Erik Qualman, author of The Focus Project: The Not So Simple Art of Doing Less, Better



Bill Ringle and Erik Qualman discuss strategies, stories, and practical tips for directing your attention and effort where they will have the biggest payoff for you in your personal and business life.



>>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these 







Interview Insights



Top 3 Takeaways



Setting too many goals is setting ourselves for failure.While we focus on achieving goals, the path before us does not only consist of ourselves and the end. People are going to swim in and out of our lanes. Embrace and cherish those moments. But understand that we all have the power to switch lanes.Dedicate your focus and energy on the big, not on the easy. 



Read the Show Notes from this Episode



Hall of Famer Michigan State University basketball coach Tom Izzo greatly influenced Erik. They remain in touch even today. [01:42]The importance of not losing sight of your goals and building relationships along the way. [02:39]The barrenness of the busy life by Socrates and why we need to remember to focus on the major items we want to achieve.[04:23]Namesake of the Nobel Prize, Alfred Nobel, is remembered today because he decided to focus on his legacy after a newspaper reported him as dead (mistakenly). [06:47]Write down what will make things easier or unnecessary in your life or business if you do them well. [07:03]The '3 Ps' help you stay true to your goals. [10:44]Erik emphasizes the importance of asking good questions. [15:23]A touching and valuable story of Eric and his daughters as he was training in the pool for his first triathlon. [18:14]My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [20:32]





Expert Bio



5x Bestselling Author and Keynote Speaker Erik Qualman has performed in over 55 countries and reached 50 million people.



 He was voted the 2nd Most Likeable Author in the World behind Harry Potter's J.K. Rowling. 



He is the host of the popular Super U Podcast and his work has been used by the National Guard to NBCUniversal to NASA.



Contact Info and Social Media for Erik Qualman



Primary WebsiteTravels from: Austin, TXConnect on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube



Resources Mentioned During the Interview



Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites, and other resources that we discussed so you can explore further.



Alfred NobelThe One Thing by Jay Papasan and Gary KellerThe Barrenness of The Busy life by Socrates



Books Authored by Erik Qualman

Focus on what matters most with guest expert Erik Qualman

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Pamela Wilson, author of Master Content Marketing



Bill Ringle and Pamela Wilson discuss how content marketing differs from social media marketing and what steps to take to attract leads that become profitable customers for small business marketers.

















>>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com  for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations.



Interview Insights



Top 3 Takeaways




People should stop asking whether to put high-quality content or not. Our content should always be high-quality. 



Focus on building your content on your primary website. While posting on sites such as LinkedIn is great, there is a chance you may be taken off at any moment.



It is not content marketing without a call to action. 




Read the Show Notes from this Episode




The power couple of Eleonor and Franklin Roosevelt are Pamela's biggest inspirations. [01:17]





Pamela talks about how she got into content marketing. [03:44]





Why call to action are necessary. [05:26]





Pamela gives tips to address the concern of where we should put our content and why it is better to do it on your OWN website. [11:14]





Why do we have to put our best stuff and post consistently? [15:56]





Pamela talks about Roberta, a client she used to work with who manages a sales team, and how practicing consistency on high-quality posting got them a lot of traffic. [18:20]





To lessen the pressure, Pamela reminds us that everyone just starting content marketing should not feel like they should immediately be able to post the best pieces. [24:59]





My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [27:22]






Expert Bio



Pamela Wilson is a 30+ year business owner, executive coach, and corporate consultant. She's published three books and has created and marketed dozens of online courses for herself and others.



Pamela is a keynote speaker and frequent podcast guest. Pamela created the Offer Accelerator Program and serves as the program's head coach and business advisor.



In her role as a digital marketing consultant Pamela has worked with local, national, and international clients.



Contact Info and Social Media for Pamela Wilson




Primary website





Travels from: Nashville, Tennessee





Connect on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook  




Resources Mentioned During the Interview



Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites, and other resources that we discussed, so you can explore further.




Eleanor Roosevelt





Franklin Roosevelt




Published by Pamela Wilson

Building your content marketing muscles with guest expert Pamela Wilson

Andrew Bryant, author of The New Leadership Playbook: Being human whilst successfully delivering accelerated results



Bill Ringle and Andrew Bryant discuss details of decisiveness, inclusiveness, and accountability as leadership plays that leaders of small and mid-size companies can use now.

















>>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com  for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 400 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations.



Interview Insights



Top 3 Takeaways




Responsibility is personal. I am responsible for my thoughts and my actions. Accountability is an agreement. It's something that people use to forge a contract.



A single universal type of leader is a myth. Different leaders excel under different circumstances. 



Talent is rare, but strength is something each of us can acquire. It may be by strengthening ourselves or hiring someone whose strong suit complements our weak areas.




