Jon Acuff's Blog, page 18

Stop trying to be Ideal You and grow Actual You. My conversation with Marshall Goldsmith.

We all have a version of ourselves we want to be, but can we actually become the ideal version of ourselves? And is that really necessary? Over the course of his nearly 40-year career, world-renowned executive coach and New York Times bestselling author Marshall Goldsmith has sold millions of copies of his books and coached more than 200 CEOs and their teams. He deeply understands how certain behavioral changes can help you avoid pitfalls on the way to successful careers and lives. He joins me for a conversation about how you can stack the deck in your favor and achieve your best performance in work and in life. For more from Marshall, check out his new book, “The Earned Life, Lose Regret Choose Fulfillment.”

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From College Dropout to CEO: My conversation with Adam Contos.

The only thing that never changes is how much things are always changing. So how do you navigate constant transitions and still reach your goals? Adam Contos is the former Co-Chief Executive Officer and Director of RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. He’s also a former SWAT team commander, Marine, two-time college dropout, and author. He’s rebuilt his life and his career from the ground up time multiple times and his experience has left him with a lifetime of wisdom on personal growth and leadership. He joins me for a conversation about building systems for success, dealing with major life changes, and leading with impact. For more from Adam, check out his book Start With a Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success.

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Reinvent your life, raise millions of dollars, do work that matters – The Scott Harrison Story

How do you tackle the goals that feel totally insurmountable? Things like ending world hunger, putting a stop to trafficking, or saving an endangered species? This week’s guest understands how intimidating it can be, but that hasn’t stopped him from pursuing his goal of providing clean water to everyone – as in literally every single person on the planet. Scott Harrison spent almost 10 years as a nightclub promoter in New York City before leaving to volunteer on a hospital ship off the coast of Liberia, West Africa as a volunteer photojournalist. Returning home to New York City two years later, he founded the non-profit organization Charity: Water in 2006. In 15 years, with the help of more than 1 million donors worldwide, Charity: Water has raised over $598 million and funded 79,136 water projects in 29 countries. He joins me to talk about rebuilding his entire life, what saved his nonprofit from bankruptcy, and the power of living a transparent life.

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“I don’t have to. I get to.” My amazing conversation about work, life, and service with Scott Jeffrey Miller.

Being a leader, entrepreneur, spouse, parent, or high-achieving person isn’t always easy. Difficult tasks, difficult conversations, and difficult decisions are ever-present, so how do we navigate them with both efficiency and positivity? Capping a 25-year career as the Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Business Development, Scott Jeffrey Miller currently serves as FranklinCovey’s senior advisor on thought leadership. Scott also hosts On Leadership with Scott Miller, the world’s largest and fastest-growing leadership podcast. He joins me for a powerful conversation about reframing the most difficult aspects of your goals, how personal and professional values are your most valuable compass, and the gift of honest communication. For more from Scott, check out his book Master Mentors: 30 Transformative Insights from Our Greatest Minds.

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The messy art of raising modern teenagers – My interview with my 18yo L.E. Acuff

What’s it like being a teenager today? What’s up with Gen Z’s meme obsession? How do you motivate a teenager to have goals? As a parent, I’ve asked myself all these questions, so I decided to ask them to someone who might be able to answer, a real-life teenager, my 18-year-old daughter, L.E. Acuff. L.E. is a senior in high school preparing for her freshman year of college. She’s also a brilliant, trumpet-playing, swim star, and co-author of a book we wrote together. She joined me for a very special conversation to talk about the nuances of social media, the things parents need to stop saying, and tips for parents raising young adults. For more from L.E., pre-order Your New Playlist at acuff.me/playlist!

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How to make 200 million cookies from a college dorm room – My conversation with Tiffany Chen.

In 1999, Tiffany Taylor accidentally stood up Leon Chen for a date (she was ice skating at the mall with a friend). As an apology, she baked and delivered a batch of warm cookies, and the concept of warm cookie delivery was born. Shortly afterward, the pair launched Tiff’s Treats with just $20 and a big dream during their sophomore year at the Univeristy of Texas. Since then, the founders have married and their business has grown to include 68 stores and more than 1700 employees. Co-founder and author, Tiff Chen, joins me for a conversation on starting the entrepreneurial life at such a young age, dealing with pushback, managing the roles of spouse and business partner and so much more. For more from Tiff and Leon, check out their brand new book, It’s Not Just Cookies: Stories and Recipes from the Tiff’s Treats Kitchen.

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How to read 100 books in a year.

Why is it hard to think of the right thing to say in a meeting? Or to be interesting on a date? Why are you intimated by the blank page as a writer? Because your idea bank is empty. Reading changes that. It fills up your idea bank, and that’s why I want you to be able to read 100+ books in a year. Does that sound impossible? I promise, it’s not. I’ve done it before and there are some very simple steps you can use to make it a lot easier. Whether your goal is 10 books or 100 books this year, I’ll show you how to hit it. I’ve got 28 ways you can crush your reading goal, keep your idea bank full, and keep your creativity flowing.

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Break free from entrepreneurial poverty. My conversation with small business expert Mike Michalowicz.

So, you started a business or a side hustle with an amazing vision. It fulfills you and it serves others. You dreamt it would give you plenty of time and money so that you could live the way you please. However, the reality is that you’re not making enough, you’re working your tail off, and your soul is being diminished in the process. If that’s you, my guest, Mike Michalowicz, the author of the wicked popular “Profit First,” would say you’re in entrepreneurial poverty, but he’s here to change that. Mike is a speaker, author, and small business expert. He’s helped thousands of people around the world start businesses they love and grow them into thriving organizations. He joins me for a brutally honest conversation about coming back from extreme losses, prioritizing profit for your business or side hustle, and overcoming “superhero syndrome.” For more from Mike, check out his new book, Get Different.

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Do more than just the right thing. My conversation on the surprising power of service with Steven J. Anderson.

We all want to do good in the world. We want to be good friends, good parents, good employees, and good leaders, but what would happen if we took it all one step farther? What if you went beyond good in every goal you set for yourself? Stephen J. Anderson is an internationally known business strategist, entrepreneur, author, and speaker. He’s founded more than a dozen growing and diversifying businesses, and he’s a big part of the reason I got to open for Dolly Parton at the Ryman Auditorium. He joins me for a conversation on how to go the extra mile during every goal you set for yourself while you serve those around you. For more from Steve, check out his new book The Bicycle Book : The Story of a Boy, His Father, a Paper Route and 12 Secrets of Serving Others in Business and Life.

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Go with your head or trust your gut? Your body knows the answer. My mindblowing conversation with Annie Murphy Paul.

Your brain is powerful, but it’s limited. Sometimes it’s able to tell you exactly what you feel, how you can respond to a challenge, or how you can create ideas. Other times, it can’t. Enter Annie Murphy Paul, an acclaimed science writer whose book The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain is a New York Times Editors’ Choice and a Washington Post Best Nonfiction Book of 2021. She believes that we’re using our heads too much and missing the cues the rest of our bodies are giving us to help us navigate everyday life. From being able to focus more, to expressing more creativity, to managing our emotions, your body does a remarkable job of communicating what you need to accomplish all those things and more. The problem is that most of the time, we’re too busy listening to our head. Tune in to our conversation to discover how you can tap into the full potential of your mind and the “extra-neural” resources beyond it.

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