Entrepreneur

Todays guest is a lady who from an air conditioned hotel room in Nicaragua found her path to a future that delights her, inspires her and probably makes her struggle to keep the weight off too.

Whilst whiling away the days watching the Food Network on television, she came up with a plan that would combine her passion for foods with her delight in travel...she would become the Urban Grocer.

Traveling the world she would seek out the kind of exotic foods that each country produces and weave it into a spunky informative and fun tv programme.

But if you think that her history is one that is linked with the media and her delight in discovering and talking about amazing foods, then think again.

Way back in 2004, she worked in a restaurant in Boston prepping hot and cold first courses during and before service, but then amazingly left and became a script writer for the Russian Premier Mikhail Gorbachev.

Yeah really, how the hell did that happen?

I can't begin to imagine, but straight after that she jumped back into the food game, and hosted a Food Radio Programme in Switzerland called "Caitlin's Kitchen".

Getting the idea?? This is one of those shows where the dots of her life are quite difficult to tie up, but it seems true to say that even as a small child, working away in her mothers kitchen, she learnt to appreciate the delights of what we can place on our dinner plates.

And that has carried throughout her adult life.

And now with her latest venture, Porter and Sail, she is combining her love of food, and travel, with her passion for helping the discerning travellers to find the best of what is out there.

The hidden gems, that can help us all be world savvy diners.

So it is with huge delight, that I bring onto the show to start joining up dots ,the one and only Caitlin Zaino | Show notes: http://joinupdots.com/podcast/caitlin-zaino-180/

Todays guest is a man who has spent all his life being fascinated by what makes people tick.

And when it comes to working out why some people learn really easily, whilst others struggle then he is your man to go to.

Is it about the style of teaching, or the style of thinking that helps people learn?

Wow that’s a deep question to start with straight away, but hey, what a great question to ask, as todays guest has built his whole success around developing Cognician an interface needed to create discussions and ask insightful questions within the e-learning process.

Along with his brother, Barry he realised that there was a world out there that felt that e-learning lacked engagement, and was simply a platform based around multiple choices.

And I agree with them whole heartedly.

As they say At Cognician, “We believe that anyone is capable of learning something new if they have the right tools. It’s our mission to make such tools and to create the best online learning experience possible, which leads to sustainable behaviour change.

People don’t change easily. And giving them information won’t solve the problem on its own. If you want to change people’s behaviour, you need to start by changing the way they think. One really powerful way to do that is to give them new questions to ask. New questions turn their thinking in new directions. New thinking leads to new revelations. And these aha moments are what lead to genuine shift.”

This man is someone who is speaking my language big time, so its with huge delight that I get to bring onto the show to start joining up dots, the one and only Mr Patrick Kayton. | Show notes: http://joinupdots.com/podcast/patrick-kayton-179/

Todays guest is a fantastic fella who I have wanted to have on the show right from the very first days of Join Up Dots.

But like all new things that you start, I felt I needed a platform and an exposure that was worth his time, as he has a fantastic story that so many of you will resonate with.

He is a chap who grew up in quite a working class part of the United Kingdom, known as Coventry, and was a self confessed sensitive child, who struggled with many parts of being a kid that so many people breeze through.

The transition to senior school was particularly difficult for him, and in an attempt to find some courage that he could take back into his school-life, he commenced a martial arts course.

However, the positive idea to empower, unfortunately had quite the opposite effect, as one day the martial arts tutor abused him, and quite simply changed his life over night.

And from that point, his life spiralled into a world of violence and anger.

And for over a decade he built a life based around the punishment he could dish out particularly around his job as a nightclub bouncer.

But then his life changed again, and he realised that he had to take control, and reclaim his own personal power.

And with the publication of his first book detailing this part of his life, he moved into a world of creating, positive reinforcement and inspiring the world to take control of their lives.

He has since written forty books (published in 21 languages), five multi-award-winning films, three stage plays (he was invited into the prestigious Royal Court writers Group) and hundreds of articles, many published in national magazines and broadsheets, and his autobiography ‘Watch My Back‘ has been adapted into a major motion picture Clubbed.

So does he think that he would have become so successful in this arena, if he didn't have something to fight against?

And what is the advice that he would give to himself if he had a chance to go back in time?

Well, we are going to find out, so its with great delight that I bring onto the show to start joining up dots, the one and only Mr Geoff Thompson | Show notes: http://joinupdots.com/podcast/geoff-thompson-178/

Todays guest is a man who takes fashion very seriously.

Unlike the majority of men in the world who throw on a few items, and that is the grooming done, he prides himself on looking not just like he got dressed, but that he was designed for the event.

