Many thanks to Micah Norris of https://king-rom.com/ for this guest post.

In a world that often celebrates extroversion, introverted leaders bring unique strengths to the table. Their ability to listen deeply and reflect thoughtfully can lead to more considered and impactful decision-making. Introverts often excel in creating environments where diverse ideas are valued and collaboration thrives. Introverted leaders can foster innovation and drive organizational success by embracing these qualities. Pursuing further education, such as a Master’s in Business Administration, can enhance these innate abilities, equipping introverts with the tools to navigate complex business landscapes.

Get to Know Your Strengths and Inclinations

Understanding your unique strengths and weaknesses is essential for developing an effective and authentic leadership style. As an introvert, you can harness your natural abilities, such as deep listening and thoughtful reflection, to enhance team dynamics and drive success. By recognizing these personal attributes, you can leverage your strengths to improve team performance and address areas for growth. Utilizing tools like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or StrengthsFinder can provide valuable insights into your capabilities, though it’s important to remember that these assessments are not infallible.

Harness Introverted Strengths for Leadership Success

In leadership, detailed planning is crucial for success, especially for introverts who can leverage their natural strengths in strategic thinking and preparation. By engaging in strategic planning, you can create a clear roadmap that aligns your organization with its long-term goals. This approach involves setting ambitious objectives and working backward to identify necessary steps. Such planning helps you overcome biases in decision-making and enables effective progress tracking, ensuring your team remains motivated and committed.

Up Your Educational Credentials

Advancing your education with a master’s degree can sharpen your business and leadership skills, opening doors to new career opportunities and greater professional influence. A Master’s in Business Administration equips you with skills in leadership, strategic planning, financial management, and data-driven decision-making to excel in diverse business environments (consider this option). Through coursework that challenges your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, you gain the confidence to navigate complex organizational challenges and drive meaningful change. Earning your degree online offers the flexibility to balance work, school, and personal commitments while still gaining the same high-quality education as traditional programs.

Use Empathy as a Strategic Asset

Embracing empathy within your organization can transform the workplace by fostering innovation and reducing employee turnover. By encouraging immersive experiences, such as shadowing frontline workers or engaging in customer support calls, you enable employees to understand diverse perspectives and challenges better. This approach enhances collaboration and idea exchange and helps resolve conflicts amicably, leading to significant cost savings. Supporting the creation and operation of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) focused on inclusivity further strengthens this empathetic culture.

Adopt an Inclusive Leadership Style

In today’s dynamic work environment, embracing a leadership style that values inclusivity and collaboration can significantly benefit introverted leaders. By appreciating diverse perspectives, you can leverage the natural tendency of introverts to seek and integrate varied viewpoints, fostering innovative and effective decision-making. This approach aligns with introverts’ thoughtful and measured communication style, enhancing team cohesion and trust. Creating spaces where different ideas and individuals can interact encourages a culture of openness and mutual respect, which is essential for organizational success.

Leverage Deep Listening

Introverted leaders can significantly enhance team collaboration and innovation by cultivating deep listening skills. This involves being fully present in conversations, setting aside distractions, and focusing intently on the speaker’s words and emotions. Such an approach demonstrates respect for your team members’ perspectives and ensures clear and effective communication, minimizing misunderstandings. As a leader, practicing active listening sets a powerful example for your team, encouraging everyone to engage in more meaningful and productive dialogues.

Connect with Team Members Individually

As an introvert, you have the potential to excel in leadership by focusing on one-on-one interactions to build meaningful connections. These personal engagements allow you to hone in on individual strengths and interests, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of diverse perspectives. By prioritizing face-to-face meetings over digital communication, you demonstrate genuine commitment and interest, which is crucial for building trust and reducing feelings of isolation. Investing time in these interactions enriches your relationships and enhances your ability to lead effectively by embracing differences and supporting others.

Introverted leaders have the potential to redefine leadership paradigms by embracing their unique strengths. They can cultivate environments that thrive on diversity and innovation by focusing on strategic planning, empathy, and deep listening. Investing in personal growth and education further empowers introverts to lead confidently and authentically. This journey not only enhances their leadership capabilities but also contributes

The Bottom Line Up Front

In this episode of the LIFE WORKS podcast, Dr. Lisa Koche discusses her integrative approach to health, emphasizing the importance of addressing underlying causes rather than just symptoms. She shares insights from her experience during the pandemic, highlighting the value of personal health responsibility, preventive measures, and critical thinking. Dr. Koche stresses the significance of community, self-care, and the power of natural remedies. The interview provides a holistic perspective on maintaining well-being and navigating health challenges in a post-pandemic world.

Time Stamps

[00:00:00] – Introduction

[00:01:00] – Historical Context

[00:02:00] – Global Uncertainty

[00:04:00] – Narrative Shifts

[00:05:00] – Inconsistencies in Messaging

[00:07:00] – Preventive Measures

[00:09:00] – Immune System Strength

[00:11:00] – Vaccine Observations

[00:13:00] – Cumulative Effects of Injections

[00:15:00] – Lessons Learned

[00:17:00] – Government Advice

[00:18:00] – Data and Research

[00:20:00] – Personal Research Approach

[00:21:00] – Self-Care Recommendations

[00:24:00] – Key Takeaways

About Dr. Lisa Koche

Dr. Lisa Koche is the Executive Director and a key figure at Spectra Wellness. She is a board-certified physician specializing in internal medicine and bariatrics. Dr. Koche is known for her integrative approach to medicine, blending traditional medical practices with functional and holistic treatments to provide comprehensive care for her patients.

Background and Qualifications

• Education: Dr. Koche received her medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine.
• Training: She completed her residency in internal medicine at Emory University and has additional training in functional medicine.
• Certifications: Dr. Koche is board-certified in internal medicine and bariatric medicine.

Dr. Koche’s professional focus includes:

• Functional and Integrative Medicine: She emphasizes a holistic approach to healthcare, focusing on the whole person rather than just symptoms.
• Preventive Care: Advocating for preventive measures and lifestyle modifications to maintain health and prevent disease.
• Patient Education: Empowering patients with knowledge and tools to take control of their health.
• Innovation: Staying at the forefront of medical advancements and incorporating new techniques and treatments into her practice.

Dr. Koche is an accomplished author and speaker, frequently sharing her insights on integrative medicine and wellness. She has been featured in various health and wellness publications and often speaks at conferences and seminars.

About Spectra Wellness

Overall, Spectra Wellness under Dr. Lisa Koche’s leadership is dedicated to offering patient-centered, integrative healthcare that combines the best of conventional and alternative medicine to support overall health and well-being.

Spectra Wellness is a health and wellness center located in Tampa, Florida, that focuses on a comprehensive and integrative approach to healthcare. The center provides a variety of services aimed at optimizing the health and well-being of its patients. These services include traditional medical treatments, functional medicine, nutritional counseling, and wellness programs that emphasize preventive care and holistic approaches.
Services Offered at Spectra Wellness

• Functional Medicine: A personalized approach to healthcare that focuses on identifying and addressing the root causes of disease.
• Nutritional Counseling: Guidance on proper nutrition and diet plans tailored to individual needs.
• IV Therapy: Intravenous therapies to support hydration, nutrient absorption, and detoxification.
• Bioidentical Hormone Therapy: Hormone replacement treatments using hormones that are chemically identical to those the human body produces.
• Weight Management Programs: Comprehensive plans for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.
• Anti-Aging Treatments: Therapies aimed at promoting longevity and addressing the signs of aging.
• Mental Health Services: Support for mental and emotional well-being, including stress management techniques.
• Advanced Diagnostic Testing: Utilization of cutting-edge tests to better understand patient health and guide treatment plans.

In this episode, I want to talk about why we need to give our best to those we love, specifically, I want to talk about how to make the transition from work to home in a really elegant way.

In this episode:

[00:00:19] Giving our best to those we love
[00:00:36] My Wife’s Mantra
[00:01:02] The Problem is…
[00:03:02] The Message we are Sending, The Example we are Setting
[00:05:04] The Solution
[00:05:44] My Mantra
[00:06:39] What do you think?
[00:06:50] Please subscribe, rate, like, or comment…better yet tell a friend!
[00:07:06] Our Sponsor

In a previous post Why we need a holiday from our screens, I talked about what we gain when we actually turn our screens off. I also talk about a number of alternatives to spending time on our screens. But what happens when the unthinkable happens – when we have no service or no battery life, and we have no choice but to switch off? What do we do then? In this this episode we consider some alternatives.

Scott Smith’s latest book, “The Emerging Kingdom” explores the relationship between money, the economy, and our personal well-being. It also explores the spiritual realm, free will, and how wildly off-track our opinions can be. It turns out we are running our technologically advanced economy on an outdated operating system. With the right upgrade, we have the potential to live in a new era of prosperity that few imagine possible today.

In this captivating interview:

[00:00:00] A revolutionary idea that will put more money in your pocket, and eliminate income tax [00:02:23] What is the Financial Freedom Act? [00:09:17] How Much are we Spending, Taxing, and Collecting?
[00:12:18] A New Source of Inflation
[00:15:06] Who stands to pay the most under the new tax arrangement?
[00:17:47] Who would be against this?
[00:19:10] The infrastructure is already in place to make the whole country wealthier
[00:21:06] The people who collect our taxes, would also administer basic income for all
[00:21:24] Doing Away with Welfare
[00:22:59] Who knows about this incredible secret?
[00:25:02] Would this idea get you killed?
[00:25:36] What can people do to support this idea?
[00:26:06] How long would this take to implement?
[00:26:38] Banking 2.0 and 0% Interest
[00:28:47] The Medici Family could do more in the 14th Century than we today due to Regulation
[00:32:22] The U.S. could be the financiers of the world
[00:33:16] The Farmer, The Hunter, and the Handyman
[00:36:23] We are our own worst enemy
[00:36:50] To be continued…

Scott Smith is an entrepreneur, author, and managing member of the C Squared Fund. He was an early pioneer in structured finance on Wall Street, originating the first mixed-property commercial mortgage conduit and securing a billion-dollar line of credit from DLJ. He developed the model for securitizing loans that became the cornerstone for mortgage-backed securities today. Scott also helped structure the financing for the first phase of President Nelson Mandela’s Redevelopment Program, which provided affordable housing for some 11,000 families near Soweto, South Africa, and paved the way to provide housing for many more families throughout the nation. While still in finance, Scott founded Kidz Magazine in 1995, an early example of user-generated content. The monthly publication invited students to submit content that ranged from stories and poems to puzzles and drawings. The publication grew from a local magazine to an international publication with an audience in the millions that spanned 30 nations. Scott’s work in education led him to co-found two Colorado charter schools, Summit Middle School and Peak-to-Peak Charter School, the latter of which is ranked among the top schools in the nation by Time Magazine and U.S. News & World Report. As an entrepreneur Scott is a co-founder of Massively Parallel Technologies and Fathym, as well as the founder of FinaTech. Massively Parallel is the developer of Blue Cheetah, a software platform that automates the analysis and modernization of legacy code, so it can be migrated to the cloud. Fathym is a low code/no code platform that enables the rapid development of enterprise IoT solutions for the cloud. Scott developed FinaTech’s Augmented ROI ® solution, which dramatically improves yields for investors in Private Equity funds.

