The Self-Employed Life

Usually on Talking Stick, we talk about business quests. Our guest today, David Galaudet, shares the story of a very different quest. A personal quest that led him on a 10,000 mile journey with his dead father's ashes. As you might imagine, there are plenty of life lessons to be learned here. All shared with a touch of humor. One highlight is our conversation about what keeps us on a quest when we really have no idea where we're going or perhaps, even why we're doing it. 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. If you want to apply to be a guest on Creative Warriors Talking Stick, CLICK HERE. Guest Contact - David's website David's book, 10,000 Miles With My Dead Father's Ashes 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

Have you ever noticed that there are times you feel more productive during the day? Ever felt like there are certain hours when your brain just doesn't work? Well, it's not all in your head. We all have internal clocks that dictate our body's functions - and your brain is no exception. We all go through three phases in a day. We have a peak phase, a trough phase, and a recovery phase. You might think that the best time to be creative is in the peak phase, but in reality you want to save that for your recovery phase. The trough phase is when you want to do all of your administrative and "mind numbing tasks". Of course we are all different, so the timing of these phases may be completely different. They also may change throughout your life. But if you feel like your trough phase is causing problems for you - there is a secret. It's actually called a napuccino. What you want to do is drink some coffee, then take a nap for 20 minutes. That's about how long it takes for coffee to kick in, and the longest amount of time you should spend napping (or it'll do more cognitive harm than good.) To dive deeper into this, I brought on a timing expert: Daniel Pink. Daniel is the author of six provocative books - including his newest, When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, which has spend four months on the New York Times bestseller list. His other books include the long-running New York Times bestsellers Drive and To Sell is Human. His books have won multiple awards and have been translated into 38 languages. Download this episode now so you can learn all about how you can get time on your side to be as successful as possible in your life. THE GET-TO-WORK WARRIOR "Our lives are episodic." -Daniel Pink Highlights - Time of day has a large effect on our performance. Do your brainstorming work during recovery. Avoid going to the Dr. in the afternoon - especially for surgery. Anesthesia errors are 4x more likely in the pm than in the am. Be intentional when you do things. Owls have a hard time in the typical work environment. Take the time to observe your behavior. An effective nap can get you through the trough phase. We have a happiness "slump" in our early to mid-fifties. Nostalgia allows us to integrate what happened in the past to who we are right now. Guest Contact - Daniel's Website Daniel's Twitter Daniel's Book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing 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 absolutely love this conversation with Anne Gordon! Anne is founder of WhaleWatchingPanama.com. After years of whale watching tours, interactions with dolphins and guiding her guests to interact with these magnificent creatures, she has compiled a wealth of wisdom from whales and dolphins that we can all learn from. Consider this- whales have been on earth for 30 million years! We humans are toddlers in comparison! This is a wonderful treat! 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. If you want to apply to be a guest on Creative Warriors Talking Stick, CLICK HERE. Guest Contact - Anne's website WhaleWatchingPanama.com Spirit Dolphin Meditation 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 - 12 Must-Have Mindsets for Uncommon Entrepreneurs! A FREE tool for Creative Warriors to help you get clear on the ways you need to think differently to get the results you want. We've been handed a whole bunch of malarky about who we are and how business works that simply don't work for us. It's time to set it straight! This tool will give you the insights you need to think your way to success as a Creative Warrior and keep you on track. Check out the Creative Warriors RESOURCE page! A collection of the best companies, hand-selected, to help you succeed! You'll find vendors, services, products, and programs to help you Create, Serve, and Be Prosperous! All these companies have been used and approved by Jeffrey and most are used every day in his business. Music by Jawn

