Creative Warriors

It’s very hard to imagine retirement- it can feel like a far-off dream. It’s difficult to save for something that you can’t even imagine. Because of this, a lot of us avoid thinking or talking about money at all. It doesn’t feel good. Like a diet, budgets are something we have negative feelings toward and ultimately end up abandoning. It’s better to put your finances in a positive light. Instead of feeling like you don’t have enough money, start realizing that you are richer than you think. Come from a place of gratitude for what you have and know that it’s actually your habits that are causing problems with your finances, not your income. I used to be a major spender, so I was so happy to have John David Mann on for a third time to talk about his new book The Latte Factor. John is an award-winning author whose writings have earned the Axiom Business Book Award, the Nautilus Award, and Taiwan’s Golden Book Award for Innovation. The Go-Giver was also honored with the Living Now Book Awards “Evergreen Medal” in

Often, as creative professionals, we don’t put much thought into the idea of company culture. But even when your team is working remotely, you can build a successful culture. It all begins with you. If you have a clear idea of your company’s values, you can make sure everyone you work with is aligned with those values. Having a good company culture isn’t just about having fun- it is also insurance for the tough times. When things aren’t going right is when you get to see what you’re made of as a company. You want people to be able to band together and work towards solutions. Things like positivity, acknowledgment, and transparency will make for great workplace culture. To dive deeper into company culture, I’ve brought on performance expert and speaker Chris Dyer. Chris is the author of The Power of Company Culture, which was released in 2018. He is also the Founder and CEO of PeopleG2, a background check company that has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of the Fastest Growing Companies. A passionate talent mana

Have you ever considered the role you play as a connector? In other words, you create something for someone so that they can reach the audience or people they want to reach. When you think about it that way, it increases the level of responsibility and possibility for impact. I talk about how this can even change the world.  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 Coaching 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 and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting

I’ve never had a guest on to talk about a memoir, but I thought Jane Pollak’s journey would be beneficial for the Creative Warrior community. Jane was a successful artist decorating eggs bought by people like Steve Jobs and featured at The White House, but ultimately she wasn’t happy. She decided that she could no longer settle for a life of not enough. As creative professionals, we have to be proactive agents in our lives instead of victims of circumstance. If you’re feeling that you’re experiencing “too much of not enough,” you can let go of what isn’t serving you. When you know in your gut that you can’t do it anymore, it’s the beginning of living a life of enough. Jane Pollak is an author, coach, blogger, coach, and speaker. She inspires people to create income pursuing their passions.  She graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a BA in studio art and theatre and an MA in art education from Columbia University Teachers College. Her first book, Decorating Eggs: Exquisite Designs with Wax & Dye, was

Being a warrior is courage on steroids. It takes so much courage to put ourselves out there, to risk failure as well as the risk of the burden of responsibilities of success. Courage has been on my mind because of the recent Netflix special with Brene Brown. A fantastic show that I highly recommend. I break down what courage means as a warrior and expand on a couple of the ideas that Brene talks about. Be a courageous warrior.  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 Coaching 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 and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal

Making your creative business profitable is a constant struggle for artists. Because our services are often something we’ve done for free, we feel guilty charging a lot of money.  We get stuck in the loop of doing work at lower rates for friends and family and undervaluing the skills we bring to the table. To change how much money you make from your hobby, you have to change your mindset. You need to charge at least as much as the average price others are charging for similar services. You also need to make your business scalable. You can do this by utilizing your online platform and charging to teach others all over the world how to do what you do. To dive deeper into the idea of making your hobby a business, I’ve brought on Creative Entrepreneur, Podcast Host, and Career Coach Jennifer Allwood. Jennifer is a mom in Kansas City, Missouri who completely transitioned her decorative painting business The Magic Brush to the online space. To learn how to take your creative business global, download this episode n

Ever have that feeling that you're working really hard but hardly getting ahead? You know....running on a hamster wheel? It's likely because you're applying a lot of effort and strategy but getting in your own way with mindset blocks. In this episode, I lay out the three components you need to be truly successful. The trifecta of success. It's a framework that I believe will work 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 Coaching 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 and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why