The 3 Dirty Little Secrets of Failure was talk given by Mark Botros at  the Light the Fire Conference 2022, Sponsored by Proceed2Lead. For those  who actually read details, the dirty little secrets are:  

Dirty Little Secret #1: Failure is a frame not the whole movie 

Dirty Little Secret #2: The road to Success is paved with Failure …  among other things 

Dirty Little Secret #3: You may not embrace Failure, but the greats do   

To connect with Mark Botros: https://linktr.ee/markbotros

Kip Knight is in the top tier of marketing leaders in the world today. Kip’s amazing career spans decades in senior marketing and executive roles for Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, KFC, Taco Bell, eBay, and H&R Block. He’s even been a consultant to the Whitehouse. Today, he’s an operating partner with Thomvest, a Venture Capital firm in Silicon Valley. He is also the CEO and Founder of CMO Coaches, where he works with aspiring marketing leaders around the world.

Kip just released his latest book “Learn to Leap”- How Leaders Turn Risk into Opportunity. In this book, he talks about the many lessons he’s learned over the course of his illustrious career. Come and learn from one today’s leading marketing minds.

IN THIS FANTASTIC INTERVIEW:

[00:00:00] Welcome to the LIFE WORKS Podcast
[00:00:45] A Kidnapping
[00:04:09] Why Kip Wrote “Learn to Leap”
[00:06:20] Kip’s Best Lesson
[00:08:55] A Really Painful Lesson
[00:11:35] What saved Mark during his own tough time
[00:14:01] Kip Made ebay ebay
[00:15:14] Are there more good bosses or bad bosses out there?
[00:16:32] The Truly Great Managers
[00:17:17] The Questions Every Good Manager Asks Their People
[00:21:11] Humanizing the Manager-Employee Relationship
[00:22:18] How to Turn Risk Into Opportunity
[00:24:19] Kip’s Main Cause in Life
[00:25:28] What Kip is Most Concerned About For the World
[00:27:30] Kip’s Parting Advice to the World
[00:29:56] Your Moment of Zen
[00:32:30] Closing Calls to Action

BIO
Kip Knight is currently the Operating Partner at Thomvest Ventures (a $300M evergreen fund based in San Francisco). In addition, he’s the founder and CEO of CMO Coaches, which works with aspiring marketing leaders (www.cmocoaches.com). He is an independent board member with 5.11 Tactical and Netbase.com.

Kip started his career in marketing research at Burke Marketing Research in Cincinnati, Ohio. Over the past 40 years, he has worked in over 60 countries around the world. He spent 10 years in brand management at P&G. He worked for 10 years in PepsiCo’s international restaurant division in a variety of marketing and general management roles, including GM of North Latin America, as well as head of marketing for KFC International. Kip also served as Chief Marketing Officer for Taco Bell.

Kip worked at eBay, where he was vice-president of marketing for North America. He was also responsible for managing eBay Canada. He was the first head of international marketing as well as serving as Regional Vice President for eBay International for Latin America, Australia and Taiwan.
Kip served as president of H&R Block the world’s largest tax preparation company. He was also head of their international and ex-pat businesses.
He has been a featured speaker at numerous conferences, such as Business Week’s Global Brand Conference, the Association of National Advertisers Annual Conference, the Silicon Valley Technology Conference, the Global Innovation Summit in Dubai, The Economist Digital Forum, The American Marketing Association and HP’s Global Marketing Congress.

Kip is the founder of the USMCC (US Marketing Communication College) which has trained hundreds of diplomats at the US State Department on how to create effective communication strategies and programs. He’s the co-author of Crafting Persuasion: A Leader’s Handbook to Influence Minds and Change Behavior.

He earned his B.S. degree from LSU in marketing and his MBA from the University of Cincinnati. He is married and has two sons.

To connect with Kip Knight:

Websites: https://www.thomvest.com and https://www.cmocoaches.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kipknight/
Email: kipknight@gmail.com

To connect with Mark Botros:

https://markabotros.com
https://marble.app/markbotros

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/markbotros
Instagram: @markabotros
Twitter: @markbotros
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/
Email: mark@markabotros.com
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

What is an entrepreneur? An entrepreneur is someone who operates a business while taking on greater than normal financial risk – ok that’s the dictionary definition. An entrepreneur is also an artist who sees, gaps, opportunities and angles where other people simply see problems.

00:00 FULL INTERVIEW_Lessons in Wine, Life, and Business with Wine Mogul Chris Pearmund
00:07 Introduction
00:43 The Challenge of Making and Selling Wine
02:26 Chris’s brilliant marketing summary
03:51 Chris Pearmund’s Surprising Take on Entrepreneurship
06:43 What Chris gave up to be an entrepreneur
09:22 Does Chris Recommend Entrepreneurship to Everyone?
10:43 Finding “Gaps”
13:11 We are not in the Information Age, we are in the Decipher Age
14:06 Chris’s Closest Friends
14:26 Chris Greatest Life Lessons
14:38 What it takes to be wildly successful
17:40 How Chris learned fearlessness and confidence
18:54 Chris’s Final thoughts…How he wants to be remembered

Welcome to a very special edition of the LIFE WORKS podcast. We went on location to talk with wine mogul, Chris Pearmund at Pearmund Cellars Winery in Broad Run, Virginia.

Chris Pearmund – from as early as 7 years old, Chris always had an eye for seeing opportunities and solutions wherever he was. In his first business he turned an avocado tree in his back yard into a thriving enterprise – and that was just the start, he’s come a long way since that first Avocado tree. Today, he owns, manages, and consults with wineries across the country. In fact, he helped start nearly 20 wineries in Virginia alone. His headquarters is Pearmund Cellars, in Broad Run, VA, where we went on location to meet this incredible man.

If you thought you knew wine, life, or business – think again, because when your with one of the country’s leading wine masters there is so much more to learn — and Chris is just the man to teach us how to drink wine. Even if you don’t drink, don’t miss this incredibly fun and informative episode where we get into wine, life, business, and what it takes to be wildly successful.

R&B Star, Marcell Russell shares his incredibly pragmatic insights on Life, Business, Wealth, and Time.

Marcell Russell is a man of many many talents. A minister turned professional musician, Marcell experienced a meteoric rise in the music industry. Having written over 800 songs, he became the most awarded independent R&B artist in the city of Baltimore, Maryland –Getting critical acclaim from BET, The People’s Choice Awards, and ECHOES magazine, just to name a few. In fact, the music industry nicknamed him “The Voice” – and he was The Voice BEFORE it was a hit reality TV show. Today, he’s the CEO of a 50 person financial services firm. As a minister, musician, and entrepreneur, Marcell’s insights on life, wealth, and business are unique and worth listening to.

2020 sparked global conversations (and even protests) about race, police, and implicit bias. But it also shined a light on diversity, equity, and inclusion. And at the center of those conversations were black and minority communities.

As someone so embedded within the black community as a minister, musician, and today as CEO of a 50 person financial services firm, Marcell has an incredibly unique perspective that I think we all need to hear. You may think you’re “woke”, and you may think you already understand black culture — think again, because it is so much more.

TIME CUTS

00:10 Mark’s Opening question and Monologue
01:11 Is it a good time to be Black in America today?
02:53 The Flea and the Jar – The limits we place on ourselves
03:45 Two incidents
05:04 White Supremacy is Narcissism
05:55 Superiority over Melanin…Really
06:40 The Black Community is the 10th Wealthiest Nation in the World
07:15 Ignorance and Fear is passed down
08:53 You don’t have 24 hours in a
09:13 Why fathers matter
10:48 Wealth is lost within 2 generations
11:28 Take care of your own house first
12:54 Sentiment in the Black Community
16:10 2020 in the Black Community
16:29 I got pulled over 5-8 times per year
17:55 It’s not because you’re black
18:48 The real colors you need to worry about are not black and white
19:12 The positive things never get mentioned
20:04 White people are saying I’m sorry, and are asking, “what do you want me to do?”
21:11 What Marcell really thinks of Black Lives Matter (BLM)
21:44 Where is BLM’s money going?
23:27 I’m proud about what blacks are doing
24:17 Misconceptions about the black community
26:52 They clump groups together
27:50 Blaxploitation and efforts to undermine the Black Community
30:33 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives – a good idea?
33:14 The Victim Agenda
33:55 The New Slavery
34:20 A United Black Community – what would that look like?
35:43 Trends in the Black Community
37:04 Real Wealth
37:33 Takeaways from 2020
38:15 To be continued…

Connect with Marcell:

Instagram: @marcellthevoice

Connect with Mark Botros:

https://marble.app/markbotros

Music Credit:

• Theme: “Fond Memories” – SYBS
• Preview: “Lifelong” – Anno Domini Beats

Photo and Media Credit(s):

• Marcell Russell
• Oak Hill Music
• Teddy Douglas
• Alexandra Koch
• Bamner
• CityXcape
• Mikhail Nilov
• Ketut Subiyanto
• KIndel Media
• KoolShooters
• Los Muertos Crew
• Marco Allasio
• Michael Kuelbel
• Monstera
• RODNAE Productions
• Freepik
• Joseph Redfield
• Artem Podrez
• Joseph Eulo
• Engin Akyurt
• Baris Seref
• Cottonbro
• Diva Plavalaguna
• Tony Schnagl
• Kampus Production
• Anastasia Shuraeva
• August de Richelieu
• Purplehorse
• Vecteezy
• Pexels
• Terje Sollie
• Tima Miroshnichenko
• Flea Video Credit: Jaiden Nardella, Luke Corallo, and Les Horovitz

FULL VIDEO INTERVIEW LINK

Sheri Smith and I have known each other since college, and we actually worked together for several years while we were coming up professionally. She’s always impressed me as one of the smartest people I know. She’s done graduate work at Georgetown, she worked for Hillary Clinton for a time, and now she’s the founder and CEO of The Indigo Project, an education company that does extensive assessment and consulting work in the education space both at the high school level and college level. I wanted to have Sheri on the podcast for two reasons one because she’s a longtime friend and I’ve been wanting to catch up with her for years, and two because she has unique insight into the education system at large, and I think we all can agree that the education system needs to change, and I also think the pandemic showed the cracks and faults in the education system much more clearly. Sheri and her company have a unique approach to working within the education system to help change it from the inside out. Her method is unique, her perspective is hopeful, and her approach may be just what we need to change the education system from within. As kids and their parents are figuring out the new normal of education once again, this interview could not come at a better time. Interestingly oldest daughter took one of the indigo assessments for herself and found it to be mostly accurate and on point.

