see and help in sharing your message!

So for today, I’ll call this a bonus day, or Day 0 –

Isaiah 41:10 (NLT) “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am Your God, I will strengthen you, and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

This was originally addressed to the exiled Jews. It is a reminder of His love and strength. And why it’s important to me as a verse is it reminds me to keep the faith in God. When you put your faith in our God, he is your protector. He’ll provide strength, through that belief and faith. God will deliver us through any trial or frustration that we may experience. When we are at the right hand of God it is a reminder that you can be secure and strong in your faith.

I invite you to get re-engaged in reading the bible. There are some great ways to do this. The Bible App for one, will offer daily verses, ideas for Bible plans and much more.

TUNE IN Starting tomorrow and join me at 6:15 am for 30 days for a new verse reading, from the NLT translation “Every Man’s Bible” – There won’t be all the production like my podcast and vlog’s it is just going to be a 2 or 3 minute reading, sharing, and then on with another glorious day!

These readings will be in addition to my regular episodes of THE FRONT which I will still be doing every Wednesday and Sunday, so please continue to tune in and SUBSCRIBE to those.

Make sure that you click on the little bell icon, or the notify button so it will notify when new episodes come out or I go live! Thank you for tuning in today, for another episode of THE FRONT, please like, share and certainly SUBSCRIBE on http://LeadTheTeam.TV – fantastic day!

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Today I am talking about some phone follow up tips. These are things that maybe in the past we probably once saw as basic skills or just normal communication and then we got trained and became salespeople… There has been much debate lately about the sales process, and phone process… and processes for your process.

https://youtu.be/WaGB0cNsFXM

Fundamentally, when it comes to automotive sales, the customers “buying process,” and the road to the sale, or “sales process” do not always coincide. But, their path leads to the same end – the purchase of a product. People on both sides, do not want to be forced to follow a method or process that is not theirs. However, they can, both sides, walk down a path together to seek success at the end. So let’s talk about the path to phone follow up. And, I know there are a multitude of ways to communicate with customers.

Here are a few things to remember when you pick up the phone. 1. Be prepared. Care enough to do your research. You have to plan to be courteous and knowledgeable. Show that you care by having respect for the customers time. You have to have a method that you follow on each call (process). 1. Greet the customer 2. Get Name, Number, Email 3. Qualify 4. Set a solid appointment and give directions 5. Give my name, number, and confirmation info 6. ASK FOR A FOLLOW UP CALL and REFERRAL 2. When you pick up the phone… dial with intention. Have an expectation that the person on the other end WILL answer. And then, begin with the desired result in mind. 3. SMILE! This is so important… because a smile will come through in the tone of your voice. 4. STAND UP. Yes, I said to stand up while speaking on the phone. The reason is that it changes your physiology. Change your method, change your results. Standing changes breathing pattern, by offering better lung capacity and reducing stress on the diaphragm. Therefore better oxygen, better blood flow, higher energy, the customer will hear it in your voice.

You’ve dialed the phone number … NOW WHAT? There are two things that can happen – 1. The customer picks up the phone; or 2. They don’t and you have to leave a message. For the sake of this conversation, let’s assume they pick up the phone. Here are three things I will focus on.

If I am calling for a female and a woman answers - Say, “Hello ?” This conditions the call by leading with a YES response.
Do not use the words – “FOLLOW UP” or “TOUCHING BASE” in your introduction. These are two terms you would likely never use naturally when you are speaking to a friend or family member… so when did it become ok in sales?
Tell the customer WHY you are calling (Qualify) and continue to have a normal conversation and walk down a successful path with the customer.

Charisma, caring, conversation and connection will sell customers far more often and more easily than trying to sell customers on your next product or promotion.

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Prospecting For Gold In Sales Prospecting is simply going and searching for something; or in sales, for someone. A customer, a prospect. The next person you can help!

https://youtu.be/GXKbyy3S0nA

It is going and searching for business. We are spoiled right now in sales and marketing, in any business, that at the click of a button we connect with people in our town or thousands of miles away. We expect them to come to us to do business and buy our products.

I think in some areas as far as prospecting is concerned, it is becoming a lost art. 1. First and foremost – Consistency matters. You can’t just try and connect or go out one time and expect that business will be flocking to your door. It doesn’t work that way. Just like anything, our daily consistency will determine our level of success. 2. Use every method available to you. I would encourage you to sit down and try and come up with 10 different ways that you can prospect – and to DRUM UP BUSINESS. You may be surprised at the methods that end up working for you. And they may not be what you anticipate. So you have to use a multi-pronged approach. 1. Social media is certainly one – but what are the different social channels… some work better for certain people than others. 2. Traditional phone calls – connect with everyone you know via phone. 3. Join groups – networking groups, the rotary club, get meetup.com – this give you an opportunity to get with local real life groups in your area, rather than staying behind a screen. 4. Contact other businesses, schools, churches – find out what is important to each of these types of people 5. Get up and take new customers, get in front of the people that are already coming in. We often overlook this one. But, there is traffic coming in to you in sales, and sometimes we avoid it for fear we will frustrate the existing people at the store or business – OR – maybe we are fearful of what the upcoming customer may say… you better get over that pretty quick! Because customers are what pay your paycheck. 3. Build and nurture real relationships. Relationships come through mutual agreement. Liking the same things, having similar values and having common goals. So, just like in the first bullet point, you can’t have one conversation with someone, one time and expect you never have to call not hem again. Relationships don’t work that way.

So, know that in sales, it’s not always about business coming to you – you have to go and get business as well – it’s just not as hard as you think it is.

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Today is about dreaming BIG dreams AND following through! I love big dreams. And people that have BIG dreams. I like people that chase things that are larger than themselves. There is a difference between a dream with a goal attached and just a dream – A dream is just a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep.

The question is, are you sleepwalking through your life with a bunch of thoughts and images or are you going to do something to work towards it?

https://youtu.be/xCEi12jjAIA

When I am coaching salespeople, even on a daily and regular basis – one quote I remind them of, and I don’t remember who said it – but I love the quote!

“What you are working on right now, is it getting you closer to your goal or further away?” There is not an in-between. In between is stagnant and complacent – no movement, when there is no movement... it's death. So that dream, that thing you have that you want so badly are you working on something to get closer to it? This can be any activity or set of activities throughout the day.

Let’s use a common dream in sales – “I WANT TO BE THE TOP OR ONE OF THE TOP PERFORMING SALESPEOPLE IN MY STORE.”

Many people say they want to be at the top, but few are willing to make the commitment that it takes to get there. This is where it takes work ethic. It takes a commitment from not just you, but those around you (friends, family, co-workers). It takes other people KNOWING what you want – SHARE THE DREAM!

People are often scared to share our hopes and dreams for fear of ridicule… or what we believe is worse… what if we don’t follow through, certain failure, it’s a shot to our ego and integrity.

That’s all the more reason to share… it allows others to ask where you are, it creates self-accountability. Big dreams, no matter how large... with little action and no follow through still equal puny results.

So dream big! Take a little action towards it EVERY SINGLE DAY. You’ll be amazed how far you can get in just 15 minutes of commitment at a time.

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When the going gets tough... the successful stay positive. I was inspired this weekend – we have the Winter Olympics going on, that’s always great competition. And I enjoy watching things like that because there are people that demonstrate discipline, consistency, perseverance, and leadership, including leadership of oneself. Plus as a BONUS – My son competed at the Colorado Open. This event is a boys and young men’s gymnastics meet hosted at the Olympic Training Center. So, I had the opportunity to watch that in person. It really is unbelievable what the mind and body can achieve.

https://youtu.be/NzOG0KOsoak

As I watched these competitions, one thought that crossed my mind – was that no matter what the obstacle that arose, these athletes continue to overcome and be competitors. For example, if someone falls, makes an error or misstep, a high-level level gymnastics meet – they get up, take a deep breath, reset, and then continue the routine. It never seems to cross these guys minds to stop completely or quit.

This may be their one shot! These athletes some have trained for years, and over the weeks, multiple hours per day to compete at a high level. And then it comes down to less than two minutes per event. 10 to 12 minutes in actual competition. So even if there is a misstep, a fall, or something goes not quite as planned – this is their two minutes – so they maximize where they can. Focus, and stay positive – to compete.

At a high level, the learning happens BEFORE you get into the thick of the competition. The training to continue, that happens through drive and passion and having clarity in what you want. When people want something bad enough – they push and continue.

You see being a positive person in general, and especially in leadership – in a negative or adverse situation, IS NECESSARY, it’s not naïve. Whether you plan for it or not, there are people on the outside watching for your reaction.