Read the Show Notes from this Episode




Andrew's first work experience was at his father's hardware store when he was 10. By observing his father's interactions with clients and employees, he learned how to have an executive presence. [01:14]





His father's teaching of honesty, authenticity, and being true to oneself played a major role in Andrew's career in landing him his first CEO client. [02:46]





Why is leadership a process? [05:21]





Explain more about how no perfect leadership style fits all businesses at all times under all circumstances. [06:16]





What are responsibility and accountability, and how they differ from each other? [09:44]





Why decisiveness is critical to good leadership. 



CASE: Gustav responded to a crisis of his company's baby formula possibly being contaminated. [13:28]





What can wel learn from the insight that people and profits are not an either-or consideration, but that both can be served? [17:55]





My Quest for the Best lighting round begins. [22:41]






Expert Bio



Andrew Bryant is the founder of Self Leadership International and the world's leading expert on self-leadership. He has written two books on the topic, Self-Leadership: How to Become a More Successful, Efficient, and Effective Leader from the Inside Out (Bryant & Kazan, 2012) and Self Leadership: 12 Powerful Mindsets & Methods to Win in Life & Business (Bryant, 2016), and The New Leadership Playbook – Being Human whilst delivering Accelerated Results (Bryant, 2022). He has also contributed to many blogs, books, and articles on self-leadership and leadership.



Andrew has coached hundreds of leaders and leadership teams to become the best version of themselves and to scale their companies. He has international experience with clients from Asia, Australasia, the United States of America (USA), Europe, The Middle East, and Africa. Not only has Andrew worked across geographical locations and cultures, but he has also transformed and developed leaders across industries, including the airline industry, software and hardware companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, professional services, banking, finance, manufacturing, hospitality, and travel.



Contact Info and Social Media for Andrew Bryant




Primary website





Travels from: Kennebunk, ME





Connect on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook




Resources Mentioned During the Interview



Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites and other resources that we discussed, so you can explore further.




Brian Tracy





Nelson Mandela




Published by Andrew Bryant

The best leaders value profits and people with guest expert Andrew Bryant

Merrylue Martin, author of The Big Quit Survival Guide: Tools and Tactics to Attract the Best, Retain Top Performers & Nail the Talent War



Merrylue Martin and Bill Ringle discuss the dangers of a dull work culture or toxic interactions that go unchecked and what you can do to attract and retain top talent for small business leaders.



>>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com  for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 400 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations.

















Interview Insights



Top 3 Takeaways




The pandemic ushered in an era in which 'respect' is the currency that makes people stay in their job.



Leaders who make an extra effort to keep their top performers usually do. No matter how high the pay, if employees feel that they are undervalued, disregarded, and disrespected, they move on. At least those with the most potential and ambition move on.



Know your employees. Take a quick survey of what they like and dislike, or ask any questions that will give you a better understanding of who they are. This way, you'll know how to give them respect in a way that matters most. Each person defines respect differently. 




Show Notes from this Episode




Merrylue shared about her friend Joanna who, during one of the darkest moments, reminded her that our quest is not to be perfect but only to be our best. [01:44]





The pandemic accelerated changes that were already been building up tensions. Merrylue explains why today's work environment is no longer "your grandfather's workplace." [07:26]





Why is it important to avoid overloading top performers?  [11:16]





What is one of the dangers of top performers quitting? It tends to be a domino effect. After all, these are people their peers look up to. [13:40]





What are stay interviews? What are some of the advantages stay interviews have over exit interviews? [17:20]





Respect is defined differently by different people. Sally and Leroy's answer to the question, "What is it that would be most respectful to you," could not be further from each other. [20:15]





What are the 3Rs that can be used to retain talent? Requirements, Rewards, and Respect. [24:16]





CASE: Sandy works in the film industry in LA. She feels like she doesn't get enough respect at work, so despite the excellent pay, she dreads her working hours. [27:52]





CASE: Jim works for a start-up company. Unlike Sandy, Jim isn't paid that much, but Jim loves his work. He is always looking forward to going to work, and that is because he feels like he is being treated like gold. [29:34]





My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [34:56]






Expert Bio



Merrylue Martin is a celebrated leadership strategist with decades of successfully working with global leaders and business owners of all types and sizes to make their employees feel uniquely respected, appreciated, fulfilled, and engaged. The recent release of her new book, The Big Quit Survival Guide, has received rave reviews and best-seller status in Amazon’s Office Management category.



As a Fortune 50 senior executive, educational administrator, management consultant, and business owner, she has comprehensive experience in creating and delivering strategies that engage and retain top performers.



Dr. Martin is an honored graduate of the Women’s Leadership program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Her doctorate in organizational leadership and published dissertation from Pepperdine University uncovered the research that resulted in business and leadership practices that directly drive an employee’s decision t...

Retaining top talent demands that you create a culture of growth, respect, and opportunity with guest expert Merrylue Martin

Chuck Mollor, author of The Rise of the Agile Leader: Can You Make the Shift?



Chuck Mollor and Bill Ringle discuss insights about how you can benefit from messages contained in feedback from 1:1s to 360s for small business leaders.

















>>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com  for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 300 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations.



