Laura Steward Atchison's Blog, page 24
June 22, 2017
108: Bobbi Govanus – Failure as a Starting Point?
Failure is not the end. You have probably heard that before and on some level you believe it. On another, you are embarrassed, ashamed or maybe even feel a bit humiliated by a recent failure or a string of failures that played out on a public or semi-public stage. I know I have bounced back from some failures quickly and been paralyzed by some of them for a long time.
What enables some people to bounce right back from a failure? Why does failure not seem to get them down at all? Or at least on the surface not get them down? Is it resiliency? Is it determination? Is it genetic?
After my divorce a few years ago I lost my nerve to be in public and speak and write new books. I was ashamed. Rather than be spurred forward to seek others I went inward. And not in a good way. So how could I have realized what was happening sooner and broken free and out and up?
My guest today has written and complied stories on failure and how it launched the writers to whole other levels of success. On this episode she shares what she has learned and how you can reinvent failure into a launching pad for your next success faster and with more grace.
Just a few years ago with only a computer and a plan, Bobbi Govanus launched her own small business and soon realized that she had discovered a true niche within the computer training industry.
Bobbi quickly grew that business from the basement of her Minnesota home by listening closely to her customers and providing customized computer training and solutions. The company eventually brokered over 1000 high-caliber computer trainers across the United States and Canada and even served clients as far away as England, Japan, Germany and India. She grew the company to sales of over 20 million.
In celebration of these and other accomplishments, Entrepreneur Magazine recognized Bobbi Govanus as their “Home-based” Business Owner of the year and Minnesota honored her as their Women in Business Advocate.
Bobbi is the VP of Marketing for Retriever Payment Systems providing solutions for businesses to take credit cards safely and grow their client base using Reward and Gift Card Programs. For 2015 Bobbi has created the Reinvention Retreat bringing 20 speakers together to coach and assist those who want to make the rest of their life, the best of their life. Bobbi published her first book in 2014, How to Pilot When We Were Raised to BE Stewardesses, Reinventing your Life with Passion and Purpose. She currently lives in Haines City, FL with her husband Gary. She can be reached at Bobbi @ MrktgMaven.com www.ReinventAtSea.com
June 9, 2017
107: Brandon Webb – Harry Potter is a Sniper?
Bet you did not realize Harry Potter is a sniper. If you read my guest’s latest book with John David Mann, The Killing School: Inside The World’s Deadliest Sniper Program, you will understand why Harry Potter and James Bond are really snipers.
Hint, listen to this episode of my show and I answer the question for you. You still should read the book though!
How does a Navy Seal Sniper do what they do? What kind of training has to happen so that in one moment they can have total focus yet have total situational awareness?
Brandon Webb is a former Navy Seal Sniper from Seal Team 3. He also was tasked with revamping the Sniper School training program for the Navy Seals. His shift in perspective as to how and what needed to be taught changed the program so completely it is considered one of the best in the world. Glad they are on our side. Part of that revamp was figuring out how to train observation and Total Focus into the training. You think it is hard to focus when you are at your desk. Picture doing it while bullets are flying all around, people are dying or you are hundreds of yards from a suspected terrorist trying not to be found as you gather intelligence to prevent a terrorist attack. Now he runs a company he founded that has been valued at $100,000,000.
Listen as he shares some “Sniper Zen”, how he bounced back from failure and why one small shift in thinking changed sniper training forever.
Brandon Webb is a former US Navy SEAL sniper, New York Times bestselling author, Experimental aircraft pilot, and entrepreneur. He’s the founder of the Hurricane Group, a U.S. based media and e-commerce company focusing on outdoor, military entertainment, news, and clubs.
June 6, 2017
106: Carmen Torres – HR for every business
Human Resources, commonly known as HR gets frequently ridiculed on TV shows . Think Big Bang Theory when Sheldon and the gang get called on the carpet for their behavior. Yet, HR is critical to your business’ success. Why? Because it sets the policies for what is allowed and what is not allowed at your business. Properly executed HR takes the “grey” out of your policies and provides clarity to employees.
