My guest on this episode of the Agile Self-Development podcast is Charles Collins. Charles is the best-selling author of the LifeCraft book series and Publisher of Life Masterpiece Journal His work demonstrates how anyone can learn to practice 'Life-as-a-Craft' to achieve extraordinary results. It is a big-picture framework with the key to unlocking the universal principles of excellence for developing a high level of skill in any endeavor from personal and professional development, to managing your business, your household, and improving your parenting skills.

SHOW NOTES:

1. Five Elements of Craftsmanship form the curriculum: 
   • Family heritage
   • Family and household management
   • Personal and family finance (resources)
   • Primary materials (the human being is the primary material for life as a craft)
   • Tools for living
2. Stages in our journey: 
   • Apprenticeship
   • Journeyman
   • Mastery
   • Mentorship
3.  For success, we must have:
   • Commitment to learning and creating the masterpiece
   • Primary materials needed to succeed
   • Processes and mentors to transform the vision
   • Tools needed to accomplish the goals

You can learn more about Charles Collins and his work at LifeMasterpieceJournal.com.

Books by Charles Collins on Amazon.com

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

My guest in this episode is Melissa Guller.  Melissa is the CEO of Wit & Wire, where she helps online business owners build their authority, reach new audiences, and expand their earning potential through podcasting. 

Her first big podcast, “Everything is Teachable” topped the charts as the #2 Career Podcast in the US. Then, after producing over 100 podcast episodes across multiple shows, Melissa realized that any coaches and course creators could use her simple templates and systems to start revenue-generating podcasts for their businesses. 

To date, Melissa has helped hundreds of diverse business owners launch new podcasts through her online programs and the Wit & Wire Podcast, found in all major apps.

Show Notes:

1. Technology has never been easier for anyone to launch a podcast.
2. She shows people how to launch a podcast through the Podcast Launch Accelerator Course which is the one I took!
3. What holds people back from getting into Digital Course Creation:
   • Fear of being on video
   • Fear of technology
   • Imposter syndrome - who am I to teach, do I know enough
   • Because we all see people further along than us, we get overwhelmed thinking we need to where they are and need to have everything right in place from the start.
4. People want the end picture/transformation. Your goal as course creator is to help them get there.  Think about how to help people reach outcomes.
5. Start with a poll to your social media following or email list, asking which topic people might be most interested in before starting to create course content.
6. Take an agile approach to developing your curriculum. Start with a beta for your course with a small number of people and low cost, so you're getting paid to build curriculum. 
7. Not sure if you've got enough content? Try to create an outline and see if you can come up with it quickly. 

Find Melissa Guller at:
https://witandwire.com/
https://witandwire.com/podcast
https://instagram.com/witandwire

Check out her free masterclass "How to Launch a Podcast in 60 Days Without Feeling Overwhelmed"

Or go straight to the class that got me started! Podcast Launch Accelerator Course

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

Meet my guest Melina George-Bristol, founder of HR Inspired Business Solutions which specializes in Leadership Coaching and Human Resources Consulting. As a leadership coach, Melinda understands the challenges of starting out in management with little training and lots of expectations.  She's passionate about helping first-time managers grow into competent and happy leaders, as well as showing small to medium businesses how to achieve higher productivity and employee engagement by implementing best HR practices.

1. Too often first-time managers are left to sink or swim, lacking the support and tools to succeed.
2. It's imperative for new or first-time managers to invest in their own development; and now is a great time to hone skills and identify areas for improvement and education.
3. We need to be authentic as a manager and cautious about emulating other more seasoned managers who may not share your values and styles.

You can reach Melinda through her website at www.melindagbristol.com or on instagram @hrinspired.

__________________________________________________
Find Books for New Managers on Amazon.com

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

My guest on this episode is storyteller and author Greg Philippi.  As a former television and music business executive, Greg's work in entertainment has included work on both sides of the camera, performing as a professional musician in the original punk scene in NYC and Detroit, and writing articles, scripts, sketchwork and improv which he began at age 44. Plus, for years he’s been coaching actors, improvisers, and comics. Of course, I met him as my improv teacher at Screaming Armadillo Comedy.