In today's world companies have to be transparent - whether they like it or not. If you try to hide things, consumers will find it and use any avenue they can to exploit it. Most recently you've seen this from Facebook and Uber. Luckily, there's a lot you can do to protect yourself. The first thing you need to understand is that every business will face a crisis at some point. Sometimes it's because of an employee, sometimes it's because of a claim that is simply not true (of which I discuss my experience in this episode.) Knowing this ahead of time means that you can take a proactive step through crisis preparedness. By having all of your ducks in a row, you can be ready for anything to come along. Know that pleading the 5th amendment doesn't cut it anymore. Consumers will take action and a moral stance. That's why you need to make sure you have a crisis manager on your team - and be aware that a PR person is not a crisis manager. To go into how you can protect yourself, I brought in an expert to help my Creative Warriors: Melissa Agnes. Melissa Agnes is a leading authority on crisis preparedness, reputation management, and brand protection. She is a coveted speaker, commentator, and advisor to some of today's leading organizations faced with the greatest risks. As a strategic advisor and keynote speaker, Melissa Agnes has worked with NATO, Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense, financial firms, technology companies, healthcare organizations, cities and municipalities, law enforcement agencies, global non-profits, and many others, helping them understand risk and build invincible brands that can withstand even the most devastating of events. In 2015, she gave a TEDx talk in Los Angeles where she discussed the secret to successful crisis management in the 21st century. She is the editor of the Crisis Ready Blog, a contributor to Forbes, and a go-to source for the press, with recent coverage including the Wall Street Journal, VIBE Magazine, USA Today, and many others. As a university guest lecturer, Agnes teaches crisis management in university courses around the world, including at NYU and McGill. Download this episode now to learn how you can start protecting yourself from a crisis today. WARRIOR OF INNER STRENGTH "Issues create opportunities." -Melissa Agnes Highlights - Good things can come from a crisis. A PR person is not the same as a crisis manager. Try not to hire someone when you are emotional. Facebook is a great example of not being crisis ready. Consumers are taking a moral stance today. You have an opportunity to show up to the world more aligned with your values than corporations. Communication is essential when dealing with a crisis. You can't trump emotions with logic. Being crisis ready will give you peace of mind. Guest Contact - Melissa's Website Melissa's Twitter Melissa's Book Melissa's Free Gift! 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 - 12 Must-Have Mindsets for Uncommon Entrepreneurs! A FREE tool for Creative Warriors to help you get clear on the ways you need to think differently to get the results you want. We've been handed a whole bunch of malarky about who we are and how business works that simply doesn't work for us. It's time to set it straight! This tool will give you the insights you need to think your way to success as a Creative Warrior and keep you on track. Check out the Creative Warriors RESOURCE page! A collection of the best companies, hand-selected, to help you succeed! You'll find vendors, services, products, and programs to help you Create, Serve, and Be Prosperous! All these companies have been used and approved by Jeffrey and most are used every day in his business. Music by Jawn

What really is self-love? Is it different than self-worth? I think many of us, myself included, think we don't have an issue with self-love. Why then do we speak to ourselves, judging and criticizing ourselves, in ways that we would never speak to a friend? Joie Cheng shares her journey through suicidal thoughts to finding self-love. A journey she tells in her book, Naked Truth. 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. If you want to apply to be a guest on Creative Warriors Talking Stick, CLICK HERE. Guest Contact - Joie's website Joie's book, Naked Truth 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 - 12 Must-Have Mindsets for Uncommon Entrepreneurs! A FREE tool for Creative Warriors to help you get clear on the ways you need to think differently to get the results you want. We've been handed a whole bunch of malarky about who we are and how business works that simply don't work for us. It's time to set it straight! This tool will give you the insights you need to think your way to success as a Creative Warrior and keep you on track. Check out the Creative Warriors RESOURCE page! A collection of the best companies, hand-selected, to help you succeed! You'll find vendors, services, products, and programs to help you Create, Serve, and Be Prosperous! All these companies have been used and approved by Jeffrey and most are used every day in his business. Music by Jawn

