Podcast 571: Grasp The Solution with Chris Griffiths

How many of you have ever experimented with mind mapping?  If you haven’t explored mind mapping, then you are in for a real treat in listening to this interview with Chris Griffiths the author of “GRASP the Solution“.

Chris is a thought leader and the person who alongside  Tony Buzan has accelerated the use of mind mapping into the business world, and continues to be a pioneer.  OpenGenius his organization based in England are the software developers of two amazing pieces of software called iMindMap 9 and Drop Task along with numerous training courses.

In my interview with Chris about his book “GRASP the Solution” we discuss what gets in the way of people tapping their creative genius.  Chris states that creativity can be learned, and it is not something that is foster in the business world, even though businesses always say they are looking for more creative and innovative people.  As a matter of fact it’s the people that are putting out the fires and jumping from one task to another that get the most attention, while the people that are thinkers, and are tapping their creative genius are frequently overlooked.

The acronym GRASP stand for the four types of thinking that are the foundation to how one approaches a particular task.  “Generative Thinking-is how we generate thoughts and ideas, Reactive Thinking-is how we react to existing influences and ideas, Analytical Thinking-is how we analyze ideas to reach a solution, Selective Thinking-is how we validate and implement a potential solution, Proactive Thinking-is the strategy of thinking that utilizes all of the previous types of thinking.

Mind Mapping is the technique invented by Tony Buzan for optimizing how we use our brains.  It is a visual format that is not linear that supports the creative problem solving skills, making is more intuitive and easy to capture our thoughts while mapping them visually.  This process can be completed on a big sheet of paper, or can be captured through software such as iMindMap 9 and or Drop Task.  Below is an image showing you an example of the iMind Map 9 and Drop Task screenshots.

imindmap_computer_screens

 

I hope you enjoy this wonderful interview with author and thought leader Chris Griffiths.  If you want to find more about OpenGenius and the software and trainings that are offered please click here to be directed to the website.  If you want to join the Facebook group for OpenGenius please click here.

 

Podcast 570: The Courage Solution with Mindy Mackenzie

We all know that telling the truth is an important attribute and quality in a person.  The question is do we tell the truth at work? If not what are you afraid of?  If so, congratulations it is truly a lacking commodity in corporate America.

In my interview with author Mindy Mackenzie about her new book entitled “The Courage Solution-The Power of Truth Telling with Your Boss, Peers, and Team.”  We discuss the importance of telling the truth and how embracing this in the culture of an organization really makes a difference in almost everything that happens with all the stakeholders of the company.

Mindy states ” with truth telling being the commodity in shortest supply in corporate America today, “The Courage Solution” challenges business professionals to take deceptively simple actions that require vulnerability and courage, which will dramatically improve their impact on the job while increasing their happiness and fulfillment.  It is built on the simple truth that the only thing you can reliably change or control at any company is yourself’.”

There are four key areas that the book focuses on, and they are 1) You First-it offers techniques to take ownership and accountability for creating a career and life you love. 2) Lead Your Boss describes proven techniques to transform your relationship with your boss. 3) Lead your Peers provides methods for accelerating positive peer relationships to improve business results.  4) Lead your Team give approaches for generating and creating the most effective teams and having more fun while doing it.

If you want more information about author Mindy Mackenzie and her new book “The Courage Solution” just click here to be directed to her website.  I hope you enjoy this interview about how to tell the truth and make a difference in your company, with your peers and your boss.

 

Podcast 569: Built To Sell with John Warrillow

Do you own a business?  Are you thinking about venturing out and becoming an entrupauner?  Then you need to listen to this podcast with author John Warrillow and our discuss about his new book entitled “Built to Sell-Creating a Business that Can Thrive Without You.”  I know many of your reading this might be thinking, wouldn’t that be great.  According to John having a business that will thrive without you, is entirely possible.

John’s book revolves around a parable about an advertising agency where the owner is doing many of the wrong things to attain the ultimate of having a business that will thrive without him.  He meet a business guru who provides him with some sound advice, and his business starts to turn around.  Are you wondering what some of that advice was?

Well, here you go:

Tip#1, Don’t generalize;specialize. If you focus on doing one thing well and hire specialists in that area, the quality of your work will improve and you will stand out among the competitors.

Tip#2, Relying too heavily on one client is risky and will turn off potential buyers of your business.  Make sure that no one client makes up more than 15% of your revenue.  