Your haters, your cheerleaders, EVERYONE... is watching you, to see your outcome. Whether the outcome is one that you count as a win or not, there is still an outcome that people will gauge you on.

That’s something else – I watched several of those in competition this weekend. When a gymnast would misstep or fall – EVERYONE, and I really mean EVERYONE, even those on the other teams spectating and waiting their turn – would yell and offer words of encouragement for them to complete their routine. This is coming from people that they are AGAINST! But every one of these guys knows the work, heart, and effort that goes into getting to this level.

At the end of the competition, or at the end of each day in business - will you have learned something? What have you learned? What are your takeaways? Are you keeping a teachable attitude for all to see? Because when you do those things, you can’t ever truly take a loss.

Every person will experience tough times. So it isn’t whether you will or not. The test is how will you continue when you face them, that will dictate levels of success.

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Today, on The FRONT the theme is about winning. Not just winning in a competition or competitive environment such as athletics, but winning in business.

Winning in business unlike winning in a competition such as sports, or board games, or arm wrestling is not by pushing past an opponent.

https://youtu.be/V392IoO8JC0

One vast difference – in a competition, you can gauge a win, because you beat the other team or your opponent by overall score or points. In business, YOU are the competition.

What about “winning” on social media? Right now, many people are keeping score on social and they are viewing a win based on their number of followers being the “points” – well let me give you a tip. Followers or social connections aren’t points… they are people. People want to engage, feel important and special. It may be important to connect with one today than to reach one million.

An example of a win on social media might be – for me at least – making a positive impact. When someone reaches out to me and says, “Hey, that really made my day.” That’s like kicking one through the goalposts for today. That’s a win!

In business, you must constantly be reassessing what your wins look like from day-to-day. Re-wire and re-program your mind to view the positive in any outcome and seek out winning, rather than to dwell on or focus on losing.

Let me give you an example – if you have a goal to sell 30 cars. And You finish at 27. Is that a win or loss? It’s 10% short, right? Most people chock that up to a loss, or a failure. Well… let me twist it up for you. You can still view this as a major WIN! Why? You succeeded in selling 27 cars. And if you can repeat those steps that you did 27 times, you can produce even more the next month, then the next and continue to win even more in the future.

I’ve put together five notes on WINNING to share with you today. 1. You win through work. Winning in business, means you are willing to outwork others. To succeed. 2. You continue to do what works. While innovation is necessary as quickly as our world and environments are changing. Business winners don’t have to re-invent the wheel, they instead sometimes spend time perfecting the things that already work (prior example). 3. You push to outwork what you did yesterday. Yes, then days produce weeks, then years. 4. You know that winning is a mindset. People that consistently win in business believe they will win. It’s not magic, or some secret sauce. It’s a belief system. That belief system allows them to put in the effort and actions that allow them to continue to win. 5. Besides mindset character leads to winning. That’s what people look for and connect with, and how they decide whether they are going to do business with you or not. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What you ARE speaks so loudly, I cannot hear what you are saying.” In short, your actions… who YOU ARE outweighs what you SAY you are.

SO for today, or tomorrow … Be AWESOME! WIN!

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Well... are you on autopilot? I’ve talked before about how it is important to have a plan, and have a process to go with that plan.

https://youtu.be/-QL1B6bARJ0

Routine, in general, is good for many reasons. When we get accustomed to doing same or similar things, it takes the guesswork out of things. When there is less guesswork or decision making it’s been proven to improve your mood. And when you are upbeat, have a good mood you accomplish more and you accomplish those tasks well. WHY? Because we have an idea of what to expect. Taking off on that, when you know what to expect it removes fear. It removes fear simply because we know what is coming next, or what should come next… so we just go.

Here is an example when it comes to automotive sales: When customers finally decide to come into a car lot – in most cases customer approach with fear and anxiety. They want to find someone they can trust, they want a good deal etc. Know how to remove the fear – tell customers what’s going to happen. Steps them through your process that you have done hundreds or thousands of times with other people. It doesn’t mean it has to be identical, that their situation is not unique, but just give a general idea of expectation and it will take the fear out of it.

On the flip side of that discussion, too much routine and of the same can create complacency. As salespeople, just like in my last example, the pitfall is that we DO start to treat every situation the same. So it becomes a balancing act.

We can become absorbed with things that are the same, we become numb, and tasks that once invigorated us become mundane.

My podcast, for example, for the last 99 videos I have done, they have been recorded. During previous episodes, I have had the opportunity to mess up, and then edit things – the video production itself is a higher quality which I think comes off better. That was my comfort zone. So the last few episodes, I’ve changed it and gone live with the message. One of the biggest benefits that I see there, is the interaction of other people, which is excellent.

Here is another practical and real-life example. Of those of you watching that drive to work, or an office, school, church or other same spot everyday – Do you remember the drive on Friday morning? No, most of us don’t. Like, sometimes we’ll snap out of it and question… was that light green? Or was it red? Did I just blow through an intersection? Because over time, our brain goes form noticing individual things to lumping them together into one activity. See, we no longer see the individual lights, streets, or intersections – we just see “the drive.” It’s how learning (or chunking) even works.

Here is my challenge to you this week. GET OFF YOUR AUTOPILOT! Go out of your way to try a new sales technique, take an alternate route to work, see different scenery. If you have become acclimated to emailing or texting customers, pick up a phone. And vice versa… if you are a phone person, try to think through what would be a good text script.

As you do those things – enlist the help and expertise of other people. You will likely be surprised at two things. 1. The amount of stuff you can learn when you get off autopilot. 2. How awesome it is to connect with other people. Like really connect, not just superficial social.

So that’s it this week, it’s really good to have a plan and a process, but if or when you want to grow, even more, you have to get out of your comfort zone. Turn off the autopilot and start trying out new things. Thanks!

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Happy Valentine's Day 2018! Today, I decided to do a Facebook Live! For episode #68. To tell my wife and my family - THANK YOU!

So often, as managers or leaders, we get tied up. We get busy. We forget to just say, "thank you," to those that are continually supporting us throughout our crazy adventures! So to my wife, Brooke - my kids, Colin, Carter, and Emersyn... Thank you all, I love you guys!

https://youtu.be/3roivMtT2sU

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Today, I just compiled some of my thoughts on paper and put together five leadership notes. Many people think they are leaders. Some are correct… and frankly, some are not. Sometimes people are just wrong in their assessment. Right now, in 2018, anyone with some social accounts and money to spend on ads can stake their claim. Just having a desire or a claim to leadership doesn’t mean a person has the assets, character, courage or fortitude to be a leader. It doesn’t mean they can teach others, or have the work ethic. Real leadership takes a lot of work.

https://youtu.be/Yxc5hgMo9l4People often assume that once they are in management and they are given a leadership title that is enough. Real leadership is more than a title. It’s deeds, it's what you do. What we do, what we take action on far outweighs any title we can be given. If you have the title, but people aren’t following you – either you are keeping your talents to yourself (not a good leadership trait), or you need to step outside yourself and be real in an assessment of your leadership qualities.

Here are my leadership notes (in no particular order): 1. You must care: You must care about the people. You have to take the time to get to know them. People that are indifferent or disconnected, do not make good leaders. And they won’t retain people to follow them for any length of time. A solid question for anyone in leadership to ask is, “Is this person better off now, than when I came into their life?” 2. You have to care more about the people than the process: People are our single most valuable asset. If you don’t have people… who are you leading? I love the process or goal setting and achievement as much as anyone. But, you must have the people to execute the processes. 3. Sense of purpose allows the most impactful growth. Power is not the defining factor for most very successful leaders. Most highly successful leaders are not about the money… though through their success, the money shows up. The driver… it’s purpose. They know deep down what their passion is, and what is driving them. They know that what they do will make an impact on their team, staff, their whole network. And they take that seriously. 4. Strong leaders develop people: Leadership is a talent magnet – people are simply attracted to other people that are real. Leaders are fearless in the development of others. They know that over time if they really grow someone to maximize their potential it makes for a markedly stronger team. If you can’t or won’t develop talent, or retain "talent" you are not a leader, you are a manager. 5. Leaders produce results: People that are real leaders perform – they get the job done. Leaders have an understanding that goals are meant to be met, not just set. They push themselves and their people to accomplish, not just try.

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Whatever you focus on you get more of. (Check out my previous blog on this subject)

Clarity and focus are two of the top attributes in achieving high levels of success and blowing away goals boundaries set by yourself or society. Clarity is a sharpness, certainty, being definite. Focus is the center of an activity. Having clear definition… example the point of origin of an earthquake.

https://youtu.be/rjmo6NvCcYE

I love positive mindset and discussions on the subject of things like “The Law Of Attraction” One of the coolest statements that I think I have heard in my lifetime is “Whatever the mind can conceive and believes it can achieve,” from Napoleon Hill.