In his new book, Life Improvised: Listening Between the Lines, Greg uses stories from his own life to illustrate improv concepts and how your life can improve your work on stage and how your work on stage can improve your life.

You can find the book, Life Improvised: Listening Between the Lines by Greg Philippi on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3eMQb6f. 

Follow Greg and Screaming Armadillo Comedy at: 

•  ScreamingArmadilloComedy.com
• https://www.facebook.com/ScreamingArmadilloComedy
• https://twitter.com/gregphilippi
• https://www.instagram.com/screamingarmadillocomedy 
  
  

You can reach Greg Philippi to learn more about his classes or to work with him at [email protected].

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

Have you ever been told you take things too personally or are too sensitive?

My guest today is Steve McCready, host of The Sensitive Rebel podcast. He coaches "sensitive rebels" increase their clarity, confidence, and focus. Bringing his background as a therapist and his psychological training into play, Steve helps highly sensitive people turn their sensitivity into a secret weapon they can use to make a bigger impact in the world. 

Want to know what a sensitive rebel is? Want to learn how to channel your sensitivity into a productive superpower like he has? Listen now!

How to connect with Steve McCready, and The Sensitive Rebel podcast:
https://sensitiverebel.com
https://instagram.com/thesensitiverebel
[email protected]

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

On today’s episode we’ll talk to Doug Noll, author of “De-Escalate: How to Calm an Angry Person in 90 Seconds or Less” and an accomplished speaker and teacher around how to solve difficult, intractable, and highly emotional problems.

Douglas E. Noll, JD, MA left a successful career as a trial lawyer to become a peacemaker. His calling is to serve humanity, and he executes his calling at many levels. He is an award-winning author, teacher, and trainer as well as a highly experienced mediator. Doug’s work carries him from international work to helping people resolve deep interpersonal and ideological conflicts.


Show notes:

• Learn more about Doug at https://dougnoll.com
• Get the book! De-Escalate: How to Calm an Angry Person in 90 Seconds or Less 
• Improve your emotional competency: Unleash The Power of Your Hidden Genius: How To Be A Person Of Influence, Power And Authority And...Handle Any Situation With Utter Confidence
  
  

1. Emotional Competence is: 

• Emotional Self-Awareness
• Emotional Self-regulations
• Cognitive & affective empathy

2. Emotional Invalidation is:

• Emotional invalidation is when a person's thoughts and feelings are rejected, ignored, or judged.
• The most pervasive and insidious form of abuse that exists, and most of us do it unintentionally.
• Dysfunctional form of anxiety self-soothing.

3. How do you improve your emotional competence?

• Understand what emotions are and recognize our own, and how we turn affect into words - self awareness
• Learn how to read emotional data fields. We can develop this skill to become cognitively more aware by presenting a “you statement” with affect labeling - 
  • Derived from reading another person’s emotional data fields. “You are angry”
• Mirroring - repeating back what the person said, verbatim to confirm instructions
• Paraphrasing - reflecting your own understanding of the speaker’s words with your own words
  • The “I” statements you’ve heard about are bullshit - I use I statements to talk about me, I’ll use a “you” statement to talk about someone else’s feeling. (Not “I hear that you’re feeling xyz”)
• Core messaging - look for the meaning under the words and give it back to them in the form of a metaphor
• Affect labeling - ignore words, read emotional data fields, reflect back speaker’s words with a you statement - 
  • Neuroscience shows this type of skill helps de-escalate and develops your emotional awareness skill

_________________________________

• Learn more about Doug at https://dougnoll.com
• Get the book! De-Escalate: How to Calm an Angry Person in 90 Seconds or Less 
• Improve your emotional competency: Unleash The Power of Your Hidden Genius: How To Be A Person Of Influence, Power And Authority And...Handle Any Situati

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

Since launching my podcast, I’ve met some really exceptional women who have a passion for helping others. Our guest on this episode is one of them. Jamie is a personal coach who helps successful, smart, divorced or single women figure out, create, and GET the life they've always wanted!

Learn more about Jamie and her coaching at :
www.joinjamie.vip

Join and Follow Jaime!
Instagram:  IG jamie_mcginnis_coaching
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jamie.f.mcginnis
Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/thegoodlifelaunchpad

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

In Agile Software Development, we talk about impediments. Impediments are the things keeping the team from completing work items or slowing down the rate at which we work. It’s essential to remove these impediments to improve our workflow and deliver quality software features or enhancements. 

