Creative Warriors

My good friend, Melissa Smith happened to be visiting me in Miami so in this episode, we chat about resistance to getting help and the different types of support you need for your business. Melissa is an expert in remote work and virtual assistants and perfect for this conversation. The bottom line is this. You can say you can't afford to get help. The truth is, you can't afford not to and entrepreneurs need to stop kidding themselves.   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

It’s hard to talk negatively about positive thinking. But positive thinking means you’re actually attached to the negative. If you think there was a reason for suffering it will cause you to stay in suffering. It’s much better to create your own reality by thinking proactively. See the outcome you desire and then work backward to achieve it. This takes work, but you’ll have much better results than if you act as a victim of your circumstances. If you blame it, you can’t claim it. To dive deeper into the idea of owning your future, I’ve brought on author, coach, and podcast host Douglas Vermeeren. Douglas Vermeeren is known as the Modern Day Napoleon Hill through his interviews and research with more than 400 of the world’s top achievers. His program Personal Power Mastery is rated among the top personal development programs on the globe today. We all need to be vigilant about striving to constantly better ourselves instead of thinking there is some finish line. To learn how to achieve personal power mastery,

There are so many of us driven to do big things in the second-half of our lives. Feeling driven with a strong passion combined with impatience can be frustrating. What I've realized along my personal journey and in speaking to others is that some fundamental feelings in our lives may need to be looked at differently in order to succeed as a mid-life entrepreneur. 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 traf

Artists are so often plagued by feelings of self-doubt. We’re afraid to go after what we really want because we wonder if we’re competitive enough to create a sustainable life. We’ll talk ourselves out of pursuing a career in the thing that we love and try to fix our square peg into a round hole. But what if I told you that the thing you’re most passionate about will probably be the thing at which you can be the most successful? Once you hone in on what you’re meant to do, it will all fall into place. This should be the goal. I’m always encouraging artists to focus on business because of the creative freedom that comes from it. To remind us to follow our true passions and talent, I’ve brought on quirky illustrator and graphic designer Holly Hatam. She is the illustrator of #1 New York Times Bestselling Picture Book, DEAR GIRL, and has illustrated books for Dial Books, Random House, little bee books, Annick Press, and Tilbury House. Holly is also the owner and designer of TearDrop Paperie, where she designs an

We Warriors are wired to work hard. Say that 10 times fast!:) That's true in business and often in life. I wonder, though, if it's how we should be showing up in the world. I wonder if the world wants a different way. Is it really how we get what we are striving for? My sense is that's there's a new way of being arising. A way to get all we want out of our lives without it being so hard. Come explore this idea with me. 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 customer

A lot of creatives think we are doomed to a life without systems because that’s not our natural inclination. Our business is “us,” which makes it difficult to scale. I know that I personally have trouble making the connection between who I am as a photographer and my branding. Whether or not systems come easily to you, it’s time to put on our “big-boy pants.” All businesses need to revisit the fundamentals of mission statements, values, systems, and customers. You have to believe in your business and your ability to run it. Yes, it’s all Business 101, but it works. To remind us of the basics of a successful business, I’ve brought on podcast host, speaker and interior designer LuAnn Nigara. LuAnn co-owns, with her husband Vince and cousin Bill, Window Works in Livingston NJ. It is a 10-person firm, specializing in window treatments and awnings, with annual sales of 2 million+, and have serviced more than 25,000 clients since opening in 1982.  LuAnn is also the host of the #1, 5-star rated, interior design busi

A month into the new year, how are your goals going? In this episode, I share a new way to set goals and structure your year. A way that, I believe, accomplishes the balance between setting your sights on big dreams while also taking care of yourself and avoiding disappointment and self-criticism. With this balance, you are more likely to achieve your goals! 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 a

So often we get bogged down doing the daily tasks of our business. We’re spending time doing the marketing, the accounting, the receivables, and on and on. We can barely get our head above water to allow us to see our bigger picture. But if you create systems that other people can take hold of and continue to implement, you’ll have more space to take your business to the next level. You’ll be able to live the life you dream of instead of constantly putting out fires. Put in the work, then use a system so that the work can continue to happen without you. To break down this idea further, I’ve brought on business coach, trainer and strategist Scott Beebe. Scott liberates small business owners from chaos by creating a turnkey business. He helps people create an infrastructure that will put out the fires in your business for you. To learn how to create processes and roadmaps for your small business, download this episode now. THE FEAR WARRIOR   “Do a task like it’s the last time you’ll have to do it.” - Scott Beeb

Some new thoughts on the classic phrase, "What got us here won't get us where we want to go." Perhaps it has more to do with old ways of thinking that are holding us back rather than adopting new practices and habits. I also share some thoughts about collective consciousness and manifestation. 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 your most profitable customers.

It’s hard to come up with a good answer to the question “What do you do?” We want to respond with something that is memorable, that incites conversation, and that can lead to a referral. So how can we find a sentence that does all that? By getting clarity. A clear message travels faster. If you want to create the opportunity for serendipitous referral moments, what you have to offer has to be easy to understand. You have to be able to communicate what you do, for whom you do it, and how you do it, why you do it, and where you do it in a succinct word package. Then you will be able to attract your ideal customer. Often, you need an outside eye to help give you clarity about yourself. To break down this idea further, I’ve brought on author, speaker, connector, consultant, and “King of Clarity” Steve Woodruff. Steve helps individuals and businesses discover their professional DNA, define their offerings, target their ideal clients, and articulate their differentiating message in less than a day. Clarity is the t

