Podcast 385: So Good They Can’t Ignore You with Cal Newport

Cal NewportI recently interviewed Cal Newport a Georgetown University professor of computer science about his new book entitled “So Good They Can’t Ignore You“.   Cal’s book title is taken from advice that comedian Steve Martin once gave to aspiring entertainers and that was to “be so good they can’t ignore you.”.

Cal bunks the advice that we should follow our passion, or do what we love and the money will follow.  He cites that in Steve Jobs’ famed address to the graduating class of Stanford that he advocated to “follow your passion”.  Cal states that the evidence shows that this advice will do your career more harm than good.  Cal reveals that loving what you do is a wise goal, but following your passions isn’t the way to get there.   ” Stop trying to figure out what you are passionate about, instead the secret to building a career you love is to develop rare and valuable skills that you can then leverage to take control of your livelihood. Get good, and the passion will follow.  Not the other way around.

In “So Good They Can’t Ignore You”  Cal presents studies and compelling examples that expose the truth about how people end up loving what they do.  He cites experience, autonomy, competence and relatedness each play a much bigger role in motivation and job satisfaction and his roadmap for getting you there consist of four easy rules: 1) Don’t Follow Your Passion 2) Be So Good They Can’t Ignore You (The Importance of Skill) 3) Turn Down a Promotion (Importance of Control) 4) Think Small, Act Big( The Importance of Mission).

If you take Cal’s advice he states that you will create career capital, and science tells us that the key to loving what you do is to have important traits such as autonomy, competence, creativity and a sense of impact in your working life. These traits are rare and valuable. Basic economics tells us that if you want these traits in your career, you mist build up rare and valuable skills to offer in return. In other words, until you are very good at something, you shouldn’t expect a very good job.

If you are new to the job market or a seasoned veteran the advice that Cal presents in “So Good They Can’t Ignore You” is compelling and sound.  I highly recommend reading Cal’s new book, and applying the principles and advice he has for the reader.   I

f you would like more information about Cal Newport you can visit his blog by clicking here. I hope you enjoy my interview with author Cal Newport about his new book “So Good They Can’t Ignore You.”

Podcast 384: Small Message, Big Impact with Terri Sjodin

 

Terri SjodinI don’t believe their is a person alive that has not been put in the awkward position of being asked “what do you do?”; and for one reason or another we can’t seem to get the answer out to our mouth in a short simple statement.  In Terri Sjodin’s new book entitled ” Small Message, Big Impact-The Elevator Speech Effect” Terri guides and directs not only the sales and marketing person, but anyone how to crate a effective elevator speech.

As Terri states ” In this day and age of information overload and busier schedules, we’re limited to fewer opportunities to get people attention, and often only 140 characters to get our message across.  Attention must be earned, and faster than ever, or your opportunity will be gone before you know it.  Whether you’re faced with a chance encounter, a one-on-one meeting or presentation for thousands, only a well-crafted elevator speech can take your message and bridge the gap between the goals you set and the results you want.”

In my interview with Terri she provides some of the steps required to build an effective elevator speech.  She speaks about case, creativity, and delivery the three fundamentals of developing a great elevator speech.  Terri states you have to have s solid and persuasive case, along with a thoughtful, creative and intriguing message combined with a delivery which is genuine and enthusiastic. Once you complete Terri book “Small Message, Big Impact” you will have crafted a compelling message.  She takes you through the process and provides examples of wonderfully crafted elevator speeches.  If you are someone who is consistently dealing with the public either in sales, marketing or customer service Terri new book is a must read.

Terri also has a wonderful book trailer that you can watch by clicking here, or you can access forms and tools on how to develop your own elevator speech by clicking here.  I hope you enjoy this wonderful podcast with author Terri Sjodin.

Podcast 379: Change Course with Dan Pallotta

Dan PallottaIn my interview with Dan Pallotta we discuss a his newly designed program called “Change Course“.  I have interviewed Dan previously about his book entitled “Uncharitable-How Restraints on Non-Profits Undermine Their Potential.”   Dan Pallotta has been involved in  lifting up the profile of non-profits for years.  At age 21 he organized a bike ride across America to raise awareness about world hunger,  he also launched a for profit enterprise that was responsible for developing AID’s rides as well as the 3-Day Brest Cancer walks.  Needless to say Dan Pallotta is not stranger to the world of non-profit.

Dan realized that many people are torn mentally and emotionally about where to spend their time.  So many of us want to help in the non-profit sector, yet we feel that we are not doing enough or don’t have the time.   We want to know how to make the transition and feel comfortable with our decisions. This boot camp for idealists, activists and social entrepreneurs and anyone exploring how to make a good living and a big difference will help anyone seeking to have fulfilling work while making a living.  In Change Course, Dan and his team are going to guide the attendees and inform them about: 1) the pros and cons of a non-profit career 2) making a difference in every moment 3) duty and responsibility vs. joy and opportunity 4) social enterprise vs. social entrepreneurship 5) maximizing the impact of personal philanthropy and much more.

