Creative Warriors

Generally speaking, the listeners of my show – my coaching clients, and the students of the Self-Employed Business Institute – tend to be pretty gentle marketers. They are driven by purpose, heart-centered, and doing business with a soul. However, they may be too passive in their marketing. To improve their marketing, it's important to advocate for themselves more. In today’s conversation with Caleb O’Dowd, we discuss the importance of multi-channel marketing and reaching audiences through various platforms. Caleb emphasizes the need to understand our target audience, tap into their sense of urgency, and use multiple touchpoints to break through the noise. He also introduces the concept of the "Mafia offer," which focuses on removing objections and creating an offer no one can refuse. Tune into today’s episode to learn the significance of targeted communication, leveraging multiple channels, and crafting compelling offers to provide effective solutions to our audience.   Caleb O'Dowd is a nine-figure market

In our attempts to reinvent ourselves, reposition our messaging, or work through the next iteration of our businesses, we can have moments of doubt and wonder, "Will this time really be any different?" I share a couple of tools to help you gain confidence that this time can be different.   Contact Jeffrey – Take the Self-Doubt Survey Self-Employed Newsletter Website Books Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!   Valuable resources to help you – The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exactly what you need. Check it out!   Tak

One of the things we self-employed business owners are often unprepared for is being an employer. The independent attributes that make us, us, and the freedom we seek running our own businesses can often mean being an employer doesn't come naturally. We may have never even thought about being an employer when we started our business – that was my case, and it was a big surprise when it came along. Today I speak with acclaimed author, Joey Coleman about the mindset required to navigate the complexities of being an employer.  He tells us about the eight phases of employee experience and offers valuable insights on managing employees. Join us as we discuss the essential skills and strategies needed to build and maintain a successful team. Joey Coleman helps companies keep their customers and employees. As an award-winning speaker, he works with organizations around the world ranging from small startups to major brands such as Volkswagen Australia, Zappos, and Whirlpool. His First 100 Days® methodology fuels the

What we, as small businesses, can learn from big companies has nothing to do with mimicking them in any way. But what is important to observe and learn is how they are affecting consumer behavior. Rest assured, they are. And the change of behavior they are creating is also affecting your business in ways that may be less obvious.   Contact Jeffrey – Take the Self-Doubt Survey Self-Employed Newsletter Website Books Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!   Valuable resources to help you – The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exact

I truly believe that one of our greatest responsibilities as service providers is to let the world know how we can serve them. Too often, the most purpose-driven, heart-centered and talented change makers are too shy about letting people know how they can serve them. Today I'm speaking with my good friend, Sylvie di Giusto, about the concept of fair advantage and the impact of personal branding. Sylvie emphasizes the importance of identifying our unique qualities as individuals, beyond just the products or services we offer, and how our personal experiences can set us apart in our fields. Join us as we delve into the process of leveraging our uniqueness, understanding client needs, and building a strong personal brand for success in both business and life.   Sylvie di Giusto, CSP, is an international keynote speaker and expert in Modern Emotional Intelligence. Trusted by top organizations worldwide, Sylvie empowers leaders and professionals to make impactful decisions that drive growth and success. With her

What's the number one reason anyone becomes self-employed? Freedom. Independence. Is it possible for everyone to work and live anywhere they choose in the world? Maybe not, but it may be more possible for you than you think. Today I speak with Stacy Ennis about the importance of location independence as she shares her personal journey of moving around the globe, starting in Idaho and ending in Portugal.  Stacy emphasizes the importance of aligning your business decisions with your desired lifestyle and making incremental changes to gain more independence and flexibility. This conversation is essential for those seeking belonging, community, and the freedom to choose their own path.   Stacy Ennis is a best-selling author, coach, and speaker on a mission to help leaders clarify their ideas and harness their unique story to make an impact. Along with being the founder of Nonfiction Book School, an accelerated author program, her background includes ghostwriting for a Nobel Prize winner in medicine and leading

Being such freedom-seekers, self-employed business owners often aren't prepared to be an employer, but we can find ourselves in that role whether we're prepared for it or not. This is a case of what works for you: your independent thinking can also work against you having to get along with others, whether it's employees, contractors, or clients. On today’s episode, I speak with Michael Bungay Stanier about strategies for building working relationships that provide freedom rather than feeling like bondage. When bad working relationships can negatively impact our ability to show up as our best selves, what tools can we use to shape the best possible relationship together? Michael introduces us to the five questions we need to ask in our keystone conversation with anyone we are entering a working relationship with. Every relationship has potential, and we need to be intentional in building them. Join us to learn how to overcome the challenges of being a self-employed business owner and build successful working

It's built into my sign off that, “you may be in business for yourself, but you're not in business by yourself.” You are not alone. You're part of a much larger community, and we need to come together. My guest today, Natalie Franke, has her pulse on self-employment better than most. In today’s conversation, Natalie highlights the significance of terminology and how it can impact the sense of unity and identity within the self-employed community. She also discusses the growing trend of self-employment, and the need for infrastructure and support for independent business owners. Together, we explore the importance of building relationships, reframing failure, overcoming self-doubt, and the role of communities in supporting personal and professional growth. I am positive that Natalie’s inside perspective will offer you valuable insights and, more importantly, provide a comforting reassurance that you are part of a thriving and supportive community. Natalie Franke is an author, community builder, and advocate f

