Innova.buzz

Our guest in this episode is Laban Ditchburn, author of Bet on You, speaker, podcast host and creator of the Podcasting Heroes Movement. His mission is to be known as the world's most positively influential speaker, by being the world's best courage coach.

Laban shares his powerful journey of overcoming addiction, limiting beliefs, and destructive behavior to become the best version of himself. Along the way, he discovered the importance of embracing authenticity, taking bold action, and reclaiming power over past experiences. Here are three key points from our inspiring conversation:

• The importance of taking action and setting aside fear to turn ideas into reality;
• The power of forgiveness and ideas to avoid taking ourselves too seriously and ceding power to our past experiences;
• Laban also suggests developing a "world's best statement", defining your true purpose.

Chris Michel, who was our guest on Episode 521 introduced us to Laban.

Our guest in this episode is Tanya Alvarez, co-founder of OwnersUp. Tanya grew her first company, Blink Ads, to over 1 million within the first year at the age of 25, but she found herself overwhelmed and stressed as a young, female, and minority entrepreneur. She realized the lack of resources and support available for entrepreneurs and decided to apply the training and support system from her marathon running days to the business world. She created a team-based program that uses qualitative and quantitative data to identify blind spots and drive growth for entrepreneurs, allowing them to achieve their goals faster and with less weight on their shoulders.

From turning a startup into a million-dollar success to championing diversity in entrepreneurship, Tanya shares her insights on building supportive communities, harnessing data for growth, and finding motivation in unexpected places. The three key points we covered in our conversation:

• Harnessing the power of support and data together to improve performance, just like endurance athletes do;
• The motivational magic of accountability, that can push us beyond our limits to new heights;
• The RAP method (Reflect, Assess, Prioritize) to unlock our true potential and achieve more by working less.

David Shriner-Cahn, who was our guest on Episode 276 introduced us to Tanya.

Our guest in this episode is Erika Andresen, a business continuity professional, army veteran, lawyer, and professor of emergency management. After a career working in actual disasters with life and death consequences, Erika saw that business owners needed similar services to survive but did not know where to start. Erika started EaaS Consulting, LLC, with the goal of keeping businesses in business. She authored "How to Not Kill Your Business: Grow Your Business in Any Environment, Navigate Volatility, and Successfully Recover When Things Go Wrong," a conversational introduction to business continuity. She has been quoted in Forbes, Dark Reading, Smartsheet, and MoneyGeek.

In our conversation Erika and I explore the importance of business continuity planning. The three key points we covered are:

• how businesses can thrive amidst disruptions,
• why investing in business continuity is essential and should be considered an asset, and
• Erika's innovative approach to enable businesses to stay resilient.

Arliss Dudley-Cash, who was our guest on Episode 452 introduced us to Erika.

Listen to the podcast to find out more.

Our guest in this episode is James I. Bond, one of America’s leading behavioral management and business marketing specialists. He is author of the breakthrough multi-award-winning book - BRAIN GLUE - How Selling Becomes Much Easier By Making Your Ideas "Sticky" – which is a finalist as The Best Business Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly. For thirteen years he ran one of Southern California’s leading behavioral management firms, working with a who’s who of American business. Early in his career, he ran an advertising agency in Montreal, working with a wide range of Fortune 500 and smaller firms.

In our conversation Jim and I explore the power of using analogies and emotion in marketing for massive success. Here are some key takeaways from the episode:

• Emotional selling is key to decision making, with over 90% of decisions made on the emotional side of the brain
• Start with a crazy analogy or metaphor, and have fun with it to trigger the brain and make it easier to pitch and win clients
• Self-analysis can help you identify what makes you unique and attract an audience

Listen to the episode to learn more about how to find your edge, use brain glue tools, and trigger emotional responses in your marketing strategy.

Listen to the podcast to find out more.

Our guest in this episode is Hilary Russo, The HIListically Speaking® Health Coach. She is one of only 150 Certified Havening Techniques Practitioners in the United States and 500 in the world. Hilary has been nationally recognized as a leader and public figure for her work in holistic health. Hilary’s HUG it Out! and Brain Candy programs empower you to “be kind to your mind”, own the story you are telling yourself and rewrite the narrative with neuroscience based tools that help you heal from within. She’s also a Certified Integrative Nutrition Holistic Health Coach, award-winning multimedia host/journalist focusing on health and wellness and a college professor at St John’s University in NYC. You can find Hilary at the mic as well hosting the successful podcast HIListically Speaking: engaging conversations of trauma to triumph through health healing and humor.

