My guest is Dan Grec.  He’s a Yukon-based adventurer, snowboarder, and photographer.  A few years ago… Dan wanted a more vibrant life… so he quit his day job as an engineer and drove his 2 door Jeep Wrangler 40,000 miles through 16 countries starting in Alaska and ending up in Argentina. That expedition turned into two of the best years of his life. The journey itself… along with the colorful people he met along the way… permanently changed the way he looked at himself… AND the way he looked at life.  He didn’t realize it at the time but that adventure also changed his trajectory… and he’s continued to explore ever since. In fact, just last year he completed a 54,000 mile... 35 country circumnavigation of the African continent in his 4 doors… Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Most importantly, Dan’s found a sense of joy and happiness that he can maintain in the wildest and toughest circumstances and we’re going to talk about that too!     Listen To The Podcast:     Dan Grec RESOURCES:   BOOK: The Road Chose Me (Click here.) YOUTUBE: youtube.com/theroadchoseme INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/theroadchoseme   MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 What to expect today 1:20 Meet Dan 4:06 When Dan said he was going to drive from Alaska to Argentina 7:30 How Dan pays for his adventures 11:50 Dan’s time in Africa 16:44 How Dan is navigating COVID-19 18:37 Find a way to be happy 21:20 The best things you can do to prepare for adventure 24:44 Take the pressure off yourself 28:08 How to find what makes you happy 29:56 Wisdom of the week 31:05 Mitch’s biggest takeaways What stood out to you?  A story? His outlook on living a happy life?  His pragmatic approach to paying for his dream?  I’d love to hear from YOU! Leave a comment below and let me know!   Listen to Mitch Mattews Top Podcast here

This week we’re doing a deep dive into “The Art of Powerful Introductions.”  Seriously… you’ve worked hard at growing your network of awesome people… but one of the fastest ways to hurt that network is to violate trust and to T-up an unsolicited introduction.  It’s like we talk about in the episode, an unsolicited introduction is like giving someone a gift of a surprise puppy. LOL. That’s right… who doesn’t love a puppy? BUT… if you give it to someone who isn’t expecting it… a cute lil’ puppy can be a problem… right?  If we hand a busy person an unsolicited and/or poorly set up introduction… we can create problems and hurt our relationship with them. So in this episode, we talk through the 4 C’s of Permission-Based Introductions. These “C’s” will help you to set up introductions that lead to more success for everyone involved!  AND… they help to build trust and connection with your network too! So listen in to learn the 4 C’s and stop giving surprise puppies!!!     Listen To The Podcast:     RESOURCES: Check out Episode 255 - How to Meet 50 Interesting People in a Year!   All right. Dream Think Do-ers - this episode is a deep dive.  So we’re talking about the “4 C’s of Permission-Based Introductions.” The 4 C’s are:   CONSENT: Be a blessing, not a curse.  As for permission from BOTH parties before you make an introduction.  In other words… don’t give a “surprise puppy” as a gift!   COMPLIMENT: As you make the introduction (with permission) be sure to honor each person with a few heartfelt and authentic compliments that help to showcase the person’s talents.   CONTEXT: ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS give some context to why you think the introduction is important and why you think the two people should meet.  Don’t make them guess. This helps to give them a starting place to work from and saves them time.   CUT THEM LOOSE: Free them of any expectations from you.  Let them know you’re rooting for them but you’re bowing out and you’re setting them free to do what they want with the connection!     QUOTE:  “When you surprise someone with an introduction,  it’s a little bit like giving a puppy as an unexpected gift!”   What do you think?   Do you agree or disagree?   What’s something you’re going to try/tweak based on this episode?   Leave a comment and let me know!   MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 What to expect today 3:12 Protecting your network 6:14 Why you don’t want to give a puppy 10:29 Busy people get stuff done 13:03 Be a blessing, not a curse 17:07 The power of honor 22:13 Cut them loose from expectation 25:49 One of Mitch’s most powerful connections   Listen to Mitch Matthews Top Podcast here