Even to wearing a tie at the weekend….yep I kid you not.

His image is one of sophisticated class, and so its not a surprise that with a love of looking good, his career has moved towards the fashion industry since arriving in New York City.

A dreamer, and a thinker, he seems to have a naturally strong competitive streak, that has run through much of his life since growing up in Georgia.

If he is going to do something then he doesn’t want to be just of those guys that is happy to simply be taking part. He wants to win.

He excelled at wrestling, and racquetball and for a while was almost invincible at both but just fell short at greatness and state recognition.

But it is fascinating to see someone’s life come together in such a way that you can see the elements he displayed early on his life being displayed with such force.

He has moved through jobs at quite a speed, not staying much longer than a year at most, but all the while learning the skills, and fine tuning the talents which has led him along with his business partner Richard to launch Fohr card.

They founded Fohr card with the purpose of bringing together two groups of people who share a love for storytelling, creative bloggers and creative brands.

Alone, each can create beautiful stories.

Together they believe they can create even greater ones.

It is that passion to connect and inspire which is the corner stone to everything that he does.

So what is about visuals and storytelling that so thrills him daily?

And where does he see his vision developing in the future?

Well lets find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots, probably the most well dressed man I have ever had on, the one and only Mr James Nord. | Show notes: http://joinupdots.com/podcast/james-nord-177/

Since attending University at South Florida our guest today has literally been capturing the world from in front and now behind the lens of his camera.And although it might have seemed like a hobby, or just something to do at first, it has lead to a career in TV news, video production, broadcast PR, and even teaching.And that is the beauty of joining up the dots, although you can see the path clearly when you look back, at the time its just grabbing opportunities, making connections, and hopefully enjoying yourself.And it seems that our guest who originated from California, has been enjoying himself as he has traveled the length and breadth of the country doing the very thing that he loves.And now with a handful of awards to his name and appearances on NPR, and Forbes.com, he has developed his own resource center at webvideochefs where he teaches us all how to get the best from our cameras.So lets start looking at his life through a lens as we join up dots with the one and only Amani Channel. | Show notes: http://joinupdots.com/podcast/amani-channel-176/

Todays guest is a man who at the age of 25 took on the world at public speaking and came out top.

Yes, he beat 30,000 people to claim the title of the youngest World Champion of Public Speaking in history.

Contestants came from 116 countries and didn't stand chance as they were up against our guy.

They should have seen him and not bothered to even unpack their suitcases.

But what made his speech so powerful?

What made it a world beater?

Well for one he was true to himself, and also spoke about a subject that resonates with the whole world.

He took his grandmother’s advice and created a speech which illustrated that life is limited and why we must push past our fears. Wow he should have called it Join Up Dots

But coming from Humble, Texas a suburb of Houston it was not predestined that he was going to be a world beater.

As he says "I have always felt confident speaking in front of large groups but what I struggle with is making sure I am connecting, engaging and leaving them with something that will make their life better. I don’t just want to speak. I want to connect and leave them with something of value. There are thousands of speakers but very few resonate and connect."

So lets see how we can all improve our skills at connecting, as we start joining up dots with the one and only Ryan Avery. | Show notes: http://joinupdots.com/podcast/ryan-avery-175/

Todays guest solopreneur has a fascinating tale that so many people in the world today will resonate with.

Can you end up being too qualified for employment? Can you end up having too much knowledge for a job, any job, so that the hiring employers consider you a risk and wont take you on?

Well the answer is yes, and our guest after demonstrating brilliant and forward thinking ideas whilst studying at Azusa Pacific University in California found himself in such a situation.

Life was looking good. His work was being recognised by institutes such as Harvard and Cambridge and he was on a roll.

But then things changed, and he found himself at the first of many dots that has brought him to where he is today.

Unable to get employed in the USA, he took a job in China that turned out to be a bad move.

Then he contracted e-coli which was even more of a bad move, and at the age 25 found himself sleeping on his parents sofa, recovering from internal bleeding, and a career that was in freefall.

So what did he do to pull himself out of a spiralling depression?

How did he get himself back into the game, when the game quite openly considered him a risk?

Well lets find out as we bring on to the show, to start joining up dots, the co-founder of codeBOX, the one and only Joshua Millage | Show notes: http://joinupdots.com/podcast/joshua-millage-174/

Todays guest solopreneur is a proud and patriotic Canadian who loves nothing more than helping the world to take action, achieve their goals and find their ultimate state of performance.