Tip #3, Owning a process make it easier to pitch and puts you in control.  Be clear about what you are selling, and potential customers will be more likely to buy your product.

Tip#4, Don’t become synonymous with your company.  If buyers aren’t confident that your business can run without you in charge, they won’t make their best offer.

Tip#5, Avoid the cash suck. Once you’ve standardized your service, charge up front or use progress billing to create a positive cash flow cycle.

If you are looking to create greater value for your customers, and develop a business that is salable at the highest price then I highly recommend that you listen to my interview with author and businessman John Warrillow “Built to Sell“.  His advice and wisdom when it comes to developing a business that is salable and can thrive without you being present are extremely important to you not becoming a slave to your business.  I see to many people that this happens to, and it does not have to be the case if you develop your personal blueprint and follow John’s advice.

If you want more information about the book and John’s company click here for Value Builders System, or please click here to be directed to the book website.

I hope you enjoy this wonderful interview with someone who can lift most business people out of the doldrums of being chained to their businesses.

 

Podcast 568: The All Day Fat Burning Diet with Yuri Elkaim

It seems as if in North America 90% of the population is either on a diet or considering some new fangled solution to shed those extra pounds.  Is it more exercise and less calories as we have been told for years.  It is less carbohydrates and more protein.  Regardless of the strategy you are using according to my Yuri Elkaim the author of a new book entitled “The All-Day Fat-Burning Diet” we need to reset our bodies metabolism.

Yes, we have heard this advice before as well, but not in conjunction with what Yuri refers to as a 5 day food cycling formula which includes one day of fasting.  In Yuri’s book he discusses what he refers to as “Fat Triggers”.

Fat Trigger #1: Allergenic Foods that Cause Inflammation.  What are they usually they are dairy and gluten, Yuri say that everyone that eliminates these foods from their diet will see a change in their waistline.

Fat Trigger#2: A Sedentary Lifestyle and Exercise Extremism.  Keep your body moving, but not too much.  In other words exercise is very important for your overall bodies health, but excessive exercise is unnecessary and can have adverse effects.

Fat Trigger #3 Toxins.  Toxins have an inverse relationship with thyroid hormone function, so as levels of toxins in the body go up, levels of biologically active thyroid hormone, T3, go down.

Fat Trigger #4: Deadly Belly Bugs.  Your gut health is the biggest determining factor of your overall health.  Microorganisms communicate with your immune system to help keep you healthy.  Dysbiosis, is the imbalance of good to bad bacteria–this is a big problem in today’s excessively celan, sugar-laden and antibiotic happy world.

Fat Trigger #5: Sugar Overload.  Sugar makes you fat because it’s quickly broken down and its glucose component spikes your blood sugar.  As a result, insulin is released to remove all the excess sugar from the blood, and it’s stored in your muscles, liver, and fat cells.

Fat Trigger #6: Too Much “Frankenfood”.  Much of our ultimate behavior has to do with dopamine centers in the brain.  Dopamine is a neurotransmitter intimately involved with rewards which leads us to choose the wrong foods that are high in fat and calories but with little nutritional value.

If you are interested in learning more about Yuri’s “All-Day Fat-Burning Diet” I would recommend that you click here to be directed to Yuri’s website.  You can also follow Yuri and Facebook by clicking here.

I hope you enjoy this wonderful interview with Yuri Elkaim a holistic nutritionist who really has a formula that keeps you healthy and losing weight.

 

Podcast 567: A Love Story with Lance Secretan

I had an opportunity to connect again with Lance Secretan, someone I consider a good friend and confidant.  His new book entitled ” A Love Story” is a personal memoir about his wonderful love relationship with his wife Tricia who passed away in 2014 from cancer.  Lance laces the book with wonderful poetry and stories about this amazing love affair, which he wishes everyone could have with that special someone in their life.  Tricia had a full and wonderful life with Lance, and she certainly made him whole and complete in so many ways.

I hope you enjoy this intensely personal story and interview with my good friend and author Lance Secretan and he recites beautiful poetry and tells us about a journey with his wife that will ever be imbedded in his memories.  If you want more information about the book ” A Love Story” please click here to be directed to Lance’s blog.  Or you can click here to learn more about Lance and his organization “The Secretan Center.”