Now for those of you who are business leaders or you’ve already grown your children, you might be tempted to click away thinking this may not have anything to do with you. Quite the contrary actually. Assessments like the ones we’re about to discuss have relevance to everyone not just students. If you’re looking to unlock high performance from your team, this may be a compelling tool to consider regardless if you’re running a small start up or a Fortune 500 company. Self awareness is everything — it’s the key to humility, interpersonal relationships, effective leadership, growth and learning, and– top performance. For those in business, this interview will give you insight into the future of work – both the workforce and the kind of functions that is coming up now and in the next several years and decades.

After watching or listening to this episode you, if are interested in assessment services either for your high school or college student — or for yourself, or your company or business please reach out to me. I hope you enjoy the episode.

There is a 100% probability that you and I are going to face death one day. Our mortality is a fact we don’t like to face, and often do little to prepare for until it’s too late. In fact, caring.com did a study in 2021 and found that 67% of American adults don’t even have a will.

Mary Beth Simon was preparing to retire from a 31 year career at Vanguard when her friend, Sue was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Sue asked Mary Beth to help her husband navigate the beneficiary process if she didn’t survive. Sue eventually passed away, and Mary Beth spent 3 months working with Sue’s husband to recreate their entire financial landscape. You see, Sue managed the finances and investments, not her husband. The pain of watching her friend pass on, and the pain of putting the pieces together of an entire life made Mary Beth realize that we all need to do a better job empowering our loved ones and business partners to take over for us in our absence.

Don’t miss this incredibly important interview it could save your family and your business.

TIME JUMPS FOR THE BUSY AND OVER-COMMITTED

00:00 Mark’s personal true story, why this episode is so relevant
03:22 Two-thirds of all American adults don’t have a contingency plan and WHY
05:16 The price of not having a contingency or estate plan
05:25 What’s the price of them not doing it?
06:28 The benefits of having a contingency plan
08:00 The people who prepare – this is what they are like
08:57 The people who prepare – this is what they all have in common
09:28 The AWARE contingency planning framework for our personal lives
11:00 The COPE framework for business continuity
12:48 The complete everything checklist
14:08 Annual reviews – when to do them
14:29 Digital or physical storage
17:53 The largest obstacles for getting started…and finishing
19:13 The password book
20:28 The second in command – What qualities should they have?
22:05 The contingency plan in action – it really works
23:46 Resources Mary Beth offers free and otherwise
24:45 Your next three moves
26:39 Speed Round
31:48 The one secret of success
32:23 The greatest lesson from life and business
33:06 If Mary Beth could offer one bit of advice to the world
33:59 Mary Beth’s final thoughts
34:32 Where people can find and connect with Mary Beth online

To connect with Mary Beth:

Website: https://nichepartnershipconsulting.net
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-beth-simon-npc/
Email: mbs@nichepartnershipconsulting.net

To connect with Mark Botros:

https://linktr.ee/markbotros

Music Credit(s):

Intro and Outro: “Fond Memories” – SYBS

Photo and Media Credit(s):

• Mary Beth Simon
• Karolina Grabowska
• Pexels
• Pixabay
• Freak
• Pch.vector
• Dooder
• CityXcape
• Aghyad Najar
• Engin Akyurt
• Olia Danilevich
• Anastasia Shuraeva
• Kindel Media
• Yaroslav Shuraev
• Roman Odintsov
• Taryn Elliot
• SwissHumanity
• Ivan Khmelyuk
• Thirdman
• Mego-Studio

Attribution Links

Medical vector created by freepik – www.freepik.com
People vector created by pch.vector – www.freepik.com
Background vector created by dooder – www.freepik.com
Water photo created by mego-studio – www.freepik.com

Rich Jacques is in the top echelon of business leaders today. His incredible career spans decades and includes senior leadership roles at Belcan and Booz Allen Hamilton, where he spent 21 years. Today, he’s the Vice President of Intelligence and Law Enforcement at Noblis, a non-profit advisory company that specializes in cutting-edge science and technology solutions and independent research.

In 2020, Rich was named one of the Top 5 Executives in Intelligence Contracting by the Potomac Officers Club. And it’s no surprise, Rich is easily one of the most subtle, savvy, and intelligent leaders out there today.

Come and get an insider’s look at how the most savvy and sophisticated professionals think, act, lead, and move their careers and lives forward. Pull out your journal, and take good notes as we do a deep-dive into, “The Savvy Professional”.

TIME JUMP TO THE FUTURE OR THE PAST

00:00 Opening Teaser and Welcome
02:05 How do you define a savvy or sophisticated?
03:06 How Rich does savvy
03:42 Can you develop sophistication?
05:29 How much time do you spend planning and thinking ahead?
07:01 The pie chart of how Rich spends his time
08:21 Executive presence
10:29 An interesting phenomenon … senior people in management who really shouldn’t be there, how do you explain it?
12:17 How to become the influential voice in the room
13:22 Was confidence something that you always had, or did you have to develop it?
14:49 Where do you derive your confidence from?
15:38 A typical day for Rich
18:57 What are the things that have really propelled your career forward the most?
23:31 How important is someone’s network in helping them advance their career or business?
25:52 How do to keep up with folks in your network?
27:21 How to be a brilliant conversationalist
29:12 FUN! Speed round.
32:00 Rich’s one secret of success
32:14 What’s the greatest lesson learned
32:49 Rich’s one piece of advice to the world
35:37 Rich’s final thoughts, what he wants most in life

To connect with Rich:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquesconnected/

To connect with Mark Botros:

https://linktr.ee/markbotros

Music Credit(s):

Intro: Inception – Aakash Gandhi
Outro: “Don’t Turn Back” Silent Partner

Photo and Media Credit(s):

Adyligou
Anna Shvets
Artem Padres
Booz Allen Hamilton
Cottonbro
fauxels
José Alfredo Munguía Lira
Kelly Lacy
khonkangrua_Video
Miguel Á. Padriñán
MrColo
Nazar Matveichev
Noblis
Pexels
Pixabay
Polina Kovaleva
Prakasit Khuansuwan
Pressmaster
Rich Jacques
RODNAE Productions
Ron Lach
Sumoyut
Tiger Lily
Tom Fisk
Treedeo Footage
Vecteezy
Videezy
Videvo
Zen Chung

How You Know a Reward is a Good Reward

I’m a huge fan of productivity, but I’m an even bigger fan of giving yourself rewards when you’ve really earned them like overcoming procrastination and taking action on something you’ve been putting off. What follows is a list of ideas to reward yourself in a healthy, fun, and sustainable way. Admittedly, these are small rewards that have particular appeal to me personally. So what may be a reward to me, may be the complete opposite for you. The idea here is to help spark your own ideas for good self-rewards.

Before COVID, my daughters were both competitive swimmers. One day I was volunteering as a timer at one of their divisional swim meets. While standing in the lane getting more and more wet with every passing heat (i.e. a group of swimmers who are lining to compete for their race), I saw hundreds of kids line up to swim that day. There were two children in particular, both were the same age, both came from the same socio-economic strata, both had about the same athletic level, same team, same coach, and even had the same color hair. But there was a key difference in the two children.

From Colored School in the South to Bank President, Annella Metoyer’s story is compelling, inspiring, and full of hard-fought wisdom. Don’t miss this incredible interview!

Annella Metoyer came from humble beginnings. Starting out in a colored school, Annella didn’t quite fit in due to the color of her skin, yet when she transitioned to a white (or integrated) school, she didn’t quite fit in there either. She faced daily challenges, yet remained ever curious, determined, and driven. She rose through the ranks of the banking industry to become the city president of one today’s major banks.

Her inspiring story is found in her #1 best-selling book, “Dare to be the Change”.

Annella has a unique perspective on leadership, race, diversity, and what it takes to be successful. She says that every challenge carries within it the seeds of an advantage. She has devoted herself to sharing her story of adversity, of hope, and tackling the fear that often grips us. As a veteran of the business trenches she has a ton of life-changing insights to share. Don’t miss this incredible interview where we cover leadership, coaching, communication, motivation, influence, and confidence.

TIME WARPS FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO SEE THE FUTURE

00:00 Opening Teaser
02:41 Why Annella wrote Dare To Be The Change
03:21 How her grandson being bullied inspired Annella to write another book
05:41 Ten-year-old Annella leaves the colored school, but it doesn’t get better for her
07:50 Annella’s adversities growing up
09:16 How to turn adversity into your advantage
10:34 What kept Annella from becoming angry and bitter
11:30 Do you think that we have evolved as a society or do you think that we have a better veneer for racism in our country today?
13:01 How to become a bank president
15:22 What Annella did better than everyone else
17:33 The power of intentional brand identity
18:30 Annella’s father gives her sage advice
19:11 Complex challenges at the top, including turning around adversaries
22:51 The greatest lessons from 40 years in banking
24:15 Annella’s coaching method
26:08 Becoming the key voice in the room
30:41 How a person discovers their strengths to become that voice in the room
34:41 Taking someone to their next level
36:47 What is forward feed?
39:11 How to build that high performance teams at every level
44:17 What is feminine fear?
48:05 What are the root causes of fear?
48:39 Power sources and levels of power
51:00 One secret of Annella’s success
51:19 Annella’s one piece of advice to the world
51:28 Annella’s greatest lesson
52:30 What Annella wants most for her life

TAGS AND HASH-TAGS

leadership #race #diversity #bosses #success #inspiration #fear #advice #coaching #communication #motivation #influence #confidence #business #culture #teamwork #strengthsfinder #executivepresence #power #highperformer #highpotential

To connect with Annella:

Website: https://annellametoyer.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annellagmetoyer/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annella.metoyer
Twitter: @MetoyerAnnella
Insta: @annellametoyer

To connect with Mark Botros:

https://linktr.ee/markbotros

Music Credit:

Intro: Immortality – Aakash Gandhi
Outro: Don’t Turn Back – Silent Partner

Photo and Media Credit(s):

Anna Shvets
Annella Metoyer
Adaliton Batista
Cottonbro
Daniel Reche
Joao Jesus
Laterjay Photography
Markus Spiske
Maxim Antipov
Miriam Espacio
Paul Daley
Pavel Danilyuk
Pixabay.com
Pexels.com
Taryn Eliot
Tima Miroshnichenko
Tom Fisk
Tomislav Jakupec
U.S. National Park Service
Vlada Karpovich

George Randle is a former US Army Officer, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of The Talent War Group and Co-Author of “The Talent War”. With a 20 year career in talent acquisition George has hired over 80,000 people. He and his co-author say that many organizations are losing the war for talent, and because of that, they are not only losing their best people, but also competitive advantage, market share, and are in danger of going out of business. But they also say there is a solution, but only for those who are smart enough — to listen.