Vacations, medical leave, dress codes, technology policies even how to answer the telephone and interactions with clients can be misinterpreted by employees. For years Disney had a policy of no facial hair for men. There were several others as well. This was clearly explained BEFORE someone was hired and they signed and attested they knew it on hiring. This PREVENTED issues from occurring.
But how do you know what is required by law, not allowed by law and how to handle employee issues when you don’t have the funds for a full-time HR department?
Enter Carmen Torres, founder of My HR Specialist. Carmen shares what you need in every employee handbook, what should be in the employee file and the BIG question on every entrepreneurs mind: when does a contractor become an employee?
Carmen Torres brings over twenty years of experience creating equitable, safe, and collaborative workplace environments for both, employers and employees. As a trusted adviser to many organizations, she has successfully helped countless small to mid-size businesses and non-profit organizations establish reliable, stable human resources departments. Her approach includes a 360° analysis of the human resources function that results in building job descriptions, policy and procedures manuals, conflict resolution, employee retention and terminations structures, compliance/audits standards, and employee communications.
Ms. Torres brings a deep understanding of the complexities of managing human beings and meeting regulatory requirements while maintaining the organizational mission, achieving business goals and meeting quality standards ? a perspective that converts her into an invaluable resource.
Ms. Torres speaks, has been interviewed, and can present on the following topics: Essentials of HR for Employers, Prevention of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, Employee vs. Contractor, The Benefit of an Employee Handbook, Interns: To Pay or Not to Pay?.
Carmen Torres is a member of PIHRA (Professionals in Human Resources Association), Vice President of NLBWA-LA (National Latina Business Women Association, Los Angeles), and in 2003 she received her Human Resources Management Certification through the extension program at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, CA. www.MYHRSpecialist.com
Check out this episode!
May 29, 2017
105: Howard M. Cohen – Copy that Converts
What is the first step in creating compelling content? How do you write that hook that gets your client or prospect to open your email and buy, register, click or forward your email? How do you get them to READ and take action?
Content marketing has become very big very fast yet most of us don’t have a clue how to leverage it properly to be effective. I knwo myself I have sent many emails and gotten no response. Yet I have also sent emails that convert.
My guest today is an expert at writing content that converts. How do I know? Because people keep hiring him tow write their content over and over and over again. They would not do that if they did not see a return on their investment hiring him.
Howard M. Cohen will share how you can begin to write copy that converts using three simple tips. My favorite is the one about writing with your ear. Intrigued? Take a listen and share your new copy with us!
Senior Resultant Howard M. Cohen is a 30+ year executive veteran of the Information Technology industry who continues his commitment to the channel as writer, presenter, and advisor to many channel partners, ISVs, MSPs, CSPs, manufacturers, distributors and more. He is also featured regularly on such IT industry publications as The Dell/Microsoft Migration Expert Zone, Channel Insider, Insight ON Service Providers, Redmond Channel Partner Channel Partner magazine, and MSPMentor.
Howard’s commitment to the IT industry community includes service on many vendor advisory panels including the Apple, Compaq, HP, IBM, and NEC Service Advisory Councils, the Ingram Micro Service Network board and as a U.S. Board member of the International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners.
Howard is a frequent speaker at IT industry events that include Microsoft’s WorldWide Partner Conference, Citrix Synergy/Summit, ConnectWise IT Nation, ChannelPro Forums, Cloud Partners Summit, MicroCorp One-On-One, and CompTIA ChannelCon. He also hosts and presents webinars and eSeminars for QuinStreet, UBM and others.
He refers to himself as a “Senior Resultant” because he has always understood that we are all measured only by our results. Connect with Howard at hmc@hmcwritenow.com and review his portfolio at www.hmcwritenow.com.
May 18, 2017
104: Laura Steward – Letting go perfection
What happens when you suddenly have no guest for your live broadcast radio show? You let the show unfold in real-time and let your thoughts flow where your gut tells you to go.
The result, a fun show and a no-holds barred conversation, with myself, about the questions I receive from listeners. friends and social media friends about perfection, getting stuck in the past, where those microphones are hidden at Riverside Theater in Vero Beach and my favorite question to ask yourself!
