Podcast 590: Hustle-The Power to Charge Your Life with Money, Meaning and Momentum with Jonas Koffler

This book is for anyone, it is a book for those who are willing to take charge of their destinies, beat the odds and create opportunity to pursue dreams on their own terms.

I recently sat down to conduct this podcast interview with Jonas Koffler one of three authors that makes up the team who wrote “Hustle-The Power to Charge Your Life with Money, Meaning, and Momentum.”  Hustle addresses the political, social and economic issues that plague the American citizen attempting to have more meaning and money in their lives.

Jonas states “The “American Dream” is not longer about advancement or the acquisition of material possessions–secure job, car, home, family or even social mobility–alone. It is about greater freedom and autonomy to choose one’s own path forward.  The American Dream is more of a DIY creative project than is has ever been, and hustle is the way to achieving it, surfacing one’s talents, capturing luck and opportunity, and leveraging skills and technology into a diversified portfolio of upward optionality.”

The authors definition of “hustle’ has been redefined to mean “Decisive movement toward a goal, however indirect, by which the motion itself manufactures luck, surfaces hidden opportunities, and charges our live with more money, meaning and momentum. “

If you want to change the trajectory of you life I highly recommend reading “Hustle” and listening to this interview.  You can also join the “Hustle’ generation by joining the authors on their quest.

Just click this link to take you to their book landing page.  I hope you enjoy my interview with Jonas Koffler one of the authors of “Hustle“.

 

Podcast 589: Scrappy-A Little Book about Choosing to Play Big with Terri Sjodin

Terri Sjodin is not only a great author, but is scrappy. I recently interviewed her for her new book entitled “Scrappy-A Little Book About Choosing to Play Big“. I am sure that most of you know what scrappy means, but just in case: scrappy is someone who is full of fighting spirit-synonymous with having moxie, being feisty, enthusiastic. So how many of you choose to play big when is comes to trying to meet someone new you really want to meet? Someone that might make a difference if you met them both personally and professionally? Terri’s book is loaded with amazingly courageous people with great stories about how they went the extra mile to meet that someone special, or did something out of the ordinary to capture the attention of their customers or investors.

Terri has three pillars of scrappiness: 1) Attitude 2) Strategy 3) Execution. I know it sounds simple, and it really is–it just takes lots of courage to act on the things in life that can make a significant difference. What is holding you back? Fear and Uncertainty? If so I encourage you to listen to my interview with Terri Sjodin and get yourself a copy of “Scrappy” you will be glad that you did, you just might break a cycle of belief that is holding you back. If you want to learn more about Terri and the book Scrappy just click here. Thanks for listening.

Podcast 586: Simplicity Survival Handbook with Bill Jensen

Bill Jensen is a returning guest to Inside Personal Growth.  This time he joins me to discuss a book he published sometime ago called The Simplicity Survival Handbook.  Simplicity is something that we all need a bit more of in our lives. We have become more inundated with complexity in our world as a result of the speed of transmission of information, and the devices that keep us tethered every minute.   We are spending more time on email, distracted by social media not to mention that the devices are “always on” which leads to us being so distracted that we are not paying attention to our most important relationship–our family.

Simplicity is the power to do less (of what does not matter), simplicity is the power to do more (of what does matter), states Jensen. Bill guides the reader on how to reduce email clutter, write shorter emails, go to fewer meetings, how to quickly communicate with anyone more effectively, how to leave shorter voicemails and much more.

If you are like most technology workers your day is filled with emails, voicemails, texts, meetings and attempting to put out fires and solve problems.  Now this is what you are probably paid to do, but what if you could shift some of those activities to more productive and creative endeavors?  Imagine the value you would bring to your organization, and how much better you would feel everyday.

I encourage you to listen to and implement some of the thirty-two techniques that Bill Jensen writes about in his book “The Simplicity Survival Handbook“.  You can learn more about Bill Jensen by clicking here to be directed to his website.  You can also watch a presentation on the Future of Work Bill did in 2015 by clicking here.

 

Podcast 578: Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want From Your Business with Mark C. Winters

I really love business books that provide value to the reader, and this book “Rocket Fuel” is an easy to read book that is chalk full of value.

In my interview with author Mark C. Winter we explore one of the most important realizations by successful entrepreneurs and that if you want to develop a business it takes someone in the passenger seat, and that person is called an Integrator.  An “Integrator” compliments a “Visionary” and the right combination of these two people is imperative for the success of any business.

What you will learn by reading “Rocket Fuel” is that “Visionaries” have certain characteristics as do “Integrators”. When each person knows and plays their role in the organization you obtain “Rocket Fuel” as the book suggests.

Mark also discusses with me something he refers to as the “Accountability Chart”.  This is not just a normal organizational chart, the “Accountability Chart” helps you define the functions of the organization but to compliment that is defines the five (5) major roles of each of the people in the organization.  When you accomplish this task, it make everything much clearer and allows for leadership team to function with clear lines of communication.

What I appreciate most about “Rocket Fuel” and Mark C. Winters is the fact that all the techniques and tools outlined in the the book are tried and true tools.  Mark’s co-author Gino Wickman is the founder of EOS (Entrepreneur Operating System) out of Detroit Michigan.  EOS Worldwide provides the reader with amazing free resources as well as an opportunity to hire a business coach called an Implementer.

If you want to learn more about Rocket Fuel please click here to be directed to the book website, if you want to learn more about EOS Worldwide please click here to be directed to their website.  