This statement consists of three parts: concept, belief, and achievement. Concept is just a thought, a fleeting idea that pops into our head and for whatever reason, and we start to retain that one idea. When we get focused on and excited about an idea though we begin to repeat it so often that we begin to believe it.

Belief is the total confidence and truth in the existence of something. The key to achieving anything is to first see it in your mind. You don’t have to have the plan fully developed even. You just must know so deeply that it can be done, when you believe something deeply, you don’t even need to know HOW to accomplish something. But just to know that it can be accomplished.

Achievement is first and foremost… follow-through, it’s grit and fortitude to try… until. After all, we set goals so we can hit them. Goals aren't just for practice! Maintain your belief in yourself, your ideas, your beliefs and TRY UNTIL… you achieve success!

Keep thinking fresh ideas, believe them all and really, I mean really GO FOR IT – make all of your dreams a reality!

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Love and leadership go hand in hand. Yes… like they hold hands. LOL! Love is in the air. It’s Valentine’s month! And this is my first podcast of February so let’s talk about love and leadership, or maybe love in leadership.

https://youtu.be/ZJGjEhH71JU

You have to truly love and respect others to really lead them. When you love someone you take the time to understand who they are, where they are coming from. Caring about someone and being authentic, knowing who they are personally, what makes them tick and helping them to see their own success is love in the business world.

Love itself as a word has multiple meanings. And, for me it’s is a verb, an action, showing genuine interest and caring for someone. It’s putting their needs first.

One of the keys to a successful marriage, family life, parenting is love. Love is a foundation in our personal lives. Really most any successful relationship is built on a strong foundation of love. But – for some reason, love is frowned upon by many business people. In business, we shy from using the word love, though we may still display what love is.

I really believe love is one of the first things we should allow leaders to show and harness in a work environment. After all… time, emotion and positive energy into building relationship with your team, will help to push them so they can thrive. It shows your commitment and your passion to the business, to the team and to them as an individual and it will shine through your team's performance.

But, to say we care for or love a colleague, not in a mushy way, but that you care as much about them succeeding in their position or their life as they do.

There was a Gallup study that was published some years ago on employees feeling cared for in their workplace.

Gallup's findings were:

37% lower absenteeism
48% fewer safety incidents
41% fewer quality defects
28% less inventory shrinkage
10% higher customer satisfaction and a better customer experience
Up to 22% higher profitability

Given that kind of results – passion at work, energy, goals setting and yes, LOVE your staff and colleagues, and it impacts your bottom line.

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I have had several salespeople lately refer to "burn out." So I thought I would put my spin on how to work through it. What determines if you are burned out? By definition, burn out is physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress. (Unless you are Mike Davenport - here - LOL)

https://youtu.be/RFn7plbEweE

Overwork is an easier thing to overcome. And, your work matters. Workplace matters, because if you continue to get overworked, if you continue to see stress - you will collapse.

Thing is, stress is defined differently for everyone - what stresses one person out ignites another person's fire! So the answers here may help, but they won't be YOUR answers.

And the combination of overwork and stress can be a mess, it literally can be a deadly mix. I have seen people that have had heart attacks, strokes, and much more because of stress. You may have to really drill down and ask a tough question - Is it the job, is it the place - or is it you? Regardless of what business you are in, or how long you have been in that business for, I bet at one time, you thought it was the best thing ever!

In fact, if you are seeing a great level of success right now - do the activity I have outlined below right now! Don't wait to get fried, or burned out. Because if you write down the things that are allowing you to see success right now, then you can look back over time and give yourself some really awesome advice!

DO THIS Right now is the time to slow down, sit down and write some things down... (Yes, write the questions out).

What do you still like about the business you are in? In the past, what DID you like about the business? Where is your passion and what gets you fired up? What would you do if it wasn't this, where you are, right now? What has this business given to you? And what has it taken away? What do you already know, but don't want to admit? List the things that you were you doing five, ten, or however many years ago that allowed you to see yourself as a success? Once you have the questions that are important to you written down - ANSWER THEM. Write 10 answers to each question... it gets tough.

You will have to mentally recap, maybe meditate and put yourself back there. You must know what you are looking for BEFORE you decide that a new career or even a new environment is right for you. This takes time. You can do it in a day or two, maybe three. I would encourage you, ask those questions and push hard to physically write down like 10 answers to each question. Write down other things you didn't think of. You'll likely get a solid few pages of good advice that no one else can provide because you know you, far better than anyone else you could ask.

#MUCHLOVE

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First, let’s talk about WHY to stay positive. When you are happy, upbeat and positive. It promotes self-confidence. It improves creative and cognitive thinking. It improves emotional state for things like happiness, joy, and love. And, when we are in a good emotional state, people will normally produce a higher number of actions… in general. So happy people do and accomplish more.

So let’s talk about a few ways to STAY positive. https://youtu.be/rdbZDgLMjak

Be deliberate about what you put into your brain. Start with turning off the news. Engage with the right people. Read books. Listen to motivational content (podcasts) rather than the radio.
Eat right, get good sleep, and exercise. Eat the right things, the right times and so on. You can’t live on just cookies and get fat, and wonder why you don’t have any energy… it’s because you are overweight and only eat cookies. Make deliberate time to go to the gym, or if not the gym, walk around the neighborhood. Go for a walk with your spouse, and kids, make a connection and make it fun.
Have an attitude of gratitude. Take time out to really focus on and consider what you’re grateful for. It’s not just the “right” thing to do; it also reduces stress. Research conducted at the University of California, Davis, found that people who worked daily to cultivate an attitude of gratitude experienced improved mood, energy and substantially less anxiety due to lower cortisol levels.
Add value to someone else today. What you give to people and how you treat them will be reciprocated. And if you treat people well it starts to reflect on yourself.

There are a lot more options and ways for staying positive or becoming a positive focused person. But I find that these work the best for me. These things give good energy, help to steer my focus for the day… and ultimately allow me to remain a positive influence on myself and others, therefore being viewed as an overall positive person!

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#StayPositive

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When you are seeking out expert advice, or when asking for help - is today's topic. Once you have made it into management or leadership, or maybe you are now considered an expert in a particular field. Sometimes it becomes difficult to ask for assistance, especially in the area you are supposed to be excellent at. I come across this with friends of mine, and in fact myself sometimes.

https://youtu.be/f10gDI5TXH8

Let me give you an example – let’s say you are a top producing salesperson and you have hit a slump. Where do you turn for advice? Or do you ask for advice… or help to get out of your slump?

See, with so many people, it is really hard to bruise our own ego and ask for help from other sources. Because if for at least a moment, it means first and foremost, that we have to admit the ultimate truth to ourselves… that we don’t have the answer!

Here I have come up with four other reasons that people, any people, not just experts, won’t ask for help!? 1. Fear of being a bother. They don’t want to be a bother to someone else. You think, well they are to busy to deal with something so easy… but if it was that easy you would have the answer! 2. Fear of having to owe someone something in return. Holy cow, this is huge… if I ask someone this, and they help me. Then I will “owe” them something, I’ll have to pay them back. AND – what if when they come calling… I don’t have the answer? 3. Fear of being embarrassed and appearing weak, failure. This is a heavy one because, in our hearts, no one wants to really admit that they don’t know the answer for fear that the other party you may ask may see you as inferior. This is probably one of the most unjustified fears we can have? Most of the time, people do really want to help and it allows them to shine with their expertise. 4. Good old fear of rejection. Quite simply, we are scared that if we ask... the other party might say “no.” I’ll say it again, most of the time, people do really want to help and it allows them to shine with their expertise. AND – the primary reason that they might say no… is if they don’t know the answer. Then you can seek it out together!

You MUST stay teachable and forever be learning!

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You MUST invest in important things! So let’s first talk about what investing means.

INVEST – To expend money or resources with the expectation of achieving a profit, material result and/or increase in resources by putting it into financial options, shares, or property, or by using it to develop a venture.

https://youtu.be/WHtpeVv2T14

TIME is one of our most powerful and important resources. You see most resources such as money, food, or other materials, even staff members can be drawn on and then replace. As they deplete you can often replace them in other manners or with multiple techniques and approaches. Time, however, is not replaceable all have the same amount in a day. You have to invest your time wisely.

To
Invest
My
Energy

There are all kinds of things that we can invest in. We can invest in personal growth, in ourselves, we can invest in our businesses, we can invest in our people, we can invest in our families, there are many other ways in which we can invest our time and our energy and our resources more than just money.

