Podcast 388: We First-How Brands & Consumers Use Social Media To Build A Better World by Simon Mainwaring

 

Simon MainwaringIt is not often that I come across a book and author that has life transforming ideas, and ideas that I believe will have a positive impact on our world.

I recently interviewed author Simon Mainwaring about his new book entitled “We First-How Brands & Consumers Use Social Media to Build A Better World.”  His  book is not only a must read for anyone in business, but for anyone who is part of the socially responsible movement and wants to impact the world for the better.

Simon really believes that we need to transform the engine of capitalism  because our current structure is not performing in ways that benefit the whole. As the title of the book eludes, we need to move to a “We First” instead of a ” Me First” mindset.   He points out that the book is not about doing away with capitalism, is is about recognizing the advantages of capitalism as a generator of progress and prosperity, but at the same time acknowledging the mounting criticisms–if left unchecked, a capitalist system will run off it own rails.  Many noted economists, thought leaders, and social visionaries around the world are all recognizing that capitalism has become dysfunctional.  It has lost is way as an effective, self-regulating, and sustainable economic system. It has devolved into a single-minded pursuit of profit and wealth for a small elite at the expense of the overall society.”

We First points out that the unresolved tension between self-interest and selfishness is no a philosophical debate.  It is at the root of corporate and individual economic behavior, shaping how brands and consumers participate in capitalism on a daily basis. It affects the choices we make about our use of natural resources, or habits of consumption, our views of investment and profit, our attitudes toward both poverty and ethical business conduct, and the political debates that ultimately determine what type of society we want to live in.

If you are interested in reshaping your personal beliefs, and join a movement that will have a positive impact on how we consume good and services then I highly recommend that you read and study Simon’s new book “We First“.  He also has an amazing course which is both available on the Internet, and there is an upcoming live event in the Los Angeles area in March of 2013.

If you are interested in  Simon’s course offering please click here to be directed to a landing page with more information about the event.  I will be taking the course and attending the live event, you will not want to miss this opportunity.    If you purchase admission to the on-line course you are entitled to attend the live event in Los Angeles in March of 2013, and you are eligible to bring a non-profit of your choice at absolutely no cost.

You can also watch a very cool presentation that Simon did at TED Talks by clicking this link.

 

I hope you enjoy this great interview with a man that is going to change our world, through influencing our choices, consumption and behaviors.

Podcast 378: Mind Meister with Michael Hollauf

 

Michael HollaufI have recently been doing podcasts with organization and authors that have productivity tools that I believe are excellent personal growth and mastery applications.  I was introduced to Michael Hollauf the founder of MindMeister through Gerald Aquila the founder of FireTask, and we speak in this podcast  about an amazing cloud based application for mind mapping that he developed with his team called MindMeister.  This application is  so popular that within less than 6 years his user base has grown to over 1.6 million users.

If you are not familiar with mind mapping, it was made popular by British psychologist Tony Buzan.  What is important to remember about mind mapping is that it allows our non-linear brains that normally  think randomly to be able to capture the wonderful ideas, thoughts and inspirations on paper or the computer in a visual map.

Mind Mapping and the use of computer technology over the last 10 years had really excelled, and the cloud based application that Michael and his team has developed is a wonderful example of a collaborative cloud based application that makes the job of capturing ideas and thoughts with a team of people a snap.

A mind map starts usually with one central word or idea, then branches out from this initial concept. The branches then turn into sub-branches and you continue to develop the mind map as your thoughts flow and are recorded onto the mind map. It is like a cognitive map of sorts.  I have links to some of the samples that MindMeister clients have shared just to give you an idea of what is possible using the MindMeister cloud based application. Just click here for a few examples.

The practical tools that would not be available using paper vs a cloud based system are that you can link notes, hypertext links to website, video, graphics, pictures almost anything that will help you in developing your brainstorming session and making it more comprehensive in nature.   The best part about MindMeister is the ability to share your ideas with others on a team and publish your map for their feedback.

If you are in business or a student, then utilizing a cloud based mind mapping software is a wonderfully practical tool.  I highly recommend the MindMeister cloud based system.  If you want more information or would like to watch a few training videos about how to use the system please click here.  You can also download a 30 day free trial by clicking here.