TIME JUMPS FOR THE BUSY AND POWERFUL

00:00 Opening Hook / Teaser Introduction
02:03 How The Talent War book came together
03:01 The problem they were trying to solve with The Talent War
03:18 I fell backwards into HR
04:15 You have to be masochistic to survive 20 years in talent acquisition
05:01 The secret thing businesses don’t know they are doing wrong when it comes to talent
06:36 The Talent Mindset, a core theme of The Talent War
07:17 This is how you know your organizations has a talent mindset
09:17 The problem is that people over-index on …
09:51 Organizations that are doing talent right and those that aren’t
11:50 The advice George gives for attracting and keeping talent
12:28 What top talent really wants
14:07 How important leadership is in the talent equation
14:49 George’s secret sauce in working with companies
19:04 80,000 hires later – how George reads a resume, and what he looks for
22:57 Is one type of resume better than another?
25:30 How George assesses for character / behaviors in an interview
29:15 What employers really care about when they look at your resume
31:40 Speed Round…and boy was this fun
37:19 George’s one secret of his success
38:07 George’s most important lesson
39:37 George’s one piece of advice to the world
40:59 What George wants most for his life
42:07 George’s final thoughts…the ecosystem

To connect with George:

Website: https://www.efoverwatch.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgelrandle/
Instagram: @g.randle

To connect with Mark Botros:

https://linktr.ee/markbotros

Music Credit

• Intro: Eyes of Glory – Aakash Gandhi
• Outro: Don’t Turn Around – Silent Partner

Photo and Media Credits*

• George Randle
• Mike Sarraille
• Mikael Blomkvist
• Pexels
• Talent War Group
• Lioncrest Publishing
• Ron Lach
• Edmond Dantes
• Cottonbro
• SebisSport Travel
• Twilightmoon
• Vecteezy
• Videezy

*Out of respect for the artists, we made a genuine attempt to appropriately source and cite all media used incur videos. Where an artist was unnamed, we simply cited the site where the item came from. If a piece of media was not sourced or cited appropriately, please let us know in a direct message, and we will be sure to add the appropriate credit.

This article is presented in partnership with Linda Chase, the Founder of AbleHire.org, whose mission is to help people with disabilities build rewarding, successful careers. AbleHire.org offers great resources for those with disabilities looking to advance their career and work life.

Few entrepreneurs achieve success in their first go-round. Most thriving businesses are run by people who have suffered several financial failures along the way. Though they can be devastating at the time, such setbacks can be opportunities to develop the grit, determination, and wisdom required to run a successful business long-term.

Here are a few practical tips courtesy of Mark Botros about how to recover from a financial setback and move your current or next business venture forward.

For insightful conversations about life, leadership, and business, listen to the LIFE WORKS Podcast!

Embrace and Analyze the Setback

One of the best things you can do for your career after a setback is to accept your mistakes. Sure, some of your circumstances can be drawn up to bad luck and other factors out of your control. But more than likely, you could have made better decisions somewhere along the way.

Embrace the failure. Then, thoroughly go through it and figure out how you could have done things differently. That way, you can truly learn from your mistakes and put yourself in a better position down the road.

Take Control of Your Finances

You also need to take whatever steps necessary to gain back control of your finances. This might mean coming up with a plan for tackling debt, revisiting your tax planning strategies, meeting with a financial advisor, and/or doing anything else that helps improve your current and future standing. This is critical, whether you’re trying to mend your current business or set the stage for a new one.

Look into Forming an LLC

Another part of bouncing back from failure is revisiting your business structure (or carefully deciding which one to go with for your next business). Though there are several options, many small business owners find that an LLC makes the most sense for them. Not only does forming an LLC require less paperwork and provide more flexibility than a corporation, but it offers many things that a sole proprietorship does not, such as personal asset protection and certain tax advantages. If you choose to go with an LLC, click here to learn more about the process.

Brainstorm

All successful businesses are started from an idea. If you’re looking to start a new business, and you’ve come to terms with and have analyzed your past setbacks, it’s time to start thinking up ideas for your next venture. Set aside some time where you can focus and get inspired, and jot down any thoughts or ideas that come to mind, even if they seem small and incomplete.

Research the Market

When you have a few (or one or two) ideas that you think could have potential, start researching. Look into the market to see if there is a demand for the product or service you’re considering — locally, nationally, and worldwide. See if any other companies are offering a similar product/service. Find out what other companies are doing to experience success. This will not only help you discern whether or not your business idea is viable; it will also help you to come up with a cohesive, comprehensive strategy for moving forward.

Failure is part of the entrepreneurial journey, and it’s where you’ll get much of the tenacity and maturity to help you in the long term. Embrace your setbacks, and analyze them so that you can learn from your mistakes. Take back control of your finances, and consider forming an LLC so that you will have a strong foundation moving forward. When you’re on solid footing again, start preparing for the future of your current business or next venture.

Are you interested in launching your own business? Consult Mark Botros and learn how to strike the balance between success and personal fulfillment. Start here.

Linda Chase created Able Hire to help people with disabilities build rewarding, successful careers. She hopes Able Hire will be a resource for people with disabilities seeking jobs and for hiring managers seeking a better understanding of what people with disabilities have to offer.

Maureen Kures spent 35 years as an oncology, hospice, and ICU nurse. This specialized work has given Maureen a unique perspective on life and death. She has seen first-hand the devastation that can happen when families aren’t prepared for death. So she decided to devote herself full time to helping families to prepare more proactively, and cope more positively with the transition of a loved one.

TIME CUTS FOR THE BUSY AND OVER-COMMITTED

01:54 COVID-19 and Western society’s attitude toward death
02:26 The hardest part about death
02:53 Misconceptions about death
03:21 What motivated Maureen to become and “end-of” Life Coach
04:51 The unprepared family
08:05 The big problem Maureen is trying to solve
08:20 A history lesson on death in our society…but today…
09:22 Some prompts to start conversations about end of life planning
10:54 The attitude of people who are dying
11:48 Maureen’s surprising call from her father
14:09 On his death bed one hospice patient shares his deepest regrets and fears
15:36 The regrets of the dying
16:28 A healthy grieving process
18:14 How the media presents death, and we need to see death
19:23 The benefits of having a plan, and actually talking about “end of life”
20:45 What is a Life Review?
21:54 How Maureen stays positive and hopeful in a career with so much death
23:17 How important is mindset / attitude as we go through a “negative” diagnosis prognosis?
24:09 Cultures that celebrate death in a healthy and beautiful way
25:07 Why it’s important to prepare for death
27:30 The biggest mistake families make when dealing with a sudden health crisis or death
30:29 Comfort for families with a hospitalized, COVID-infected family member
33:16 The good thing that has been overlooked in media coverage
34:18 The age it’s appropriate to start end-of-life planning
36:31 End-of-life Insurances
36:43 The Checklist – Getting our affairs in order
38:43 The value of having an “End-of” Life Coach
39:54 Speed Round
41:00 Why Regret is unnecessary
41:57 Maureen’s secret of her success, greatest lesson, one piece of advice for the world, and what she wants most for her life
43:33 Maureen’s final thoughts
45:19 Where to find Maureen Kures

TAGS AND HASH-TAGS

#death #dying #covid #preparation #regrets #life #lifeReview #lifeInsurance #radiantmourning #advice #culture #health #endofLife #celebrate #Celebration #LifeCelebration #GoOutWithABang #Healthcare #LessonsLearned #enlightenment #mistakes #benefits #hospice #cancer #crisis #peace #peacefultransition #lifeworks #beautifuldeath

To connect with Maureen:

Website: https://radiantmourning.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/radiant-mourning/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/radiantmourning

To connect with Mark Botros:

https://markabotros.com
Instagram: @markabotros
Twitter: @markbotros
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/
Email: mark@markabotros.com
The LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Music Credit:

• Intro: Ester Abrami, “No. 4 Piano Journey”
• Outro: Silent Partner, “Don’t Turn Back”

Photo and Media Credit(s):

• Cole Keister
• Matthias Groeneveld
• Tima Miroshnichenko
• Top Way
• Pexels

5 Ways to Develop Resilience for Tough Talks and Other Tough Things

One of my observations of our current society is that we have lost the sense of thick skin that I feel we used to have. There is such a heightened sense of political correctness and hypersensitivity, that we have created “safe spaces” and have new labels like “micro-aggression” to insulate us from what someone would have called “direct communication” just 5 or 10 years ago.

Joseph Jaffe is a serial entrepreneur, master provocateur, innovator, and author of 5 best-selling books including his latest, “Built to Suck”. He has been featured on CBS, ABC, Bloomberg, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Fortune, Newsweek, and many others. Joseph says that every company and even every industry sucks and is destined to fall. He says that the key to success is to SUCK LESS. He has a solution, but for those who are smart enough to listen. 

