FIR Podcast Network

Last week, we started a longer conversation about planning. It doesn’t matter if it’s business planning, marketing and communications planning, or planning for yourself, now is the time to begin to think about next year. As we go back into lockdown in Chicago and other parts of the country, I know how challenging it is to think about tomorrow, let alone next year, but let’s give it a shot.

We’ll go back to the business-type planning next week, but this week, I’d like to focus on you. After all, if you don’t care for you (and I say this as much for myself as anyone), you can’t take care of your internal or external clients and team. This week, it’s all about you!

We talk a lot about professional development around these parts—both on the podcast and on the blog. Spin Sucks is, after all, a professional development site for marketers and communicators. We are big about continual learning and stretching our brains. One way to do that is to learn, evolve, and advance…together continually.

At the same time, it’s incredibly difficult for us to invest in ourselves. We’re accustomed to being behind the scenes. We work tirelessly for others and put ourselves on the backburner. Of course, this is the fastest way to both burnout and irrelevance.

And yet, we all do it. I”m as guilty as anyone. It’s not good!

But with a little thinking, two weeks’ time, and a notebook, you can be well on your way to professional development that helps you reach your goals.

Resources Included In the Episode

* One-page Template for Communications Planning

* Bullet Journal

* A Little Life

* Spin Sucks Community

#486: Joseph Ruiz and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Creativity through connections with people. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert Joseph Ruiz (https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephruizjr/) The owner and president of Strategic Marketing Solutions. He is also an instructor at Virginia Commonwealth University, a certified LEGO Serious Play Facilitator and speaker.

Joseph helps business owners and professionals solve problems. He shows businesses how to understand their ideal client and attract more of them. He also helps you to structure your marketing efforts in a way your entire employee base can utilize so that you will not worry about running the day to day.

If you recognize that your people are not being as creative as they should be, consider reaching out to Joseph Ruiz by visiting his LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephruizjr/

Here are a couple of AHA messages from this episode:

* Leaders who recognize that there are people in their team who lacks #Creativity should reach out to Joseph Ruiz. https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephruizjr/ @SMSJOE

* Leaders usually have one of three different issues. It doesn’t have one answer. It’s complex, ambiguous, struggling with innovation or they need a new business model. #creativity https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephruizjr/ @SMSJOE

* My experience in terms of really dealing with a lot of different wicked problems across a lot of different industries gives me credibility to help leaders with their #Creativity. https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephruizjr/ @SMSJOE

* Putting together the different #Connections, talking to people, understanding, probing and accessing is a lot of fun. https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephruizjr/ @SMSJOE

* Most people don’t even know what problem they’re solving. They actually define their problem as a solution, not the real problem. #Creativity https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephruizjr @SMSJOE

To view the video interview click here.

#487: Anna Mandell and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Maximize your profit through leveraging your mental resilience. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert Anna Mandell (https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaemandell), a mental resilience and passive income generation coach who supports C-suite level executives, business owners, managers, and $6 figure earners to gain leverage and efficiency  in dealing with disempowering circumstances as well as boosting the performance, streamlining and diversifying their passive income portfolios whilst freeing up their time.

Anna Mandell helps individuals, executives and companies who fall into a debt or unfortunate circumstance. She has the ability to inspire people to be proactive and empowered regardless of the situations that they are facing.

If you need financial advice, you can reach out to Anna E. Mandell through https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaemandell.

Here are several AHA messages from this episode:

* I help individuals and enterprises in dealing with disempowering circumstances as well as increasing the performance and diversifying their passive income portfolios while freeing up their time.

#482: Jack Malcolm and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Accomplish success in business and life by expressing your full potential and communicating with others. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert Jack Malcolm (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackmalcolm/), Owner, Falcon Performance Group, Inc., and author.

Jack is passionate about helping others express their full potential. He believes that people’s accomplishment in business and life depends upon their ability to communicate with others – be it in explaining and selling ideas and concepts, influencing decisions, and inspiring others to action. As the founder of Falcon Performance Group in 1996, he was able to combine his complex-sale expertise and extensive financial background to design and implement complete sales process improvement initiatives at top national and international corporations.

It’s important for humans to be heard, and if you’re struggling with that, you should consider reaching out to Jack Malcolm by visiting his profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackmalcolm/ or going to his website at http://jackmalcolm.com/.