I hope you enjoy this great interview with the founder of MindMeister Michael Hollauf.

Podcast 369: Firetask with Gerald Aquila

Gerald AquilaIf you are a Mac user, then you are in luck.  I recently came across an amazing productivity software by the name of Firetask that I personally believe will help almost any busy person get organized.  I read a magazine entitled “Productivity”, and it is loaded with great ideas, stories and recommendations on software productivity tools and they mentioned Firetask software in one of the issues of the magazine.

Firetask is a company based in  Austria, and in my podcast with Gerald Aquila the founder we speak about the benefits and features of the Firetask software he developed with his partner.  Gerald is also the founder of OnePoint, a comprehensive project management system, which by the way is very well designed and a cloud based project management software.

Firetask is exceptionally well designed, an the user interface is wonderful—very intuitive.   Firetask is simple, fun and easy to use with a set of features that any busy person will appreciate. It allows you to create and manage projects as well as view the your tasks in what Gerald refers to as the organize view.

Firetask follows the system thinking that David Allen has made popular called “Getting Things Done“.  It is also customizable with allowing you to name categories as well as drag and drop your created tasks into the categories sections.  There is a wonderful calendar view allowing you to take a birds eye view of your tasks and projects on a monthly basis.   The software  built in filters, so that you can view just the tasks that are top of mind.

Firetask has something that Gerald refers to as a Scratchboard.  This is designed to assist you when something comes across your desk, and you don’t have time to deal with it, just place it in the Scratchboard and save it until you can reference it and categorize the item.   The best part of Firetask is that it is easy, fun and very intuitive to use.

If you are an iPad user Firetask has the companion application for the iPad which synchronizes with the desktop version using a cloud based system.  Believe me you are going to love this simple, inexpensive productivity tool from Firetask.

 

For more information please click here to be directed to the Firetask website, or send an email to firetask@gmail.com Gerald and his team will be more than happy to assist you.

Enjoy this great interview with Gerald Aquila the founder of Firetask and Onepoint

 

Podcast 357: HOW, Why How We Do Anything Means Everything with Dov Seidman

Dov SeidmanI love books like the one that author Dov Seidman wrote entitled ” HOW, Why How We Do Anything Means Everything“.  This book not only gets you thinking about the compelling and exciting times we are living in, but provides the reader an opportunity to reflect on this extremely important issue–just “HOW” we are doing everything we do mean everything.

Author Dov Seidman argues that we need a new approach to how we live our lives and pursue our endeavors.  Dov states that we are in a new “Era of Behavior” both as individuals and organizations. He states that as our world has become increasingly hyper-connected and hyper-transparent, we need to rethink our behavior in it.  Since everyone can instantly see not only what we do but how we do it, the value of principled behavior has been raised from a nicety to a necessity.  Our connectedness has rendered us interdependent, even morally so , and as such we can not longer win at the expense of others but instead rise or fall together.  We are more tightly bound to each other as never before and therefore we are judged by who is better at forging deep connections with other through shared values and shared responsibilities.

Throughout Dov’s book he cites examples and studies of just how important this new behavior has become.  Everything from the Middle East where popular uprising this year have been freeing people from despotic governments, to the donut vendor who boosted his sales by trusting customers to make their own change.  Through surprising anecdotes like these, cutting-edge research in a wide range of fields, and revealing interviews with a divers group of business leaders, experts, and everyday people on the front lines, HOW will inspire readers to reconsider how we think, how we behave, how we lead, and how we govern ourselves to uncover the values-driven “hows” that we need to adapt to our new “Era of Behavior.”

If you are interested in reading a book that will get you thinking about your own self-governance, and how your self-governance can mean so much to the way to do business to how you treat your family and lead your life then you will want to read ” HOW, Why How We Do Anything Means Everything.”

If you are interested in learning more about author Dov Seidman and his organization LRN please click here to be directed to his website.  If you would like to find out more about the book please click here to be directed to an amazingly well done book website.   They also have Facebook page for the book, and you can access it by clicking here.