David C. Baker is an author, speaker, and advisor, working with independently-owned marketing firms around the world.  In fact… he’s worked with over 800 firms and has helped them with everything from positioning to lead generation... staffing to systems… and client acquisition as well as retention.  He’s been called the “Expert’s Expert” by the New York Times and he’s been featured in the WSJ, Fast Company, USA Today, and Forbes.  His newest book, “The Secret Tradecraft of $1M Advisors” is designed to be a handbook for the top 1% of consultants. We’re going to be talking with David about how to set yourself… and your expertise apart to make more impact, have more influence, and bring in more income!       Listen To The Podcast:   David C. Baker RESOURCES: David C. Baker Site: www.expertise.is David C. Baker on Twitter: twitter.com/davidcbaker   Before we get to the interview, I have to include a few other fascinating and intriguing elements of David’s history.   He was born in Michigan… but grew up with a tribe of Mayan Indians in a remote village in the highlands of Guatemala… and then came back to the United States when he was 18.   He’s a fan of fine woodworking.   He teaches racing to already expert motorcycle racers.   He flies 25 different types of airplanes and helicopters.    He loves photography.   He speaks 10 languages.   In short… my boy is wicked smart.   Most importantly… he lives in Nashville, Tennessee with his beautiful wife Julie and they have two grown sons who are married… and who have provided David and Julie with some beautiful grandbabies!   Now that we’ve gotten the important stuff covered… let’s get to this!     SHOW Minute-By-Minute:   0.02: What to expect today! 1:36 Meet David 5:47 What it was like growing up in Guatemala 6:07 The importance of global travel 10:36 The biggest pitfalls for those trying to stand out 13:00 Why David’s book forward is unique 17:31 How to identify your expertise 20:28 How to position yourself 23:54 Done is better than perfect 26:21 A deeper dive into positioning yourself 31:46 The questions to ask yourself as you productize your business 38:49 Wisdom of the week 42:37 Mitch’s biggest takeaways   Listen to Mitch Mattews Top Podcast here

My guest is Brendan Synnott. Brendan co-founded the organic food brand Bear Naked Granola. He wound up selling the brand to Kellogg for $80 Million. Although it was a big win… there was a LOT of ups and downs and Brendan is very open about the fact that he battled depression after the sale.  But he got help and started to live life in a new way. In the years since the sale, he’s launched 5 other brands… oh… and he was also on Survivor! Now he’s taking on the $3 trillion apparel industry (the world’s second-largest polluter) as CEO of the organic, fair-trade cotton apparel company called Pact Organic.  During our interview, we talk about what it takes to get clear and go after a goal, what happens when the goal changes things (BIG TIME) and how to create a new mindset and set new goals too! I think you’re going to love this real and raw conversation!     Listen To The Podcast:     Brendan Synnott RESOURCES:   To find out more about Pact visit: www.WearPact.com. While you’re there… enter promo code:  DREAMTHINKDO Brendan is giving the DTD family 40% off for a limited time!!!   DETAILS: My guest this week is Brendan Synnott … who is a true renaissance man.   He was raised by a single mom and grew up in Connecticut.  Brendan went to college in Nashville and graduated from Vanderbilt. One of his first jobs out of school was as a production assistant on Saturday Night Live!  So his day job was to be a handler of celebrities as they’d come to do the show. While he was home for the summer (since SNL takes the summers off), he ran into a friend who was making organic granola cereal and selling it at farmer's markets.  Since he’d always been entrepreneurial, he asked if he could help. So they launched Bear Naked - organic granola.   They started to get their product on local grocery store shelves and it started to grow from there.  They had to fight through a number of peaks and valleys but they eventually sold to Kelloggs for $80 million.  That’s right… $80 million. During our conversation, you’ll hear that although it was a huge win… Brendan got hit by significant depression after the sale.  He attributes that to a number of factors. The wild ride. The fact that many of his friends worked for the company, so it was tough to let it go.  Plus, a lot of his identity was wrapped up in the brand, so it was tough when it was no longer part of his life. But afterward, he spent time figuring out life.     He went on Survivor.   He also met his wife… and they started their family.   Oh… and he also got clear on the type of companies he liked to start and be involved with.  