Creative Warriors

RuPaul once said, "We're all born naked. The rest of life is drag." Everything we put on the outside, from our clothes to a fake smile, is a facade. Find out how not wearing pants in these days of working at home and Zoom calls can help your career. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to

People change fast. So, marketing has to, also.  As we take this time to evaluate what’s working in our businesses and what’s not we should also be taking a moment to truly understand what works now that might be different from what was working previously.Whether it’s natural shifts in customer-centric marketing, or the shift to digital business due to the pandemic, things are always changing. So as things like live videos emerge as the new top marketing trend, it is important to always question: is what you’re doing actually working? Before jumping in to go with the flow, think about what your customer wants. How do they want to be seen? How can they see themselves best in your messaging?  To break this down further I’ve brought on Founder of Think Media Consulting, Shahla Hebets. Shahla has over two decades of experience developing digital marketing strategies for Fortune 500 companies to small businesses. Shahla’s company Think Media Consulting focuses on helping wellness and lifestyle brands grow. She

In today's fast and ever-changing world, ten, five, even one-year plans may completely ineffective. Remember when we all made plans for how 2020 was going to be the year for clear vision and making big leaps forward? How did that work out? Find out how to create in the moment, follow what's unfolding and build your greatest success. You'll also hear how you are uniquely qualified for this. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you

Regardless of what stage of business you are in, it is important to understand how you are positioned if something unplanned were to happen. A crisis- such as pandemic- forces business to roll out their contingency plans, pivot their trajectories, and make some really hard decisions. Times like this can make any business, big or small, feel like a startup navigating a vast ocean. The Titanic was “The Unsinkable Ship.” And like the Titanic, many startups are driven by their ego, rushing to market and set sail before they are ready. But you don’t have to be a startup to fail. And you certainly don’t have to fail just because we’re in a global crisis. Startup or not, it’s all about preparation. To unpack the lessons we Warriors can learn from the Titanic, I’ve brought on two award-winning business school professors and the authors of The The Titanic Effect: Successfully Navigating the Uncertainties that Sink Most Startups Dr. Kim Saxton has over thirty years of marketing and market-research experience, worki

There's a lot to consider as states and towns start to reopen businesses after having been locked down for two months. Of course, you need to follow your state and local regulations. But as always, I'm more interested in the human side of doing business than regulations. In this episode, I share an email I received, my response and some ideas to reopen your business in the most considerate way possible. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I

We are in the midst of one of the most challenging times in world history. But if we’ve learned anything from history, we’ve learned that a crisis has always proven to be a great time for innovation. During difficult times people’s needs shift, which opens up all kinds of new opportunities for innovators to solve new problems. We often think that coming up with an innovation is simply coming up with a new idea. The reality is that innovation is not only an idea, but one that solves a problem and creates real value. The bigger challenge, however, is convincing people to embrace something new and different from what they know. And when people’s sense of normalcy has been challenged, they are often more willing to embrace new ideas. To dive deeper into the innovator mindset, I’ve brought on author and Innovator-in-Residence at Marquette University, Chuck Swoboda. Chuck is the President of Cape Point Advisors and retired Chairman and CEO of Cree, Inc., which led the LED lighting revolution. He has over 30 year

With practically the whole world going virtual overnight, it brings up a lot of questions. For me, one of the big questions is "can it be personal?" To me, it is emphatically a YES and maybe even more so than in person. I offer a few reasons and examples of why. In the end, it's just another form of communication and offers expanded opportunities if we embrace it. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. F

I’m very excited to bring you a special and extremely important episode today. Many small business owners are going through a very difficult time. We are worried about our own lives as well as those we serve. We Creative Warriors have heart, perseverance, and most importantly, grit. Additionally, the powerful financial influence we have on the economy is undeniable. So, now is the time for our voices to be heard. Having been self-employed for practically my whole life, it is extremely important to me that I do whatever I possibly can to keep the small business community strong and thriving. With these uncertain times, it is important we take the action needed to explore what can be done for our future- both as individual small business owners and as a powerful community. Often we Warriors hesitate to ask for help. Now is not the time. There are resources to guide us and give us what we need to explore our futures. We have to know- and demand- that we are taken care of, because we are an integral piece of th

With all that's going on in the world, it's never been more important that the distinction be clear between being a small business and being self-employed. This is why I'm so excited that the next episode on Creative Warriors is with Keith Hall, President and CEO of the National Association for the Self-Employed (NASE). In this episode, I share some preliminary thoughts about the conversation. If you're self-employed, this is the beginning of change for you. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your

We Warriors often try to fix everything that’s going awry in our business all at once. But we often don’t notice that there’s one specific thing that we keep banging our heads up against. Most of the time there is one particular core issue that needs to be fixed before anything else can and should be addressed. And everyone knows, I love a good system.   So, rather than bouncing around trying to fix things based on emotions, what we need is a reliable system to help us figure out what it is that truly needs to be fixed next in our business. Entrepreneurs might fear the term “going under” but sometimes all that is is taking a deep dive into your business’ pyramid of needs and tightening up those base levels before resurfacing at the top.  To help identify our most vital needs I’ve brought back my good friend and one of my favorite authors, Mike Michalowicz.  Mike is the author of Profit First, Clockwork, Surge, The Pumpkin Plan, and his newest release Fix This Next. By his 35th birthday, Mike had founded a

