Podcast 650: Obroni and the Chocolate Factory with Steve Wallace

I don’t know of too many people that hate chocolate, so for all you chocolate lovers you are going to love this interview.

Steve Wallace is the author of a new book entitled  “Oberoni and the Chocolate Factory-An Unlikely Story of Globalization and Ghana’s First Gourmet Chocolate Bar.” This book is about a fascinating journey about a man who truly has made a difference in the production of chocolate.  When we think of chocolate we immediately think of Switzerland, France, Belgium–but why?  Cocoa beans are not from those places.

Steve used to live in Ghana (one of the largest regions producing cocoa) when he was 16 years old. This experience transformed him and he wanted to return to Ghana and give back.  While the people of Ghana’s vertically-integrated cocoa bureaucracy, overseen by Ghans’s Cocoa Board, aspired to move up the cocoa value chain, they were unwilling to invest in doing so.  They were content to stay at the bottom of the value chain.

Needless to say with tremendous hard work and lots of maneuvering the cocoa bean system, Steve Wallace build a very successful chocolate bar factory called Omanhene Cocoa Bean Company.  The chocolate bars are produced and manufactured in Ghana and shipped to Wisconsin for boxing, sales, and shipping.  Omanhene Cocoa Bean Company is truly a global company employing and housing over 200 natives.  Steve provides his employees with a fair wage,  and housing and has infused the local economy with a newfound wealth from what was once a place of poverty.

If you want to listen to a truly great story about a social-entrepreneur on a mission to change the lives of hundreds of people, then you won’t want to miss my interview with Steve.

To learn more about Steve and his new book ” Oberoni and the Chocolate Factory” please click here to be directed to the Omanhene Cocoa Bean Company website.   Enjoy this great interview with a social entrepreneur making a difference in the world!

 

Podcast 648: Put Your Intuition to Work with Lynn Robinson

I just interviewed author Lynn Robinson the author of a new book entitled ” Put Your Intuition to Work“.  I personally have been on a mission to find out as much as possible about how our intuition works, and in the process have found some great author and thought leaders with tremendous knowledge about the topic.

Lynn Robinson is one of those authors and her new book “Put Your Intuition To Work” is a book that provides the reader with greater insights into tapping into their intuition, and very importantly how to apply your insights at work.   As Lynn states in the book ” Your intuition is your inner compass. It delivers the message that you need to head in a new direction and shows you the best to get there. However, sometimes it’s hard to get started.  Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, when through many transitions in life.  He said, “When one door closes, another opens: but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we don’t see the one that has opened for us.”

Are you having a challenge seeing the open door, or getting in touch with your intuition.  Are you asking your intuition questions and waiting for guidance?

If not you will want to read ” Put Your Intuition to Work“.   This book provides inspiring stories, techniques, and practices that will help you open up your intuition so you can more easily listen, feel or see what your intuition is guiding you to do.   If you get that gut feeling about something take the time to do something about it, don’t ignore this sign.

If you want to learn more about tapping your intuition you can click here to be directed to Lynn’s website.  You can also connect with her on Facebook by clicking here.

I hope you enjoy this great interview with an author that has valuable insights to impart about tapping your intuition.

Podcast 647: Shine-How To Survive and Thrive at Work with Chris Barez-Brown

I recently conducted an interview with author Chris Barez Brown about his book entitled ” Wake-Up“–Podcast # 645.  I had such a great experience and interview with Chris that I invited him back to speak about his new book entitled “Shine, How To Survive And Thrive At Work“.

We all spend a lot of time at our work, so having fun and enjoying our work is so important to remain engaged.  In my interview with Chris, we discuss the many great ideas about how to keep our work fun and stay engaged.

Just one of the ideas includes a concept he calls “Who’s Elvis Around Here?” This is really a great idea, and is the person who stands out in your business, the one that breaks the rules, and makes things happen within the organization.  Is that you our are you just standing by waiting, or afraid to speak up?  Don’t stand on the sidelines waiting, get engaged and speak up with your good ideas to propel the business forward.

Chris states that our minds are highly efficient killing machines.  They are trained from an early age to destroy anything that doesn’t fit our model of the world. This means that analytical, logical minds dominate our working lives–what are you doing to get off or autopilot and tap into your abundant thinking brain which breaks the cycle of helping us to consider futures that are not based on past experience?

