Creative Warriors

In today’s business world, it’s not enough to tell people what you good at, why they should hire you, or that they should trust you. In fact, if you do tell them to trust you, they will probably doubt you. What you need to do today is prove it to your customers. That’s why, in today’s episode, I am speaking with Melanie Deziel, co-author of the new marketing book Prove It. In this conversation, Melanie and I discuss the growing sophistication and skepticism of consumers and our mutual belief that the onus is absolutely on the business – not the consumer – to build trust in a business/consumer relationship. We also touch on the importance of being truly committed to the claims you make about your business and how this is especially important to today’s consumer, as well as how to use Melanie’s process for performing a “claim audit” on the claims you’re making to your customers.   Melanie Deziel is a keynote speaker, author, award-winning branded content creator, and the author of the best-selling marketing and

The irony of a blind spot is you can't be expected to know what you can't see. Over the 15 years I've been coaching (and catching my own blind spots over 38 years), I'm come to realize there are 7 that keep showing up with my coaching clients and students of Self-Employed Business Institute. Here they are! Have a listen and take an objective look at your own business to see if you can spot any of these typical, yet critical, blind spots.     Contact Jeffrey –   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 Se

Today’s episode discusses the journey to a seven-figure business. Is the idea of a seven-figure business – especially for the self-employed – for real, or just hype? Is building a seven-figure business actually a possibility for you, or is it merely a “dangling carrot” that makes you feel “less than” if you don’t achieve that particular fiscal goal? Maybe this conversation with Jesse Johnson will teach you how to achieve a seven-figure business…or maybe it will teach you that this is not even something you want! Or maybe you know you do want to achieve this goal, and today’s discussion will help you identify what’s standing in your way of achieving that goal. In any case, this is a topic that pushes buttons for me personally – primarily because of how this “seven-figure business” topic makes self-employed folks feel — which is why I am so excited to unpack this topic with Jesse. Jesse Johnson is a master sales and success coach, specializing in helping spiritual entrepreneurs build 7-figure businesses. After

Oh, the irony of being too busy to listen to a podcast about being too busy. Hopefully, being overwhelmingly busy is bringing some great things, like opportunity and income! But I also want to share, because I've been around the block a few times, my concerns about saying you're overwhelmingly busy. If this is you, I hope you'll listen in and heed a few warnings.     Contact Jeffrey –   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

Let’s get real about ‘mindfulness’ in business. It can be a buzzword these days, and as a term, it gets tossed around a lot – but what does it really mean? In this conversation with guest Eric Holsapple today, we bring mindfulness down to earth and discuss the benefits of mindfulness, specifically in a business setting. We talk about how mindfulness is representative of a much broader paradigm shift, not only in the own self-employed sector, but also as a movement in the broader business world.   Eric Holsapple has a PhD in Economics, has been a real estate CEO and developer for nearly 40 years, lectured real estate at Colorado State University for 20 years, and practiced yoga and meditation for 30 years. Eric was awarded The Colorado State University Real Estate Entrepreneur of the Year in 2010; and Bizwest Bravo Entrepreneur of the year award for Loveland, CO in 2015. Holsapple has a unique perspective on how merging business and mindfulness can be a catalyst in changing lives. Eric is the Founder of Living

Imagine taking a four-week vacation from your business. I know, even the thought of it might put you into a brief panic. But imagine that it’s not only possible, but also the best thing you could do for your business – and it probably is! In fact, your business might even grow without you. It takes a plan, and that plan is called ‘Clockwork,’ which is why we’re talking to Mike Michalowicz today. A favorite guest on The Self-Employed Life, Mike’s mission is to eradicate entrepreneurial poverty. One way he does this is by helping entrepreneurs like us to design our businesses to run without us — hence, the concept of Clockwork. In this conversation, we discuss fractionalizing yourself, leveraging your core competencies, scaling vs. growing, and becoming a shareholder in your own business. As Mike says, we should be the soul – not the heart – of our own businesses. By his 35th birthday, Mike Michalowicz had founded and sold two multi-million dollar companies. Confident that he had the formula to success, he beca

I tend to be opposed to putting things in boxes, and to me, the concept of ‘failure’ is potentially another box. Is failure really failure? Or is it just an ‘obstacle’ or a ‘learning experience?’ Or maybe, is failure simply representative of the fact that you’re out in the world doing things? In this episode, we’re going to ‘unpack the box of failure’ with Justin Skinner. In our conversation, we talk about the differences between ‘failures’ vs. ‘obstacles’ vs. ‘normalcy,’ the importance of detaching the idea of failure from self-worth, why failure is relative, and how to leverage failure as a form of (healthy) motivation. We also discuss the concepts of failure and the importance of giving ourselves grace specifically as it applies to those of us who are entrepreneurs and self-employed. Justin grew up in Springfield, Missouri, on a dairy farm just north of the city limits. He is the oldest of four children and married to Kendra Joy Skinner. They currently live in Springfield with their little Morkie-Poo Daisy

As a coach, of course I support both men and women in business, but a significant number of my clients are women. As a result, I was eager to interview Carrie-Ann Barrow and discuss her experiences a successful serial entrepreneur and as author of the book The Queen’s Decree. Carrie-Ann’s message is clear: at any age, you can reclaim your power to choose. In our inspiring conversation, we talk about issues that often impact women in business: prioritizing the creation of your own life, managing self-doubt and imposter syndrome, dealing with aegism and the pressure to “have it all together,” and more. We all have an inner queen, and there’s a lot to learn (for everyone!) in this episode!   Carrie-Ann Barrow is a successful serial entrepreneur and dynamic force determined to help women discover their dreams and live with unshakable confidence. She transforms the way women think about themselves, empowering them to reimagine what’s possible – in work and in life – and make their boldest visions real. She does th