For example, he realized he LOVES to disrupt industries by bringing products that allow for more transparency, more connection to the customer, and products that are better for the environment. For example, he launched PACT ORGANIC which is an organic, fair-trade cotton apparel company where he’s also the CEO. Obviously, this dude has packed a lot in and made life an amazing journey… and we’re going to talk about how he’s pushed through fear to do just that! Here’s are the specifics and time break down of the interview:   MINUTE BY MINUTE: 0:02 What to expect today! 1:02 Meet Brendan 3:47 All of Brendan's business ventures 5:65 When Brendan worked at Saturday Day Night Live 7:51 Why Brendan got into the granola business 10:05 Brendan's advice to anyone facing an opportunity 12:32 How Brendan handled investors 17:49 How Brendan survived his 20's 20:59 What Brendan learned from Survivor 23:31 The only thing worse than fast food 27:38 Mitch's biggest takeaways   Listen to Mitch Mattews Top Podcast here

Let’s talk: TIME BLOCKING.  As you probably know… “time blocking” is a type of scheduling that helps you manage your time more effectively.  The key is scheduling specific blocks of time for certain tasks on a routine basis. These blocks enable you to focus on finishing big and small tasks… one at a time. This helps limit distractions, get things done faster, and leaves you feeling less overwhelmed. This is especially powerful if you’re working on something new or a side hustle, and you need to make/find time to get things done.  In this episode, we do a DEEP DIVE on the 5 keys to effective time blocking. Plus, we throw in a case study with one of my coaching clients who’s been experimenting with TB for a few months. We’re going to talk with him about what he’s learned and what he wishes he’d known earlier!     Listen To The Podcast:     RESOURCES: DOWNLOAD the FREE DTD PDF GUIDE for this episode. To find out more about Mitch’s concept of “Calendar-Driven To-Do Lists,” check out: DREAM THINK DO: episode 237 Find out more about Justin Aldridge at  www.JustinAldridge.me   MORE ABOUT EPISODE:   As we’ve said, “time blocking” is an approach to scheduling that enables you to prioritize your time more efficiently.  The core concept is scheduling specific blocks on your calendar for specific types of tasks on a routine basis.     These rhythms help you to focus and it helps limit distractions.  That way you can get things done faster, and have more clarity as you do!      This is incredibly powerful if you’re wanting to focus on a big project, launching something new or working a side hustle.  It will help you to make/find time to get things done. I’m going to walk you through the 5 Keys to effective time blocking plus, we’re going to hear from one of my coaching clients who’s been killing it with these strategies for the last few months.  We’re going to talk about what’s worked and what he wished he’d known earlier.   Here are the KEYS to EFFECTIVE Time Blocking:   KEY 1: Decide on HOW MANY hours you want/can work on your project/hobby/business MOST weeks.       When we dig into this KEY, we’ll discuss the importance of involving other key players in your life in this decision.  Plus, we talk about why this is so important early on. (And… why that number may be smaller than you’d like… but it’s still CRITICAL!!!)   KEY 2: Decide on WHEN you want to SPEND those hours MOST weeks.       The key here is sustainability and consistency.  It’s sooooo easy to try to force 5 lbs of almonds into a 2 lbs bag… but you’ll get more done in less time… if you block out appointments with yourself to get key work done in advance.     We talk about one strategy to help with those especially wild weeks and how to bring those back into check too.   KEY 3: Then SCHEDULE protected “meetings” with yourself to protect your TIME BLOCKS.        This is imperative and takes some time to get used to, but it will make all the difference.  It’s as simple as going to your calendar and making appointments with yourself for specific tasks.  You’ll need to check things against your day-to-day schedule… and then establish strategies for protecting your time blocks as the “wildness of life” comes.  (Because… as we all know… it will come!)     KEY 4: DECIDE on some “rules” to guide you on when you would cancel a time block and when you’d protect it!         This “key” is included because we’re using TIME BLOCKING in the real world.  As we said, “wildness of life” will come, but now’s your chance to prep for it.  You’ll want to involve other key players and stakeholders… so everyone can be on the same page when you’re making decisions to switch or stick with a time block.  Plus, you’ll want to decide on some “nice” ways to say NO.   KEY 5: DECIDE on what you want to ACCOMPLISH during a specific time block BEFORE it starts.