If you are like most people you may want to get involved with charitable work, but  could or would you every make a career of it?   Dan will help guide attendees in determining what their options are, as well as help resolve the dilemmas that many face in making non-profit work a career.   If you want to learn more about the Change Course, please listen to this informative podcast.  You can also click here to be directed to the Change Course website which will provide you with the information you will need to make your decision about attending the course.

Podcast 371: (5) Where Will You Be Five Years From Today with Dan Zadra

Dan ZadraHow many of you have ever asked this questions ” Where Will You Be Five Years From Today“?. Great question isn’t it.  Not only is it a great questions to ask yourself, but a wonderful questions to start to go to work on and explore the possibilities.

During my interview with Dan Zadra we discuss the importance of defining your personal values, and how this can be an amazing guide to helping someone ground themselves and get really clear as to what is matters most to them.  I know that years ago I did this exercise, and I was amazed as how much power is in this little exercise.

In the (5) book you are given lots of wonderful quotes, stories and mini-exercises.  The layout  is exceptional, as a matter of fact in all the personal growth and mastery books I have ever read, I have never found any as engaging, thought provoking and as easy to warm up to as the one that Dan created in “Where Will You Be Five Years From Today?”.   The whole series of Dan’s books of which we are  doing podcast for,  all have a similar layout and intuitive design–easy, fun and engaging just the way you want a book to be.

An important aspect of defining where you will be five (5) years from today is you ability to get in touch with you imagination.  Dan and I discuss the importance of imagination and creativity and how to get back in touch with this aspect of ourselves that often gets supplanted the older we grow.  It is so important to tap into our dream gene and take risks again-live, love, laugh and enjoy and dream the possible.

Thinking big seems to fly over the heads of many of us.  I know almost everyone has read the quote ” the greatest danger for most of us is not that are aim is to high and miss, but that it is to low and reach it.”.  This quote says it all, aim high really high–who knows what synchronicity just might occur that will allow you to achieve your goal.

We need to break our routines and do something new for the first time.  All of us get to comfortable and are not willing to break out of the mold.  It is time, we are in the dawning of a new age and abundance in all forms is all around us.  As the Nike ad states “Just Do It“.

I hope you enjoy this interview with an author that not only writes about possibilities, but he lives them.  If you want more information about “Where Will You Be Five Years From Today” you can

 

click here to  be directed to the Five (5) website, or you can join Dan on Facebook by clicking here.

 

Podcast 370: Platform Get Noticed in a Noisy World with Michael Hyatt

Michael HyattIn my recent interview with Michael Hyatt the  CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing, and the author of a wonderful new book entitled “Platform-Get Noticed in a Noisy World” we discuss what is required for someone to get noticed in this very noisy and crowded world we live in today.

Michael is one of the top business bloggers and holds the #1 spot as a Leadership blogger. No doubt he is extremely well qualified to speak about getting noticed and building a platform.

He states that “competition has never been greater and people are more distracted than ever.  That being said, never before have there been so many ways you can connect with people if you do it right.  Michael states that there are two critical parts of the success equation: a compelling product (the what) and a significant platform (the who). 1) Create products that people would love to use 2) Create products that solve problems in unexpected ways 3) Create product that exceed your customers’ expectations.

We also speak about what Michael refers to as the WOW Experience, of which he states has some combination of the following ten (10) elements:

Surprise , Anticipation, Resonance, Transcendence, Clarity, Presence, Universality,  Evangelism, Longevity, Privilege.    He says that being successful means becoming the expert in recognizing WOW when it shows up.  More importantly, it means being able to recognize it when it is absent–and insisting that you ask yourself to deliver it.

Michaels’ new book is loaded with tips and ideas to help anyone who is attempting to develop a platform.  What I really enjoy about Platform, Get Noticed in a Noisy World is that the chapters are short 3-4 pages, easy to digest and filled with very useful tips and information that you can put to use immediately.  If you are someone wanting to get noticed in this noisy world, then reading Michael’s new book is a must.

If you would like to download a free chapter and watch an informational video about the book, then click here to learn more.  You can also click here to be directed to the Facebook page.

 

Enjoy this wonderful interview with author Michael Hyatt.

 

Podcast 359: Emotional Equations with Chip Conley

Chip ConleyI recently attended a conference in San Diego where author Chip Conley was one of the keynote speakers.  I was throughly taken by Chip’s personal story, and his new book entitled ” Emotional Equations-Simple Truths for Creating Happiness and Success .

I have been interviewing authors for over 5 years and have been immersed in the personal growth field for over 30 years.  Chip Conley’s new book  “Emotional Equations” is the real deal.  It is easy to understand, and I love how Chip has taken what sometimes can be difficult ideas to convey, and created equations out of them.  His formulas help the reader  take universal truths and turn it into a visual lexicon for mastering your life challenges.

I dont’ know how many of my listeners have read the classic book by Victor Frankl entitled ” Man’s Search for Meaning“.  If you are not familiar with the story it is about Frankl’s agony in the Nazi concentration camp.  The essence of this book is that the Nazi’s were attempting to break down the prisoners mentally, and  in Frankl’s words“everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”  Chip has distilled the essence of “Man’s Search for Meaning” book into this wonderful equation: Dispair=Suffering-Meaning.  How simple!!