Being an entrepreneur - you always hear how important it is to know your "why". The truth is, you probably have several "whys". We all do, we all have more than one goal and a purpose behind it. What can be just as important, if not even more so, is your "why not". It can be pretty simple to know what your driving force is to want to do something - but we rarely analyze what is holding is back. What is it that keeps us at a standstill? You need to know why it is that you are feeling stagnant and why your goals are still just that. Sometimes your "why not" might be internal. It may be a fear of success or a fear of instability. Other times it may be a a lack of money, resources, or strong enough network. No matter what it is, you must identify the problem. Once you've clarified that, then you can begin to create solutions to allow you to make progress quickly and efficiently. Just like your "why", your "why not" can change - or more may appear along your route to success. Because of that, you need to continually reevaluate your current situation. To dive deeper into this concept, I've brought on an expert who literally wrote the book on the power of "whys", "hows", and "why nots": Corey Poirier. Corey Poirier is a multiple-time TEDx, MoMondays and PMx, Speaker. He is also the host of the top-rated 'Conversations with PASSION' Radio Show, founder of The Speaking Program, and he has been featured in multiple television specials. A columnist with Entrepreneur and Forbes, he has featured in/on CBS, CTV, NBC, and ABC, and is one of the few leaders featured twice on the popular Entrepreneur on Fire show. He has also interviewed over 4,000 of the world's top leaders. One of his most recent talks took him to New York City where he had the extreme pleasure of speaking to At-Risk Youth at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Boys & Girls Club. Download this episode today to learn how you can overcome your "why nots" and finally get on the road to where you want to be with as little friction as possible. THE LASSO WARRIOR "Now truly is as good a time as any to make your magic in the world." - Corey Poirier Highlights - We all have many "whys". Passion is what you do. Purpose is why you do it. It's important to identify your "why not". We all have more opportunity now than ever before. Your success can be determined by how quickly you can absorb and then apply new knowledge. We are bombarded with information, but it can be difficult to find the true nuggets of wisdom. Technology changes, but values don't. You can work hard AND smart. Guest Contact - Corey's Website Corey's Twitter Corey's Book Corey's Free Gift! 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 - 12 Must-Have Mindsets for Uncommon Entrepreneurs! A FREE tool for Creative Warriors to help you get clear on the ways you need to think differently to get the results you want. We've been handed a whole bunch of malarky about who we are and how business works that simply doesn't work for us. It's time to set it straight! This tool will give you the insights you need to think your way to success as a Creative Warrior and keep you on track. Check out the Creative Warriors RESOURCE page! A collection of the best companies, hand-selected, to help you succeed! You'll find vendors, services, products, and programs to help you Create, Serve, and Be Prosperous! All these companies have been used and approved by Jeffrey and most are used every day in his business. Music by Jawn

I could go all Matrix on you and put your brain in a knot. But the truth is, things are as you see them because of how you perceive them to be. Is it a good day or bad day? Depends how you see it. Was that a good thing that happened or a bad thing? Depends how you look at it. That's what makes this a compelling conversation with Dr. Shawn Andrews, author of The Power of Perception. Or at least that's how I see it. 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. If you want to apply to be a guest on Creative Warriors Talking Stick, CLICK HERE. Guest Contact - Shawn's website Power of Perception Workbook 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 - 12 Must-Have Mindsets for Uncommon Entrepreneurs! A FREE tool for Creative Warriors to help you get clear on the ways you need to think differently to get the results you want. We've been handed a whole bunch of malarky about who we are and how business works that simply don't work for us. It's time to set it straight! This tool will give you the insights you need to think your way to success as a Creative Warrior and keep you on track. Check out the Creative Warriors RESOURCE page! A collection of the best companies, hand-selected, to help you succeed! You'll find vendors, services, products, and programs to help you Create, Serve, and Be Prosperous! All these companies have been used and approved by Jeffrey and most are used every day in his business. Music by Jawn Affiliate Links: Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are "affiliate links". This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products and services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