One of the biggest mindset shifts I experienced was at a time when I felt like I had my feet in several different industries and went to all the different industry conferences - coaching, speaking, authorship, podcasting, you name it. The mindset shift was when I realized there was really one business model, and all those roles fell under this one business model: The expert business model. As experts on a topic, we often find ourselves wanting to be a speaker. In today's conversation, I sit down with Grant Baldwin to delve into the state of the speaking industry in a post-pandemic world. Grant sheds light on the industry's resilience, emphasizing the success brought about by virtual events and hybrid formats. We discuss the vital importance of treating speaking as a professional endeavor and investing in sales and marketing efforts. Grant shares invaluable advice on finding the right speaking opportunities and carving out a niche to gain momentum. Join us as we uncover the secrets to thriving in a competitive

Ever feel discouraged? Ever wonder if "this time," this latest attempt of whatever it is you're trying to do, is really going to turn out any different? Of course you have. We have ALL felt these moments of discouragement. There is a way through these moments, whether brief or for what feels like a whole period of life and that's what I share in this episode.   Contact Jeffrey – Take the Self-Doubt Survey Self-Employed Newsletter Website Books Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!   Valuable resources to help you – The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-mo

I think there are times in life when we're stuck and we don’t even know it, and of course, there are times in life we know we're stuck. How did we get stuck in the first place?  And what do we do to get ourselves out? Today I speak with Cara Brookins about how to end procrastination using her proven system to work with your brain to actually do the work. Cara shares her inspiring experience of building a house through how-to videos and explains the psychology behind how they helped her get unstuck. Cara also explains how we can get stuck in life due to either a "sneak attack" or a "lightning strike," and how modern problems don't always fit into our primitive brain wiring. She encourages us to recognize our physiological behaviors and use them to reach our goals using her “Press Your Own Play Button Strategy.” If you've ever felt restless, uncertain, or unable to move forward, my conversation today with Cara Brookins is certain to motivate you, inspire you, and get you going. Cara Brookins is best known as t

I often refer to myself as a wisdom junkie. I love a good quote or pearl of wisdom, and it never ceases to amaze me how one thing, one thing said in just the right way at the right time can change everything – or as our guest today says, “we’re all one question away from a completely different life.”  Today my guest Marc Champagne shares his insights into how to train our minds to work for us, not against us. Marc emphasizes the importance of cultivating resiliency, presence, and training our minds to be their best. He highlights the significance of habits, rituals, and intentions in supporting our journey towards our objectives. Marc stresses the importance of asking questions to enable us to go beyond the surface level and address the core of a problem. Join us for an insightful and empowering conversation that will help you enhance your mental fitness and achieve success in business and in life. Marc Champagne unpacks the mental fitness practices and reflective questions shaping the lives of some of the m

I've been hearing a fair amount of scarcity money mindset lately so I offer a couple of solutions to turn that truck around. It's not good for your mindset and as far as I know, no one has even gotten wealthy cutting back and thinking narrow. Instead, I want you to feel like opportunity and money can fall in your lap any day, at any time.   Contact Jeffrey – Take the Self-Doubt Survey Self-Employed Newsletter Website Books Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!   Valuable resources to help you – The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education

“Before we can have a customer, we must first have a buyer.” That is one of my favorite lines from the book we’re going to discuss today.  It is a notion that is intuitively simple, but not initially obvious. Today I speak with author Carole Mahoney about her upcoming book Buyer First: Grow Your Business with Collaborative Selling. Carole explains how a buyer-centric experience starts from the very first interaction, and why it's essential to challenge traditional notions of sales. She reiterates that "selling is not something we do to other people; it is something we do with them," and explores how collaboration is key to creating a positive buyer experience. Carole shares common mistakes businesses make when creating buyer experiences, including relying on the product to sell itself, and offers valuable insights on how to approach sales with a buyer-centric mindset. Whether you're an entrepreneur or a sales professional, this conversation offers practical advice and actionable steps to help you put the buye

Being in the business of helping business owners improve the brand messaging on their websites and seeing the explosion of AI, I wanted to share my do's and don'ts of using AI for your website.   Contact Jeffrey – Take the Self-Doubt Survey Self-Employed Newsletter Website Books Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!   Valuable resources to help you – The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exactly what you need. Check it out! Take The Self-Employed Assessment! Ever feel like you're all over the place? Or frustrated it seems like

One of the things that intrigues me about the journey of success and being a high achiever is the internal challenges, often unexpected, that we face when where we end up in life is very different than where we started. In today’s episode, I talk with Anthony Trucks about his personal journey of transforming his identity and overcoming challenges. Anthony shares his own experience of feeling stuck between his current and desired selves, what he calls the "identity gap." He emphasizes the need to tap into something deeper and darker than positivity alone to overcome obstacles. Anthony offers valuable insights on changing your mindset, beliefs, and habits to achieve your goals. Join us as we discuss how to make an identity shift and bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be. This conversation will inspire you to transform your identity and reach success beyond your expectations. Anthony Trucks is a former Foster Child, NFL Football Player, Competitor on American Ninja Warrior, Author, Shift