Embark

There's a lot of talk,  but  what do we have to say? And how does that effect or influence other people?  

There are a couple of secrets to really great communication, and we're going to find out a few of them today on Embark. My guest, Tina Bakehouse, is the chief communicator, coach  and TEDx speaker at Tina B. Media. Everyday she dons the invincibility bracelets and protects audiences from boring speeches. 

Tina believes your communication persuades your audience to either listen or tune out. Which would you prefer?

We talk about the five dimensions of story creation,  the dance of conversation and how to listen.  We also trade stories about our memorable surnames.

Connect to Tina B. here:

Email:  [email protected]

Website: https://www.tinabakehouse.com/

 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-bakehouse-ma-36581232/

 Facebook private group: Uplevel Speaker Style:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/927962384724316

We hear a lot from some people. If you're on social media, perhaps we hear too much.

But what about the rest of us? We're mum on many topics, especially those that may be polarizing. Let's be brave, be open and at least start a difficult conversation. We might learn something and even through conflict create a relationship based on mutual respect, if not agreement.

Jack Monson and Liz Solar look at political polarization,  labelling other people and reality TV, as well as question who or what might bring us together. 

Is it possible to disagree with someone on politics, party and policy and still be civil?
 Heck yeah. You can even be friends.
 
My colleague, Jack Monson and I may not share  opinions on what politicians we support or who is best to solve what's ailing our country, but we do share a love of family, work ethic, a broadcasting background and an irreverent sense of humor. We get each other.

We wonder how we can find common ground, when we don't even share a vocabulary about benign things like what we call certain frozen desserts or athletic shoes.

Join us as we attempt to get America talking to each other, one conversation at a time.


About Jack Monson: Jack is Consigliere and Connector at Eulerity. He's the  CEO and Host at Social Geek Enterprises, Inc, which  produces branded podcasts for the biggest names in marketing and franchising as well as providing consulting and voiceover services. His show, Social Geek Radio is one of Apple's Top 25 Marketing podcasts.
 

What do you do when the national dialogue sucks? 

You start listening. And figure out better ways to communicate. 

During a long conversation with a friend - and my polar opposite on the political front - we agreed  about our frustration with the general/national dialogue. Or lack thereof.  I mean, here we were, agreeably disagreeing and trying to keep an open mind.  A seed was planted in my mind as how this willingness to get curious, ask questions and try to understand 'the other' could grow into if not a full-fledged movement, at least a clarion call to reach out and try to 'get someone' who's not us!

When my husband and I decided to get a puppy in June, we forgot about how much work it takes - and how much sleep we missed. We also didn't realize the amount of conversation and true connection walking around with young Ziggy would provide. It was refreshing, exhilarating to participate in conversations filled with humor, good will and many photos of fur babies.

Not a barbed remark or reference to the ongoing political 'situation'. It really was a vacation of thought. 

An then, an epiphany! Want to make friends? Get a dog! Or find some fun conversation starter to start communicating - really communicating - more. To our nearest and dearest. And to absolutely strangers, who are really friends we haven't met yet!

I hear a lot of ‘I don’t get them.’ They’re stupid/crazy/too fragile/woke. You get the drift. We don’t seem to get each other. Self-involvement, lack of information or experience, blind adherence to a belief prevents us from seeing things from a different viewpoint. And there are many points of view, many sides to a story.

If we don’t listen and don’t engage, we can't really know what another person thinks? And as good as we are, we're not clairvoyant. So get curious. Start with some questions. Let’s listen to understand, if not agree.

This season’s Embark goes where few conversations go – to the other side. Or to many sides.

In any case, if one small Goldendoodle can create this much connection,  then human salvation is within reach. 

Hop on for a little more conversation and a lot more ‘getting’ each other. 

All aboard?  Let’s go.

'The ultimate outsider creates a global community through a passion for writing.' In film or book publishing this sentence would be called a logline,  a brief (usually one-sentence) summary of a television program, film, or book that states the central conflict of the story.

Today's guest is Collin Lieberg a screenwriter, creative executive, and world traveler. 

He has spent many years living abroad and feeling out of place, so he writes about outsiders struggling to fit in. 

He has a background in academia, management, marketing, and retail that all inform his characters and stories. 

 Collin is the Creative Executive for Cobalt Knight, a genre production company focused on telling feature, series and comic book stories about the human condition with touches of social commentary.

 For the past two years he has run a monthly #VirtualHappyHour (#VHH) Zoom mixer to connect with friends and make new connections. Get in touch at [email protected]. 

One of the most entertaining writers I've read -- Randy Susan Meyers matches that level of fun in our conversation. We talk about writing what you know truthfully, and why villains are so much fun -- but only in fiction. In real life, not so much.  If you're looking for great summer reads, she has quite a few. You can find them here.

Later in the episode, I share what I'm reading this week. Please share your beach reads at [email protected].