I particularly enjoyed this animated YouTube Video titled “Why Entrepreneurial Companies Need a Visionary and an Integrator.”  I hope you enjoy my interview with Mark C. Winters.

 

Podcast 577: New Developments in Goal Setting and Task Performance with Edwin Locke PhD

If you are interested in your personal growth, you have to be interested in what makes you tick regarding setting goals.  Have you ever wondered why you achieve some goals, and others just seem like they are miles away and you may never get there?

There are obviously lots of physiological reasons for this , and in a recent interview with Edwin Locke Phd about his book “New Developments in Goal Setting and Task Performance” he unlocks many of the reasons from our personal motivations, to our values and the role of the subconscious mind. Edwin Locke PhD is the de facto resource when it comes to research on goal setting.  My interview with him was one of the most enlightening interviews of the over 575 interviews I have completed.

During our interview we covered topics regarding the commitment to our goals, the role that feedback plays in achievement of our goals and the simple truths about self-regulation in goal setting.  If you are at all interested in improving your game when it comes to setting and achieving goals then you will want to listen to my interview with Edwin Locke Phd.

You can learn more about Dr. Locke and his writings by clicking here to be directed to his website.  Please note the book is really a textbook and might be a bit heavy for casual reading, but if you are really into figuring out the pitfalls and “why” of goal setting them purchase the book.

 

Podcast 576: Almost: 12 Electric Months Chasing A Silicon Valley Dream with Hap Klopp

I don’t think that there is an entrepreneur on the face of the planet that doesn’t understand the challenges of starting-up a new company. Most startups are faced with a myriad of issues, not to mention one of the biggest issues of finding capital to drive the new venture forward.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Hap Klopp the founder of North Face, about his new book entitled “Almost-12 Electric Months Chasing A Silicon Valley Dream“. Our interview is a must listen too for those who are in business, and especially if you might be seeking funding for your new venture. His book tells the story about the issues that a company by the name of “Ardica” in the Silicon Valley had in finding funds, and the dynamics of the personalities working in the business. Hap, was the marketing director and was on the board of directors of Ardica. It is a wonderfully told story about a group of very bright engineers attempting to revolutionize the energy business, and in the process finding obstacles at almost every intersection partially due to the disfunction of the organization and the other as a result of a cash burn rate that was exceeding income.

I hope you will take the time to listen to this great interview with Hap Klopp about his new book “Almost-12 Electric Months Chasing A Silicon Valley Dream.” If you want more information about Hap please click here to be linked to a great article from the Stanford Business School.  You can also learn more about Ardica by clicking here to visit their website.

 

Podcast 575: Readitfor.me with Steve Cunningham

I recently interviewed a friend from Canada that owns a wonderful learning company called “Readitfor.me“.  Steve Cunningham is the founder and mastermind behind an amazing book summaries company that creates the content in both a visual format as well as auditory and downloadable text.  The Readitfor.me platform works for both individuals that have big appites for learning, and is idealiy designed for companies that are looking for ways to provide their workforce with softskills training at a very reasonable price.   It is a wonderful way for lunch and learn sessions that will be championed by someone within the organization.  It is efficient, effective and allows for rapid learning and retention of the material all while learning in a group environment.

Readitfor.me has a library of in excess of 275 current business books that have been summarized, and Steve is rapidly working to increase the library by reviewing a book per day.  Believe me you will not run out of interesting learning material and content that is timeless and very useful in the growth and development of any size organization.

In my interview with Steve we discuss how he launched Readitfor.me and his passion behind the company.  I think you will find our interview to be very informative, allowing you to get insight on how the Readitfor.me platform works. You are also provided with an opportunity to sign up for a free 7-day trial of the platform.

If you want to get more information about Readitfor.me and sign up for the free trial please click on any of the links.  If you want to sign up through your Linkedin account you can do that as well.

I hope you enjoy this interview with founder of Readitfor.me Steve Cunningham, hope you enjoy your 7-day free trial.

 

Podcast 572: World Famous How to Create a Kick-Ass Brand with David Tyreman

Most of us are aware that branding ourselves  or our companies can be a challenging task.  It is as if there is a magic formula that when you have the correct ingredients your company can blast off into the stratosphere where customers are clamoring to subscribe to your service or purchase your products.

David Tyreman has authored a book entitled “World Famous-How to Create a Kick-Ass Brand.  David has worked with some of the biggest companies like Banana Republic, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Nike and many others.  In my interview with David we explore the components that are required to create a kick-ass brand.  David explains there are five of them and they are:  1) Dare 2) Learn Why People Buy 3) A Defined Differentiation 4) Adding Value 5) Ready, Set Engage.  These steps make up the roadmap for someone wanting to develop their brand.

We also discuss the power of a super niche, defining what you do best and not spreading yourself too thin that your customers are confused by your offering or service.   You also need to be concerned and do you research on the demographics and psychographics of your target customer.  Remember not everyone is your customer, so develop a plan and research your customer profile so you know what makes them tick.

David is a master at helping people brand themselves or their company.  His book “World Famous-How to Create a Kick-Ass Brand” is loaded with stories, examples and advice that can assist both the newbie or the experienced marketer.

I would recommend that you check out David Tyremen at his website by clicking here.  World Famous also has a great branding course that you might want to consider taking.  If you are interested finding out more about the course please email David at david@worldfamouscompany.com.

 

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.

 

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