Same thing in our personal life. Impediments are basically the obstacles that get in the way of achieving our goals. On this episode, I’m joined by Chris Zapatier - aka Chris Zee - a friend from the stand up comedy circuit who’s also an educator and creative writer.  

Show notes: 

1. Some people see obstacles as a puzzle to solve or an opportunity to grow. Others see them as threats or roadblocks. How you view obstacles will affect how you handle them and in turn even the end goal. 
2. We confuse assumptions with facts and suggestions with constraints. Don't do that.
3. We think obstacles are showstoppers when in reality we can overcome them. 
4. Identify the problem - what’s really limiting you?  For example, if you say you're lacking time to get something done, track your daily activities and see if that’s true or if you’re spending time on things that are not a priority. 
5. Identify what caused the obstacle so you can avoid it next time. 
6. Identify potential work-arounds or contingency plans. Be prepared to pivot from the plan.  It may mean a change in outcome or timeline but that’s what being agile is all about, flexibility to account for the things that we can’t plan for or new learning that comes our way. 
7. Understand the consequences of the obstacle and maintain perspective, stepping back from heated emotions. Strive to see the situation in an objective and logical way and refocus your efforts on those work arounds, contingency plans and pivots that will keep you moving forward. 
   
   

Find Chris on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/chris.zee.9
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x66sgdc

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

This week's episode features Otis Wilson Jr, host of "Boundless, Unlimited enthusiasm toward the future” that focuses on remaining unstoppable, regardless of the challenges that you encounter. Additionally, the podcast provides information on financial wellness so that you can become debt free and financially independent - one of the biggest challenges many of us deal with.

Otis has his Bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and an MBA in business management, and a career which includes being a radio announcer, broadcast journalist, and music producer. Just over 20 years ago, he transitioned to join one of the largest assistive technology companies that creates products for the blind and vision impaired and he now teaches newly blind individuals how to use computers. And, he’s started a financial services business helping people with debt management, income protection, and retirement. And by the way, speaking of Boundless, Otis has been blind since birth.

Show Notes:

1. Listen to the Boundless podcast and learn more about Otis at http://olwjboundless.com  
2. Otis was born blind but his parents treated him just like sighted children, so he learned never to let that stop him from living his best life. 
3. We often wait too long to become educated about our finances. You are never too young or too old. 
4. You can reach Otis at https://www.olwjboundless.com/contact with questions or to learn more about how he can help you with your financial well-being.

Visit http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com and click "Free Guide" in the top menu to start creating your own personal vision statement.

Interested in starting your own podcast? ​Take a Podcasting Course from Wit & Wire  like I did!

Please note the podcasting course is an affiliate link. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

On this episode, you'll meet my friend Kim Schell, a fellow yogi and yoga teacher, as well as a retired public school teacher with 30 years working in education who is passionate about supporting the teacher community, through sharing her gifts and skills using mindfulness and other practices to manage stress in the classroom. 

Kim reached out to let me know she'd been listening to the podcast, got the free guide from  http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com to create her personal vision statement, and is now applying Agile Self-Development to take action on one of her biggest goals - writing a book. I was so excited about it, I brought her on the show to discuss her journey with ASD.

Show Notes:

1. She broke down her large goal to write a book into manageable milestones of first drafts of each chapter. 
2. Kim set her "sprint" length to one month to achieve each milestone.
3. Being "agile" gave her freedom and permission to apply her own creative process without worrying what other people are doing, and to be flexible to make changes to her plan as things came up and as she learned new information.
4. She uses sticky notes on the wall to lay out her milestones by sprint and as other priorities shift in her life, she's able to rearrange sticky notes to support the changes in timeline and sprints. 
5. Kim has a Facebook Group for teachers at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/peacefulteacherpeacefullife
6. You can follow her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kims.mindful.yoga/ and DM her to get in touch.

Visit http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com and click "Free Guide" in the top menu to start creating your own personal vision statement.

Interested in starting your own podcast? ​Take a Podcasting Course from Wit & Wire  like I did!

Please note the podcasting course is an affiliate link. If you make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!