It's All About The Questions

The response to Father Mike's first appearance on my show last week was so huge, with so many questions people wanted to ask him, that when a guest had to reschedule I invited him back on. On Part 2, we delve further into the types of callings, whether a calling is for life and what he meant by his pet peeve of people saying, "I am spiritual, not religious." I loved his question he posed, "How will I function as a person?" He also posed, "Are you avoiding who you are? He also shared some other questions to help us connect to our calling and to connect with our spiritual and religious sides. Our discussion on renewing callings was a huge perspective shift for me. I had always thought callings were for life and did not require recommitment. In hindsight, well, just listen to the interview!

Callings are not just to the religious life. Callings are something we all have. They call us to be something bigger than ourselves, to make a difference in the world through gifts we each uniquely have. In the case of my guest on this episode, his calling was to be a Roman Catholic priest. The route he took to get there could have ended with him living a secular life and still being of service yet his calling to the priesthood was too strong to resist for long. His journey to accepting his calling is one for the ages and one we discuss today. Father Michael Boccaccio shares how to discover your calling, why we each have a calling and how it manifests itself even when we do not see it for ourselves until much later than others see it in us. We discuss faith, religion, spirituality, how to be filled up even while giving all of yourself and how callings live on even when you think they might be coming to a close. The Rev.Michael Boccaccio has been a Catholic Priest since 1971 when he could no longer ignore his

I want to start off by thanking John David Mann for introducing me to Daniel Burrus.  His latest book, The Anticipatory Organization has the potential to change the entire trajectory of your life and business, if you are willing to be open to what is laid out in its pages. What if you could see the future? Well you can. You actually see it each day yet we don't take action on what we "know" can be the next big or small thing that can shift the status quo. During this interview, Daniel and I discuss just a few of his proven strategies to accelerate innovation and transform results. He explains how to turn disruption and change into opportunity and advantage. I have not stopped talking about this book, or this interview, since I read it and held the interview. Learn about hard trends and soft trends and how to tell the difference. Learn how to be the disruptor versus being disrupted. Learn how to anticipate change and disruption in a way that puts you in charge. Expand your definition and your thinking. Forget

Ignoring threats does not make them go away. Enter the Duchess of Cybersecurity. (R) Being on the frontlines of the Cyber wars is not for the faint of heart nor for the faint of knowledge. It is no longer possible to just be reactive to threats after they rarely occur. We must be more preventive as the only reason you have not been hacked is because you haven't notice that you already have. How do you protect yourself from hackers? How do you know if you have been hacked? How do you prepare for a career in the high-pressure field of cybersecurity? Take a listen and see if you look at computers and the Internet the same way again. Dr. Chanel Suggs (Duchess of Cybersecurity ®) is the Founder and CEO of Wyvern Security. She is a subject matter expert in Cyber Security, Forensics, Network Security, Cryptography, Information Assurance, and IT strategy. Dr. Suggs is a proven thought leader, and influencer whom advises clients regarding their security posture and works with clients to uncover and identify new and em

Strap on a pair. No. Get your mind out of the gutter. This is a story about strapping on a pair of high heels and how doing so ended in a multi-million dollar empire that empowers women by making it more comfortable to wear the heels they love. You either love high heels or you hate them. There seems to be no middle ground here. Women's shoes are a multi-billion dollar industry with cult followings around brands. Many women will buy and wear shoes even though the pain is so great after just moments that they can barely stand. In earlier times men even wore them. What is it about high heels that makes women, and some men, feel stronger, more confidant and powerful? Is it just a height thing? That is a conversation for another episode! Today I talk with Abby Walker. Founder of Vivian Lou Insolia insoles and the author of Strap On a Pair.   She shares how she founded a multi-million dollar company with a blog, high heels and a determination to succeed that lead her to HSN, Oprah, The View and so much more. Abby

I was talking to a friend who served in the Army for 34 years and retired as a Colonel. I asked her if she knew my guest on this episode as they served in the same areas at times. When I asked what unit he was in and told her Delta Force, her words blew me away. She said, "I would not know him. They are invisible." What blew me away was that someone who put his life on the line for us everyday, and was required to be "invisible" so they could be safe and get the job done, would then chose a career that was a very visible one. How do you reconcile that? What do you ask yourself to shift from the one perspective of invisible to highly visible? Brad Taylor is the author of the Pike Logan Thrillers that grab your attention from moment one and keep you guessing all the way to the end of the books. His research is legendary and his latest book is no exception. Listen as he shares a story that made it into the book that was real and had him being interrogated for six hours in a foreign country. And that happened aft

Often when we think of setting goals or moving forward we think about what we need to add. Whether it is behaviors, people, products, mindset or even money we believe that we must add something into order to achieve our dreams. Sometimes to allow something into our lives and/or businesses we first have to let something go. My guest today, Michelle Manning-Kogler, is an expert on helping people let go. For over 30 years she has helped her clients achieve their goals and in this past year she has shed 85 pounds of weight herself using the same process she teaches her clients. On this episode we talk about the questions you can ask yourself to let go the past, move into 2018 and determine if your goals are outside yourself or within. Michelle also has graciously given all my listeners some free items to help you let go, let in and move forward.  Michelle Manning-Kogler is the author of "Quantum Soul Clearing – Healing the Scars Life Leaves on the Soul" and a contributing author to "Pearls of Wisdom: 30 Inspirati