If I’m investing my time my energy maybe your money into personal training or personal growth those are things that are valuable.

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What is level awareness? As a leader, it is being competent in where your individual people and teams are at. As an individual, it is knowing yourself, knowing your ability and being confident to compete at that level.

Competing at the highest level is not just about winning. It's about preparation, courage, it's the journey. You have to understand and nurture your people and speak to their hearts. Win their hearts and their heads will follow. Winning then is the result.

https://youtu.be/EdyKNZ6Wgio

It is important to know what level you are at. It's also important as a coach to be aware of what level your players are at. Though business may not be exactly like sports, I love the analogies that compare sports to business. I think there is a lot of relevance regarding the comparison between sports and business.

It’s important as a coach, leader, manager, maybe even as a parent, to have those conversations so that your team, employees, and kids can accel.

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "THE FRONT." Remember, new episodes are produced every Wednesday and Sunday. I appreciate you tuning in and SUBSCRIBING, and feedback is welcomed!

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Thanks! #MUCHLOVE

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Monitor and measure all the time, yes, it's always important. This episode is geared heavily toward the automotive space and third-party vendors.

https://youtu.be/qz2QYkXRuSA

Performance measurement starts with the target and goal setting! Many people think that they should begin measuring once you have a set target. As a key leader, it is your job to begin by determining realistic targets. Targets based on past performance and adjusting as necessary.

When you are monitoring, your system must be efficient and consistent and it has to be duplicatable. Often auto dealers or other businesses think to themselves, well I want to increase sales this month, so I’ll measure this metric this month. You have to determine what are the real keys… and then measure them every month… until you don’t anymore.

A Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is something that is measurable and allows you to tell when you have achieved a specific goal or set of goals, or not. When setting the goals and the specific targets, KPI’s for each goal it is important to foresee how the achievement of the target will be monitored and measured.

If a specific target cannot be measured or is very difficult to measure, then you may want to reconsider if it something you should be measuring. In any business, it is important to take into consideration what the “standards” are. But also to question, how did that become the standard? Can we do better? Is that standard real for our business? Never take a third party or vendor’s metrics as gospel, and not question the source. It is important to ask yourself the question, “How do you know?”

And when doing that, use your metrics primarily, not someone else’s. It’s good to know what other’s are achieving and accomplishing. But make sure that you don’t get caught in the trap of ONLY comparing your business to someone else’s.

YOU continue to improve on each days performance every day!

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Actually, In most anything, seeing is believing. Especially in leadership positions. The reason is because once someone can see something take place, or they see a goal get accomplished it starts to change how their perception is.

https://youtu.be/AMUl_ysv99A

Taking action is especially important for people in management and leadership roles. When those in leadership take action to show others how to accomplish a goal or task, they get buy-in. The people that work along-side, or for them, start to understand what to do and how to do it. Watching these people perform the tasks they are asking for, carries much more weight than just a "story-telling session" about the good old days.

If you are in a leadership role in your organization it is important to continue to be brilliant at the basic tasks that got you into your position in the first place. Don't abandon the things that got you to where you are.

If you continue to do those things and show others how to do those things you will be unstoppable. SHOW people how to be excellent in business. Don't just tell them how you got there.

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The New Year is here... what are you doing? Have you gotten started on what you said you were going to get started on? You just finished your resolutions three days ago. It's time to start taking some action!

https://youtu.be/nskRiyZnnok

I am a huge fan of taking action and getting going right now. You know, living your life on "AA's" - actions and attitude. Those are two things that you dominate and have complete control over. What actions are you going to take... and how are you going to approach your day?

HAVE A SMILE ON YOUR FACE! It's important. So tune in now!

Thank you for listening, watching, and reading! Please subscribe for updates! Give likes and thumbs ups. Let's go have a stellar 2018!

#MUCHLOVE

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Happy New Year! Time keeps marching on and moving forward! I hope you have a fun, exciting and Prosperous New Year 2018!

https://youtu.be/PaE98N0PbbA

On New Year's Eve, last year, many were claiming that 2017 would be the best year ever!!! How quickly those statements and resolutions can become abandoned and forgotten. Fast forward one year... 2018 will be the best year ever!!! So the "they" say...

Each and every year we will take out of it the good, the bad and the ugly, and we always have the opportunity to make the upcoming year the best one yet! Happy New Year!

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2018... You need to stay true to the basics! Don't... Abandon... The... Basics! If you are anywhere online right now, there are stories and ads all over the place that are urging you to make your resolutions! In fact, many of the articles are similar to... "9 Steps for Success, in 2018!" "Here is how to conquer everything in 2018!" "New Year, New You!" You know the drill. Just google 2018 New years resolutions and prepare to be bombarded.

https://youtu.be/zfET40PaQ9w

Here is the number one thing that will keep you successful in 2018 - staying true to yourself and staying true to your basic principles. The core processes and principles that got you to see success in your past, will be the launch of your future success as well. If you're in sales, for example, stay rooted in your basic sales process. Whatever your process is, stay true to that core.

You should always be on the lookout for new and innovative ideas, processes and products - but, don't lose sight of your core. Add-ons should bring value to the way you already do business. Your passion for what you do and who you are is what has gotten you to see some success already. Hold onto that, and build on it. Have a killer 2018!

Thanks, Mike

#MUCHLOVE

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Merry Christmas! Thank you to everybody who has watched or listened to an episode of "THE FRONT" this year. 2017 has been an amazing year. Both in the auto business and doing my podcasts and YouTube videos. I have made some amazing connections this year and look forward to an awesome upcoming 2018.

https://youtu.be/_L0sKS2Vauo

To those of you who have read and contributed in the blog, the people that I have met in person or connected to online.

Thank you! So, from Lead The Team, from myself and from my whole family! Merry Christmas! (or if you don't do Christmas, that's cool, do your thing!) and Happy Holidays!

#MUCHLOVE

-Mike

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The art of conversation and connection with other people is valuable! I was in a training session yesterday talking about “the greeting” in a sales process. And during the conversation, it came around to a few topics. The topics of actual real connection with another human being. And the art of having a conversation.

A commodity is defined as something of value. Such as time. Both conversations and real connections take a time investment!

https://youtu.be/2ML-CO9idP0

Actually what the topic came around to was how to sell millennials.

How is it possible? Just google that topic – it is crazy that there are so many pieces of training, topics, tips, webinars on how to sell to the millennial generation.

Have we lost it that badly? This generation is just like any other generation when it comes to connecting with other people. Look people in the eye, show them you care about them, make a real connection and then help navigate the process with them.

I am still a believer that one of the best ways to sell anything is to first connect and sell yourself, make a friend. And to do that, you have speak to other people. And many people don’t do that anymore. We have online acquaintances and Facebook friends, and we send texts. If we’re really heavy into needing knowledge, maybe an email is necessary.

Think about it, when was the last time that you sat down for an entire hour with another human being, a real person and didn’t have your handy-dandy communication device right there by your side?

Conversation is how you made friends as a kid. It is how you decided you liked your spouse enough to date her or him. Then, through ongoing and every day, late night talks about nothing, you because of friends and decided you wanted to spend more time together.

So going back here for a few minutes, the art of talking to someone and showing a genuine interest, asking and answering questions. It’s how humans connect, once they are connected and like each other then you develop a trust. The sale then, whether it's the person or a product – it just happens.

So I challenge you this next week. Re-date your spouse. Drop everything and spend an uninterrupted hour with your kids. Call up someone you haven’t seen in a while and go to lunch. But, remove all of the online distractions. If you have to connect by phone, then shut out all the other distractions and reconnect with someone.

In closing, conversation, real conversation and one on one connection seem to be getting rarer, so they really are becoming a commodity.

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Time to rise and grind! First, let me give a shout out to Jim Kristoff who offered me the inspiration for today. You can see Jim’s Sunday morning post that I am talking about here. This got my creativity flowing today and made me think.

Jim made this comment: “Rise and grind?? If you have to grind, you're doing it wrong! Rise, conquer and love what you do!”

I love this! Yes, I absolutely agree with a great work ethic and “the GRIND.” But I think this just nailed it on the head for me this morning and summed up some of my thoughts on passion and love in your work.

https://youtu.be/B_egGzFd1mM

You have to rise and plan. (Check out this prior episode of the FRONT titled, "Your First 30")

You must have a plan for progress throughout your day. What do you want to accomplish? What is your daily set of goals that will allow you to conquer your big goals? These things can turn what’s in your head and your heart into something you can wrap your hands around.

Many people just get up and go through the motions. People do what they feel necessary. They sometimes do what they feel they are held captive of. what they feel HAS to be done and not what they are passionate about.