Laura Steward is a sought after business strategist, keynote speaker, radio host and author. After building and selling her highly successful multi-state technology services company she started Wisdom Learned, LLC, a company dedicated to educating leaders based on experience and wisdom learned in the trenches.
Ms. Steward is the author of the Nautilus award-winning, #1 international bestselling book “What Would a Wise Woman Do? Questions to Ask Along the Way” which was on the Amazon Woman In Business bestseller list for over 90 straight weeks and continues to hit bestseller lists around the world.
Through her weekly broadcast Radio Show, It’s All About the Questions, keynote speeches, books, seminars, training and one-one sessions, Laura’s mission is clear ? help people get off autopilot and create amazing, successful lives.
Check out this episode!
May 12, 2017
103: Bryan Mattimore – 21 Days to a Big Idea
Do you have a big idea? Would you know a big idea if it fell in your lap? Do you watch TV and see amazing new products out there that you say, I could have done that?
Well if you have ever wanted to launch your creative spark and find your OWN big idea my guest today makes it easy. Well not quite easy but definitely easier! For most of us the hardest part of an idea is getting started. Especially when you are alone. How do you know if your idea even makes sense?
According to Bryan Mattimore, the crazier and more insane the idea the better. The worst ideas often create the biggest new idea. Think pet rock, the character of the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld, smart water (truly one of my favorites and one I drink regularly). Knowing how to turn that worst idea into something great just takes some creative thinking.
With the launch of his latest book, 21 Days to a Big Idea, Bryan guides you through how you can develop 21 big ideas in 21 days. Each exercise in the book has been carefully crafted and tested to help you trigger your creative juices and think outside your own perceptions.
On this episode Bryan shares how the idea can to be, of course it started with a question, and his own journey to create the workshop that created this book. Listen as we share some of our own Big Ideas!
Bryan W. Mattimore is cofounder and “Chief Idea Guy” of the Growth Engine Company, www.growth-engine.com, a sixteen-year old innovation agency based in Norwalk, Connecticut.
In his innovation consulting career, Bryan has facilitated over a thousand brainstorming sessions, moderated over five hundred creative focus groups, and managed over two hundred innovation projects, leading to over $3 billion in new sales for a wide variety of Fortune 500 clients, including Kraft, Unilever, Ford, AT&T, BNY Mellon, LVMH, Merck, and Pepsi.
A cum laude graduate of Dartmouth, his first book on business creativity, 99% Inspiration, was selected as the American Management Association’s membership offering/book of the year. His second book on ideation and innovation process Idea Stormers, How to Lead and Inspire Creative Breakthroughs was published in 2012 by Wiley Jossey-Bass. His new book is 21 Days to a Big Idea, published by Diversion Books.
He is also the inventor of the creativity training game, Bright Ideas. Contact info: bmattimore@growth-engine.com, (203) 857-4494
Check out this episode!
May 5, 2017
102: Harry Brelsford – Surveys, Analytics and LinkedIn
How many times have you filled out a survey? How many times have you deleted them from your inbox without opening them? What makes a survey appealing to you? How can you be certain that the data you get is useful? Do you even know what to ask and who to ask it of?
Surveys are just one aspect of this episode. We also talk using forms versus webpages, how you can used LinkedIN for “look-a-like or next door neighbor prospecting and how to ask questions to get anayltics that actually help you grow your business.
Today’s guest is Harry Brelsford, founder and CEO of SMBNation, geek and analytics junkie. He shares answers to the above questions and tells us how he pivots and how you can too.
Harry Brelsford is a well-known channel partner executive in the SMB channel. He recently exited a Big Data predictive analytics startup that is the basis for this presentation. He is best known as the founder and CEO of SMB Nation, a community if MSPs, IT Pros, consultants and resellers. He has written 20-books, several hundred magazine articles and holds an MBA in project management from the University of Denver. Harry can be reached at harryb@smbnation.com.
Check out this episode!