The power of being in the now is real but goals require future thinking too. How do you bridge the two? How do you plan and be in the moment? How do you set a big goal and then step back AND keep the big picture in mind? My guests today are two of my most popular guests so I brought them back on the show, together for the first time, to discuss focus, being present, setting goals and preparing for the new year. Swami Durga Das and Swami Anjani ask us to ask ourselves one really big question as we end the year and begin the new one. If you want to know what that question is that will change the way you think of, well, everything, you will have to listen in. It is an age old question that I am still working through. I think I know the answer yet I am uncertain. It has taken on new meaning since my mom passed away. When you find the answer to the question for yourself, let me know so I can hold that space for you! Swami Durga Das Hutner is the CEO of Kashi Ashram, an interfaith intentional community founded in 1

Love having Bobby Kipper back on my show. His book, Performance Driven Thinking with David Hancock, should be on everyone's must read list. It is a guidebook for how to shift your thinking and keep yourself moving forward. I asked Bobby back on the show because you, my listeners, told me how much you got out of his previous visit to the show and because I needed a boost from Bobby to help me shift forward after my mom's passing. His advice to me on the show, "give the ocean waves my problems and grief and let them take the pain in the moment away", has helped me tremendously since the show aired on December 19th. 2018 is a new year and a new opportunity to start each day with passion and purpose and an embrace of all of who we are. Take a listen as Bobby shares some strategies you can use right now and every day to help you focus, gain awareness of thoughts that are holding you back and how you can make change happen. Bobby Kipper is a best-selling author, speaker, and coach and the co-founder of Performance

Do you know what affects the air you breath in your business? Do you even understand the question? I have to admit I was uncertain when my guest on the show posed that very question but then I mulled it over and wow, shifts began to happen. I just LOVE perception shifting questions! Amy Kardel is a geek, brilliant business woman, entrepreneur, Chairwoman of the Board of one of the top technology Associations in the world and, in her spare time, just became a lawyer. How does she do it all seemingly with ease? How does she balance running a business with her spouse all while raising a family?  What question(s) does she asked herself to keep herself grounded, moving towards her goals and help her see the future before everyone else does? Listen in as we speak, macro trends, privacy, security, air, your why? and much more. Amy Kardel is an experienced small business technology advocate with an international perspective. Amy currently serves as Chairwoman of the board for CompTIA, the trade association for the gl

The key to long-term and even short term business success is revenue. Revenue that exceeds expenses and recurring and predictable revenue is even better. Many businesses struggle to achieve success when the business begins to grow and the Founder of the company can no longer be the only sales person. The reason for the failure is often due to the inability of the entrepreneur to transfer their knowledge and passion for the products or services and the sales process on to a sales person. One would think it is an easy feat. All you have to do is explain the product or service, how much it is to be sold for and send them off to close some new business. Not true. If it was, anyone could do sales successfully and any entrepreneur could readily grow their business. So how can you and your business become a success story? How can you grow and train an exceptional sales staff? Kendra Lee is the Founder of KLA Group, whose company mission is to consult, train, guide and "do it for you" so you too can beat the odds in

What do you think is the biggest obstacle to cybersecurity success? Convenience. We love our convenience. The ability to do what we went, when we want, whatever way we want. Hackers love our love of convenience. Convenience breeds laziness. Cached passwords, the same password everywhere, simple passwords, lack of software and firmware updates are just a few examples of ways hackers can infiltrate your computer and online accounts. So what can you do right now? Listen to this episode. Dr. Stephanie Carter is a cybersecurity expert. She has more certifications thank I can write here and has made it her mission to transform the way we think about cybersecurity. Dr. Stephanie Carter started her cyber career in the US Army in 1994.  During her military career she has been relocated to several states and countries around the world.  She has served in many capacities all captured under the umbrella of cybersecurity disciplines such as network engineering, network administration, security analyst, information managem

Ever feel like your life is filled with clutter? Real physical clutter and other kinds? Even for just a moment? I know I have. When I first started my first business I was feeling overwhelmed by everything that needed to get done and it just seemed like there had to be a better way other than working 100 hours a week and not sleeping. Enter Anita Taylor. She shadowed me for part of the day and came up with several solutions for me that radically changed the way I worked. And then she followed up a few weeks later to tweak things. I still use some of those techniques today and I can hear her voice in my head when the physical clutter piles up. So, I decided to bring her wisdom to you on the show. Anita shares how in just 15 minutes you can begin and make a dent in the overwhelm, how to follow the money in your office and she shares some questions you can ask to clear emotional and physical clutter.  Since 1992, Anita Taylor has been guiding busy individuals from their cluttered and disheveled worlds to organiz