Passion is powerful. Passion is so much more powerful a reason to accomplish a task, work, home life, anything – when you are passionate about something you become driven. Fire and passion ignite energy from inside people. Passion and love fuel people’s work ethic in the moment. Passion drives heart and allows people to accomplish more than they ever thought possible.

Think about this – if you have ever painted “the baby room.” Me personally, I am not a fan of house painting anyway. But I remember painting both of my kid’s room’s so vividly it is like I just completed the job yesterday. Regardless of how much I disliked the actual act of painting the baby was the driver… someone I hadn’t even met yet. There was a love and a passion to conquer the task.

Sometimes people see their “grind” as temporary. They just want to get it done and see the end result quicker. Gotta send more emails, work accounting, building a business, doing the small things that you don’t want to do but that you know must get done. There is a greater goal throughout. It’s bigger than what’s right in front of you, and if you view it as “the grind” you lose the fun, the passion, and the love.

The conquer part of the statement then come easy – because when you have that love and passion inside you about what you are doing. Whatever it is that you are doing is just about a guarantee. IT’s a pre-determined win.

So, I hope you have a great Sunday – NOW go and CONQUER today!

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Here are three success principles regarding, WHAT, WHO and HOW! Today in my episode I am covering these three principles of success:

What you know.
Who you know.
How you continue to grow!

https://youtu.be/Dwfa_3R0Vi4

These are definitely not the ONLY three principles that contribute to success, they are very strong ones. I think each of these principles contributes to one another. There is no first, second, third, they are all equally important to one another. If you have additional ideas for guiding principles that you use, please share those thoughts in the comments!

Thank you for reading, watching, or listening. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE to the YouTube channel here - http://www.LeadTheTeam.TV, give the video a "thumbs up" and make sure to share with your friends and on your social media.

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Welcome... to THE FRONT #50! It really is crazy to me how quickly time flies. I’ve been producing new episodes of “The FRONT” for over six months now! I get several questions that pop through my inbox with things like, “Wow! I loved the last show, but what exactly do you cover in other episodes?” – OR – “Good show! Where do you get the content?”

Let me give a little background - I started podcasting back in 2010. And I do it because it’s FUN! It’s a great way to get a message out and help others to grow and make an impact on people. IN 2010 and 2011 I recorded close to 80 episodes of my original podcast “RE-ignition” – That show was all about lighting your fire, getting re-motivated and fired up in sales. You can listen to past episodes through my blog here – http://www.leadtheteam.net/blog/category/re-ignition-podcast/ – on Libsyn or listen to the audio on YouTube.

One of the tough parts like so many online interactions – is you never really know who will connect with your content, or even who sees it. SO it really just becomes a labor of love and a release. For me, it is about doing something good. So, I figured today I would just go back… in my "wayback machine" and talk about some of the basics.

https://youtu.be/8I9h-cJwBas

The FRONT is about three primary subjects that are very near and dear to me. 1. Sales Training - This is heavily skewed towards the auto industry. It’s where I have lived now for the past 15 years. Though I have a background in sales for over 25 years. This includes strategies and real life things that will help salespeople in many different facets to make more sales. Sometimes it is simple in just reminding people to be themselves and tell the truth. 2. Motivational Content – Motivation is ultimately a need or want. People get motivated to take action and do things when they need or want something bad enough. For these shows, they just become a reminder to reach inside and drive yourself. 3. Leadership – I have been in a management role, by title, of some sort for over 25 years. Just by being there… has made me realize that there is more a need for managers or people in key roles in any organization to have real meaningful “people interaction” and to learn to lead others rather than try to manage them. You can manage peoples activities, you have to lead their heads and their hearts.

The FRONT is about being out in FRONT on these subjects. About doing more, and being more.

Thank you for reading, or watching, or listening. You are awesome!

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Working hard and having a good work ethic is greater than just dreams and desires. My wife was perusing the depth’s of the internet today and she saw this statement. “How do I sit in my bed for the rest of my life but also become a billionaire at the same time?” And I thought for a moment, wow… that would be great! I’d also like to become a billionaire in my pajama’s…

https://youtu.be/TNWxfSLp0TY

Now I know, that currently people are springing up all over the place with idea’s and products, and appear to be “overnight successes” – but, I can assure you, that for most, that is not the case. You have to actually put in work, you cannot just sit back and dream. I am constantly amazed by some things. One thing that amazes me today… the number of questions or inquiries on Google for people who want to become billionaires and do so in a short amount of time and preferably without any real action or work to achieve it. I understand that people want to dream big but here is a maybe harsh dose of reality.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. Someone somewhere is paying for that LUNCH! People generally do not become an overnight success. Not as we see it.

Take Gary Vaynerchuk for example, yes I’m a fan! Both his online and offline success is massive right now. Prior to 2005, he was just a dude busting his ass to grow the family wine business. And it took a ton of work. His online empire started out on Wine Library in 2006. His first book deal was 2009. 2009 Also marked the start of his empire at VaynerMedia. Then VaynerMedia took off. Here we are in 2017 and Gary still seems to be on the rise of his journey right now. Why, because he is real, and he works his ass off. It’s work ethic and providing value to people.

Overnight success averages something like 10 years of real work. Look up any person that you admire, or that you believe has a level of success that you are chasing… their story will be a lot longer than you think.

You want money, and success, you have to work for it. It doesn't come to you just because you want it to and you have this dream. Here's a simple formula to consider.....Work hard to provide value to others. Get paid for the value you produce and provide to people. Then spend less money along the way than what you make. Continue finding new ways to provide value and keep working hard!

Over time, you'll have wealth.

It's that simple. So many successful people, millionaires, and billionaires say that the key to their success – it’s taking that first step. So here’s the deal. That idea you have, start on it. Just go, learn everything you can about the subject, that thing that you are passionate about and begin. So go do it. Get started.

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These are my 3 keys to sales success! In the past week, I have been really living in my core. Sales and training. I have just been absorbed with training myself, re-training, getting involved with good books and videos. I really love these two things. They are deeply who I am. Sales has always been in my blood. I think it started when I was about six… and convinced my mom to drive to Denver (an hour away from us) so that I could get this new transforming robot toy – a GoBot. (Yeah if you don’t know what those are, they were before the transformers and way less cool than they are today.) That story is for another time… it’s just one of those things thinking back, that now, I feel I can pinpoint where I get some of the sales approach from. So fast forward to today… to become successful and excellent in sales and I mean sales of any product or service – I believe you need these three things. Note, these are not the ONLY three things you must master – I think these are key. I have mentioned these in past episodes, either individually or in combination with some other steps.

So let’s talk -

https://youtu.be/FzMGF8l-mxU

These are the three key things you have to manage: Attitude, Preparation, and Consistency. 1. Attitude – it’s your approach, how do you view things, your beliefs. It is reflected heavily in your behaviors. It’s easy for people on the outside to look and determine if your attitude is positive and good, or if and when it isn’t. Attitude is defined heavily by your self-talk. What are you saying to yourself – are you talking to yourself as a champion – or a loser? Be kind to yourself! Attitude defines your mental state. Attitude is displayed in many ways. It’s there in how you speak to other people. It’s in your body posture. Attitude will also help to define the action that you take – if you believe you can do anything – you will! 2. Preparation - How prepared are you for what is coming at you? Preparation is simple… it's just getting ready. And then being ready. Being prepared starts by defining your day. Writing activates downs – making and taking actions that are not yet necessary, but that you can see will be necessary to conduct business. Making sure you are ready as a person, making sure you know your product. And – make sure you are ready for the person that is coming to do business with you. The person or prospect that is coming to do business with you deserves that you are the expert and you are prepared to work with them. 3. Consistency – This is being WILLING to do many of the same things repeatedly until you can get the same or similar results. Consistency takes some grit and fortitude. Being consistent and doing the same things can get boring. (LINK TO CONSISTENCY TO SUCCESS)

All three of these things tie together Attitude, Preparation, and Consistency. Your attitude will weigh how well you prepare each day and will determine how well you can stay consistent. Your level of consistency will help in determining your volume of sales and therefore your attitude and then ties back to being prepared again the next day. So, for me, there is not one of these things that is more or less important – it’s a circle. Three simple keys to sales success! Thank you for reading, watching, or listening to this episode of THE FRONT!