 

Enjoy this wonderful interview with author Dov Seidman.

Podcast 325: Live Off Your Passion with Scott Dinsmore

Inside Personal Growth with Greg Voisen · Podcast 325: Live Off Your Passion with Scott Dinsmore I was recently introduced to author Scott Dinsmore’s work

Podcast 321: The Right-Brain Business Plan with Jennifer Lee

Right Brain

If you are anything like me, you are going to love ” The Right-Brain Business Plan” with Jennifer Lee.  Jennifer Lee’s new book is exactly what I needed and is the first book of it’s type that I have ever seen that is designed to help people like me ( and maybe you) who are predominately right brained put together a creative business plan.

I can’t tell you how many years I have struggled with the linear approach to business planning, forecasts and all of the traditional approaches to building a business plan.  Well, you don’t have to follow that linear approach anymore.  Jennifer has made is easy to utilize your creative juices and still get everything you need in your business plan.

I used to think that creativity and business were words apart, especially after a decade of diligently climbing the corporate ladder while I stuffed my under appreciated creative spirit into the corner.  When I finally listened to my heart and took the bold leap of quitting my day job to follow muy dreams full-time, I discovered a much better way to live and work states Jennifer.

The left-brain thinking has dominated the business world for centuries;fortunately, though, dramatic shifts in our social and economic environment are leveling the playing field.  As we move from a knowledge economy based on information and analysis to a creative economy built on innovation and ideas, right-brain thinking will prevail.

As you might already guess the right-brain business is visual, creative and fun.  It looks more like a mind map for your business success.  Typically a business plan has yawn-inducing subheads such as ” Executive” Summary”, and “Company Overview”.  Jennifer has taken the liberty to come up with catchy creative titles for these sections like “Hearty Highlights” and ” Business Vision and Values”, and “Managing the Moola” I love her creative approach.

Jennifer shows the right brain individual how to have fun building their business plan, while thinking out of the box and giving them permission to ignite their creative side while developing their business plan  .  I know you are going to love my wonderful interview with Jennifer Lee about her new book entitled ” The Right-Brain Business Plan“.

If you would like to learn more about Jennifer you can click here to be directed to her website.  She also has a home study e-course that you can learn more about by clicking here.

Go for it, step out of your comfort zone and lean how Jennifer Lee can teach you to be extremely creative in the business planning process.

Podcast 321: The Right-Brain Business Plan with Jennifer Lee

Jennifer LeeIf you are anything like me, you are going to love ” The Right-Brain Business Plan” with Jennifer Lee.  Jennifer Lee’s new book is exactly what I needed and is the first book of it’s type that I have ever seen that is designed to help people like me ( and maybe you) who are predominately right brained put together a creative business plan.

I can’t tell you how many years I have struggled with the linear approach to business planning, forecasts and all of the traditional approaches to building a business plan.  Well, you don’t have to follow that linear approach anymore.  Jennifer has made is easy to utilize your creative juices and still get everything you need in your business plan.

I used to think that creativity and business were words apart, especially after a decade of diligently climbing the corporate ladder while I stuffed my under appreciated creative spirit into the corner.  When I finally listened to my heart and took the bold leap of quitting my day job to follow muy dreams full-time, I discovered a much better way to live and work states Jennifer.

The left-brain thinking has dominated the business world for centuries;fortunately, though, dramatic shifts in our social and economic environment are leveling the playing field.  As we move from a knowledge economy based on information and analysis to a creative economy built on innovation and ideas, right-brain thinking will prevail.

As you might already guess the right-brain business is visual, creative and fun.  It looks more like a mind map for your business success.  Typically a business plan has yawn-inducing subheads such as ” Executive” Summary”, and “Company Overview”.  Jennifer has taken the liberty to come up with catchy creative titles for these sections like “Hearty Highlights” and ” Business Vision and Values”, and “Managing the Moola” I love her creative approach.

Jennifer shows the right brain individual how to have fun building their business plan, while thinking out of the box and giving them permission to ignite their creative side while developing their business plan  .  I know you are going to love my wonderful interview with Jennifer Lee about her new book entitled ” The Right-Brain Business Plan“.