Here are a couple of AHA messages from this episode:

* People who want to be heard should reach out to Jack Malcolm. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackmalcolm/

* Several years ago, I taught a presentation’s class in Europe, and one of the students came up to me afterwards and said “You know, in the end, we all want to matter,” and that was something that really sunk into me. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackmalcolm/

* I’ve worked with smart people but they’ve got ton of information, knowledge, and even wisdom inside them that don’t come out well. I help them express their full potential. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackmalcolm/

* I help people to speak persuasively and credibly. I help them speak so they add value to others. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackmalcolm/

* Most of the work that I do is with training courses where corporations hire me to train either their salesforce, or even engineering team, to communicate better internally. I also do a lot of one-on-one coaching sessions. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackmalcolm/

To view the video interview click here.

 

#483: Marika Flatt and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Break through the noise and build a fanbase that goes beyond your book with PR by the Book. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert Marika Flatt (https://www.linkedin.com/in/marikaflatt/), Co-Owner, PR by the Book and Travel Editor of Texas Lifestyle.  She’s committed to helping authors cross the threshold from author to influencer.

Marika was hired as a “baby book publicist” in 1997 after graduating cum laude from Texas A&M University with a degree in Communications. She launched PR by the Book in 2002 with her husband Doug to capitalize on her innate love for media and books. Being a “connector” by nature, she is passionate about connecting with people on various platforms. She was the former president of Women Communicators of Austin, and she’s also an Expert for Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA).

If you’ve got a book, either coming up or you’re writing now, and you’re in the state of overwhelm,

Guess what time it is? It’s planning season and this means it’s time to begin to think about your marketing and communications plans for 2021. I know how incredibly challenging it is to try to plan anything these days, but we have a foolproof way of doing it in 90-day increments, which is completely doable for the time we’re in right now.

Who here can think about the next 10 years? How about five? Three? Heck, a year from now? Hahahahahaahah! Good luck! I’m just trying to get to December 18 when I can take two weeks of the year off and build some things around my house.

This has been the craziest year ever and trying to plan even a week in advance has been incredibly challenging. But there is an answer!

That answer is Traction: Get a Grip On Your Business. Anyone who has spent any time with me, from a business perspective, knows I’m a huge, huge Traction fan. The book (and the EOS system, which you can implement) is a necessity for any planning.

If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend you stop reading right now and go over to Amazon and buy yourself a copy. I really should do some sort of affiliate code to get a bonus from recommending it, but I’m too lazy. Go buy it! After you finish reading this, you’ll want to read the book. And then implement it. Don’t just let it sit on your shelf or on your Kindle and not do anything but collect dust. Trust me on this.

The book is written for business planning, but the same process works for your marketing and communications planning. When you read it, it’ll be through a business lens. I’m going to talk to you through how to use it for marketing and communications planning.

Resources Included In Episode

* Traction: Get a Grip On Your Business

* One-page Quarterly Plan Template

* Spin Sucks Community

 

#478: Betty Lochner and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Achieve business success with effective communication and rewarding collaboration. This episode features #Thought Leader and #Expert Betty Lochner (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bettylochner/), Chief Executive Officer at Cornerstone Coaching & Training LLC, and 529 Campaign Liaison Coordinator.

Betty is passionate about helping individuals, work groups, and small business owners navigate Human Resource issues and improve their work relationships and culture by teaching them how to be more confident communicators and better bosses. She does this through coaching, training, online courses. She conducts a twice annual event for women: Confident Communication: A Women’s Summit.

If you’ve been promoted without getting trained, and you’re looking for ways to learn and grow, you should consider reaching out to Betty Lochner by going to her website at https://www.cornerstone-ct.com/ or visiting her profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bettylochner/.

Here are a couple of AHA messages from this episode:

* Middle managers who realize they aren’t good at being bosses should reach out to Betty Lochner. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bettylochner/

* People don’t leave companies and places anymore, they leave bosses. We’ve all had the experience of a really bad boss. What I do is go out and work with middle managers, small business owners, and I coach them individually. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bettylochner/

* I teach either in small groups or with their team on how to communicate better, how to talk to each other to get better results. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bettylochner/

* I’ve done this for about nine years – helping those bosses bloom and transform into the leaders they want to, and have the potential to be. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bettylochner/

* Studies have found that over 50% of bosses have never had any formal training. So what that tells us is that there’s a huge need for this and you aren’t the only one who has had this struggle. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bettylochner/

To view the video interview click here.

 

#479: Lashondra Graves and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Get a second chance at renting or prevent any eviction through a reliable housing program. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert Lashondra Graves (https://www.linkedin.com/in/LashondraGraves), who is the Founder, CEO, and the Apartment Lady at Apartment and A Housing Rentals Foundation. She is also a professor, speaker, and author.