As I like to say, you can’t stop a moving train. In business, I have often seen people try to fight off technology transformation…to no avail. This resistance can be a detriment to small businesses, but I get it – change can be hard, and feelings of being left behind or finding yourself suddenly irrelevant are understandably fear-inducing. Yet, change is inevitable…which is why Steve Prentice joins us in this episode today. In this illuminating conversation, Steve and I talk about managing technological change, a topic I believe is truly essential to small businesses and self-employed entrepreneurs. We discuss technological transformation, its impact on the future of work and how it can help (or hinder) our feeling ‘in control,’ as well as managing fear and accepting change. Steve Prentice is a specialist in organizational psychology, focusing on the junction where people and technology interact. He helps people and organizations understand each other, the technologies they use, and the changes that these pre

What do we tend to center our business goals around? Revenue, right? In this episode, find out why that might not be the best idea…and what to do differently. As my guest, Eleanor Beaton, says, “the hunt for immediate revenue can hold us back from making long-term decisions that actually create sustainable, long-term wealth.” In this fascinating conversation, Eleanor and I talk about the need for long-term thinking, the downsides of constant urgency, and the power of building a business ecosystem. Through building an ecosystem of scalable processes, revenue-generation can simply become a natural by-product of the ecosystem you’ve built. Eleanor Beaton is the founder of SafiMedia, an education & coaching company for women entrepreneurs. SafiMedia is committed to advancing global gender equity one woman-owned business at a time. Together with her colleagues, Eleanor is on a mission is to double the number of women entrepreneurs who scale past $1M in revenue by 2030. Eleanor hosts the Power + Presence + Posi

Saving for your later years is the ultimate in making sure your hard work pays off. Yet oftentimes, the personal traits that make us great entrepreneurs are also traits which can make it difficult for us to save for retirement. In today’s conversation with guest Tara Nolan, we discuss retirement for the self-employed — perhaps not the sexiest of topics, but highly necessary! In this hopeful and judgement-free conversation, Tara and I talk about how we, as self-employed entrepreneurs, need to think about retirement and how to plan for it. We discuss topics including the importance of articulating your goals, having a vision vs. executing on that vision, managing shame about money management, and working with money management professionals. Tara also walks us through her 3-Step financial planning framework. As Tara says, “Where your money lives is more important than how much you have.”   Tara Nolan is a money strategist who supports women entrepreneurs and professionals (who have limited time due to business a

Imagine every week being a ‘winning week’ – a week in which you make real progress towards building the business and life of your dreams. Learn how to ‘win your week’ in this empowering conversation with Demir Bentley. We talk about avoiding a limiting mindset, leveraging a weekly plan, giving yourself flexibility, and most importantly, being productive in a humane way. So many of us chose to become self-employed in the first place to take control of the lifestyle we want to live. Productivity – humane productivity – helps us to sustain the lifestyle we want. Demir Bentley is a productivity expert as well as co-founder of the Lifehack Method. Through his multi-six figure productivity company, he serves as head coach, teaching clients hard-hitting efficiency techniques and proven accountability strategies that have helped clients generate millions in revenue while saving thousands of hours. In the past seven years, he’s helped more than 50,000 professionals, including executives from Facebook, Google, Uber and

Dealing with discounts is not easy but something we often face. Made more challenging by the fact that as self-employed business owners, we are often in one to one relationships. Here are some do and don't about discounts I think you'll find helpful.     Contact Jeffrey –   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 frustrat

What does it mean to be truly fulfilled? And how does that differ from being happy? In this episode, featuring guest Tony Martignetti, we explore the notion of fulfillment. According to Tony, fulfillment is a mindset. As he says in his book, “Happiness and fulfillment are a place to come from, not a place to go to.” A pattern I’ve been noticing, especially post-pandemic and in the midst of the so-called “Great Resignation,” is people’s overarching desire to do substantial work. The desire to do substantial work ties directly to the desire to be fulfilled. Listen as Tony and I explore these topics in the context of our current environment. Tony Martignetti is a trusted advisor, coach, author, podcast host, and speaker. He brings together over 25 years of business and management experience to elevate leaders and equip them to navigate through change and unlock their true potential. He loves guiding people to find clarity in their lives, so they are energized, fully present, and fulfilled. When leaders unlock th

This episode is inspired by a wonderful quote by Wayne Dwyer - "Abundance is not something you acquire. It's something you tune into." In this episode, I share some strategies so that you can tune into all the abundance around you.     Contact Jeffrey –   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 you

As self-employed business owners, we just keep going, and going, and going. But I don’t believe any of us is exempt from sometimes feeling stuck in a rut or drained of inspiration. In today’s episode, our guest Susie deVille helps us not only reclaim our sources of inspiration, but actually end up feeling buoyant! This buoyancy, resulting from inspiration, and which Susie describes as a “delicious lightness of being,” is actually something we can work at. And in being re-inspired, entrepreneurs like you and me can more fully enjoy our self-employed lives.   Susie deVille is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs build wildly successful businesses by rediscovering their creativity and leveraging the power of their true nature. An author, coach, and entrepreneur who built and sold a highly profitable real estate firm, she has been researching innovation and creativity since 2005. She is the founder and CEO of the Innovation & Creativity Institute and trained as a coach with Dr. Martha Beck. Her first book, Buoy