Whether its within the corporate environment or outside of it, he will empower business leaders, entrepreneurs, and all and sundry to stop chasing the money and make the money come their way.

He can turn us all into money magnets where, our advanced performances starts attracting those clients and potential business partners that literally are clambering for our services.

And the beauty of this method, is that it also has a knock on effect to our personal lives and make us more attractive all around.

But as we find time and time again on join up dots, these stories of huge success and inspirational dream achieving, more often than not started at the lowest point possible.

And that was the case with todays guest.

When he was in his twenties, he had just got married, his wife was having their first baby, and he was flat broke!

And at that point in his life, he wasn't even thinking of putting food on the table, he was simply desperate to get a roof over their heads.

He became so desperate that he had to borrow money from his friend's wedding envelopes to use as a down payment on his first house.

But from that point, which was potentially his lowest point, he sat down and started questioning what he wanted in life

Do you know who you are? Do you love what you are doing? Do you have what you want out of life? Do you know what you want out of life? Do you wake up and jump out of bed every morning eager to face the challenges of a new day?

Brilliant questions and the type of questions that so few of us even allow a passing thought to land in their direction.

And now with several best selling books, huge presentations to massive audiences, coaching programmes, and a myriad of other stuff filling up his days, he won't ever need to worry about putting food on the plate again.

In fact as he says, he now doesn't actually have to ever work again?

So what was it about his lowest point that made him pick up pen and paper and start fighting back?

And what brought him to that point in the first place?

And where does he see his life going in the future, now that he has financially freed himself from the restraints that hold so many of us in place?

Well lets find out, as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots, with the one and only Mr Bob Urichuck. | Show notes: http://joinupdots.com/podcast/bob-urichuck-173/

Todays guest is a lady who is tackling so many different areas, and subjects in her life that you kind of wonder where to start first?

She is an actress, producer, animal lover, TV host to name just a few of the things that fill her resume.

But she is also someone who sets huge goals by taking massive action everyday.

But the interesting thing to me is you would have expected her to start her career at drama school and be performing as Annie in local productions, but the truth is very much different.

For many years, since 1983 she was a fight attendant for America West Airlines, so she was certainly aiming high even in those days.

And since then the sky has literally been the limit and as an award-winning actress and film producer with more than 37 film shorts, eight feature-length films, several television roles, and a theatre play to her credit she has flourished in a business that has for many people brought them to their knees.

Over the years, she has produced nine films one in which she played multiple characters including a man, and another called Veil, which helped her win awards as best actor in a film short.

And then if that wasn't enough she decided that she could muscle into my territory and through her interview with the president of the Arizona Film and Media Coalition, Mike McGinn she won a Gold Hermes Award in 2010 for a television news interview

And now with her show "The Animal Rescuers" gaining a bigger and bigger and hugely loyal fanbase, she is in control of her destiny like never before, but you just know that he has only got to this point by hustling like crazy for many, many years.

So what was it about the airline industry that kept her working there for so long?

And how does she decide where she should channel her energies into next, with so many opportunities flowing round her?

Well lets find out as we bring onto the Steve Jobs inspired podcast show, to start joining up dots, with the one and only Kimber Leigh | Show notes: http://joinupdots.com/podcast/172-kimber-leigh/

Todays guest is man who if you take all the letters of his name and rearrange them you will get "Huge Action Taker"

Well, actually that isn't the case, but it should be, as this is a guy who over the last few years has literally sprung to the top of his chosen field, by deciding on what he wanted, taking huge action and not allowing the obstacles that stop us all in our tracks to bother him.

Way back in 1999 he started his career in the navy, as a Electronics Technician Third Class and for four years served his country.

And upon leaving the military then moved through a series of positions and companies not coming anywhere near to that same length of service.

Was this a man finding his place in things?

Or was this simply the route that people take nowadays to show ambition to future employees?

Well we are going to find out, but its true to say that in the last couple of years he has really put himself out there and taken risks to create a future that he loves.

And one that no employee cant ake away from him

As a host of the top rated show "Starve The Doubts", and the powerhouse behind the Pod Mov University and this years Podcast Movement Conference held in Dallas he is rocking and rolling with the best of them.

And now as a bestseller author on Amazon with the podcasting bible Podcasting Good to Great: How to Grow Your Audience Through Collaboration he has added even more success to his life.

So what was it in his life that made him jump from the corporate life and enter into the uncertain world of entrepreneurship?

And why did he feel the need to not just do one thing well, but take on so much in such a short period time?

Well let's find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots, the one and only Jared Easley | Show notes: http://joinupdots.com/podcast/jared-easley-171/