This pandemic is like computer ram running in the background. Always there, spinning, exhausting. I don't want to make any assumptions that you feel that way, but if you're like me, you do. And I've heard that from many others. I personally have content fatigue. Tired of creating it and tired of receiving it. So we decided to offer you something very different. I asked my friend, Brant Menswar and his band Big Kettle Drum to perform three of their most uplifting songs. If you need to be held up a little right now, these songs are sure to do it! Enjoy! The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Brant and Big Kettle Drum - Brant's Website Big Kettle Drum Website Brant's Book- Black Sheep Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Yo

Everyone knows I’m always looking for new ways of leveraging my expertise. Creatives often believe that the way to becoming well known in an industry is to start with creativity and then strategize around that. But what if we have it backwards? What if first we start with the science behind success and then apply the craft?  Personally, I’m great at creating content but terrible at sharing it. I’ve been open about my resistance to things like SEO and social media. But now is a great time to break those mindset blocks. Let’s begin to reframe our limiting beliefs as liberating truths. I truly want every single one of you heart-centered Creative Warriors to have the tools to step into the light and become well known in all the wonderful things you do. So that’s what I’m hoping my guest today will help with. Michael Stelzner is the founder of Social Media Examiner, author of the books Launch and Writing White Papers, and the man behind Social Media Marketing World–the industry’s largest conference. He’s also h

What could be better than sitting down with a fellow Warrior who is exceptionally grounded in wisdom who also harbors the unique ability to be an amazing business strategist? It's exactly what we need at this time. To stay present and prepare for a whole new world. Thrilled to share the Talking Stick with Pamela Slim. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Pamela - Website Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple

The advancement of technology and AI can be a touchy subject for some. However, I love digging into it because I feel it is important - especially now- to find peace with technology and get on the right side of the AI movement. I always want to encourage all the Creative Warriors out there to take advantage of the incredible technology we have at our fingertips. Understanding the realities, benefits, and direction of the tech movement could make the difference between scaling a business and being left in the dirt. How might technology make your time scalable? What does it mean for small businesses and how can they stay ahead of the curve? To break down why we shouldn’t fear technology I’ve brought on speaker, consultant, and author specializing in tech-driven people power, Rhonda Scharf. For over 25 years, Rhonda has helped companies and individuals get on the right track and improve their productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency. She’s conducted more than 2,500 training workshops and seminars for Fort

Could there be a less obvious opportunity for you in this crisis? An opportunity to stand out, show up, be in service and be remembered? I think there may be and I explore this opportunity in this episode. It's just a gut feeling and observation and only time will tell. But whether my theory is right or not, the worst-case scenario is it will give you hope.  The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill ou

The greatest gift we’ve been given during this pandemic is the gift of time. Why not use this time then to hone in on developing specific skills, update our materials, and set ourselves up for coming out of this as prepared as ever? For those of us who provide services, this is the perfect time to reframe how we think about selling. How do you want to be perceived as a seller? So often sellers think it’s better to provide our customers with a lot of choices. The truth is that most of our customers would prefer we ease their decision-making by applying our expertise and curating their options for them. If we are able to apply empathy to how we sell- without letting it make us lazy- we will be revered as someone helpful and customers will be grateful for the experience.  To dive into the essentials of modern selling, I’ve brought David Priemer onto the podcast.  David is widely recognized as a thought leader in the area of sales and sales leadership, and has been published in the Harvard Business Review and

It's natural in a time of crisis for your emotions and mindsets to be all over the place. Ranging from conviction to make best use of the time on hand to wanting to curl up in a ball somewhere. From pushing yourself to keep going to knowing when it's time for some self-care. The truth is, there's no right way to do this. What you can expect though is to experience a full range of emotions. That is the crisis paradox. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds

I’ll admit, as someone who is constantly creating content, I’m often overwhelmed by it. But it is a topic that frequently comes up in my client sessions and one that is especially relevant right now. At a time when many of us are home and working on sharing more content with the world, it is important to make sure that what we create still has a purpose. With all the formats available to us now, how can we get our message out, support our business, and still keep ideas fresh, new, and interesting? Most people gravitate to formats they’re most comfortable in. I, for one, much prefer audio over writing. So how can we Creative Warriors stretch ourselves and not just benefit from unfamiliar formats, but feel confident in them, too?  To help us dig into how to tap into unlimited content ideas, I’ve brought on author, speaker, and online educator, Melanie Deziel. Melanie Deziel is the founder of StoryFuel, the author of “The Content Fuel Framework: How to Generate Unlimited Story ideas,” and an international ke

In this episode, I challenge you to think about the after effect of the global pandemic. It WILL have an effect on your business. For better or worse remains to be seen. But make no mistake. With such a global shift, it will affect your business. Not just now, but perhaps years from now. People's values will change. What's important to them will change. The time is now to consider how your business fits into the new "norm."  The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Services and Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share!  Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed h

It's fair to say, times are pretty scary right now. Now, I believe that we can and will get through it. But when things feel chaotic, it can be hard to keep a clear head and heart. It is time to collectively muster as much courage as we can to push through uncertainty and find ways to adapt.  Finding the courage to change even small things in our lives can feel like a huge task. All of us have it within us to make change, and there are ways we can develop our intuition and tune into our deepest wells of courage. But I often see people begin this process and then stop just before a breakthrough. Why is that? How does one find the motivation to move through discomfort? Can we be sure there is something on the other side?  To break down the power of tuning into courage, I’ve brought on philosopher, visionary, author, and radio show host, Ken Foster.  For twenty-three years, Ken has coached and mentored CEO’s, entrepreneurs, executives and senior professionals to take the courageous path, expand their limitat