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These are simple, not necessarily easy, sales call reminders and training. First, let me give a shout out to Leona Willener who is here in Colorado Springs and posted on LinkedIn this morning about Time Zones and B2B salespeople. (Leona’s post is right here)This was what got my creative juices flowing today and made me think… sometimes, we have to review just the real basics!

https://youtu.be/2-UoJcBR2Wc

Yes, I know it’s crazy today with texting, and social media messengers, emails, and so many methods of communication. I’m still a huge fan of the phone call. True. Like actually picking up the phone and calling, you know, “reaching out to touch someone.” (Maybe you’re not old enough for that … it was an old AT&T slogan or commercial) I personally think the phone call and the phone message are sometimes becoming a “lost art” including in sales. Because people want to continually be new and innovative and find new ways to reach their customer base. But, sometimes, the old ways come back into style. Just like clothing styles. So here are a few things to remember when you pick up the phone.

Before you have started the call. Be prepared. Care enough to do your research. About the person, about the situation that they are in, and even physically where they are at. You have to plan to be courteous and knowledgeable.
When you pick up the phone… dial with intention! What the heck does that even mean? It means be prepared that the person on the other end WILL answer and when they do, be prepared to present your product, set the appointment – in short, begin with the desired end result in mind.
SMILE! This is so important… because a smile will come through in the tone of your voice.

After these things then make sure and follow through and execute your communication. The biggest thing that you can do is simply do what you say you will. Follow through with what you and your prospect or customer discuss on the phone. No follow through and execution will surely mean no sale, or if the sale wasn’t the goal or outcome, it certainly will send the clear message that if you don’t care enough, the customer won’t care enough to have you communicate with them again. All of that is great, but, what if I don’t get them on the phone even though I intend to. Then … here it comes – leave a message. But not a crappy, “hey I was calling to check up if…” not that kind of message. People are so inundated with phone calls and messages yours has to be special and unique. If you come out of the gate and say who you are and where you’re from… DELETE You have to change it up. I was mentioning this thought to my wife, and she said, yeah, it’s like the grocery store… they move stuff around all the time because then you start to look different places, they have different point of sale material, so you impulse buy… YOU HAVE TO CHANGE IT UP! So here is a simple recipe for a voicemail.

Be over the top enthusiastic! And when you start – ONLY state your first name.
State the content and what you want them to do!
Leave your name again (Optionally leave your business)
Leave your phone number – TWICE, and let them know you accept text!

There you have it! Kind of a two for one training today! Thank you very much for reading, watching, or listening to this episode of THE FRONT!

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I have heard it said, that you are what you feed your mind. One of my favorite quotes, in fact, is by Napoleon Hill, and it says, “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

This is a repeated theory from the Bible –

Matthew 7:7 (NLT) “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

https://youtu.be/9gM-HHEfnvU

With all of the media we consume in our daily lives now, the default seems to be negative information feed. You MUST be deliberate in seeking out the positive. You must be deliberate in feeding your mind with inspiration, motivation, and training. The key word in that Bible verse. KEEP, as in keep going, to continue. There is a message about consistency! And, one problem in our current high-speed internet society is that right now since information IS so readily available… we want the answer immediately and if we can get answers that quickly… we want results in the same time frame. Results come through constant action, consistent action, it’s what happens over time. So here’s the deal – be deliberate and consistent in what you are seeking. In what you are consuming and training yourself on. Take a little piece of positive action in a direction that you want to go every day. When you start feeding your mind the right things, you’ll be blown away at how quickly things start to fall into place.

Here are a few simple things to look for when you are feeding your mind right. 1. If it makes you smile. Look for more things like that. 2. If the activity makes you think and question, become curious. That can lead to powerful learning 3. If the media you are tuned into evokes emotion. You know, positive emotions, like love, joy, interest, or pride – then consume more of that.

Those are really three simple keys to what goes into my daily learning. What sort of things do you like to feed your mind? Do you have a different method for what media or training you consume? As always... thank you for watching, listening and SUBSCRIBING!

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Giving Thanks. Happy Thanksgiving 2017! For many of people, Thanksgiving usually includes giant turkey and feasting, four-day weekends, football games, floats, family. And then of course… it’s finally the okay for Christmas music to be on the radio and Santa with his elves to adorn the local shops. Thanksgiving as a holiday tradition has been around for hundreds of years. And has been a recognized holiday celebrated in the US for decades.

https://youtu.be/seg8T4ypZn8

In the Bible, the meaning of thanksgiving reflected adoration, sacrifice, and praise. Thanksgiving was being grateful to God and an act of worship. It was not often that thanksgiving would be extended to a person or group or people. The thanks and praise is to God.

Chronicles 16:34 ~ Give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever.

Psalm 100:4 ~ Enter His gates with thanksgiving, And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him; bless His name. Take the time first to give thanks and praise God on this Thanksgiving day. And while I know that your meaning may be different, Thanksgiving has always remained rooted in gratitude. Gratitude for God, love, family, and friends. People gather in unity with others and celebrate. They give thanks for what they have. So let me encourage you on this Thanksgiving day, put away the electronics, turn off football for some time. Spend some time for yourself, in prayer. Talk… and listen. Enjoy company, enjoy the people, give thanks for those that are around you.

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This is a video recap from my trip to Las Vegas and The Rockstar Automotive Conference (#RACV) This auto conference was really a fun and phenomenal event! It is hosted by Mat Koenig and Chris Speer - and WOW - did they put on a show!

I hadn't attended the Rockstar Conference prior, so I went in not knowing 100% what to expect. Of course, like many conferences, they offered tangible, real-world tactics. There were sessions and speakers on SEO, SEM, Facebook, Sales Training, and all of the automotive fare you would expect. But, there was more than that. There were some amazing people with character that you could tell are guided by positive moral principles, that presented sessions.

The connections with the other people in attendance as well as the speakers were really genuine. For me, it was kind of like #AutomotiveHollywood, because there were so many awesome people I wanted to meet... and the Rockstar delivered.

So here we go, I managed to get this video recap to just under 20 minutes (even with the intro!)

(Watch the full video episode at http://www.LeadTheTeam.TV or the YouTube link below!

Thank you for watching! Please SHARE and SUBSCRIBE!

Mike

https://youtu.be/0OGSAP5dt6s

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Today we are talking about more than taking action... take inspirational action! Any time you take a class, or workshop, conference or training, most of the time, you will come back to your business life "FIRED UP"! But, when you return, it takes more than just fire to make an impact on your sales or your business. If there is no action taken... then nothing is going to change for you, your business, or the people around you. You will have to ask yourself a couple of questions and be deliberate about taking some specific actions. Act while you are fired up and inspired!

https://youtu.be/YIlyitwzNkI

What are you actually going to ACT ON, on your return? When you get back to your regular business life, what will you DO?
What connections are you going to deliberately maintain? Who are you going to take initiative to stay connected with? We all make great connections and friendships throughout our lives... Do your part to maintain them once you've made them!

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As always, thank you for your time in watching or listening! Please share the video or audio podcasts, SUBSCRIBE! I appreciate you! #MUCHLOVE

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I love fire, passion. I admire persistence. And I respect perseverance. There are so many amazing parallels in athletics, especially football, to business. For example, the work ethic involved. The overwhelming emotion and the continued pursuit of success and winning. You'll have to tune into the video or podcast for the full narrative today! But, let me leave you with a few definitions below.

https://youtu.be/ce6D_T2pUlY

Passion – A strong and barely controllable emotion.

Persistence - continuance in a course of action despite difficulty or opposition

Perseverance - steadfastness in doing something and achieving success.

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Did you learn something new? https://youtu.be/IwpTx5oT1Lg

I have talked often about learning. Learning being deliberate and definitive. Regularly we talk about having a teachable attitude or a growth mindset – but what does that really mean? Like specifically. You MUST keep the wonder – you MUST be open to learning new ideas about old tasks. One activity you may involve yourself in is to look back at the end of each day and ask yourself the question, “What did I deliberately work on learning today?” One fundamental key to learning is feedback. Feedback from the people that are supposed to be learning the subject matter and then fed back to the instructor, so that they can tell the quality or the teaching. In a recent blog this week, I talked heavily about mediocrity. And one of the ways to eliminate mediocrity: learn something new every day. Make yourself more valuable today than what you had to offer yesterday. Pick up a book, do some research, listen a little bit better when someone is speaking on a subject that you know nothing about – or worse, think you don’t have interest in. Then, when you ask that question at the end of the day, like literally at the end of the day. “What did I deliberately work on learning today?” You can provide yourself really good feedback for what you did learn, what you need to work on, and what you plan to do tomorrow.