Randy Susan Meyers is the national bestselling author of Waisted, Accidents of Marriage, The Comfort of Lies, The Murderer's Daughters, and The Widow of Wall Street. Her books have been chosen as Must-Read Books" by the Massachusetts Center for the Book three times, writing "The clear and distinctive voice of Randy Susan Meyers will have you enraptured and wanting more." She teaches writing in Boston and still misses her Brooklyn hometown. Her most recent novel was The Fashion Orphans.

It's now been over two week's since the mass school shootings at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Nineteen children, two teachers are dead. More people were injured and the response from many of our leaders? Crickets. Questions avoided. Narratives changed, edited and from this vantage point, fictionalized. 

Worse, when voices are raised to enact common sense gun control reform, they are met with 'now is not the time' or 'let's not politicize this.' How can we remedy what ails our society if we can't even talk about it?

Wednesday's emotional hearing on gun violence, followed by the House's passage of the wide-ranging control legislation, even if the Senate does nothing may signal  a sea change. 

Let's keep talking, reaching out to the other side. Find common ground Nothing changes until hearts and minds are open, receptive and engaged. We can change, hopefully for the better. Civil discourse is a good start.

As a parent, it’s difficult to stop thinking about the recent school shootings in Uvalde.

Despite stall tactics on gun reform, here we are ten years after Sandy Hook, and additional mass shootings too numerous to mention, and we're in the same place of inaction. 

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

If politicians don't do the right thing, it's time for us to pick up a moral compass and find a better way. Thanks for listening.

According to Salesforce, 79% of buyers in the sales process want professionals who perform as trusted advisors. Yet it takes time to build trust. My guest Dr. Nancy Zare talks about how to do just that, sell without being sell-y and the ‘Platinum Rule’. She also outlines the four buying and selling styles.  Once you figure out yours,  you can build rapport quickly and authentically, become a trusted advisor, and increase client acquisition. 

 About Dr. Nancy

A psychologist and strategist, Dr. Nancy Zare works with service-based business owners who want to increase sales comfortably and with integrity. She reveals how buyers buy so you can feel poised, converse with confidence, and get new clients. 

Nancy earned her masters and doctorate from Boston College and is a former professor of social work. She is the author of several books including Compelling Selling, Lead Generation Formulas, and an international best seller, Words That Sell with Style. Her latest book with co-author, Mary Pekas, No Pressure Selling; 15 Proven Formulas for Getting Business Easily is available from Amazon. The audio book will be released shortly.

Accredited in sales training and adult learning, Nancy turns education into edutainment. Her secret desire is to go racing on the Autobahn. Be ready to laugh, think, share, and be wowed as she drives home the idea of how to have comfortable sales conversations without being sale-z. 

In her leisure time, she is a student of spirituality. Nancy lives in south Florida, and enjoys food preparation, swimming, and crafts. She volunteers as a foster family for the Farm Dog Rescue.

Resiliency.  It gives people the strength needed to process and overcome hardship.  When we lack resilience we get easily overwhelmed, and may turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms. Resilient people tap into their strengths and support systems to overcome challenges and work through problems. Today, Lisa Hurt, the 'Resilience Maverick' tells her own story of moving forward in the face of adversity, and shares several ways we can move forward to a more peaceful, purposeful and content life.

Aleasia “Lisa” Hurt  has served over 30 years in the Corporate world, exhilarating the resiliency of others while openhandedly discounting the magnitude of her own. In this vein, she has pursued her personal destiny to implement an Elevation Resiliency Coaching Program™️. Recently selected to the Marquis Who's Who in America and to participate in the Shawn Fair’s Leadership Experience Tour, February 2022 Edition, she is branded as the ‘Resiliency Maverick’. Elevation Resiliency Coaching Program™ focuses on Emotional Literacy and Intelligence to achieve Resiliency in the workplace. 

Her notable program is designated to foster Emotional Intelligent Executives and Stakeholders, using premier- holistic and empathetic focused solutions. Aleasia’s divine purpose is to cultivate resilient leaders and employees while simultaneously securing a sustainable culture.

In 2005, the empathetic wordsmith launched HURTNPOET LLC professional writing services. Flex Your Voice Content Marketing™️ is a Promotional-Branding paradigm and with her distinct literary craftsmanship, she crafts compelling, seller-poet content for Empowerment Industry Thought-Leaders; Coaches, Podcasters, Consultants, Speakers, Niche Powerhouses.                                                                                                                            

Lisa completed her undergrad at Ferrum College, earning a Bachelor degree in Social Work, with a Minor in Sociology. She has also earned Certification in a disciplined Business initiative, The CEO Mindset -Who Owns the Ice House Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative at the local ACC Small Business Center. Her journey includes variant disciplines and levels of Psychotherapy, and she began her passion for Writing at a very young age. Throughout her years of Clinical practice, she continued to pursue her love for poetry and Business Writing.