 

Podcast 566: Clearing Emotional Clutter with Donald Altman

There is no doubt that the emotional clutter that we hang on to takes it’s toll on us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  I recently interviewed Donald Altman the author of a new book entitled ” Clearing Emotional Clutter-Mindfulness Practices for Letting Go of What’s Blocking Your Fulfillment and Transformation, and we discussed how emotional clutter affects or habits and behaviors negatively.

Donald presents mindfulness practices that are designed to allow us to clear the clutter by managing our brains which he asserts everyone of us can do.  He calls it a mindful lifestyle reboot which is centered around six clutter clearing skills which are assessed through the acronym PAIR UP: Present Moment Participation, Attuned Acceptance, Intentionality, Reflection, Understanding of Suffering and Purposeful Partnership.

Donald show the readers throughout the book how to use these skills to become more centered and to live in the moment.  If you would like to dissolve your personal emotional clutter and live a life that is more fulfilled and purposeful then you just might want to pay attention to what Donald is prescribing in “Clearing Emotional Clutter“.

To connect with the author or find out more about the book please click here to be directed to the author’s website.  I hope you enjoy this interview with author Donald Altman about Emotional Clutter.

 

Podcast 565: Seeking Jordan With Matthew McKay

This story is about one man’s quest to understand the life hereafter as a result of his son Jordan being murdered, and his connection to Jordan through Induced After Death Communications.  Author Matthew McKay tells about a heart wrenching story, but one with a pleasant insight and understanding about what happens to us when we die in his new book “Seeking Jordan“.

As Matt states ” Pain is the path to truth.  It refracts light to reveal things not otherwise seen. In the heart of the pain is a moment when the universe, and our place within it , become more visible.  Nothing is truly lost. Nothing. The soul is constant, never broken.  Pain seems to damage us, but the damage is an illusion.  The idea of safety or protection is an illusion.  It is all safe—everything we love.

Matt has had more than 100 conversations with his son Jordan, all of which have been revealing about the life after death.  He asked Jordan what can be gained and lost? His immediate answer was that nothing is lost by opening to the circle with the dead. Nothing.  Communicating with the dead preserves a connection across the life and death divide, by learning things that only the dead can know.

If you are at all curious about life after death and communicating with the dead, then I would recommend that you listen too and get a copy of “Seeking Jordan–How I Learned the Truth about Death and the Invisible Universe.”  If you want to learn more about Matthew please click here to be directed to his website.  I trust you will be informed and intrigued by our interview together.

 

 

Podcast 564: The Birth of a Brand with Brian Smith

There is probably not a person tuning into the podcast that has not been exposed to “Ugg Boots” or might even own a pair or two.

Brian Smith the author of a new book entitled ” The Birth of a Brand” lives in a neighboring city and is the original founder of “Ugg Boots”, and has quite a story about how this organization became what it is today.

In my interview with Brian about “The Birth of a Brand”  we explore the early days of Ugg development, the ups and downs and struggles.  I don’t think I have met a person with as much tenacity, perseverance and persistence all of which were required in double doses to launch “Ugg Boots”.

The Birth of a Brand  is for any entrepreneur that wants to better understand the trials and tribulation of owning your own business and launching a new product into the market.  To state that “Ugg Boots” had a rocky start is an understatement, but despite the adversity Brian was faced with he succeeded and made “Ugg” a household name in the United States.

I hope you enjoy this wonderful interview about the early days of “Ugg” and learn from the master of innovation, Brian Smith.  If you want more information about Brian Smith please go to his website by clicking here.

 

Podcast 563: Enabling Collaboration with Martin Echavarria

Collaboration is something that is the buzzword in today’s business world.  Everyone is looking to collaborate and develop stronger strategic alliances that will result being greater innovation, profits and synergy.  Most executives would like to find out the magic ingredients on how collaboration and strategic alliances are developed, nurtured and successfully implemented.

Author Martin Echavarria has studied how collaboration and strategic alliances are successfully developed and result in a positive synergy for all parties involved.  In our interview together about his new book entitled ” Enabling Collaboration-Achieving Success Through Strategic Alliances and Partnership” he explains how any business can gain traction and better develop these all important relationships.

Martin states that certain key skills employed across the alliance development process are important regardless of alliance type.  These skills consist of emotional intelligence, relationship intelligence, perspective taking, systems thinking, cognitive intelligence and somatic intelligence.

To learn more about successful collaboration and alliance development please listen to my interview with Martin.  If you want to check out Martin’s website you can click here.

I hope you enjoy this great interview with Martin Echavarria the author of “Enabling Collaboration“

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