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Get motivated and stay motivated with these five tips! When someone says, “Wow, that person is highly motivated!” We think of someone with limitless energy, and a positive attitude. But, how did they get that way? Where does the energy and the non-stop positivity come from? Motivation at its core is one of two things. Motivation is “need,” or motivation is “want.” Thus, when you NEED something bad enough, you get motivated. It creates high energy, positive attitude, laser-like focus, and more confidence. Likewise, when you WANT something badly enough, then the same or similar effects take place. https://youtu.be/m__MYEK-9uQ Here are 5 tips in 5 minutes to get motivated and stay motivated! 1. Define your want or need (WHY do you want or need this goal?) Some people say to find a “WHY” or at least a large enough “WHY.” 2. Write things down. Keep a list of notes. Write down and continue to evolve strategies 3. Focus on the goal every single day. Look at it, repeat it to yourself. Tell other people about it. And then, keep going until you hit it 4. RE-check your “WHY,” regularly. Make sure it’s still important to you. Check to see if it has evolved. Re-define and re-strategize. 5. Repeat.

That’s it. It’s simple. You can work through this simple process. This can be done for long and short-term goals or tasks. You could do it daily, weekly, a year, 5-year plan – whatever works best for you and how long you think the goal or goals will take to accomplish. Work through it and see how quickly your energy changes your outlook becomes more positive. And, as with anything, it’s not a one time deal. You must be consistent. When you are consistent watch how quickly things happen, or start to change! Thanks for joining me today for the FRONT! Reminder It’s every Wednesday and Sunday. Download This Episode Now! [subscribe2]

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When you decide that you want to improve. You MUST practice every… single… day. Consistent, everyday practice creates more stamina, a complete skill set and therefore confidence. Let me start this with a real-life event. My wife and I enjoy going to the gym together. Sometimes we work out on our own, sometimes we take classes. We have been out of the gym for about ten days, I could easily offer various excuses – but let’s just keep it simple and call it “life.” So when we show up today to do our normal kickboxing class – it was tough, really tough. Neither of us had the stamina we normally have. And for me without stamina, I lost desire, and on top of that, I think I probably put on a few pounds, IN TEN DAYS! – and let’s just say, fortunately, the instructor, or coach, is awesome, because if he wasn’t I likely wouldn’t have made it out the other side of 60 minutes.

https://youtu.be/dlH2kFDc_z4

This experience really made me realize how quickly we lose our basics, our simple skills, that we become accustomed to in everyday use. Not only does this apply to examples like the one I just gave, but in business as well. Many people, I’ll just say it, once they feel that they have “made it” – you know, they put in their 10,000 hours of deliberate practice… then they stop practicing, and practicing is often the thing that made them great and got them to where they are at in the first place. People that practice and maintain a learning mentality are the ones that excel the most. They see success, practice more, see more success, get results, you get the idea. I’m going to share with you 5 tactical things You Can Do To Practice that will help you to Learn and Improve! So here’s the deal – WRITE THESE DOWN (please)

Choose the right mentor(s). If you want to improve in an area, you must learn from people that are better than you are. While a lateral peer may have something to offer sometimes, you can’t get better from more of the same. But mostly you want to be deliberate about choosing people who are headed to where you want to go. People who are growing and learning, people who display excellence.
Show up. While “perfect practice” may be what you can walk through in your head, or a meditation, or watching another expert do the task. You MUST show up, physically, even when you don’t want to, including while you are still not as good as you want to be. Show up, excellence happens over time.
Consume The Right Data. Read books on the subject you want to improve on. Find relevant trade magazines. Watch videos. Google shit. Google is a magnificent learning tool. Listen to audiobooks on your business or subject. Take notes while you are doing these things. When you take the time to write things down they are more important and you will remember and recall better.
Be Observant. Being observant is different than just watching something. Observation means you are watching the action, but also watching the environment, listening, engaging ALL of your senses. Engaging the material as if everything in the material is significant. Being deliberate about your learning.
When you play, play to WIN. In sales for example. I appreciate building the relationship, looking at the long-term and repeat business. I’m all for that. When it comes to sales, I’m all for SELLING! Sell the product, that is what puts “points on the board…” your results! So you are not just showing up to be a resource and make a lot of great connections. You are there to produce a result. FOR EXAMPLE, You don’t want to just hop into the ring in a boxing match. That is a recipe for a pummeling. You show up as a competitor. So make work fun, and when it’s fun and playful, remember the end goal is to produce your result and get the win. Because when you are winning, that is fun.

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Get ready for some motivation! Say YES!!! As I have done an all video episode before, this episode of "The FRONT" is all audio. You can still "see" it on YouTube and also by checking out the Lead The Team Podcast Archive. This episode is all about the power of positive thinking! It is about the power of the word "YES." I originally did the audio podcast of this episode in 2010... wow how time flies. Even now this remains one of my personal favorites; and one of my most downloaded episodes, so I thought I would share it again today. YES = Yourself Eliminating Stoppage

There is an assignment in this episode, so watch all the way until the end!

https://youtu.be/hh-mb3Om4tg

There is so much power in spreading positivity! Eliminate the negative as much as you can! How are you speaking to yourself? Is it building you up or tearing you down? Make sure you execute on finding your inspiration and write down the assignment that I gave you! (If you didn't do it yet, now is the time!) Thank you for tuning in again to The FRONT! If you've gotten some value out of this, please "like" and share it with your friends! #SayYES

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Let’s face it, some days you are just not in it at 100%. There are days you either are hurt, sick, or just have an off-energy day and you don’t even want to show up to your business. These are the times that you must. Today is one of those days for me – I have a head cold. If you are on the other side of the screen or speakers, it doesn’t matter – what’s the message?

Here it goes.

https://youtu.be/vsaThEDmOGA

There is a rule in business that I have heard stated as: Performance = Ability X Motivation Therefore: Your Performance = Your Ability X Your Motivation (for the day) And: Your Team’s Performance = Their Ability X Your Motivation – WAIT WHAT? That’s right when you are in a leadership role. Your team's performance is amplified by your performance and motivation as a leader. It’s always amplified – it doesn’t matter what direction. It can be amplified for excellence, or amplified for crap. For example – if you catch a cold and have to call in sick, your team will catch pneumonia. (It’s a metaphor) And one by one, many people start following suit and calling in sick after you have. It’s the leadership ripple effect that I have mentioned before. During cold or flu season – if one person lets on that they have the crud… then whether it’s real and people get sick, or not, and they use it to take personal time – it always happens. So there are some days, regardless of how you feel, you must dress up in a smile and show up. Act as if. Act as if you feel okay if you are ready to be there, and as if everything is just fine. Because in leadership, your followers, your team is ALWAYS watching. I’m not asking you to BS your way through it every day, that wouldn’t be healthy. If you are not motivated every day in your role – find something else and go do it. I’m simply acknowledging that we all have “those days” and you have to power through them. And I’ll let you in on a secret, while everyone may show you sympathy, and they will genuinely be concerned. They ultimately don’t care, they are depending on your skills and performance, they are depending on your motivation and ultimately depending on your leadership. So you want to have a killer team environment, want more consistent wins and performance? Know that your team's performance rises and falls on your leadership. Make sure you show up, sometimes fake it until you make it – enhance and amplify your team by pushing yourself to stay motivated.

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It's true. Evolution and sacrifice are different things, but I imagine you know that. Let me explain the context...This episode came out of a conversation that my wife and I were having about a pop artist last night. While listening to the radio, I commented that, “(The artist) doesn’t know who she is, or who her audience is anymore.” And my wife agreed. We talked for a while about how people put into certain situations, will change for the moment, to fit in, or to gain popularity. Most of the time, the people on the outside can easily see that it’s not really who they are, and they become exposed. And then I got to thinking about that statement…life is about evolving and growing. My wife even said to me, well that person is in a different place than when they started. True, but is it the right place for them, is it a good place – neither of us can answer that question. It’s not our life; not our path.

https://youtu.be/WZYIxDGNZ1o

ev·o·lu·tion - the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form. And in the limelight – it’s way more complex I’m sure.

sac·ri·fice - give up (something important or valued) for the sake of other considerations. Problem is, that people sacrifice things all the time that shouldn’t be sacrificed. Then they find themselves frustrated and filled with sadness or despair – OR WORSE - Alone, because they sacrificed themselves quickly and for the moment. We all want to grow, and evolve and develop and improve. But, here is where I will caution you: You want to evolve, without sacrificing who you are in your core. You mustn’t give in to popularity and give up your character. Your mental state and your morals. Don’t lose your integrity, you know what right and wrong are, though to some this is subjective at times. This is your truth, which also makes up your moral fiber. Stay true to the core values. The core values of the person that you are, and who you are wanting to become. Values are your essence, they are made up of your character, and integrity, your emotional state, your attitude, your beliefs – it is YOU. When I am looking at these things, right now, in society, there are so many people that will sacrifice who they are - to be liked, or rich, or famous. The problem with that is when you throw in the towel on your values, you create inner turmoil. Your “heart” that knows all the things that you are. And your “head” that knows what you want, even if it’s temporary. It takes far more strength, in my opinion, to stay you, and honor who you are and who you are becoming than to become what others want you to be.