Lashondra is passionate about helping people with bruised rental histories get a second chance at renting. She believes that being well-informed is relevant in addressing this issue. She provides housing programs and resources that will ensure that her clients will be able to keep the rental and prevent any evictions.

If you are having a hard time getting that rental property or is potentially sitting on an eviction notice, you should consider reaching out to Lashondra Graves by visiting her website at https://theapartmentlady.org or

Mitch Ratcliffe is a business, product and content marketing leader with 35 years of experience in local media, technology marketing, online and broadcast publishing. Among the successful businesses he’s helped launch are the ON24 conferencing platform and BuzzLogic influencer marketing agency. He’s also served on the founding board of directors of Match.com. Mitch shares our publication lineage with roles at Ziff-Davis, CMP and numerous other publishers. And he has a bionic neck! 

We spoke to Mitch about this recent post on Metaforce, his current digs. It touches on the changes that COVID-19 has wrought with modern B2B marketing. The new rule, he asserts, is to let no communication be wasted but also let no message waste your customer’s time. Engagement is an exercise in listening and serving, not selling.

One of the lasting effects of the pandem is that customers are embedded in their lives, not our brands.  That means the last marketing mile matters: The local network of SMBs and service providers associated with your brand creates a base of deeply engaged influencers who can work on your behalf. All marketing is going local in COVID’s wake. 

 

   

#474: Bobby Herrera and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Be customer-obsessed and people-focused to rise from struggles and collectively grow together. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert Bobby Herrera (https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-herrera-5781821/), co-founder and president of the Populus Group, which is a Minority Owned Business Enterprise (MBE) and Veteran Owned Business (VOB) that makes managing contingent workforces easier.  He authored the book “The Gift of Struggle” which is a backstory of his organization for the last 18 years which has helped a lot of leaders better understand the company’s culture of excellence, community service and servant leadership.

Bobby is passionate about helping leaders understand how their individual struggles can help them connect with their communities and inspire others. He is an Army veteran and storyteller who constantly shares stories on how leaders are most effectively removing struggle from their responsibilities, guides them with entrepreneurial lessons as well as how to give back to the community.

To learn more about Bobby Herrera and employment solutions for customers and valued contract employees in the professional staffing industry, visit his websites https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-herrera-5781821/ and https://www.populusgroup.com/.

Here are a couple of AHA messages from this episode:

* Leaders who are struggling to win the war for talent should reach out to Bobby Herrera. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-herrera-5781821/

* My role is to help you manage the invisible workforce made of a complex group of non-traditional, non-permanent or temporary employees and remove the overwhelm so you have more time to create wins for your company. #PeopleFirst https://www.populusgroup.com/

* With a #PeopleFirst approach, I can help provide you with contingent workforce solutions so you can manage your programs easier and overcome any obstacles along the way. https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-herrera-5781821/

* I can assist you in managing payroll and benefits for your independent contractors, niche consultants working in independent projects or specialty candidates to give everyone the opportunity to succeed. #PeopleFirst https://www.populusgroup.com/

* 18 years of guiding leaders and top organizations with 85% retention rate and 4x net promoter score gives me credibility to replicate customer-centric programs designed for your business that values #PeopleFirst. https://www.linkedin.com/bobby-herrera-5781821/

 

   

#475: Bernie Borges and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Create more sales conversations to fill your pipeline by transforming into the modern seller that your modern buyer needs. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert Bernie Borges (https://www.linkedin.com/in/BernieBorges),  the Co-Founder and CMO of Vengreso. He is also an author, speaker, and host of The Modern Marketing Engine Podcast.

Bernie conducts content marketing and digital sales training for sales people, including sales leaders and their teams. He helps them create more sales conversations in order for them to fill their pipeline. He uses an approach that transforms them into the modern seller that their buyer needs and wants to engage with so they can make mo...

I’ve probably mentioned a time or two this year that a lot of the work we’ve been doing is crisis communications. As we hit the motherload of all crises—social, health, political, and economics, organizations have had to take a step back and look at how they communicate, both internally and externally.

In some cases, the hard look at messaging has been forced because of some reckoning from customers. In others, it’s been self-motivated to stand up for what the people inside the organization believe, and how they can communicate that without looking like they’re jumping on the bandwagon.

It’s been a crazy time—and I’ve learned a lot about how crisis communications will work in 2021 and beyond, which is our topic du jour.

During the last decade, we’ve all had to figure out how to use social media to build community and engage directly with our customers because that is where they are. Experts, influencers, and marketers have created best practices and, for the most part, they’ve worked across brand, industry, product, and service. This year, though, has thrown a wrench into every best practice, making them outdated as we traverse uncharted waters. At a time when every consumer touchpoint matters more than ever, one public misstep on social media can wreak havoc on a brand’s reputation.