Is the only path to a successful business startup via venture capital? Is there another way? How do you know what "rules" to follow and what rules to modify or not follow? Does the playbook you are using really work for your company? How do you know? What questions do you need to be asking to determine the answer? How do you know if you are on the right track or the wrong track? What questions do you need to be asking? Will Reynolds, CEO of SecureDocs, shares his experience running a Tech startup, without VC money, and how they built a team of sales people, tech people and most of all committed people for the success of the company and the team. If you want to learn some killer questions to ask for any level of your business, you will want to listen to this episode and have pen, or keyboard in hand, to give thought to the questions posed. Will Reynolds led the initiative to spin SecureDocs out as a new and separate business from AppFolio Inc. at the end of 2013. He oversees all aspects of the company's strate

How does someone move from a high-powered life on Wall Street to a life in the suburbs focused on helping others find their passion? During this episode we talk about the questions she asked to shift her life from the world of finance to becoming the mother of twin boys and balancing a new life as a healer, strategist and joy bringer. My guest also shares tips on how you can reduce stress, step through grief, use essential oils to get through the holiday season or just everyday stressors and how she navigates life. Marian Edvardsen is passionate about inspiring and empowering you to live your best life, shine your unique greatness, and live the life you desire and deserve. Her philosophy is to always be passionate about what you do and always reach for your highest *sterling* quality of life with gratitude, fun and happiness to personal success. As a Certified Passion Test® Facilitator for Adults, Kids and Teens and Life Coach, Marian helps you "get to the heart of your matter" about what is important in your

Productivity apps abound. Planners, podcasts, webinars, workshops are a dime a dozen. Well they are actually a bit more than a dime! Why so many? Because we are ever searching for the ONE solution that will help us achieve our goals, faster and easier. Enter Allen Brouwer Founder of www.bestself.co While on a mission to improve his own goal achievement he created the Self Journal and community. We talk about success, failure, why paper is better than electronic and the 4 things you can do every day that will help you achieve your goals WHILE being your BEST Self. If you are looking for a system that can help you in just 13 weeks, and oh yeah, you can download the PDF version of the planner free, then take a listen to this episode and answer the questions Allen poses on the show to get your clear on the first steps to achieving your best life. Allen Brouwer is the Co-Founder of BestSelf Co. a company that helps people achieve their goals and become the best version of themselves through productivity, performa

Where are you looking? Do you taste everything? How long do you persist before you give up? Last episode I spoke with John David Mann, the other half of the writing team that created, The Recipe A Story of Loss, Love and The Ingredients of Greatness. Today I spoke with Chef Charles Carroll. Still grieving my mom's passing on October 1st, I was looking forward to this interview because I found this book so healing both before and after her passing. I knew my mom loved food and cooking and a good book so I was glad this interview was booked many months ago. Chef did not disappoint. It was great to share with him how reading the book while mom was still alive allowed me to be more present with her while preparing food and how we both "tasted" food more because of the book and how the words, and recipes used throughout the book, gave me peace today. The book, a culinary parable, and this interview, will take you on a journey that I hope will open your eyes and your mind to how just re-learning how to "taste life"

This episode was the first show I did after my mom passed away on October 1, 2017. Their are few guests I could imagine being able to function around besides John David Mann after my loss. I debated doing the show because my grief was so strong. I prayed on it and heard my mom's voice telling me go, I'll be there. She loved hearing me on the radio. Most weeks she would be sitting in the conference room at the radio station listening to me interview my guests while crocheting her latest blanket. She was and is part of the radio experience for me. Loss is a part of life. I get that. Yet it is overwhelming while going through it for me. Mom was an everyday part of my life. We lived together for almost 6 years. Not every child is lucky and has a mom like my mom or even a dad like mine was. I could imagine no other choice than to live with mom and take care of her. Well, we really took care of each other. So how do I grieve her loss from my physical life? How does anyone move forward after such loss? The ache is p

I was talking with some friends the other day and they were commenting on how the face of customer service has changed from when we were growing up. It used to be that exceptional customer service was the norm versus the rarity. It is hard to find a day that goes by that some customer service fail is not front and center on social media or traditional media. Why the change? Is it possible to reverse the trend of poor customer service? Do we even know what great customer services is anymore? My guest has been a friend for years. We have spoken together about customer service and technology back when I had my tech company and he just released his new book, The Extra Scoop - Rediscover the Art of Great Customer Service. For my regular listeners you know that I only talk about books that have an impact on my thinking and shift my perceptions in some way about the topic. This is one of those books. John reveals how, with just a few changes, you can shift your company from one of questionable or low customer servic

Beliefs come in many forms. They are not just spiritual or religious in nature. What you believe about yourself and others becomes your truth and forms the foundation of who you are as a person. Those beliefs come from your personal experiences and the experiences of those around you that you respect and listen to. Like the foods you eat, or don't eat, you may take them for granted. Say, "that is just what I have always done". What happens when your belief gets challenged? Do you entrench into it deeper? Or do you shift out of it and begin to form a new belief based on new information? How do you determine if a belief you have is one you should keep or one that no longer serves you? My guest on this episode has written a wonderful book called, The Belief Zone, that can help you answer that question and many more. On this episode, we talk about how you can enter the Belief Zone and better yet, how you can shift out of it to a new belief zone that is based on you, now versus you in the past. Two-time Bestsellin