In this episode:

01:37 Joseph is the prophet of the coming Corpapocalypse
01:55 The 4 Horsemen of the Corpapocalypse
02:05 Joseph at 14 years old
03:55 Joseph’s dream as a child, and his epiphany
04:50 Joseph meets his heroes and idols
07:52 What younger Joseph would tell older Joseph of today
09:01 Joseph gets laid off…and it changed everything
10:33 Joseph gets laid off…again…but this time he was ready to pivot
12:38 The CoronaTV Story
18:18 Some of CoronaTV’s Guests
19:56 What Joseph has been learning from CoronaTV
21:34 Things that surprised Joseph from CoronaTV
24:24 Enjoy it time now, we may never have it again
24:57 Validation and true perception of reality
25:45 Are people really ready for Inclusivity, fairness, common threads, and adaptation?
26:50 Those who didn’t change during COVID
27:44 Why Joseph wrote “Built to Suck”
31:56 What about Apple, Google, Amazon, and Disney – are they inevitable?
33:44 The kiss of death for a company is…
34:16 The keys to thrival…they sound crazy
36:28 What companies can do to get a real sense of where they are
38:58 The key sign of the “point of no return”
40:11 Where is the “rot” in companies that suck? + How you sell this to all your stakeholders
42:20 Joseph’s biggest [unfounded] fear
43:22 “Speed Round”
45:35 Joseph’s formula for success
45:57 Joseph’s greatest lesson
46:54 Joseph’s dream for his life
48:10 Joseph’s final thoughts – make use of this time + the greatest piece of advice ever
49:34 An incredible insight about virtual connection
50:22 Where to find Joseph online

To connect with Joseph

Website: https://josephjaffe.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaffejuice/
You can also find Joseph on CoronaTV every day 2PM Eastern on LinkedIN

To connect with Mark Botros

https://markabotros.com
Instagram: @markabotros
Twitter: @markbotros
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/
Email: mark@markabotros.com
The LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Podcast Music Credit

“Don’t Turn Back” – Silent Partner
“The Awakening” – Patrick Patrikios

Photo / Media Credit

VICE News
Micah Williams

Mike Sarraille is an Ex-Navy Seal. George Randle is a Ex- US Army Officer. Together they are on a mission to take on one of today’s most critical issues in the workplace – the assessment, selection, development – and deployment of Talent. Drawing on decades of experience in the special forces and working with elite organizations, they outline the problem in their new book “The Talent War”. Mike and George say that many organizations are already losing this war, and as a result they are not only losing their best people, but losing competitive advantage, market share, and ultimately are in danger of going out of business. But they also say there is a solution for those who are willing to listen.

In this Interview:

02:03 An Ex-Navy Seal’s opinion on the Capitol Riots
04:45 What does it take to become a Navy seal?”
08:03 “Their hiring process is the most robust behavioral interview in the world, that no company can replicate “
08:46 “The training is designed to make sure everyone fails”
08:53 “There’s so many things the business world misses out on that they could learn from the military”
10:00 “The enemy get to vote much like your competition…”
11:16 Why Mike and George wrote the Talent War?
12:40 “oh no HR is a revenue generator”
13:24 The greatest force in the world
14:28 “we’re pretty damn good”
15:03 “Enterprise is the basis of our American democracy”
15:39 “America that’s pretty damn awesome”
15:46 what’s a special about Special Operations Forces?
16:19 “We’ve gotten very good at selecting people based on their potential, not industry experience”
18:21 The core attribute needed by every position
18:55 Talent Profiles
19:19 The surprising difference between industry and Special Operations hiring
21:02 Why does industry default to industry experience to select high performers?
22:23 This is the kind of person you want to hire
22:50 The Talent Mindset
23:53 Quality is more important than quantity
24:11 Yes, but will it scale at an enterprise level? The surprising answer
25:24 The thing every business leader wants, but is also wildly problematic
27:41 Hiring advice for every company and organization
28:40 Are you a Talent Magnet? Here’s the litmus test
30:05 When you make your people a priority this is what happens
30:19 How to change culture to adopt a Talent Mindset
30:30 A case study – Netflix vs. Enron (i.e., Netflix culture deck)
31:51 Your Talent is judging your culture too
32:20 Counterintuitive advice if you take a bad job with a bad culture
33:02 if you have a toxic culture that lacks ethics…you reap what you sew
33:43 Example of failed companies…even Amazon isn’t safe
34:45 Succession planning (industry vs. the military approaches)
37:20 “The military is the greatest leadership training program there is”
37:29 “MBA programs do not produce leaders, they produce business practitioners”
38:25 Hire for character and train for skill
41:00 IQ is not necessarily a predictor of high performance
45:50 Murder Boards and useful hiring pro-tips
48:17 A surprising, underused, and valuable approaches to behavioral interviewing
49:11 The problems with traditional hiring
51:02 What’s the next action after reading “The Talent War”
52:01 The war that can’t be won
52:34 Mike’s secret to his success
53:58 Mike’s greatest lesson
54:22 “run towards the sounds of gun fire”
55:39 Mike’s one piece of advice to the world
56:45 Where to connect with Mike

4 Steps To Start Your Week Even When You’re Not Ready

Have you ever felt the “Sunday Night Dread”? The “Sunday Night Dread” is a phrase I coined to express the feeling you get every Sunday night before going into work on Monday morning. It’s that feeling of not looking forward to what you’re going to face the next day.

Col. Tom Connally, is a retired United States Marine Corps officer; He’s the Founder and President of Connally Consulting; and the author of the breakthrough leadership book, “Becoming a Leader – A Roadmap for my Daughter and the Aspiring Leader”. In this episode he teaches us everything we need to know about being an effective and successful leader.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS INTERVIEW

01:22 Col. Tom’s Backstory
07:58 What is a leader vs what is a manager?
10:28 Overview of key concepts in the book, “Becoming a Leader”
12:38 The #1 thing you can for your people as a leader
14:23 “Chaplin” Connally
17:06 Leadership is an apprenticed vocation
17:37 How leaders build culture
17:57 Leadership is contextual
18:51 Personal Leadership – We need to lead ourselves first
21:43 Passions get you in a ditch real fast
22:44 You need more than goals – you need these as well
23:53 you can’t choose what kind of leader you need to be
25:54 Most battles are lost by commanders who give, not when they are beaten
27:28 When our will is strongest
28:52 What causes us to follow other people?
29:57 4 types of leaders (Competence and Character)
31:37 Are you supposed to be the leader?
33:04 Do bad leaders out number the good ones?
35:19 The misconceptions about Leadership
35:52 Can anyone lead?
37:47 How to change culture in an organization
42:28 What leaders need to give their people all the time
43:30 A Case Study in Culture Change: Deploying to Iraq
46:47 How to assess an organization to improve its performance and make it better
52:18 Why most leadership training is worthless
52:50 What our leaders need from US
54:44 Can anyone become a better leader at any point in their career, especially later?
55:31 Don’t sell the lawnmower
58:49 Where to find and connect with Col. Tom

To connect with Tom Connally

Website(s): https://connallyconsulting.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-connally-08488711/
Instagram: connally_consulting
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/247leadership

To connect with Mark

https://markabotros.com
Instagram: @markabotros
Twitter: @markbotros
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/
Email: mark@markabotros.com
The LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Podcast Music Credit

Track: Invincible
Artist: Aakash Ghandi
Used under YouTube License

Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQY
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories
Used under Creative Commons License

Photo Credit

Jordan Madrid

I think we can all agree that 2020 was an unexpected year on so many levels. We saw a once in a century global pandemic, we saw an economic collapse, where in the United States alone more than 33 Million jobs vanished within a matter of weeks, we saw George Floyd and the social justice protests and riots that came about as a result. In the midst of all that, we also lived through a highly contentious presidential election.

This year I really sought to make sense of all this for myself — and for you. So I decided to invite experts to talk to me, and what I’ve compiled are 10 of the lessons and takeaways from those interviews in 2020.

00:00 Intro
00:45 Lesson 10: How to Prevent Covid-19 (Dr. Lisa Koche)
02:28 Lesson 9: The Fountain of Youth (Olivia Sheldon)
03:57 Lesson 8: Never Ever Give Up (Andre Watson)
05:43 Lesson 7: Follow Your Curiosity (Lorraine Rise)
07:32 Lesson 6: An Exercise in Humility (Dr. Dan Hill)
08:48 Lesson 5: Suffering and Identity (Professor Myles Eldreth)
09:43 Lesson 4: How the Media Skews Reality (Dr. Victoria Romero)
11:43 Lesson 3: How to Turn Down the Social Media Volume (Bob Pearson)
12:31 Lesson 2: The Impediment to Confidence (Michael Hertz, Ph.D)
13:31 Lesson 1: A Life Well Lived (Katiusca Guzman, Esq.)

Did any of these resonate with you? Put it in the comments below. Were there more lessons? Absolutely, you bet there were. Over the holidays, I invite you to look into these interviews if you have some time. I promise you, they will not be a waste of your time. If you love to learn as much as I do check out the full interviews you won’t regret it.

To follow Mark

Instagram: @markabotros
Twitter: @markbotros
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/
Email: mark@markabotros.com
The LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Media Credits

• CDC
• Jon Sailer
• Kilian Figueras Torras
• Pixabay
• Pressmaaster
• Victor Varetto

Special Thanks To All Guests in 2020

• Dr. Lisa Koche
• Olivia Sheldon
• Andre Watson
• Lorraine Rise
• Dr. Dan Hill
• Prof. Myles Eldreth
• Dr. Victoria Romero
• Bob Pearson
• Michael Hertz, Ph.D
• Katiusca Guzman, Esq.
• Tim Clark, Ph.D
• Garry Golden
• Marti McEwean
• Walter Powell
• Dr. Marisela Martinez-Cola

Psychologically, why do we follow someone? In this interview, Dr. Victoria Romero helps us understand why and how we are persuaded and influenced, and what the psychological underpinnings are.

Dr. Victoria Romero is a researcher, consultant, and speaker in the areas of neuroscience and human behavior. She is the Chief Behavioral Scientist for CACI, where she focuses on using both social and data science to better understand information transfer and social influence.