A lot of times we set intentions, but we don’t get the results we want. This is because we are out of alignment. We have a vision, but we don’t actually believe our goals could come true. Manifestation is a powerful tool, but you have to align your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs in order for it to work. Manifestation isn’t just “woo-woo” new-age thinking. It has been proven to be effective. We simply cannot recognize what we don’t already know. How could you identify something that is the color blue if you’ve never been told what blue is? You have to have your eyes open to what you want to see. To dive deeper into the idea of manifesting, I’ve brought on author and CEO Raana Zia. Raana is the author of the book Your Hidden Light:  A Personal Guide to Creating Your Desired Life which has become a part of a business school course on Happiness at Suffolk University in Boston.  She is the founder of Your Hidden Light LLC, training people, teams, and businesses on how to efficiently and effectively achieve their

When I had back surgery, my doctor told me everything that would happen except for one thing: there would be machines on my legs pumping my blood. I woke up and immediately thought I was paralyzed. If my doctor had told me this was going to happen, it would have saved me that moment of fear. It’s true in business, too. Expectations have to be clear on both sides. What is common knowledge to you, is often a foreign idea to others. If you start with clear communication, it’s less likely that you will end up in an adversarial position with your customer. To dive deeper into the idea of better communication, I’ve brought on international keynote speaker, author, trial attorney, and podcast host Heather Hansen. Heather is an esteemed voice in her field, she has appeared on CNN, CBS, MSNBC, and Fox News, and contributed to Global Grind, Thrive Global, and KevinMD. Heather has done pro bono work with the Support Center for Child Advocates. In her forthcoming book, The Elegant Warrior: How to Win Life’s Trials Withou

Entrepreneurs don't often think of themselves as leaders. Thinking like a leader will help you think bigger and step into creating the impact you want on your community and in the world. When you think of people like Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Oprah Winfrey, do you really think of them as business owners? They are leaders. There's a latent leader in you waiting to come out! 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. Mentions- Sharon Spano Time and Money episode Mike Michalowicz Profit First episode Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching 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 and are all your marketing materials spe

Balance is impossible to find. There are always challenges and unexpected responsibilities that throw off this fictional ideal. There is no perfect ratio of work life and home life that will magically solve your problems. Consonance, however, is achievable. Consonance is when all of the parts of your life line up for the same purpose. If the person you are at work is the same person you are at home, you have more of yourself to give. Stop trying to be all things to all people and instead start to live limitlessly. To dive deeper into the idea of consonance, I’ve brought on speaker and author Laura Gassner Otting. Laura inspires people to push past the doubt and indecision that keep great ideas in limbo. Laura’s entrepreneurial edge has been well-honed over a 25-year career that started as a Presidential Appointee in Bill Clinton’s White House, where she helped shape AmeriCorps. Along the way, while serving on Hillary Clinton’s National Finance Committee, she was asked to do a TEDx talk which became so popular

Within many languages, there are accents. Similarly, when you speak the lingo of your ideal customers, there are different personalities. So while you want to attract and appeal to the narrow audience of ideal customers, you can also appeal to the broadest segment of ideal customers as possible by understanding their different personalities. Learn specific strategies to do just that on your website. 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 Coaching 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 and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not wh

So often we disempower ourselves because we look through a lens of excuses. When our businesses aren’t doing well, we’ll say, “The economy is bad” or “Email marketing is dead” instead of looking for ways we can do better. It’s time to stop depending on others and find strength within ourselves. My guest today calls this “Self-Directed Empowerment.” We have to have personal accountability to be able to withstand failure and struggle. Taking responsibility for your circumstances is not about blame, it’s about owning your space. To dive deeper into the idea of succeeding in spite of limitations, I’ve brought on a global catalyst of human empowerment Jennifer Iannolo. Through her keynote talks, workshops and private coaching for organizations including the United Nations, Harvard University, Konica Minolta, and the US State Department, she is building resilient, unstoppable humans with her method of Self-Directed Empowerment. To learn how to stop making excuses and utilize your own power, listen to this episode n