Shine, How to Survive and Thrive at Work is a book loaded with great ideas to help you thrive in the workplace.  It is an easy read and should be the companion to anyone wanting to make a difference at work.

If you want more information about author Chris Barez-Brown please click here to be taken to his website.  Our your can click here to be directed to Chris’s Facebook page.  I hope you enjoy this great interview with someone who has transformed how organizations look at their employees.

 

 

Podcast 646: Blueprint to Business with Michael Alden

This is my second interview with author and entrepreneur Michael Alden.   What I love about Michael is his passion for his work and life, he truly is a trailblazer.

His new book entitled ” Blueprint to Business-An Entrepreneur’s Guide To Taking Action, Committing To the Grind, And Doing The Things That Most People Won’t” is a must-read for any entrepreneur.  Michael has had his share of ups and downs like many entrepreneurs, but he has learned from his lessons and applies the learning to make the next venture he gets engaged with just that much more successful.

Michael’s book is the ultimate guide with practical advice from a master entrepreneur who can really teach new entrepreneurs invaluable lessons.  I can really appreciate his chapter on “Doing What You Say”.  “In business and in life, always do what you say you’re going to do. Keep your word. When you tell yourself that you are going to do something, and you don’t do it, you’re doing yourself a disservice, and you’re setting yourself back. Not following through on something you said you were going to do is an absolute travesty.”

This sound advice runs throughout “Blueprint to Business” In my interview with Michael we speak about his personal life and business ventures, as well as he imparts practical and sound advice about becoming an entrepreneur.  I know you will love this lively and engaging interview with the author, entrepreneur Michael Alden.

If you want to learn more about the book click here.   You can also click here to be directed to Michael’s Facebook page. Enjoy the podcast.

Podcast 643: Entrepreneurial You with Dorie Clark

I have had the opportunity to interview Dorie Clark on several different occasions, and every time I emerge from the interview I feel that I have been given additional information that will help me be a better person and entrepreneur.

In my recent interview with Dorie, we speak about her new book entitled ” Entrepreneurial You“.  This is a comprehensive guide to any entrepreneur that wants to learn unique ways to monetize their expertise and create multiple streams of income while thriving in the process.  In our interview together we discuss the importance of our personal brand and building a great brand.  Dorie explains that sustainable monetization requires a solid foundation build through a three-step process: 1) Building your brand. 2) Monetizing your expertise. 3) Extending your reach and impact

“Entrepreneurial You” is a hands-on guide filled with new ideas, stories, and applications to launch any entrepreneur to new heights.

I hope you enjoy my interview with author Dorie Clark, if you want to learn more about her new book please click here to be taken to the book website, you can also download a free Entrepreneurial You Self-Assessment which will give you the blueprint for professional independence. Enjoy the podcast!

 

Podcast 642: The Path to Personal Power by Napoleon Hill with Don Green

Every time I interview Don Green from the Napoleon Hill Foundation I learn something new.  Don is a  continual learner with more knowledge and understanding about Napoleon Hill than anyone I have ever met.  He has been the executive director and spokesperson for the foundation for the last 20 years and is just a wonderful person.

In my interview with Don, we discuss a newly released book entitled ” The Path to Personal Power“.  As Don states, personal power is acquired through a combination of individual traits and habits.  The ten qualities of personal power are: 1) the habit of definiteness of purpose 2) the promptness of decision 3) soundness of character 4) strict discipline over one’s emotions 5) obsessional desire to render useful service 6) through knowledge of one’s occupation 7) tolerance on all subjects 8) loyalty to one’s personal associates and faith in a Supreme Being 9) enduring thirst of knowledge 10) alertness of imagination. The old adage “knowledge is power” is not quite true. Knowledge never is power until it has been expressed in some term of useful service.

“The Path to Power” is a powerful roadmap that leads to a single discovery: You already have the power to attain whatever wealth, success, and prosperity you desire in life.  All you need to do is walk the path without straying, and the rest will follow.

I hope you enjoy yet another great interview with Don Green the executive director of the Napoleon Hill Foundation.  If you want to learn more about the courses, books and audio recording available through the foundation please click here to be directed to their website.

Podcast 634: Hacking the Gap-A Journey from Intuition to Innovation and Beyond with Greg Voisen

It is kind of weird writing my own blog about myself and my new book, but hey what the heck someone has to do it and who better than the author.