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What if I told you, that it’s okay to NOT have everyone like you. Historically many influential and now universally loved people were hated in their time. Jesus Christ, Abe Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., just to name a few. Jesus spent his life spreading the word of God, of love, hope, and understanding. The stories of Jesus and lessons in the Bible are wholesome, they are human and real and raw. AND because of his conviction, Jesus was feared, loathed and ultimately crucified, because at the time he was not loved by all. He was feared by those that feared change, by small minds. But, he was loved by a few that made a deep and lasting impact. That impact that is still spreading throughout the world today.

https://youtu.be/bF6pCwer468

We want everyone to like us. People by default crave interaction. People are social creatures, often, far more than they should be. And as social creatures, we seek approval. We seek appreciation and respect from the people around us. Especially those that we connect with, interact with and view as friends. Most of us wear our emotions on our sleeve, meaning we openly share probably sometimes over share what we are thinking and feeling. It’s the social media phenomenon we are experiencing right now. Seeking other peoples approval is a top social priority and a leading need right now. Everything we do is so public. Someone unfriends us… holy crap the world just might be over… and then we go and have to talk about it. We question first ourselves, did we say or do something wrong? Then we question the other people and their motives. Sometimes it doesn’t even have to do with like. Sometimes you have just outgrown people, or they’ve outgrown you. And that’s okay too, at least it means that people are growing. People who frequently seek the attention and praise of others are looking for an external validation of themselves. Stop investing so much in everyone else’s opinions and be satisfied with what YOU do. Be satisfied with who you are! And stop worrying about if everyone likes you or not. It doesn't matter. Be truly happy with yourself, people can take it or leave it. It won't change your character or who you are, just like you cannot change them.

When you stop worrying about others opinions, you will find your true friends. These are the people that stick with you no matter what, they are badasses, they SHOULD be your peers. After all, everyone needs approval - I do, you do, everyone. Just pick and choose wisely who your peers are because those are the people that will stretch and grow you. They will make you excellent.

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Building on Yesterday’s Performance and Getting Better Every Day! Today, I’m going to give you 10 actions or mindsets to aid you in continually upping your performance.

https://youtu.be/J4LF6NwryS8

Know this, your present conditions reflect decisions you have made in the past. So today, when you look back on yesterday – it was YOU that made the right decisions that garnered you the win and hit the goals you had for yourself at that time. Your decisions and actions today will be reflected in tomorrow’s outcomes. Whatever your best performance was yesterday, you’ve done it, you’ve achieved it. It’s not the BEST anymore. That doesn’t mean that it is an average performance for you, but you only get one BEST. Here is an example: If you put up a phenomenal performance, let’s say in sales. Say you sell 20 (or 30) cars. That is certainly an excellent job. While that may be your best performance now. It’s repeatable. If you invest the same activities, the same time, the same effort or energy, you should get the same or similar results.

#WIN Once you put points on the board and get what is considered a win, the most successful people up their game. They MUST, something inside them drives them. When the goal is achieved, high performers go after more. High achievers know that if they don’t… then they will become stagnant and just like a train pulling out of the station. It’s tough to get going again.

Here are my 10 keys to remember to building on yesterday’s performance: 1. Success is never as hard as you think it will be. The sooner you start, the sooner it happens. The biggest thing holding you back is just the fear. Fear of rejection, judgement, the unknown… JUST START. 2. (Success) Hitting your goal will never be as good as you think it will be. Often when you make it to the top of the mountain, you look around and say, “Is this all there is?” Enjoy the view for a bit, then climb another mountain, KEEP GOING! 3. Competition isn’t the real enemy of your success. You are. One of your continued goals should be to improve a little each day and strive to be better than yourself. The real testament of success if to improve on your own performance each day. 4. Who you WANT to be, your belief and vision will ALWAYS drive you from within. People that are competitors aren’t afraid to show emotion and allow it to steer them. They lead from their heart. When they feel it is right – they go there. 5. Setup and preparation is as important as your actions. You must have a plan to act on, and you must act on your plan. If you are in constant preparation mode, nothing may ever get done. If you are DOING things and taking action without a plan, many time things won’t get done correctly. So performance takes a little of each – preparation and action. 6. Time management is a farce. You cannot manage time, you can only manage the actions that you put into that time. When you look at it, there is really a lot you can accomplish in 5 or 10 minutes. Make 3 phones calls and connect with someone, make dinner, drive across town, write a blog, listen to an uplifting message. You just have to decide and then GO! 7. Get up early. There is a tremendous amount of success that happens in the hour before the sun comes up. 8. Stay up late. After the sun sets, there is a lot that can get done. Gary Vaynerchuk writes and talks about the accomplishments between 9 pm and 1 am. That is 4 hours a day. In 4 hours a day, 28 hours a week, you can build something massive, you can run an entire business! 9. Stay humble. Continue to show up for the love of the game. Show up to train and to learn. Show up for the win. Be mindful, you don’t have to brag or boast when you do win, yo

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How to keep going, and maintaining momentum! Inspiration came from my kickboxing class this morning. I had one of the gal's hollers at me, "COME ON MIKE, KEEP GOING!" My immediate reply was, "Just because I am not going as fast as you, does not mean I've stopped." I think that is so relevant and important to acknowledge in business, management, and leadership. It's okay for people to move at a different speed or take different approaches to get a task completed. You just don't want to allow them to stop or stagnate.

https://youtu.be/-kLe2iVsUqU

You want people to complete tasks, and you want them to complete them well. You also, want people that work for you to have an opportunity to grow at their pace. Just remember be a positive influence. Encourage people. Push them to keep going! Keep people moving forward, it's easier to keep them going than it is to get them started again from a complete stop!

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Today I am talking about effective learning and growth. When people are learning and growing, it makes them more valuable. More valuable to themselves in the form of self-confidence and self-worth and upgraded intra-personal skills. It makes them more valuable to their families, improves interpersonal skills and their relationships. And certainly, makes them more valuable in business, because when you are growing as an individual, and as a manager or a leader in an organization, it brings other people along that growth pattern with you - AND – helps the organization to grow!

https://youtu.be/MoDSZIQekfY

So, here are my 5 tips on learning effectively.

Know how you learn. Are you primarily - visual, auditory, kinesthetic. Do you learn better in a classroom, or by watching someone else? Do you learn with someone guiding you, and just going after it, taking action. These methods are all valuable. To be effective at teaching others, you must know what your areas of strength are and be an effective student first. You cannot teach what you don’t know, and it’s certainly more difficult to teach in a method that you are not good at.
Learn completely, versus learning everything you can as quickly as possible. Spaced reputation is a learning technique that means you study your subject matter and then take a break. You have to have time in between. There are many experts that state it takes 26 spaced repetitions to learn a skill. So for example: Learning a new sales process will take a new salesperson repeating the skill, 26 days or times in a row. There is that time gap, break and sleep in between. But, if practiced daily that is how over time you repeat the result that you want. You’ve heard the saying, “Nothing worth doing comes quickly and easily.” Knowledge and growth are valuable… so it’s going to take time to be effective and certainly to become an expert.
Teach yourself to ignore other people’s agendas and approval. If you are more worried about what other people think than what is the right thing for you right now, you may as well stop reading. Other people want to push their opinions and agendas on you to keep you at a similar level to what they are at. If you are growing and they are not, then they may realize it is a problem with themselves. They will openly share their agenda or disproval with you to try and keep you in an area that is comfortable for them. This may not be what is right for you!
Learn from mistakes. Your mistakes, other people’s mistakes. All mistakes have value and you can learn from them. The key is that when you make a mistake, acknowledge that it is a mistake – and DON’T REPEAT it! If you continue to repeat a mistake or to do something incorrectly, it’s no longer a mistake, it’s a choice. Study your mistakes, embrace them, and make certain that you perform the skill differently in the future if you want a different result.
Know that your brain changes over time. Scientific studies on the brain show that the human brain is constantly changing. New pathways are constantly created or recreated. As your brain changes, so does your mindset. Many things will change throughout your life, even the ways you learn and communicate. As you grow you can likely see the changes and upgrades you have made in your own life. You think differently in your 40’s versus in your teens. You think differently and learn as a single person, versus married. As a couple versus parents, your brain and yourself are constantly being recreated. Let it happen, embrace the constant of change for yourself.

As always, thank you for watching, reading or listening! Tune in each Wednesday and Sunday for new episodes of "The FRONT."

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