We’re talking with Chris Patterson.  Chris is the Founder and CEO of Interchanges, a strategic digital marketing agency, that has generated over a Billion dollars of revenue for their clients over the past 19 years.  Interchanges have worked with a wide range of companies ranging from Lamborghini to Palace Resorts to Hard Rock hotels. Chris's true passion is helping people get from where they are in life to where they want to be.  That passion came from making a lot of mistakes as a kid but then he met Zig Ziglar. Their life-changing relationship helped Chris shift his perspective so he could achieve incredible success and help others to do it too!     Listen To The Podcast:     Chris Patterson RESOURCES: Chris’s strategic digital marketing agency: Interchanges  Chris’s coaching site: Live Large Coaching.      Chris began life from very humble beginnings in Windsor, Ontario Canada.   He grew up poor and was forced to figure out how to survive at a very young age.  As a result, Chris will be the first to tell you that he made lots of mistakes. He experienced severe depression after getting mixed up with the wrong crowd and being fired from multiple jobs.  Things weren’t looking good.   Patterson's life took an incredible shift in 1995 when he reluctantly attended a success seminar with his dad.  Zig Ziglar was the featured speaker and he blew Chris away with his message of hope, success, and positivity.   That interaction with Ziglar started a sequence of events that would change Chris forever.  He started to listen to his “tapes,” yes… tapes. And more importantly… started to apply Zig’s strategies for living a full and successful life.   Fast forward 3 years and Chris was managing a fitness club.  Low and behold, his hero… Zig Ziglar walked in the door. Through some quick thinking, Chris made Zig an offer that he couldn't refuse.  "I will work on your physical health for free 3 hours per week  as your personal trainer if you agree to work  on my mental health for free just one hour per week."   Zig accepted the offer and changed Chris’s life forever.    Fast forward to today, Chris has become a very successful entrepreneur who runs two successful businesses. Chris is grateful to say he’s become a multi-millionaire from the wisdom he learned from Zig and many of the other mentors in his life. Now, he’s passionate about sharing stories and strategies to help others break through setbacks and tough histories… to live a life they love.      In our conversation we talk about: 0:02 What to expect today! 1:30 Get to know Chris Patterson 2:20 Chris’s hidden superpower 5:07 How Zig Ziglar impacted Chris 9:01 How Chris landed Zig as a client 12:30 The biggest nuggets Chris took away from Zig 19:01 The power of authenticity 21:27 The art of knowing when to stop 22:24 How to connect with Chris 23:36 Wisdom of the week 25:08 Mitch’s biggest takeaway’s   What stood out to YOU?  Leave a comment with your favorite tip, story, or strategy from the episode.  I can’t wait to hear from YOU!   Listen to Mitch Mattews Top Podcast here

We’re doing a deep dive into a strategy I used to meet 50 interesting people in a year.  It came at a REALLY important time. I had just moved to a new area. I was trying to launch my business but I didn’t know anyone and no one knew me!  I HATED (and still do) typical “networking” style meetings, so I needed to find a different way. I uncovered a strategy along with 5 specific questions that made all the difference.  It helped me to connect with some incredible people and grow some rich relationships. Plus, this “people-meeting” strategy was sustainable for me… even though I’m a PROUD introvert! In this episode, I will walk you through the story, the strategy, and the questions that I still use every week!  We all know that if we want to make an impact in the world… we can’t do it alone. This strategy will help you to build your tribe, make some new friends, and have a positive impact on the world in the process!     Listen To The Podcast:     RESOURCES: PREVIOUS DTD EPISODES DEALING WITH THE IMPOSTER SYNDROME: “3 Questions to Breakthrough Fear” with Amy E. Smith - www.MitchMatthews.com/231    “Getting out of Your Own Way!” with Susan Baroncini-Moe - www.MitchMatthews.com/176  “Beating the Fear of Public Speaking” with Felicia Slattery - www.MitchMatthews.com/174    THE FIVE QUESTIONS TO GET YOU STARTED:   “Tell me something I should know about you.”  “What’s something you’re working on right now? “What’s something you’re excited about?” “Who are you needing to meet?” “Who else should I meet?”   TRANSCRIPT OF EPISODE:   All right. I'm excited about this. It's been a while since we've done a deep dive where it's just you and me talking, so I'm excited about this.  I'll tell you what, the topic for this particular episode came from one of my coaching clients. He's a newer entrepreneur doing some really cool stuff, really trying to grow his business in different ways. He's got something that he's growing that I believe is going to be global, but he is new to his area, really kind of trying to establish himself. He's trying to establish his brand. He came to me, and one of the things we were talking about was how do you do that? How do you grow your network? How do you grow your connections? It really led to an interesting conversation and a memory, maybe an insight, that I've realized is at the core of my business, but sometimes don't you need to just have conversations that help to draw out some of that stuff out? It's like those core beliefs that are always around you. You're living by them, but maybe you don't always recognize that, right, until you have a conversation or somebody asks you a question. Well, that was definitely the case, and one of the things we started to dig into is this strategy that has really been foundational for me as an entrepreneur, but it's also been really important over the last almost two decades, it's crazy to think about, for growing my business, but also more so, maybe more so, growing rich relationships in my life. Because I believe it's important to have a good, solid network. It's good to know people. It's good to be connected, all of those things. If you're just doing that for networking's sake, that's pretty gross. Do you know what I mean?  