I talk all day long. Speaking is my profession, so I take care of my instrument by steaming my throat every morning and doing vocal warm-ups. It’s no different than the drills I would practice if I were an athlete- talking is my sport. But vocal training isn’t just important for professionals. It’s for everyone. When you’re working on vocal awareness, you’re not just doing it for a big presentation on a stage. Our goal should be to sound the same no matter what situation we’re in and in every aspect of lie. Your voice is an all-important instrument and expression of who you are. To dive deeper into the idea of owning your voice, I’ve brought on author, speaker, researcher and performance expert Arthur Joseph. Arthur Samuel Joseph, M.A, internationally recognized communication strategist and creator of the proprietary and trademarked method Vocal Awareness, has transformed the lives of thousands for over four decades. To learn how to have mastery over your voice, listen to this episode now. THE SOURCE WARRIOR 

There are many business models based on a frictionless experience for the customer--rideshare apps, food delivery, etc. In this episode, I reverse the thinking. How about as businesses we concentrate on attracting frictionless customers? Those that are the easiest to work with. Those that make every day a pleasant working experience for you and your entire company. What makes a frictionless customer? Alignment. Listen in and you'll find out how. 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 Coaching 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 and are all your marketing materials speaking the right L

People often say to me, “I don’t have enough time.” This is a scarcity mindset. If you don’t have enough time, what else do you not have enough of? You actually do have enough time, you just might be feeling powerless to choose how you spend it. A big shift I made was when I started to think of time as a resource. I realized that I’m very environmentally conscious, but I didn’t place the same value on time. Like money, many people have an adversarial relationship with time. Once you fix that underlying mindset, you can start to have control over your time. To dive deeper into the idea of time, I’ve brought on author, speaker, researcher and performance expert Steven Griffith. He is considered one of the leading authorities on the connection between time, productivity and performance. Griffith has been featured as a keynote speaker and performance expert on ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, Style and Esquire TV and has worked with a variety of organizations including “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” the United States Military, Citibank

Are you allocating your time towards what you say you value? This episode will prepare you for the next episode with Steven Griffith who offers strategies to do a time cleanse. By doing a time cleanse, you can create the time to really put your time towards what you value. Note- it seemed fitting to use this photo of me with my two dogs because my dog Milo, on the left, is very ill and I don't know how much time I have left with him. I value my time with him. 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 Coaching 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 and are all your marketing materials speaki

We spend too much time trying to “sell” to people who are not a good fit for our business. How many business cards for people who will never use your service do you need? The answer is zero. We also often use violent sports or battle analogies to describe the process of selling which creates adversarial atmosphere. Instead of these approaches, we should be thinking of selling as solving problems. Ian Altman calls this “Same Side Selling.” To get into Same Side Selling, you need to have a mindset shift from “closing” to “fit.” Your job is to ask the right questions so the buyer convinces themselves that you can solve their problem. You put out the right information, and they decided that you’re the right fit. Ian Altman inspires audiences with a modern approach to grow business with integrity. As a CEO for two decades, Altman founded and grew his own business-services and technology companies from zero to over $1 billion in value. This business success, backed by years of researching how customers make decisio

I'm fortunate to have many conversations in a single day with a diverse group of people in person and online. I'm always looking for connections between conversations as an indicator of what the world needs or how people are evolving. I'll bet you'll relate to one or more of the random thoughts shared in this episode and you'll learn about the importance of movement. And how conversations create movement. 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 Coaching 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 and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's

As small businesses owners, we can often put ourselves down. We say, “Oh, it’s just this little thing I do.” Often it’s the mom or dad who is running a business but also shuffling kids around or the creative with their own small list of clients. It’s so easy to minimize what we do, but we need to respect our little business. The size of your business should reflect the life that you want to lead. A little business can provide for your big dreams. After all, just because the business is small doesn’t mean the profit is. Once you realize that working harder doesn’t mean that you will ultimately be more successful, you’re free to embrace the business that is the right fit for you. To dive deeper into the idea of not being defined by the size of your business, I’ve brought on business coach, podcaster, and speaker Nadia Finer.  A serial entrepreneur herself, Nadia specializes in helping people work less for more money and runs online business academy The Profit Pack. Nadia is also the author of the career guide M