IN THIS INTERVIEW

01:21 How Victoria got into her field
03:05 The intersection between marketing and national security
04:09 The psychological components of persuasion and influence
04:50 Categories
05:50 Types of ideas we encounter today
06:07 Generalization
06:58 Heuristics (aka Mental Shortcuts)
08:09 Car Accidents
09:09 How the news media really works, and how it doesn’t line up with reality at all
09:45 Fear of terrorist attacks vs. falling in your bath tub
10:26 Medical Errors vs Gun violence
11:34 Common biases (in and out groups)
14:06 You can’t get rid of biases
14:53 How we develop biases (the blank slate vs. the evolution of the ability to have biases)
16:40 Speaking and categorization
17:06 Emotion and influence and persuasion
18:24 How we actually make decisions
18:52 How to persuade purely on logic, reason, and thinking – but usually…
20:49 How we are persuaded emotionally
22:04 Does the brain buy into “fake news”? The answer will surprise you
23:50 The truth about fake news
24:41 The truth about memory in persuasion and influence (our own “fake news”)
28:42 Definition of Schemas (Mental Framework and Scripts; e.g., Restaurants and Political Parties)
31:57 Changing Schemas (e.g., perceptions of LGBTQ population over time)
33:41 Psychological identity
35:19 Individualism vs. collectivism
39:08 Moral foundations, values, and sacred values
47:06 Examples of highly effective persuasion and influence campaigns (e.g., Taking down the Marlboro Man)
48:00 If you want to make real change…
51:26 The Truth Campaign
53:10 How suggestible are you?
54:20 Age, suggestibility, and inhibition
56:00 You are more suggestible when…
56:34 How to think critically about information we encounter (“counter-heuristics”)
58:35 Have some grace with others, we’re more alike … in our brains
59:24 How to build a persuasion or influence campaign
1:02:00 Pro-Vaccination vs. Anti-vaccination
1:03:47 Victoria’s one secret of her success
1:05:04 Victoria’s greatest lesson
1:06:35 Victoria’s one piece of advice to the world
1:07:45 Victoria’s legacy

CONCEPTS TO GOOGLE

Heuristics
Biases
Availability Bias
In Groups / Out Groups
Cognitive Psychology
Confirmation Bias
Schemas
Individualism
Collectivism
Moral Foundation
Sacred Values
The Truth Campaign
Suggestibility
Tip of the tongue phenomenon

To connect with Dr. Victoria Romero

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriaromero/
Email: victoria.romero@caci.com

To connect with Mark Botros

https://markabotros.com
Instagram: @markabotros
Twitter: @markbotros
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/
Email: mark@markabotros.com
The LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Podcast Music Credit

Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQY
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories

Photo Credit

Todd Poirier

One of the most enjoyable aspects of my morning routine is daily meditation. The first documented practice of meditation dates as far back as 1500 BC. So it’s not a new fad, it’s an enduring ancient practice of pursuing inner peace, and its benefits are well-documented.

I had a fairly well-established morning routine, and as someone who measures the return on investment of time very carefully, I didn’t see the immediate value of meditation at first, but then I thought to try it to see how it would work for me, and I was amazed by what it did for me. Meditation did not produce any measurable scientific results, but what I got out of it was a greater sense of peace, stillness, and gratitude. I was also able to face the stress and the intensity of my daily life with greater ease, poise, and strength. I have come to depend on meditation for daily centering, and I feel the difference on the days that I don’t.

I’ve come to find that there is no right or wrong way to meditate. The key is that by the end, you feel more grateful, centered, and at peace than when you started. For me, meditation is about breathing and allowing my mind to go where it will within some straw-fences. Meditation experts say that I should probably clear my mind, but for someone like me whose mind is like New York City, I’ve let go of trying to shut down my mind but rather focus on several key items.

I’m someone who enjoys both structure and a little free play, so my meditation is a balance of structured thinking and mindful wandering. What I do for my own personal meditation is:

• Think about 3 things I am grateful for right now
• Think about who I am, and the best version of myself I want to become
• Think about what I want most for myself and my life
• Think about a moment where I recently felt overwhelmed by love or gratitude
• Concentrate on my breathing and heartbeat, and then allow myself to settle so I can sense my heartbeat pulsating in my hands.

And that where I typically finish my meditation.

Are you wondering how long all this takes? I set aside 8 minutes every day. That’s it. Remember, I want to do this daily so it has to be doable and sustainable. At an average of 8 minutes, it totally is. I’ve learned meditation doesn’t need to be a daily marathon, just a few minutes a day sets me on the right foot, and the long term effects on my mind, soul, and body can’t be measured. After all, how do you measure feeling centered, present, joyful, and at peace (well actually I’m working on a set of measures for those very things) If I’m honest, It helps me to be a better human being, and truly that is the outcome that truly matters.

After being diagnosed with leukemia at age 15, and struggling through a life time of devastating illnesses and diagnoses, Dr. Lisa’s journey through medicine has mirrored her own self-healing path. Today she is “younger” and healthier than ever before.

Dr. Lisa Koche is a triple board certified in Internal Medicine, Bariatrics, and Anti-Aging & Regenerative medicine. She is the medical director and founder of Spectra Wellness Solutions. She is also the Best selling author of the breakthrough book, “GET LIT”.

What’s in it for the Audience: We’re living in arguably and measurably one of the worst health crises in over 100 years. In this WOW interview, Dr. Lisa gives us real guidance and strategies for making our bodies, minds, souls, and spirits strong, healthy, and younger, so that we can actually thrive during this time instead of just surviving.

IN THIS INTERVIEW

01:34 Dr. Lisa’s Childhood leukemia and her journey through medicine
06:01` Dr. Lisa’s “road less traveled”
07:48 Dr. Lisa’s entry into Functional Medicine
10:16 Enter the “Witch Doctor”
13:53 Traditional medicine and the focus on symptoms vs. causes
15:37 The impact of insurance on real care
16:53 The success rate – 8000 patients says it all
17:07 People are smarter than big institutions give them credit for
18:12 COVID-19
19:47 Dr. Lisa’s cocktail for COVID-19 prevention
21:33 Other things we can do to help prevent COVID-19 and keep ourselves strong
24:21 Dr. Lisa’s calling to bring medical truth to the public
27:58 2.5 million views
29:17 Information, Misinformation, and Trusted Sources
33:02 What everyone needs to know about COVID-19
34:03 The “V” word
35:20 Working on the pathogen vs. working on the host
37:17 Dr. Lisa’s Book “GET LIT”
37:52 What GET LIT means and how to get there
38:36 Biohacking 101
41:47 “The perfect day” and optimal health routine
45:13 THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH
46:32 The Ketogenic Diet
49:25 The Human Diet
50:27 Keto for kids?
51:17 Doing Keto wrong
51:40 Keto long term
52:34 Intermittent fasting, benefits, and viability long term
55:04 Dr. Lisa’s one secret of success
55:29 Dr. Lisa’s greatest lesson
56:27 Dr. Lisa’s one piece of advice
56:41 What Dr. Lisa wants most for her life
57:04 Dr. Lisa’s final thoughts – live out loud
58:17 Where to connect with Dr. Lisa

CONCEPTS TO GOOGLE

• Functional Medicine
• COVID-19 prevention
• Vitamins
• Biohacking
• The Ketogenic Diet
• Intermittent Fasting

To follow Dr. Lisa Koche

Website(s): https://spectrawellness.com/
http://spectrawellness.com/keto-ish/
Instagram: @dr.lisakoche

To follow Mark

https://markabotros.com
Instagram: @markabotros
Twitter: @markbotros
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/
Email: mark@markabotros.com
The LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Podcast Music Credit

Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQY
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories

Photo Credit

Kristina V. | Unsplash.com

We all have a little bit of Stage Fright. Whether we are interviewing, introducing ourselves in a meeting, giving a big presentation, writing a blog post, or singing in front of hundreds or thousands, we all have a little bit of stage fright. Stage Fright expert, Marti MacEwan, defines stage fright, performance anxiety, and imposter syndrome; uncovers the source of those concepts, talks about what is actually happening biologically when we get stage fright, and offers a real solution for curing it.

Marti MacEwan is a licensed, professional counselor and coach who specializes in stage fright, performance anxiety, and fear of public speaking for people in business, the arts, the professions, politics, and academics. She is the author and creator of, “The Stage Fright Cure”

In This Interview

01:10 Marti discovers the source of her own struggle with Stage Fright
03:57 A key insight started it all (brain vs. body)
05:58 Definitions of Stage Fright, Performance Anxiety, and Imposter Syndrome
09:29 The source of Stage Fright, Performance Anxiety, and Imposter Syndrome
13:49 Getting out of stage fright is not just a cognitive decision process
14:36 The connections between perceptions of past experiences and stage fright
16:37 How the meaning of events change after you do “the work”
17:41 Why people have stage fright
18:17 What we carry with us over the years
19:08 Holographic plates and our perceptions
21:00 An example of someone who suffered from stage fright, and why
22:37 The good news is…
22:48 What is happening biologically when we have stage fright
29:32 “Cafeteria plates”
30:40 Why it’s important to overcome stage fright
33:30 Unimpeding energy
36:23 The benefit of getting over stage fright
37:41 The secret of this “cure”
38:40 The Rapid Relief Process Framework
41:22 How the Stage Fright Cure differs vastly from other stage fright solutions
42:24 4 aspects of getting over Stage Fright
45:30 An eye-opening take on “confidence”
49:30 A case study of a dramatic turnaround
51:51 How long does it take to get over Stage Fright?
54:15 Marti’s 1-2-3 success formula
56:58 Marti’s greatest lesson learned
57:40 Marti’s goal
58:18 How to connect with Marti

CONCEPTS AND RESOURCES TO GOOGLE

• The Stage Fright Cure
• Thought Field Therapy
• Dr. Roger Callahan
• The Rapid Relief Process
• Stage Fright
• Performance Anxiety
• Imposter Syndrome
• Amigdala
• Hippocampus
• Thalmus
• Pituitary Glands
• Adrenal Glands
• Cortisol
• Pre-Frontal Cortex
• Vagus Nerve
• Polyvagal System
• Sympathetic Nervous System
• Parasympathetic Nervous System
• Autonomic Nervous System
• Acupuncture System
• Meridians
• Chakras
• Auric Field

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

We live in the most connected time in our history. With mobile devices, search, mainstream and alternative media, social media, streaming, and gaming – people’s access to information, content, and news is unprecedented. In addition, the barrier to entry to create and publish content is perhaps the lowest it has ever been. However, it has become increasingly difficult for consumers of content (all of us) to distinguish trustworthy information from misinformation or disinformation. Bob Pearson helps us to understand what misinformation and disinformation is, how to identify it, techniques for thinking critically, and where to find reliable information.

GUEST BIO

Bob Pearson is an expert in the areas of communication, marketing, social and digital media, as well as current and future trends in all of those areas. He is the author of four books, including his latest, “Crafting Persuasion”. He currently serves as Senior Technology Advisor to the State Dept’s Global Engagement Center – whose mission is to help the Federal Government recognize, understand, expose, and counter foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation efforts aimed at undermining or influencing the policies, security, or stability of the United States, and its allies.