Some of Chips’ other equations are: Disappointment = Expectations-Reality or Joy=Love-Fear.  No matter what emotion, Chip has a formula.

Chip states that their are parallels between math and life.  He states that when he was at is lowest point in his life that the “Meaning Equation” (above)  gave him the knowledge and conviction that if he placed his attention more on the meaning of his disparate collection of painful events, as apposed to the suffering, that he would likely have less dispair in his life.  He states that during his more troubled weeks, the equation felt as if it was his instructions manual for deactivating his emotional explosives.

If you are currently dealing with pain or suffering in your life, then I would highly recommend that you read Chips’ new book “Emotional Equations“.  I personally love how he has distilled our emotions into equations,almost as  if the equations diffuse our personal connection to the painful emotions, and  allow us to see the situation so much more clearly.

In all my years of working in the personal growth, mastery and human potential movement I have never come across a book like “Emotional Equations”.  It is a must read for anyone seeing to better understand their emotions!

 

If you would like more information about Chip Conley then just click here to be directed to his website.  You can also click here to be directed to his Facebook page.  Enjoy this wonderful interview with a great inspirational author Chip Conley.

Podcast 352: The Last Year of Your Life by Clint Arthur

Clint ArthurThis is my second interview with Clint Arthur, and every time I conduct an interview with Clint I am engulfed by his energy.  When you listen to our interview you will understand the enthusiasm for he his about the topic of his book ” The Last Year Of Your Life.”

Just imagine if we all lived our lives as if this were the last year— “impermanence” is just a fact of life.  My questions would be what might you do if you knew for certain this was your last year?  What bold and daring adventures might you take on, who would you give your gratitude and love to that is longing to make a deep connection with you.

Obviously, all of the above questions are valid and our infrequency to pause and  reflect on this subject is the opportunity.  Clint’s new book “The Last Year of Your Life” has been written to engage the reader to reflect on just what is possible.  What can you accomplish, what would you do?

Clint weaves his own compelling story into the book and sprinkles it with video segments that really give an upfront and inside view into what Clint is thinking about and encouraging the reader to act upon.  I must say the video’s are wonderful, Clint is vulnerable, authentic and delivers a message that is so important–what do you want to do with your life?

At once the book is crafted  like a guidebook, encouraging you to take action–while providing you with stories, insights and wisdom that Clint has experienced over the years.  But throughout Clint continues to ask you to take action.  Simple stuff like creating mantras, observing your negative thinking—all wonderful exercises to create a shift in your consciousness.

I would certainly recommend this book for anyone who has deeply pondered their existence on this planet, and  the words of the famous singer Peggy Lee–“Is that All Their Is?” running around in their head.  I am really dating myself!!   It does not matter your ethnic origin, color or sex we are all human and these deep reflective questions are what make our life worth living.

 

If you are interested in learning more about Clint Arthur, you can click here to be directed to his website or watch a YouTube video about the book by clicking here.  I hope you enjoy this very lively and engaging interview.

Podcast 349: Work with Passion with Nancy Anderson

Nancy AndersonThis is my second interview with author Nancy Anderson. In this interview I speak with Nancy about “Work with Passion” a book she first wrote in 1984.  Her new and revised edition is now out, and the content has been updated and I must say is one of the best book available for anyone wanting to find “How To Do What You Love for A Living”

I think more than ever people are attempting to find work that is congruent with their values and has meaning.  What I truly appreciate about the books that Nancy has written on the subject of career path is that they are all focused on finding passion and the work that you love.

Nancy guides the reader through a very unique and revealing process as they read, write and reflect on their perfect career.  She starts her book off with questions that are designed to help you explore and find your passion.  As Nancy states ” To find the right work you need to know what you feel as well as what you think, since your feelings tell you what you value.  Feeling is not the abdication of thinking; on the contrary people who do not feel make dreadful errors of judgement.  Taking time to integrate your thoughts and feelings is how you get to know yourself, what is unique about you, you weaknesses as well as your strengths.

When you know what you want you have the courage to go after it, your mind and feelings work as a team to help you accomplish your objective. As with any search you have to know the right key words.  Your feelings provide your mind with these key words, since your feelings reflect what you really want.  The mind then goes after the goal following a logical, step-by-step process.

I personally believe that many of us spend our lives attempting to find a vocation that matches our values and has meaning.  Finding work that we love is truly a tricky combination of personal exploration and reflection as well as clearly defining our values.  Nancy mentions that loves power not only remodels your values, it also alters the values of those who receive your love.  In spite of what you experienced in the past you can decide to give love freely right now, even if you are not yet in the perfect job.  Loving without expecting a return will speed up the process of finding the work you want to do.  You don’t have to do anything you hate—you can choose to do the work you love to do.  That is power

If for any reason you are searching for the right vocation, then I would highly recommend reading Nancy Anderson newly revised edition of “Work with Passion“.  Also if you would like more information about Nancy and her services you can click here to be directed to her website.

 

I hope you enjoy this lively interview with one of my favorite authors Nancy Anderson.