I recently released my new book entitled “Hacking the Gap-A Journey from Intuition to Innovation and Beyond.”  I have been asked what the book is all about?

The answer to this questions is that the book is about my personal journey as a serial entrepreneur, my ups, and downs and the struggles to birth new products and or services and then take it to market successfully.  Believe me, I have had plenty of failures, but the learning lessons from the failures and setbacks provided me with the persistence to continue on in spite of the disappointments.

My podcasts program, Inside Personal Growth, set the foundation for the learnings that I share with the readers.  I’ve interviewed over 630+ authors on personal growth, business, wellness, and spirituality.  It is virtually impossible not to have a personal transformation from learning and soaking in all that information. I have weaved the learnings from many of my over 10 years of interviews into Hacking the Gap.  Everything I learned has made me a better person, more authentic, more sensitive, more understanding and forgiving of myself and others. As we work on ourselves we naturally become better people, and to me, this is the important element of the personal growth work.  If you are not improving and becoming a better person, you won’t be a better father, husband, employer or whatever you are to the world.

So remember when you read this book, listen to your soul’s calling and get in touch with your intuition.  What you are being informed to do is vital to your growth.  Listen carefully, learn how to discern between your intuition and your ego.  Once you do this and are not afraid of taking action, you will find that your world will change forever–and for the better.

I hope you enjoy the interview that my friend Reese Harris did with me.

Please go to Hacking the Gap.com to learn more about the book, and download a couple of chapters for free.  Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter and free webinars.  I am here for you please reach out want to hear from you.

Podcast 627: Filter Shift-How Effective People See the World with Sara Taylor

Our internal filters are natural–and they are automatic, and that’s the problem.  In her new book entitled “Filter Shift-How Effective People See the World” author Sara Taylor explains how the filters that each of us use daily are not something that we think about but are having a significant impact on how we see the world–and others in our world.

Sara states that one of the reasons so many of us are ineffective in our interactions across difference is that we have yet to be taught how to operate differently.  We also perpetuate the ineffectiveness with each other.

Filter Shifting is the ability to see ourselves, see others and see approach.  Sara defines the acronym SEE as, See-the objective description and articulation based on observation. E stands for explain-subjective analysis and articulation based on our culture, individual experiences, and personal opinions, and E-evaluate, assignment of value judgment based on what we see and how we explain that.

Throughout Sara’s book, she unlocks the keys to what she refers to at “effectiveness interaction across difference”  Understanding this methodology will transform anyone from having lesser effectiveness to greater effectiveness in their abilities to identify their biases allowing for more effective communications.

If you want to learn more about Sara Taylor you can click here to be directed to her company website, or you can go to the book website where you can access free tools to assess your own filters.

I hope you enjoy this great interview with author Sara Taylor about her new book entitled “Filter Shift-How Effective People See the World“.

 

Podcast 626: Boomer Reinvention with John Tarnoff

I had the pleasure of interviewing author John Tarnoff; who just happens to be one of my prior classmates at the University of Santa Monica where we both graduated with Master’s degrees in Spiritual Psychology.  John’s new book Boomer Reinvention-How to Create Your Dream Career Over 50 John Tarnoffis an instruction guide for any boomer looking for ways to become a valuable asset to any employer, and as an entrepreneur.

As John points out many of the baby boomers have been the collateral damage of the economic downturn of 2008, thus they have lost a significant amount of their retirement portfolio forcing many to remain actively engaged in the workforce to support their lifestyles.  Boomers will continue to be, excellent choices for today’s and tomorrow’s workforce. But for the moment, the message from the top to the bottom of the American enterprise is that older workers need to be weaned out before they hit sixty-five.

Reinventing is about manifesting something out in the world and changing your career and by extension, your life. Reinvention implies a deep willingness to surrender the old ways that you use to live and work. It is reinvigorating, inspiring and energizing.  John provides the reader with inspiring examples of real people that have reinvented their careers and we discuss what he coins as the “boomer reinvention methodology.   This methodology works with anyone with the willingness to rebuild a new career or become a consultant.  John explains to the reader how they have to reprogram their thinking and actions to become a success in our new competitive work world.

I hope you will listen to our podcast, and more importantly, listen to the advice that John provides to boomer’s that are attempting to build a new career and or become independent consultants.

If you want to learn more about John Tarnoff you can visit his website by clicking here, or you can watch his Ted-X speech where he addresses the issues of boomer reinvention.

 

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