In this interview

00:59 What’s in it for me? / Why this interview? Why now? (Purpose of the interview)
01:56 About Bob Pearson
03:58 The definition of Disinformation
04:24 The major players in the disinformation space
04:58 The definition of Misinformation
05:30 Examples of Misinformation and Disinformation
07:07 The goals of Disinformation campaigns
08:35 Disinformation tactics
10:45 The 1, 9, 90 Model of Influence
12:14 The Disinformation landscape, and how “Disinformers” work
14:12 Is there Disinformation in the mainstream media?
15:19 How do we find reliable information?
17:08 How to architect an influence campaign
19:31 What Bob considers reliable information
21:41 How can we identify Disinformation?
23:19 What are deep fakes?
25:22 What social media platforms (Facebook, Google, Twitter, and Youtube) are doing to shut down Disinformation
27:46 How do we think critically about information?
31:27 A really sensitive question…freedom and censorship
33:23 Current and future trends playing out — we can actually fight Disinformation, here’s how…
34:53 The advice Bob gives to the U.S. Government about Disinformation
36:01 What we can actually do day-to-day to “Turn down the volume” Disinformation
37:00 One secret of Bob’s success
38:23 Bob’s greatest lesson in life and business – do good…today!
40:06 Bob’s one piece of advice to the world – we’re ALL the same…
41:27 What Bob wants most for his life – impacting as many lives as possible
42:50 Final thoughts – Influence, analytics, and continual learning
45:14 Where to find Bob Pearson online
45:53 A beautiful story

To connect with Bob

Website(s): nextpracticegroup.com
https://www.craftingpersuasion.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobpearson/
Twitter: @bobpearson1845

To connect with Mark

https://markabotros.com
Instagram: @markabotros
Twitter: @markbotros
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/
Email: mark@markabotros.com
The LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Podcast Music Credit

Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQY
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories

Photo Credit

Adnan Khan

Andre Watson’s story is incredible. It is a classic American Dream, rags-to-riches story that is full of broken dreams, tears, lonely park benches, betrayal, and tragedy. But it is also a story of redemption, re-commitment, and one where God, love, and persistence conquer all.

This interview is full of humor, depth, wisdom, and inspiration. If you want to see two close friends of 30+ years bantering about the important things in life, you are in for a treat. Don’t miss this interview.

GUEST BIO

Andre Watson is a Commercial Real Estate Broker, and Managing Director of KW Commercial in Philadelphia, PA. He specializes in investment sales on behalf of business owners and investors, He also consults with clients on commercial market evaluation, lease analysis, and contract negotiations.

In this interview

02:14 Andre’s humble beginnings
07:33 The High School Years
08:22 Early insecurities
09:00 Andre’s first dream for his life
10:25 The acting years
14:29 Why Andre got out of acting
15:21 The moment Andre decided to go into real estate
16:50 Low points, turning points, and defining moments
19:04 Andre walks out
21:03 Betrayal and tragedy
25:39 Andre’s formula for success
27:44 The drawbacks of colleges and universities
28:30 Recognize, identify, and pursue your skillset
29:38 The most important thing when it comes to being a success
30:23 Two of Andre’s great success traits
30:40 One of the best movie lines
31:13 Showing up and not giving up
31:44 Don’t care about how others define success
31:59 You don’t work you don’t eat
32:19 Get knocked down, get back up
32:22 What Abraham Lincoln and Mike Tyson have in common
32:45 Andre’s Happily Ever After
36:35 How Andre met the love of his life
38:15 Arranged marriages and the wisdom of parents
38:50 How marriage and parenthood changes you
40:40 The plight of single parents
41:16 Andre’s advice to his younger self
42:47 Coping with challenges
43:20 The ONLY thing you control completely
43:32 The greatest lesson learned, preparing for the end, and Fatih as the foundation of it all
46:12 What Andre wants most for his life
48:00 Final thoughts
48:15 Find your “one thing”, learn history, learning about the greatness of your society, the importance of your friendships, making peace with God
50:50 How to connect with Andre

To connect with Andre Watson

Websites: https://brevitas.com/u/andre-watson/yK5dh3K
http://www.kwcommercialglobalpartners.com/agent/BL2015-2530-1449543ccfb78bac5_Andre%2BWatson.html
http://www.crephilly.com/
https://www.crexi.com/profile/andre-watson-andrew
Blog: https://www.andrewatson.net/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andre-watson-13793a9/
Email: andre_watson@kw.com
Twitter: @BrokerDre

To connect with Mark Botros

https://markabotros.com
Instagram: @markabotros
Twitter: @markbotros
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/
Email: mark@markabotros.com
The LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Podcast Music Credit

Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQY
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories

Photo Credit

Andreas Weilguny
https://unsplash.com/@aweilguny

Dr. Timothy Clark is the Founder and CEO of LeaderFactor, a leadership consulting and training organization headquartered near Salt Lake City, Utah. He is an international authority in the fields of senior executive development, strategy acceleration, and organizational change. Dr. Clark earned a triple degree, as an All-American football player at Brigham Young University, he completed his doctorate in social science at Oxford, and was both a Fulbright and British Research Scholar. Dr. Clark is the author of five books on leadership, including his newest release, “The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation.”

In this AMAZING interview we cover the following:

01:11 Psychological Safety
02:15 The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety
05:11 Where The 4 Stages came from
06:00 The 4 Stages, Maslow, and other Needs-Based Psychological Models
07:25 Corporate Cautionary Tales – Companies that died…and why
08:25 How leaders can kill an organization
09:45 “The Fear Button” and what it does to an organization
10:45 “The Lubricating Oil of Collaboration”, The key to remaining competitive
11:14 Psychological Safety at scale and How to change culture in an organization
14:59 A positive example of superb corporate culture
16:22 “Project Aristotle” – What Google learned by studying 180 of their teams for 2 years
19:42 The best leaders in the world do this…
21:28 “Bowling lanes and Gutters”
23:00 The normalization of exploitation
24:09 How Millenials are transforming the workplace
25:06 The two forces driving the need for Psychological Safety
26:56 The limitations of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts
28:47 The perfect leader
35:58 The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety at home in the family
36:41 The goal of Parenthood
38:46 What The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety looks like in the family
39:35 Every 26 seconds…
40:12 The two aspects of the learning process
41:00 The value of teaching children about work ethic
41:49 Challenger Safety and the balance in raising Teenagers
44:20 The 4 Stages applied to our current times and environment
49:27 Tim’s advice regarding Leadership and Influence
51:10 One of Tim’s greatest lessons learned
52:06 Tim’s definition of success
53:05 Tim’s parting thought about leadership

CONCEPTS AND RESOURCES MENTIONED

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Psychologist, Carl Rogers
Herbert Simon
The 5 Principles of the Mars Corporation
“Project Aristotle” and the 5 Success Characteristics
Resources at LeaderFactor.com
Tim’s Latest Article on Forbes – How to Choose the Right Executive

To connect with Tim Clark:

https://www.leaderfactor.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothyrclark
Twitter: @timothyrclark

Photo Credit: Camylla Battani

Podcast Music Credit:

Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQY
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories

All of us are plagued by something that we don’t want to do, and we’ve been putting it off for some time. It may be starting a business, going back to school, pursuing a new certification, taking a compliance training, starting a workout regimen, re-organizing the garage or our personal space, balancing our checkbook, or maybe estate planning. Whatever it is, it is unsavory to us, but we also know it is important, and that’s why we’ve been putting it off. We know we need to do it. As a recovering procrastinator myself, these are the techniques I use personally to avoid relapse.

In this interview, I am on the other side of the microphone with Dave Brown (CEO, DSB Leadership Group) as my gracious host. In this Facebook LIVE interview, we talk about a variety of speaking-related topics including:  

• Overcoming speaker anxiety
• Crafting on-target messages 
• Speaking in the virtual world  
• …And much more

Time jumps (time cuts are approximate):

• 01:12 About Mark
• 04:23 WHY Mark started the LIFE WORKS Podcast
• 09:23 Mark’s greatest personal challenge with public speaking
• 10:33 Overcoming speaker anxiety
• 16:58 Really connecting with your audience…virtually
• 22:08 Crafting messages that resonate with every audience
• 24:40 Mark’s surprising and counterintuitive advice to all speakers (experienced and otherwise)
• 27:13 Q&A – The greatest issue/topic that we are all facing today
• 29:03 The societal need for dialog and expanding our thinking
• 29:53 How to contact Mark

Joining me today is my longtime friend and colleague Myles Eldreth, College Professor, and Senior Manager with Transunion. He is an absolute ROCKSTAR. In 2014, he was given the “Outstanding Service to the College” award by The Northern Virginia Community College Educational Foundation. In 2016, he was nominated for the George B. Vaughan Leadership award by the Virginia Community College System (VCCS).

He has a surprising blend of superpowers. By day he is a government contracts and compliance expert, and by night he teaches business, finance, economics, international affairs, management, accounting. He also is podcaster, career coach, and avid gardener. He is also one of the most astute observers of current events that I’ve ever known. You’ve heard of Futurists? Myles is the consummate Now-ist.

Purpose/Intention:

The world is going through a hard time right now, and and Myles shares experiences and observations for dealing with tough times in light of his own recent challenges.

In this interview, we cover the following (time cuts are approximate):

01:58 Myles shares about some of his own challenges over the last few years
06:39 How to get through hard times
11:50 The purpose of difficulty, pain, suffering, challenges, and hard times
15:02 The good in suffering
17:45 What we learn from challenges
20:34 How Myles absorbs and moves forward through challenges
22:20 (through 24:40) Myles shares an insight about how your identity changes when you go through difficulty
22:46 Sometimes you need to actively avoid certain emotional triggers – maybe even move away
24:40 The importance of personal responsibility and getting through hard times
25:00 Micro-decisions and their cumulative effect
25:35 …more on getting out of unhealthy patterns / habits / vices when we go through hard times
26:09 The current health, political, and social environment stems from a lack of empathy and personal responsibility
27:37 Why we go through hard times
29:15 The need to get help from others, and the consequences if we don’t
31:53 Myles shares more than one secret of success
34:34 The circle of Kharma
35:30 The greatest life lesson Myles has ever learned
38:00 Myles takes about what he wants most for his life
40:15 Myles one piece of advice to the world
43:10 How Myles wants to leave the world better
45:20 Your first job will not be your last
46:10 Myles final thoughts on digging further into what makes you truly happy, taking calculated risks, dopamine, and life’s positives

To connect with Myles:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/myles-eldreth-6063724/

To connect with Mark:

https://markabotros.com
Instagram: @markabotros
Twitter: @markbotros
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/
Email: mark@markabotros.com
The LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Podcast Music Credit:

Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQY
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories

Photo Credit: Chip Vincent

Joining me today Katiusca Polanco-Guzman – Attorney, Photographer, Artist, Spiritual Advisor, Life Coach, Social Media Personality, and Host of the Podcast, “Between These Stitches”. In this podcast we talk about personal reinvention, authenticity, self-reflection and confidence.