I'm an introvert, so there's going to be a lot of biases that I share with you that might just totally be biased towards the introvert, but I can tell you, it's one of those having a bunch of relationships where I kind of know one or a few things about a lot of people, but not have any rich relationships. It doesn't sound all that satisfying to me. Plus, I look back on how my business got started and kind of where it is now, and I've realized, one of the ways that I've grown what I'm wildly blessed to say is a business that I love is really trying to provide value. Meeting people, connecting with people,

My guest is Ryan Hawk.  Even though it sounds like the name of a superhero’s alter ego… Ryan is actually known as an advisor to Fortune 500 companies, a keynote speaker, and the host of The Learning Leader Show… which is a top-rated podcast with millions of listeners.  He’s interviewed people like ‘Good to Great’ author, Jim Collins, Mythbusters’ Adam Savage and storytelling master and DREAM THINK DO friend… Kindra Hall.  Ryan is also the author of the new book, ‘Welcome To Management: How To Grow From Top Performer To Excellent Leader.’     Listen To The Podcast:     Ryan Hawk RESOURCES: Ryan’s new book, Welcome To Management: How To Grow From Top Performer To Excellent Leader. Ryan’s website: www.LearningLeader.com   MORE OF THE STORY: Ryan Hawk is a lifelong student of leadership, and he’s been able to experiment with that knowledge as a professional quarterback, and VP of Sales at a multibillion-dollar company. Now he works with teams from Fortune 500 companies… teams and players in the NFL, NBA, and NCAA, as well as he, facilitates “Leadership Circles” that offer structured guidance and collaborative feedback to new and experienced leaders around the country. Okay… so on DREAM THINK DO, we talk about concepts that help people to dream bigger, think better, and do more of what they were put on the planet to do. That means we have incredible people who are moving and shaking and making a difference.  What that also means is that we’ve got a lot of rock stars who aspire to move up within their organizations, take on leadership roles, and have even more impact. BUT…  often when top performers are promoted to management-level positions―they find the tactics and strategies that got them promoted are not the tactics and strategies that will make them effective in their new role.  So in this episode, we talk about the 3 keys to moving from a top performer to an Indispensable Leader.    We’d love to hear from you!  Leave a comment and let us know which strategy, story or concept stood out to you!    Quick Episode Summary: 0:02 What to expect today! 2:22 Meet Ryan Hawk 4:55 Why Ryan started his podcast 8:00 Why you should pursue curiosity 8:55 Why you need Ryan’s new book 12:33 Why you need to be exceptional 18:29 The role of a manager 22:47 Creating your own personal advisors 26:12 Become a leader you want to follow 27:49 How to connect with Ryan 28:11 Wisdom of the week 30:55 Mitch's biggest takeaways   Listen to Mitch Mattews Top Podcast here

My guest is Erin Rollenhagen.  Erin is the CEO of Entrepreneurial Technologies and author of the new book, “Soul Uprising.” Erin made a name for herself at 14 when she gained national media attention as she led a protest at her middle school.  And she’s been living by a different set of rules ever since! She carried that rebel spirit into her career, founding her company on the premise that tech doesn’t have to be cold and heartless.  Plus, in her new book, Erin encourages her fellow entrepreneurs and business leaders to trust their purpose and embrace impact as the true measure of success. We talk about what it means to be STRONG and AUTHENTIC in a world that is pushing back on both!     Listen To The Podcast:     RESOURCES: ERIN’S BOOK: “Soul Uprising” ERIN’S WEBSITE: erinrollenhagen.com   MORE OF THE STORY: Founding and building a successful tech business isn’t easy. It’s especially difficult when you launch in the late 2000s on the cusp of one of the most destructive recessions in U.S. history!  Not to mention, also getting diagnosed with an incurable degenerative disease! Plus, you can also throw in not looking like how a tech entrepreneur is ‘supposed’ to look.  But Erin Rollenhagen has always defied the odds and established her own set of rules.  In fact, she went against the grain and at age 14, led a protest against misogynistic behavior at her middle school and drew national media attention (and almost got kicked out of middle school too!)  Erin carried that “fist in the air” stand up for what you believe in spirit into her career as a tech entrepreneur, by founding a company on the belief that technology doesn’t have to be heartless and cold.    Recently, she released her book, “Soul Uprising: It’s Never Just Business,” which encourages business leaders and entrepreneurs to trust their purpose and embrace impact as the true measure of success. We talk about what it means to be STRONG and AUTHENTIC!   Leave a comment and let us know what stood out to you from the interview!   Quick Episode Summary: 0:02 What to expect today! 1:30 Meet Erin 2:41 Why Erin held a protest in middle school 5:59 When Erin started her business 10:43 Strategies for being strong and authentic 16:47 Avoiding emotional pricing 20:57 Do you have faith in your purpose? 21:30 Purpose vs. plans 22:30 How to find what you love doing 26:10 How to connect with Erin 26:37 Wisdom of the week 27:16 Mitch’s biggest takeaways   Listen to Mitch Mattews Top Podcast here