If you would like to learn more about Jennifer you can click here to be directed to her website.  She also has a home study e-course that you can learn more about by clicking here.
Go for it, step out of your comfort zone and lean how Jennifer Lee can teach you to be extremely creative in the business planning process.

Podcast 299: Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions with Guy Kawasaki

Guy KawasakiI recently interviewed Guy Kawasaki about his new book entitled ” Enchantment-The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions“.  I thoroughly enjoyed my interview with Guy, and I think you will enjoy listening to this interview as well.

Enchantment as Guy states is ” not about manipulating people.  It is about transforming situations and relationships into experiences where people want to come back again and again, while telling others about the amazing experience.  Guy argues that in business and personal interactions, your goal is not merely to get what you want but to bring about a voluntary, enduring and delightful change in other people.  By enlisting the own goals and desires, by being likable and trustworthy, and by framing a cause that other can embrace, you can change hearts, minds, and actions.

In the book all of the tactics you need to prepare and launch an enchantment campaign are available; to get the most from both push and pull technologies; and to enchant your customers, your employees and even your boss. It shows how enchantment can turn difficult decisions your way, at times when intangibles mean more than hard facts.  It will help you overcome other people’s entrenchment habits and defy the not-always-wise “wisdom of the crowd.”

There are two key elements to becoming enchanting, likability and trustworthiness.  Guy states that step one is achieving likability, because jerks seldom enchant people.  In the book several aspects to likability are covered, from smile to handshake to using the right words.  It is important to understand these elements for they are paramount to creating a personality that is likable.

Secondly, it trustworthiness.  People who don’t trust others have often had bad experiences that cause them to embrace a distrusting, kill-or-be-killed philosophy.   The first step is to trust others.  In the book Guy speaks about “Mensch” it is a German word for “human being”, but its Yiddish connotation far exceeds this definition.  If you are a mensch, you are honest, fair, kind, and transparent, no matter whom you’re dealing with and who will ever know what you did.

This book is for people who see life for what it can be rather than what it can’t.  They are bringing to market a cause–that is a product, service, organization, or idea–that can make the world a better place.  If you want to become “enchanting” and change the hearts, minds and actions of the people you interact with or who are your customers then I highly recommend that you read “Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions“.  If you would like to learn more about Guy Kawasaki you can click here to be taking to his website.  There are great references and videos as well at the website for your viewing.
Enjoy this wonderful interview with a very “enchanting man” Guy Kawasaki.

Podcast 268: The Last Year of Your Life with Clint Arthur

 

Clint ArthurI was listening to an interview on Fox 5 San Diego with author Clint Arthur and was intrigued by his message about his new book “The Last Year of Your Life“.   Unlike many personal growth authors Clint’s approach to living your life is to look at life as if it is the “Last Year of Your Life”.  I can really appreciate this way of looking at life, for I believe we would all find new ways to live our lives if we knew this was our last year of life.

Clint’s book is designed as a workbook with lots of thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter.  They are designed to engage the reader in creating concrete results and question the things in life that are really important.  There is a chapter for each week of the year with very simple and easy to do exercises.  If the reader completes the whole 52 weeks the objective is that they will have completed some very deep personal reflection and discovery, thus transforming their life.  This can be some of the most difficult work, but the most rewarding.

I speak from experience, if one does the work and really applies themselves to any personal growth and transformational work they will see results.  The key here is to stick to the work and do the lessons.  I know that it is frequently tough, and life seems to get in the way but I encourage you to do the work first!!!.

In my interview with author Clint Arthur we discuss not only some of his personal life experiences, but we discuss some of the master teachers he has admired throughout his life and the important roles they played in shaping the person he has become today.
Clint has a quote in his book from the by the Buddha “All that we are is the result of what we have thought”  Just remember, put good thoughts in and get positive results out.

If you are looking for a book will become your 52 week guide then I would recommend that you pick up a copy of Clint Arthur’s book “The Last Year of Your Life“.  Please click here to be directed to Clint’s website for more information.