One of the biggest problems creatives have is finding ways to get their products and services in front of an audience. A lot of people just aren't wired for marketing. Luckily, there's an option that will fit literally any industry you are in: podcasting. Obviously you listen to podcasts (you listen to mine) so why aren't you on them sharing your story? There's no quicker and easier way to get in front of an audience that aligns with you. It doesn't cost money to guest on other people's podcasts, and it'll make sure all of your efforts are getting you in front of the right people. Also, if you've ever thought about starting your own podcast I don't suggest diving right in. Being a host comes at a large cost, and it requires a LOT of time and devotion most people just don't have. Fun fact, most podcasts stop after only 7 episodes. To avoid being adding to a negative statistic, being a guest is also a great way to test the waters and see if it's really an endeavor you want to embark upon. To go further into this, I brought in THE top expert on podcast guesting: Tom Schwab. Tom is the founder of Interview Valet, the category king of Podcast Interview Marketing. Tom knows how to build an online business. Marketing at its heart is starting a conversation with someone who could be an ideal customer. Drawing on his engineering, corporate, and e-commerce inbound marketing experience, Tom helps thought leaders (coaches, authors, speaker, emerging brands) get featured on leading podcasts their ideal prospects are already listening to. Then he helps them to turn listeners into customers. Download this episode today, and learn how you can start taking advantage of this powerful marketing technique today. THE WISDOM WARRIOR "If you are speaking to everyone, you are speaking to no one." - Tom Schwab Highlights - Always look for new tools, and WHY they are used. Podcasting has a niche for everything you can think of. Some of the best results can come from being on smaller podcasts. Think of iTunes as a search engine. If you want to start a podcast, guesting is a great way to test the water. Being on podcasts can help with backlinking. It's easy to repurpose podcasts to create more content. The role of a guest is to make the host look like a genius for having you there. When you are a guest, come prepared and stay on message. Podcasts are becoming "on demand radio." What you know could help somebody. Guest Contact - Tom's Website Tom's Twitter Tom's Book Tom's Free Giveaway 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 - 12 Must-Have Mindsets for Uncommon Entrepreneurs! A FREE tool for Creative Warriors to help you get clear on the ways you need to think differently to get the results you want. We've been handed a whole bunch of malarky about who we are and how business works that simply doesn't work for us. It's time to set it straight! This tool will give you the insights you need to think your way to success as a Creative Warrior and keep you on track. Check out the Creative Warriors RESOURCE page! A collection of the best companies, hand-selected, to help you succeed! You'll find vendors, services, products, and programs to help you Create, Serve, and Be Prosperous! All these companies have been used and approved by Jeffrey and most are used every day in his business. Music by Jawn

I'm sure you've heard the old cliche' "Honesty is the best policy." In fact, you've probably heard it so it doesn't mean anything to you anymore. It should. When it comes to business, not being honest with your customers will harm you in the long run. Your customers can sense when something isn't quite right, and it'll drive them away. Even if they believe you, there will be a point when they find out you weren't telling the truth - and it'll be more devastating to your relationship than anything. Instead, be open and honest with your customers at every chance. They will trust and appreciate you, which means they will keep coming back every time they have a problem that you can solve. I should note, that honesty comes from more than just your words. Honesty also needs to come from the representation of your brand. This means being honest with yourself. Your branding shouldn't appear like a luxury item when you're trying to appeal to a wide variety of clientele. You want your customers to look at you and your business, and instantly get a feel for who you are and what you represent. The moment they feel like their assumptions were wrong, they will start to doubt every part of your business. To make this even a little more complicated, I should also mention that honesty is subjective. You can be honest and someone else's opinions will contradict what you said. I know this all sounds like a lot to take in, but luckily we have an expert on honesty in business who can really explain how this simple practice can bring in a lot more revenue: Peter Kozodoy Peter is an Inc. columnist, keynote speaker, Inc. 5000 serial entrepreneur, and the Partner and Chief Strategy Officer of GEM Advertising. His articles on business, leadership and entrepreneurship regularly appear in Inc., Forbes, The Huffington Post and more. His work at GEM has been featured in CNBC, Yahoo!, Bloomberg, Reuters and MarketWatch, and has earned him Telly, Pixie, Communicator, Aurora, Davey and W3 awards. Peter has spoken at Microsoft, the US Department of Commerce, CEO Clubs of America, Digital Book World, Quinnipiac University and other organizations on topics including the Millennial mindset, consumer experience, and the power of honesty in achieving both personal and professional success. He is a member of both Entrepreneur's Organization and the Young Entrepreneur Council, and graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in Economics from Brandeis University. He is currently pursuing an MBA from Columbia Business School (Class of 2019). He is also a three-time New England figure skating champion, a black belt in Taekwondo and a SAG/AFTRA professional actor. So download this episode today to learn all about his insights as an entrepreneur and true leader.

If you're in business and plan on being in business for the next several years or more, you better plan on understanding the often misunderstood millennials. They are a major buying force. From a marketing perspective, they are both predictable and unpredictable. To me, Shaun Gold embodies the millennial generation. A nightclub promoter, known as "the nightlife ninja", he's part partier and part intellect having written four books. Part carefree and part very intentional. This IS the millennial manifesto.