April 28, 2017
101: Tom Antion – SEO is dead. How to win with paid traffic
Did I shock you with the title of this episode? I meant to. Most of us have been so focused on getting our SEO to rank us at the top of the search engines. But why? Is SEO really what drives the RIGHT traffic to our products? Is there a better way? Are Google and Facebook the only games in town when it comes to paid traffic?
My guest, Tom Antion, is a master at paid traffic. He has used himself and his businesses as guinea pigs to find the right way to succeed with paid traffic. Learn tools, tips and techniques that work and what doesn’t work and why.
Listen carefully as Tom explains how spending more with Google and Facebook while starting out will work against you.
Tom Antion is an Internet MultiMillionaire. He’s been selling on the commercial Internet since the commercial Internet started around 1994. Tom is the founder of the only, licensed, dedicated Internet marketing school in the country and the Great Internet Marketing Retreat Center where people come in from all over the world to study with Tom in the lap of luxury.
Check out this episode!
April 20, 2017
100: Lolly Daskal – The Leadership Gap
Lolly Daskal is one of the most sought-after executive leadership coaches in the world. Her extensive cross-cultural expertise spans 14 countries, six languages and hundreds of companies. I sat down with her on my radio show to talk about her new book. When I read it I was truly blown away by the insights she reveals on why we stand between our own greatness and how we can change our responses.
This interview is one of my new favorites and when you listen I hope you will make it one of yours too.
We discuss how shadow traits like the imposter undermine more top achievers than you think and how you can close your own leadership gap.And yes, questions come into play!
As Founder and CEO of Lead From Within, her proprietary leadership program is engineered to be a catalyst for leaders who want to enhance performance and make a meaningful difference in their companies, their lives, and the world. Based on a mix of modern philosophy, science, and nearly thirty years coaching top executives, Lolly’s perspective on leadership continues to break new ground and produce exceptional results.
Of her many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine.
Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post,and Psychology Today, and others.
Lolly’s proprietary insights are the subject of her new book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness, and is available for pre-order www.theleadershipgapbook.com
Check out this episode!
April 4, 2017
99: Paul Janensch – News or Not News
Fake News. We have heard of it. But is it real? How do you know what is real and unbiased reporting? How do you know if you are getting the whole story or a part of it?
My guest was an innovative newspaper editor and a demanding professor of journalism at the college famous for its political polls, Quinnipiac University. He has been on the front lines of many world moments and he shares some of them on the air with me.
What is important though, beyond the stories he wrote is how he learned to ask questions to get to truth and how he listened to enable truth to be told. On this episode Paul Janensch shares tips and secrets you can use to ask better questions and listen for the real answers. Learn how to determine if the info you are getting is skewed by someone else’s perspective.
You will even learn how you can walk right up to virtually anyone and get them to answer your questions!
Listen in and tell me what new questions you are going to ask!
Paul Janensch, (JAN-ensh) now retired, was an innovative newspaper editor and a demanding professor of communications.
He was top editor of The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky, the Rockland Journal-News in Rockland County, New York, and the Telegram & Gazette in Worcester, Massachusetts. He taught journalism at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. His students liked being treated like real-life journalists but complained that he “makes his write so much.” He continues to turn out guest columns for newspapers and commentaries for radio. “Can’t stop writing,” he says.
As a reporter for The Courier-Journal, he covered the Selma March, walking alongside Dr. Martin Luther King. When he was the editor in Louisville, two members of his staff won a Pulitzer Prize. As a newspaper consultant in Russia, he met with the deputy mayor of St. Petersburg, named Vladimir Putin.
He was the first newspaper editor to correct errors quickly and publish the corrections in the same place. He insisted that staff-written stories name anyone quoted. No unnamed “reliable sources.”
He also wrote a dramatic presentation about Ireland’s Great Hunger and co-wrote a play based on World War II letters.
He earned a BA in philosophy at Georgetown University and an MS in journalism at Columbia University.
He and his wife Gail, a former journalist, divide their year between Vero Beach, Florida, and Bridgeport, Connecticut. They have three adult children, two grandchildren and one dog.
For more details, see Wikipedia. His email address is paul.janensch@ quinnipiac.edu.