Interview Insights



Top 3 Takeaways




When our business grows, so do our responsibilities. As leaders, we need to learn how to change where we spend our time, delegate obligations, and know when to hire external help.





Receiving 360 feedback will give us words that can hurt us. But feedback is critical because we might be 100% assured that we are competent enough with a job that sometimes we need our people to point out when and where we're falling short.





When our own people are hesitant to share their honest feedback even when asked, that is a sign of lack of trust and an urgent matter we need to fix. 




Read the Show Notes from this Episode




Chuck talks about his greatest influence growing up, his best friend's father Frank, who is also a father figure to him. [01:44]





Understanding how the size of our organization affects how we communicate and how we care about our people. [04:28]





How does a manager's time shift as an organization grows? [07:31]





The five drivers of growth: growth, direction, integrity, innovation, engagement, and urgency. [09:33]





Recognizing when we're not doing our job and when to seek external help. [11:42]





What can you learn from receiving 360 feedback that can make you a better leader?.[14:26]





CASE: Mike and why lack of trust alarm bells sound if our people don't talk to us even when asked. [18:37]





My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [26:22]






Expert Bio



Chuck Mollor is the founder, CEO, advisor, and executive coach at MCG Partners, an organization that helps develop leaders and teams, optimizing both businesses and individual talent. His new book and best-selling book, The Rise of the Agile Leader: Can You Make the Shift?, is a guide for the aspiring, mid, and seasoned c-leader and executive that introduces a new leadership paradigm, a roadmap of what makes a great leader, and what organizations must do to develop great leaders.







Contact Info and Social Media for Chuck Mollor




Primary website





Travels from: Middleboro, MA





Connect on: Twitter | LinkedIn   




Resources Mentioned During the Interview



Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites and other resources that we discussed, so you can explore further.




Item1




Published by Chuck Mollor

The invaluable lessons contained in feedback with guest expert Chuck Mollor.

Chandler Bolt, author of Published: The Proven Path From Blank Page To 10,000 Copies Sold



Bill Ringle and Chandler Bolt discuss the top obstacles and paths to becoming a published author based on 6,000 success stories at Self Publishing School for ambitious SMB leaders.



















>>> Visit MyQuestforTheBest.com for complete show notes and more expert advice and inspiring stories to propel your small business growth. My Quest for the Best is a top-rated small business podcast with over 400 episodes of thought-provoking and insightful interviews with today’s top thought leaders and business experts. Host Bill Ringle’s mission with this show is to provide the strategies, insights, and resources that will unlock the growth potential of your business through these powerful conversations.







Interview Insights



Top 3 Takeaways




Push hard for your dreams, and even harder when people tell you that you can't make it. 



Do not wait for the perfect time to write a book. Write now or you might write never. 



Push yourself and test whether something is possible or not. 




Read the Show Notes from this Episode




His brother Seth, who plays bass in Grammy-nominated rock band NEEDTOBREATHE, inspired Chandler to reach hard for his dreams even when people tell him it's impossible. [01:13]



A New York Times article quoted a survey that found that 81% of people want to write a book, but only 1% actually do. Chandler details why for some people, someday becomes never. [03:07]



How can you help aspiring authors overcome internal conflicts that prevent them from getting through their first drafts? [04:42]



What are the four most common reasons why people write books?  Passion, shared experience, becoming a full-time author, and growing your business. [06:38]



What would you say to debunk the myth that if we share our experience and knowledge in writing, people won't need us anymore and why generosity is the key to business growth and longevity? [07:59]



When your first self-published book didn't exactly rake in the success and the money you expected, how did meeting SAM through your book manager help? Every self-published author needs to know what SAM represents.[10:38]



Why was copy writing pivotal for you when you released your first book and had $15,000 in credit card debt? [12:43]



Why do expert authors need to approach marketing like a Toyota Camry, not like a Lamborghini? [14:51]



How does the Amazon algorithm and a series of steps to use "Amazon juice" to get your book more readers and recommendations? [21:06]



My Quest for the Best lightning round begins. [24:44]






Expert Bio







Chandler Bolt is the author of Published, The Proven Path From Blank Page To 10,000 Copies Sold. 



As a seven-time bestselling author and CEO of Self-Publishing School and selfpublishing.com, Chandler knows exactly how instrumental writing books can be in sharing your message and even growing and scaling your business. His message is that you can't wait for the “perfect time” in life to get writing, the perfect time to get writing is now.



Contact Info and Social Media for Chandler Bolt




Primary website





Travels from: Fort Myers, FL





Connect on: Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram




Resources Mentioned During the Interview



Below are key people, places, books, quotes, websites, and other resources that we discussed, so you can explore further.




Tony Robbins



Oprah



Grammys



Think You Have a Book in You? Think Again by Joseph Epstein in the New York Times



NEEDTOBREATHE



Michael Hyatt



80/20 Sales and Marketing: The Definitive Guide to Working Less and Making More by Perry Marshall




Published by Chandler Bolt

Focus on what matters most with guest expert Erik Qualman

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