Open any of the social media platforms and you’ll find notices to vote (though today is the last day for that one!), heartwrenching commentary about The Corona, arguments over political views, the organization of protests and marches…all among the social media updates and mentions you create on behalf of your organizations or your clients.

It’s a bit nutty…and it has created an environment where even the most sophisticated of companies are struggling.

Which is what we discuss on this week’s Spin Sucks podcast episode.

Resources Included

* Edelman 2020 COVID-19 Brand Trust Report

* Reputation Risk In the Cyber Age

* Brands at Risk

* Wayfair (not) Trafficking Children

* Spin Sucks Community

   

#470: Tracey Jones and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Bring out the best in others by being a tremendous leader. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert Tracey Jones https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/, who is the president of Tremendous Leadership.

Tracey is an international leadership expert who helps businesses to invest value into their employees.

If you feel that you’re not the leader that you need to be and that you’re not bringing out the best in others, you’re going to want to reach out to Tracy Jones at TremendousLeadership.com. https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/ #TremendousLeadership

Here are a few AHA messages from this episode:

* Leaders who realize that they may not bring out the best in people should reach out to Tracey Jones at https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/. #TremendousLeadership

* Leaders have to have followers. Otherwise, you’re technically not a leader. https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/ #TremendousLeadership

* I am a lifelong learner and that is what I consider leadership. I grew up sitting under the tutelage of people like Zig Ziglar, Norman Vincent Peale, and Og Mandino. https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/ #TremendousLeadership

* I’ve always been around people who taught me that the better person that you’re going to be is the better books you read and the better people you hang out with. https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/ #TremendousLeadership

* I’ve worked in every industry across the planet. I went to the Air Force Academy. I worked in high-tech. I worked in defense contracting. And now I run a small publishing and leadership speaking business. https://www.linkedin.com/in/TraceyCJones/ #TremendousLeadership

 

   

#471: Matthew McGregor and Mitchell Levy on Thought Leader Life Credibility Episode

Optimize business results by using technology for sales and marketing. This episode features #ThoughtLeader and #Expert Matthew McGregor (https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-mcgregor-632955138/), Founder & CEO of the Client Conversion Formula, master of business growth, international speaker, bestselling author, coach and trainer.

Matthew is passionate about helping heart-centered entrepreneurs to spread their messages, sell their programs, products and services, and create successful businesses that change the world for the better. He has a proven track record of various client success stories in which he has become instrumental in creating systems that work and get people saying “YES!” to offers.

If you’ve been struggling knowing what technology to use for sales and marketing to succeed on your business, you should consider reaching out to Matthew McGregor by going to his website at https://clientconversionformula.com/ or visiting his profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-mcgregor-632955138/.

Here are a couple of AHA messages from this episode:

* Marketing entrepreneurs who are struggling with sales and marketing technology should reach out to Matthew McGregor. https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-mcgregor-632955138/

I remember being a young whippersnapper in the big agency world. I could not wait until someone gave me a chance to manage others. I just knew that would be my big break!

The chance came a lot sooner than I expected…or probably deserved. I was all of maybe 25 and a young woman a couple of years older than me was on probation. My supervisor really wanted to give her one more shot at turning things around and she figured it was a good way for me to cut my teeth on management.

I was given a set of criteria: Meet with her daily, create a set of goals, hold her accountable to those goals, check-in with our superiors once a week. I really wanted to succeed. I wanted to show that I could make difference, but also that I could help this young woman keep her job.

I failed. Miserably.

It turns out, the young woman wasn’t going to make it past probation, but no one told me that. I met with her once a day to review the goals she’d be given and to provide feedback on where to improve.

The first couple of meetings were hard—she did NOT want to be there (and, really, who can blame her?), and then she just stopped showing up. She was gone about two weeks after they’d “given” her to me to manage. I felt like I had let her down. It was really hard for me because I had failed. She not only didn’t make it, she didn’t make it through her entire probationary period.

To my great surprise, though, I began to move up the ladder. Who promotes a person who can’t keep someone employed for more than two weeks? It turns out, it was just a test to see how I would handle myself; not to see if she’d stay. I guess I passed that test, even though I still felt like I failed her.

On today’s Spin Sucks podcast episode, we talk about why that is—and what I learned throughout the process about managers and leaders.

Resources Included In the Episode

* Wall Street Journal Traits of a Leader

* Spin Sucks Community