Why you want to tune into this podcast. In this interview, we cover the following (times are approximate):

• 03:04 Why people choose certain paths for their life, and how life paths happen
• 06:49 Why Kati decided to go to Law School
• 08:32 Why Kati left law to pursue the life of an artist
• 13:36 Why people want to reinvent themselves, and how to start that process
• 16:07 Why [self] Authenticity is so important
• 18:01 The balance of Authenticity and Compromise
• 19:54 Kati’s habit of self-work
• 20:57 How a person can become more self-aware
• 22:09 How to develop confidence and what gets in people’s way
• 24:03 Why Kati went all in on Fiber Arts
• 25:46 Why Kati started the “Between These Stitches” Podcast
• 26:30 The surprising racism, ageism, sexism, classism, and exclusivity in the Fiber Arts community
• 31:58 Kati’s secret to success
• 33:00 What Kati wants most for her life – Joy
• 34:13 Kati’s one piece of advice to the world
• 35:13 How Kati wants to leave the world better
• 35:49 Kati comes full circle and describes the pillars of confidence and reinvention
  

To connect with Kati:
www.betweenthesestitches.com
www.katiuscaguzman.com
Instagram: @betweenthesestitches

To connect with Mark:
https://markabotros.com
Instagram: @markabotros
Twitter: @markbotrosLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/Email: mark@markabotros.com
The LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Music Credit:
Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQYFree Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories

Photo Credits:
David Clode and Katiusca Guzman  

Joining me today is Olivia Sheldon Barnett, the CEO and Founder of Positive Energy Yoga. Olivia began her passion for fitness and health at an early age. At 15, she became a Black Belt in Karate and continued on her fitness path: teaching kickboxing, women’s self defense, and later starting Positive Energy Yoga®. She has been teaching for over twenty years.

You will benefit from this interview. We cover:

• Olivia’s observation about how people are doing in general
• How to remain positive even under the worst circumstances
• How to get centered every day
• Why morning and daily routines are so important
• How to develop a positive state of mind and a sense of confidence
• How small actions can add up to transformative effects
• The necessity of health as a foundation for success
• Why the “dailyness” of healthy habits is vital
• A major misconception people have about fitness and wellbeing
• Advice on food and eating
• How to tap into the “Fountain of Youth”
• A technique to help feel peaceful under any circumstances
• And much more…

About Olivia:

Olivia Sheldon Barnett began her passion for fitness and health at an early age. At 15, Olivia became a Black Belt in Karate and continued on her fitness passion path: teaching kickboxing, aerobics, women’s self defense classes, and working at a Cardiac Rehabilitation Center. She became certified in 1999 as a yoga teacher.

From her own experience and inspiration, Olivia created Positive Energy Yoga®. She has spent the last two decades teaching in the Washington D.C. area in corporate settings, gyms and to private clients. She specializes in catering to each individual’s unique needs and enjoys a playful, light-hearted approach to the practice.

After many injuries from years of wear and tear, and after receiving a diagnosis of hypermobility (explaining many aches and pains), Olivia transitioned to a new-found appreciation of fitness, health and yoga. Less is more. Balance is best.

Olivia’s Mantra: Humility. Integrity. Perseverance. Heal thyself. DO YOU! SHINE ON!

To contact Olivia:

www.positiveenergyyoga.com
oliviaPEY@yahoo.com
Find her on: Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn

To contact Mark:

https://markabotros.com
Instagram: @markabotros
Twitter: @markbotros
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/
Email: mark@markabotros.com
The LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Music Credit:

Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQY
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories

Photo Credit: Jesse Bowser

Tags:

#how #how to #people #yoga #peace #positive #confidence #centered #routine #yoga #energy #cumulativeeffect #detachment #health #wellness #gratitude #appreciation #habits #misconceptions #food #foodie #eating #diet #lifestyle #fitness #wellbeing #advice #fountainofyouth #covid #pandemic #stress

Joining us today is Rock Star Futurist, Educator, and Consultant, Garry Golden, CEO and Founder of Forward Elements Inc. He co-wrote the book, Designing Your Future,  as well as several white papers including the Future of the Social Web and the Future of Green as a Business Strategy. Garry is also an adjunct professor with the University of Houston Futures Studies program, and was Founding Editor of The Energy Roadmap.com. He also has been a guest analyst on the national radio show The Takeaway.
In this interview we talk about:

• Garry’s fascinating round the world adventure
• What a Futurist does 
• Common misconceptions about Futurists
• How a Futurist thinks
• The Futurist thought process, and how they look now, ahead, and draw conclusions on any given topic
• Different processes and frameworks for futuristic analysis
• How to know what or who is worth following
• The Futurist view of COVID 19, Healthcare, and Heath Insurance 
• Typical time horizon that a Futurist looks out
• What the world looks like in 2027 
• Emerging Technologies like Tik-Tok
• Advice to Policymakers around Futurism and Foresight
• How we as individuals or organizations can develop more innovative or futuristic / forward thinking?

#travel #future #futurist #futurism #thinking #perspective #foresight #forwardlooking #lookingahead #forwardthinking #conclusion #prediction #thought #following #covid19 #healthcare #healthinsurance #pandemic #world #tiktok #advice #leadership #government #policymakers #2027 #innovation #bigpicture #stardust

To contact Garry:
Web: www.garrygolden.com
Twitter: @garrygolden Email: garrygolden@gmail.com

To contact Mark:
https://markabotros.com
Instagram: @markabotros
Twitter: @markbotros
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/
Email: mark@markabotros.com
The LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Music Credit
Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQY Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories

Photo Credit
Canva.com

Joining me for today’s interview, “How to be Interesting…and Interested” is longtime friend, colleague, and one of the most interesting people I know – Dr. Michael Hertz. Michael is a Senior Leader with Progeny Systems, and co-founder of Empowering Haitians, a non-profit that seeks to create economic opportunity, social independence, self-sufficiency, and sustainability solutions in Haiti.

In this interview we cover:

• What makes a person interesting
• How to become interesting
• How to be interested
• How to work a room – even a virtual one
• How to develop confidence
• The greatest impediment to confidence
• Secrets to a success work and personal life

Resources

A few resources (among many) for expanding your worldview to become a more informed / interesting / interested / person:

• NY Times
• Washington Post
• Reddit.com
• Fool.com
• Gizmodo.com
• BGR.com
• theweek.com
• Travelzoo.com
• Google travel
• http://historical-sites.find-near-me.info/
• thoughtco.com/
• getpocket.com
• ceoexpress.com

Tags

#howto #interesting #interested #confidence #leadership #workaroom #zoom #success #personal #lifeadvice #advice #wisdom #travel #covid19 #covid-19 #pandemic

Music Credit

Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQY
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories

Photo Credit

Lucas Sankey

In this final interview excerpt, we cover how to survive a police encounter in order to “fight another day.”

Joining me for this timely and very important interview is long time friend and colleague, Walter Powell is a Security Guru, and Former 20-year Police Officer.

Walter grew up in the first generation following the civil rights era, and spent 20 years of his career as a police officer. In this day and age, where the world is desperate for context, common sense, and critical thinking, he is uniquely qualified to offer an intelligent perspective on race, police, and what people can do as individuals to become more awake, aware, and enlightened about a variety of issues.

See the full length interview

where we cover:

• What drove him into law enforcement
• Black culture
• How to avoid resentment in the face of racism
• What he has taught his children about this society
• An insider look of what it’s like to be a black police officer
• Why black communities in particular are targeted
• Combatting Bias
• The power of being NICE and Respectful
• Predictions on the Future of Police Departments
• Defunding Police
• Can we end Racism?
• Why social movements are so important
• Balancing Crisis and Recovery

Music Credit

Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQY
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories

Joining me for this timely and very important interview is long time friend and colleague, Walter Powell is a Security Guru, and Former 20-year Police Officer. He grew up in the first generation following the civil rights era, and spent 20 years of his career as a police officer. In this day and age, where the world is desperate for context, common sense, and critical thinking, he is uniquely qualified to offer an intelligent perspective on race, police, and what people can do as individuals to become more awake, aware, and enlightened about a variety of issues.

In this interview excerpt we cover a forensic police view of the George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks cases.

See the full length interview

where we cover:

• What drove him into law enforcement
• Black culture
• How to avoid resentment in the face of racism
• What he has taught his children about this society
• An insider look of what it’s like to be a black police officer
• Why black communities in particular are targeted
• Combatting Bias
• The power of being NICE and Respectful
• Predictions on the Future of Police Departments
• Defunding Police
• Can we end Racism?
• Why social movements are so important
• Balancing Crisis and Recovery

Music Credit

Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQY
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories

Joining me for this timely and very important interview is long time friend and colleague, Walter Powell is a Security Guru, and Former 20-year Police Officer. He grew up in the first generation following the civil rights era, and spent 20 years of his career as a police officer. In this day and age, where the world is desperate for context, common sense, and critical thinking, he is uniquely qualified to offer an intelligent perspective on race, police, and what people can do as individuals to become more awake, aware, and enlightened about a variety of issues. In this interview excerpt, Walter covers why he became a police officer.  https://youtu.be/FljC7-1N918

See the full length interview

where we cover:

• What drove him into law enforcement
• Black culture
• How to avoid resentment in the face of racism
• What he has taught his children about this society
• An insider look of what it’s like to be a black police officer
• Why black communities in particular are targeted
• Combatting Bias
• The power of being NICE and Respectful
• Predictions on the Future of Police Departments
• Defunding Police
• Can we end Racism?
• Why social movements are so important
• Balancing Crisis and Recovery

Music Credit

Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQY
Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories