The Self-Employed Life

Often when launching a new company or business, we are looking for a map that will guide us from seed to conception. On my journey, I looked for any source that would help me on my path. Some strategies worked, but many of them did not. Looking back, I have to think of how helpful it would have been if someone would have been able to provide a map or guideline that spoke to my specific needs. A plan that lays out the process, framework, and proper sequencing of events that will reap the most significant benefits. To dive deeper into launching a start-up, I've brought on serial entrepreneur, advisor, and author Jon Warner. Five-time company CEO, Jon Warner is a widely respected entrepreneurship expert and mentor having founded and led 3 start-ups. Jon is a noted speaker at businesses, colleges, and conferences across the world. He also lectures on entrepreneurship at both undergraduate and MBA levels. Jon is also a prolific author, having published 40 books, all concerning business, management, leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation. To find out how the vital steps to launching a successful start-up, download this episode now. THE CURIOSITY WARRIOR "No plan survives first contact with the customer." - Jon Warner Highlights - The necessary framework for a start-up company. The concept of a lean start-up created by Toyota. Put customer needs before your needs. Execute every plan in the proper sequence. Structure and schedule your day by keeping the end in mind. Understand the difference between customer discovery and customer research. Make sure that you always distinguish yourself from the competition. Guest Contact - Jon's Website Jon's Twitter Jon's Book: Slam: Build your startup idea or early stage business with the Startup Launch Assistance Map Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Mentions - Steve Blank Book: Four Steps to the Epiphany Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

There's one bit of advice I find myself saying to branding and coaching clients all the time, No, I'm not going to reveal it here. You have to listen to the episode! And I would listen as I'm sure if I had the good fortune to work with you personally, at some point I'm likely to give you the same advice. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

When people think about making changes in their business, they often think about massive life-altering changes. What if the changes we need to make are small detail-oriented changes? Subtle improvements in our customer service can increase the value of our relationships leading to major results over time. We can alter the way we interact with our customers making them feel more appreciated, recognized, and understood. Human connections are vital to our success in life and business. It's the small touches and the kind things we do that make people come back for more. The way people feel about you and the experience you provided could be the difference between success and failure. To dive deeper into harnessing the power of the human connection and the power of small changes, I've brought on renowned keynote speaker, trainer, and author Laurie Guest. Laurie is an entrepreneur, author, and motivational keynote speaker. She graduated from Palmer College, is a member of the National Speakers Association and is a Certified Speaking Professional. She is the owner of Guest Enterprises, a speaking and training firm founded in 1997. The firm focuses on customer service and staff development topics presented in an entertaining format. To discover ways to improve your customer service and client relationships, download this episode now. THE HUMOR WARRIOR "Use creativity and connectivity to stand out from the pack." - Laurie Guest Highlights - Have a beta mentality. Test your product, and get feedback as soon as possible. You should make a conscious effort to connect with people on a personal level. Highlight and emphasize the similarities instead of your differences. It's important to understand the improper use of 'sorry' and why it can be bad for customer service. Utilize the power of creativity and humor in customer service. Find out more about your business and clients by using The Secret Shopper strategy. As a professional, you need to know the difference between knowing customer service and doing customer service. Guest Contact - Laurie's Website Laurie's Twitter Laurie's Book: The 10¢ Decision: How Small Change Pays Off Big Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

I'm asked all the time what books I suggest. Reading two books a week to keep up with interviews for Creative Warriors, over 5+ years you can imagine how many books I've read. These are the best of the best. Links to each book are below. Enjoy and always respect the power of the written word to pass on wisdom! The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Suggested Books - Self-Reliant Entrepreneur To Sell is Human Change or Die Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead Geography of Genius Fascinate On Fire The Brain Audit Louder Than Words Think and Grow Rich Man's Search for Meaning War of Art Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

As Creative Warriors, we're always looking for ways to expand our business and build new relationships. We often look for things outside of ourselves that will help us gain a strategic advantage. What if the edge we need is something we currently possess? A gift and an ability that is within us already. There is no master formula or a step-by-step guide to success. But there are character traits and habits that will cultivate an environment that will lead to success. A characteristic that is vital to your success in business and personal relationships is trust. If you want to set yourself apart from your peers and the competition, then you must have trust. To dive deeper into the subject of trust, I've brought on author, speaker, and business consultant David Horsager. He is the leading expert on trust, and the impact it has on everything from individuals and organizations to global governments. David helps leaders and organizations become the most trusted in their industry through research, speaking, consulting, and human capital development. His work was featured in prominent publications like Fast Company, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. To learn about the power of trust and how it can revolutionize your business, download this episode now. THE WARRIOR OF ACCOUNTABILITY "Healthy things grow, sick things die." - David Horsger Highlights - Lack of trust is a significant problem for a business. It is imperative to understand and build on the eight pillars of trust. The entrepreneurial advantage is vital to your business. Building back trust after letting people down is a skill that could save your business. Mobile devices can be a distraction to personal relationships, and they often break down trust. Guest Contact - David's Website David's Twitter David's Instagram David's Book: The Trust Edge: How Top Leaders Gain Faster Results, Deeper Relationships, and a Stronger Bottom Line Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

In what has become an end-of-the-year annual tradition on Creative Warriors, in this episode I share ideas about setting your theme for next year. Why it's important, how to go about discovering your theme and how your theme integrates into your goals for 2020. Your theme is your north star, your guide and what will keep you on track! Listen in. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

I am continuously looking for new authentic ways to connect with people. Personal connections have been essential for me when looking to create new business relationships. It's a vital part of my professional strategy. The goal is to expand my business in an organic way that genuinely connects with the people I intend to work with professionally. There are many ways to accomplish this, but the strategies that interest me are the ones the maximize our human connections. I do business intending to inspire or to be of service to my clients and audience. The best way to do this is by having a presence in their lives. Video helps you create a presence and a relationship that's more intimate than an email, a text, or a web blast. As entrepreneurs, it can have a massive impact on our business. To dive deeper into the power of utilizing personal video in business, I've brought on entrepreneur and author Ethan Beute. Chief Evangelist at BombBomb, host of The Customer Experience Podcast, and co-author of Rehumanize Your Business, Ethan's collected and told video success stories in blog posts, on webinars, from stages, and in countless conversations for nearly a decade. Before that, he ran marketing teams inside local television stations in Chicago, Grand Rapids, and Colorado Springs. To find out how you can improve your business and relationship by using video, download this episode now. THE WARRIOR OF INTENTION "You don't get what you don't ask for." - Ethan Beute Highlights - Using personal videos will boost your business. Utilize the power of video emails, eye contact, and hand gestures. Start with short messages or fun themes like Thank you Thursday. Smiling when answering calls or leaving a message always helps. It is essential to use structure when developing your message. Step One: Have an opening. Step Two: Express empathy. Step Three: Have value. Step Four: A call to action. Step Four: Close. Guest Contact - Ethan's Website Ethan's Twitter Ethan's Instagram Ethan's Book: Rehumanize your Business Ethan's Podcast: The Customer Experience Podcast Ethan's YouTube Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

In business, we're often taught to achieve at all costs. But what if there's a better way to approach entrepreneurialism that still leads to success and achievement. A way to bring more peace, calm, and artistry to your business life. Being an entrepreneur is similar to being an artist. You are creating something from nothing, and you genuinely care about what you're creating. For Creative Warriors, your business is truly an extension of you and what you want to offer the world. When you start embarking on a journey of self-improvement, the results will simultaneously help both you and your business. To dive deeper into this approach, I've brought on John Jantsch, the CEO of Duct Tape Marketing. A powerhouse in the industry, John is CEO of Duct Tape Marketing, a small business marketing speaker, a marketing consultant, and bestselling author of Duct Tape Marketing, Duct Tape Selling, The Commitment Engine, and The Referral Engine. To learn how to become a more mindful and productive entrepreneur who leads with trust and artistry, download this episode now. THE EMPATHY WARRIOR "Get comfortable being somebody and nobody at the same time." -John Jantsch Highlights - Self-exploration is vital to both personal and business success. We break down the Four Seasons of business and what it means for entrepreneurs. You should feel free to march to the beat of a different drummer. We discuss the importance of blending and why it's an essential skill for many entrepreneurs. Real business entrepreneurs resemble artists in many ways. What makes us lose our focus at work and how we can get it back. Stop thinking about future outcomes, and learn to enjoy the moment. Guest Contact - John's Website John's Twitter John's Facebook Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

After observing a number of situations recently where leaders seem to have a lack of understanding of those they lead, it got me wondering about measurable empathy intelligence. We have tests, assessments and scales for every other kind of intelligence but empathy intelligence doesn't even exist. As far as Google is concerned. It's always wrapped up under emotional intelligence. I think we need to change that and in this episode you'll understand why. The Talking Stick is in your hands now. Let us hear from you. Be part of the conversation - Join our community Facebook group, Creative Warriors Unite, at www.joinwarriors.com and share your feelings and continue the conversation. Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDX LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn

Sometimes I have concerns about technology and the impact it is having on society. Whether positive or negative, it has become an integral part of our lives, both professionally and personally. With the advances we've made in technology, there are still some significant questions about its impact. Will it lead us to a perfect or a dystopian future? Is it possible to merge technology and humanity in a positive, constructive way? In many ways, technology has the power to improve our current social conditions. With the right intentions, it can lead to solving critical social issues like eliminating cancer and cleaning our oceans. The possibilities are endless, and we're just beginning to understand the potential of technology in our lives. To dive deeper into the impact of technology and artificial intelligence on society, I've brought on keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and author Kate O' Neill. Incredibly optimistic and amazingly intuitive, Kate is a thought leader who has a history of utilizing technology and business in a way that benefits humanity. Her approach and keen understanding of the landscape helped provide business owners the knowledge and permission to expand their businesses in a way that benefits the world. To learn more about the future of technology, business, and emotional intelligence, download this episode now. THE GRATITUDE AND JOY WARRIOR "What we need isn't benevolent robots but benevolent businesses." -Kate O'Neill Highlights - The impact of living in a data and algorithm-driven world. How business, technology, and data will align to create significant improvements in society. We are dealing with the need for generous businesses over benevolent robots. Business leaders of the future will learn how to grow and scale in a way that benefits them financially while also helping humanity. We are facing the challenges of technological growth and the reality of integration versus encroachment. The realities of living in an automated world and the impact it will have on industries moving forward. How using data responsibly can create meaningful and joyous experiences for everyone. Chatbots will revolutionize interactions between machines and humanity. Guest Contact - Kate's Website Kate's Twitter Kate's Book: Waste Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Music by Jawn