Creative Warriors

We could all always use a little inspiration from time to time. Sometimes we seek it out. And sometimes it finds us at the just the right time we need to hear it. I consider myself intuitive and confident in my work. And yet, occasionally I stumble across some outside wisdom that reframes my perspectives in all the right ways. You just never know where the inspiration might come from. The most successful people are the ones who have the perfect balance of both grace and grit. Whether in business or in life, if you believe in what you do, do it with conviction, follow your intuition, and love the process of uncertainty, you will get to the top. Sometimes all it takes is a little reminder that we have all we need within us. We don’t have to have all the answers, but we just have to trust and go. Just start. Start anywhere. Just go out, do it, and if it doesn’t work, try something else.  To dive deeper into her beautiful wisdom, I’ve brought on author and inspiration, Joie Goodkin.   Joie’s career and civic

Some people are feeling like they are walking on eggshells, afraid to say the wrong thing. Yes, there are a lot of changes in the world and in the U.S. that require a whole new level of consciousness about what we say and write. This is particularly true in business. You interact with a lot of people, you don't want to offend anyone and because you're busy, sometimes it's hard to stay on top of every little thing you say and do. I'll explain why this is an important time for change and what you can do. 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 y

When you have the right brand, it sells itself. We’ve talked before about how far branding has come, how it no longer can start with the image and work its way inward. These days brands will be exposed very quickly if they don’t come from an authentic place. Trust-based relationships with your clients is key. Customer’s need to know that they can be honest about their needs and that they will be listened to. It starts with your brand’s lens. If you have a one-sided lens, you’re not going to be able to understand or give your clients the confidence to ask for what they need.  To dive deeper into branding intrinsically, I’ve brought on Emily Soccorsy and Justin Foster.  Emily and Justin are the founders of the intrinsic brand practice, Root + River and the co-authors of “Rooting Up: Essays on Modern Branding.” Working with heart-based leaders, they believe that all great brands are spiritual experiences. Emily and Justin are on a mission to inspire all leaders to go inward - and reframe and redefine the rol

In this episode, I point out one of the biggest problems in marketing. Showing up as a superficial, surface level version of yourself that is not allowing customers to see the real you. You need to break down the facade and show up authentically and as compelling as you really are. I offer you a way to check your website for yourself and how to solve 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. Fill out th

I love a good ‘why’ story. I’ve shared before my story about Bergdorf Goodman and how I’ve become one of their most loyal customers. I like to share that story because it is part of the foundation of my love for customer service that goes above and beyond. As my guest today so wonderfully puts it, “customer service is not a department. It’s a mindset.” There are probably many more touch points in customer interactions than we realize. Each one is an opportunity. Each touch point can be the moment where a customer feels truly seen, appreciated, and responded to. A big part of keeping people loyal is knowing when to pause and address a moment in a transaction that may be running on autopilot. How can that moment be better? More personal? More present?  To dive deeper into what it means to find your customer service SPARK, I’ve invited back to the show the leader of the SPARK Movement, and absolute joy, Simon Bailey.  Simon T. Bailey has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, including

At a photoshoot years ago, a little girl said to me, "You're bossy." At the time it set me back and made me consider whether it was true. Yeah, it was and still is true. Find out why being bossy isn't so bad, why you should also be bossy and why it's more important now to be bossy. Get your bossy on! 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

Right now thought leaders are facing some of the most vulnerable times they’ve ever experienced. The current crisis has forced some of our most valued thought leaders into reevaluating how well-rounded their business model truly is. This is the time to look at diversifying your business model. Maturing as an entrepreneur does not mean you forget your through line. If you are confident in the solutions you offer, then why not begin to explore how other audiences can benefit from your services. How can you repackage your portfolio of content and expertise and make it accessible in new ways to new audiences?  To dive deeper into how thought leaders can diversify, I’ve brought on consultant, strategist, and friend of mine, Jason Van Orden.  Jason helps thought leaders to reach a larger audience with their ideas, create new income streams from their expertise, and build business models that align with their values and goals. His experience includes creating multiple successful brands, launching over 60 online cou

There seem to be as many definitions of strategy as there are people on earth. Practically every business owner has different ideas of what strategy means and how to apply it. It’s time we take a moment to setting our heads straight about strategy. Applying informed strategic practices can be the deciding factor in how successful a business is. Most businesses are built backwards. The right way to build your business is to deeply understand your ideal customer and then construct your business in a way that speaks to them. Additionally, there are many myths about strategy practices that I want to bust for my community of Creative Warriors.  To break down the strategic mindset for us, I’ve brought on Chuck Bamford. Chuck Bamford, Ph.D., is the Managing Partner of Bamford Associates, LLC, a strategy consulting firm that has worked with hundreds of organizations as they develop and implement a compelling strategy. He is an Adjunct Professor of Strategy at Duke University (Fuqua) and the University of Notre Dam

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