It’s time to redefine leadership. Often when we talk about leaders, we are talking about CEOs of companies, but here’s the truth: we are all leaders. It’s important that we, as Creative Warriors, learn to own that fact. The basis of leadership is creativity because it allows us to make something new. As a leader, you have to be cognizant of the language that you use. If you are coming from a vulnerable, truthful place, you won’t have to “sell.” You can instead share something you know will help someone else. The most important aspect of communicating effectively is authenticity. To break down the idea of leadership further, I’ve brought on Chris Westfall. A National Elevator Pitch champion, Chris is an American motivational speaker, entrepreneur and author. He’s an award-winning coach to clients on Shark Tank and Dragon’s Den and has appeared on CNN, ABC, NBC and more. His most recent book, The Language of Leadership, explores how to create lasting impact through communication. To learn how to hone your leade

Those of us who strive to grow, develop and get better at what we do seem to often thrive on feedback, self-evaluation and constructive criticism. Does it have to be that way? Can't we find a positive fuel source? Find out in this episode. 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 your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll

We’re often taught that slow and steady wins the race. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is based on the idea that small, incremental changes are the best way to create life-lasting change. But what if our biggest improvements actually happen in a lightning-strike moment? I personally had a big epiphany a few years ago. Typically, I would position myself in the back of the line. In a profound moment, I realized that you can’t complain about not being seen if you continue to put yourself in the background. This insight happened so quickly and flipped my mindset so completely that it changed my life forever. You have to be able to be in a state to receive these moments, recognize them, and take action so that they stick. To understand aha moments and how we can create them, I’ve brought on science-based motivational author James Fell. With millions of readers around the globe, he has the mission of helping people achieve sudden insight into what inspires them to live the life they know they’re meant to. His most rec

It's that time of year when you're setting a lot of goals. But are you also setting yourself up for disappointment? How do you handle it when you don't meet your goals? Does the voice of expectation make you feel bad about yourself? How do you reason the idea of setting big goals without setting yourself up for disappointment if you don't meet your stretch goals? Find out in this episode. 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

I’m always the person who comes up from behind. I tend to take more time studying and can be pretty meticulous, but as the finish line approaches I sail ahead. Now, I embrace this trait- I know that it’s actually those “unseen hours” of preparation that are setting me up for success. So how can you take advantage of the “unseen hours” that go on behind the scenes?  It’s all about having meticulous self-discipline. The greatest champions go back to the basics and don’t skip steps.  They don’t take success and failure personally, but as ways to gather information for going forward. They put in the reps, but they do it in a way that helps them get better. To dive deeper into this champion mindset, I’ve brought on performance coach, consultant, speaker and author Alan Stein, Jr. He spent 15 years working with the highest performing basketball players on the planet. Alan now delivers high-energy keynotes and interactive workshops to improve performance, cohesion and accountability. To learn how to raise your game

It’s human nature to focus on what’s wrong. We’re often taught to achieve balance by strengthening our weaknesses. But what if we just need to be aware of our weaknesses and not necessarily spend time on them? Focusing on your strengths will help you go further. Why? Because you can hire someone who is strong in the areas where you are lacking. That’s the beauty of teamwork. When you’re focused on your own strengths, you’ll also start acknowledging it in the people around you, creating a better work environment. To dive deeper into this approach, I’ve brought on Darren Virassammy, the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of 34 Strong. A leading expert in the global Employee Engagement community, Darren leverages the Gallup StrengthsFinder assessment to create massive shifts within organizations, both culturally and on the bottom line. To learn how to become a strength-based entrepreneur who leads with confident vulnerability, download this episode now. THE CALM WARRIOR   “We need to be confident where we sh

As my gift to you, I offer you two exercises to bring out more in you than you can imagine for yourself. You'll have fun with these exercises and set yourself up to have an amazing 2019! Enjoy and I wish each and every one of you a magical Holiday and a prosperous New Year. Go out into the world, Create, Serve and Be Prosperous! 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 attrac

So often, the words we use around marketing are overly aggressive. We say that we want to reach a “target audience,” we need to “penetrate” the market, or we need to “push” our product.  But words have energy. To attract our ideal customers we have to first stop thinking of them as a target. Business, like most things, can benefit by taking a more mindful approach. You have to be conscious of the words you use, the way you look at information, and attitude with which you approach a project. It’s not so much what you do, but how you do it. In the end, it’s the inside work that can make the biggest difference in  outside success. There is a real need for personal development in business. To dive deeper into this, I’ve brought on mindful marketer Lisa Nirell. Lisa is the Chief Energy Officer of EnergizeGrowth® and the founder of Marketing Leaders of DC™. Innovative companies such as Adobe, Google, AARP, Gannett/USA TODAY NETWORK, and Hilton hire Lisa to gain fresh insights, formulate new strategies, and launch b

The idea of changing a scarcity mindset to an abundant mindset can seem like a daunting task. Sort of like a complete makeover when all we need is a haircut. This episode offers you ideas on how to pay attention to the subtleties of your thoughts and words to build an abundant mind every day, all day long. 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 your most profitab

One thing I truly believe creatives struggle with is feeling like a sleazy salesman. We want to focus on our craft and become hesitant about the business development side of what we do. Most of the time that means selling ourselves short, and not getting the respect we deserve for our hard work. Luckily, the solution isn’t too tough. You really need to just shift your mindset and realize that selling isn’t bad.  We actually sell in order to help other people. By focusing on the business development side, that means really taking the time to listen to what your customers want. This feedback will help you to deliver exactly what the customer wants and needs - allowing you to focus in on your craft. This all sounds, very simple and innocent - right? Well, this process is called “making a sale”. It’s just the beginning of your business development journey. To dive more into the mindset you need to have to really grow your business I’ve brought in a wonderful guest and author of The Snowball Effect, Mo Bunnel. Mo