In our conversation Hilary and I discussed the neuroscience-based approach of Havening techniques and how this technique can help individuals deal with trauma and promote better mood, behavior, and decision making by altering brain activity. The three key points we covered are:

• The benefits of positive self-talk, surrendering and letting go, and creating a toxic-free environment;
• how we can condition our brains to bring ourselves back from negative thoughts by nurturing the amygdala;
• how Havening can be used as a self-application tool for everyday coping, and dealing with traumas.

Jason Van Orden (episode 275) and Michael Roderick (episode 328) introduced us to

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Our guest in this episode is Dr Aaron Ahuvia, a Professor of Marketing at the University of Michigan-Dearborn and the world’s leading academic expert on brand love. He has been ranked in the top 2% of all scientists and ranked 22 in the world for research impact in consumer behavior. He has been featured in major media including Time, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Der Spiegel, The Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Japan’s Wall Street Journal), National Public Radio’s Marketplace, and the Oprah Winfrey Show. Most recently, he is the author of "The Things We Love: How Our Passions Connect Us and Make Us Who We Are".

In our conversation Aaron provides insights into the importance of having multiple relationships with customers and avoiding dependency on a single salesperson. He also shares his perspective on productivity, developing expertise, and the role of sleep in intelligence. Some key points we covered are:

• Understanding how emotional connections to physical objects are formed and how these insights can be used by businesses to create emotional connections with their customers;
• The evolution of love and its application to products and brands;
• The importance of measuring brand love and engineering it consciously.

For an illuminating conversation on the psychology of consumer relationships and brand love, listen to the entire podcast.

Our guest in this episode is Alison Smith, a specialist in guiding individuals through challenging moments using an inventive, nature-inspired approach. With over two decades of coaching and problem-solving expertise, Alison offers a unique perspective that consistently produces results. As an accomplished speaker, coach, and author, she brings joy, laughter, and connection to every interaction. Her book, ‘Can’t See the Wood for the Trees,’ and podcast, ‘Landscaping Your Life with Alison Smith,’ showcase her exceptional tools and insights.

In our conversation Alison and I discussed the power of metaphor and how it can help us find solutions to our problems. Here are three key takeaways from the episode:

• Metaphors contain solutions hidden within them, and exploring them can lead to a list of options that can be taken back to the real-life situation.
• Metaphor is a way of bringing inner wisdom into conscious awareness, and looking to nature can help people reflect on their feelings and gain insight into their situation.
• Understanding individual motivations and roles is key to facilitating behavior change, and incorporating metaphors into corporate training can help people understand different perspectives.

Listen to the podcast to find out more.

Our guest in this episode is a highly-sought after speaker, trainer and coach known as “Jim Carrey with a Ph.D.,” Dr. Danny Brassell who has spoken to over 3,500 audiences worldwide and authored 16 books, including his latest, Leadership Begins with Motivation. He helps entrepreneurs, executives and small business owners boost their business and impact by improving their communication skills.

In our conversation Danny and I discussed the power of storytelling and connection in public speaking. He emphasizes the importance of developing a unique stump speech, using humor to connect with the audience, and suggesting actions throughout the presentation. Danny shares personal stories and offers practical tips to help speakers improve their impact. Key takeaways include:

1. Your story is your superpower. Sharing personal anecdotes and using humor can create a connection with the audience and make your presentation more memorable.
2. Connect early and often. Suggesting actions and addressing audience motivations can keep them engaged and invested in your presentation.
3. Practice makes perfect. Speakers should dedicate time to practicing their delivery and observing other successful speakers to improve their skills.

Listen to the podcast to find out more.

Our guest in this episode is Kevin Kelly. Kevin helped launch and edit Wired magazine, has written for the NY Times and Wall Street Journal and his latest book is “Excellent Advice for Living”. Kevin was also our guest on Episode 83 of the Innova.Buzz Podcast. He’s admired for his acute perspectives on technology and its relevance to history, biology and society.

When Kevin and I spoke, we talked about how life is a constantly shifting landscape that presents opportunities for growth and new experiences. It's essential to break free from any sense of equilibrium or harmony that holds us back and embrace the unknown. We also discussed the potential of AI technology in solving problems and pushing the boundaries of what is possible, while being aware of the dangers of misuse. Finally, we discussed the importance of finding our own paths and unique genius, as each of us is the star of our own movie. Key takeaways were:

• Embrace change and the unknown to find new opportunities for growth and personal fulfillment.
• AI technology can help us solve problems, but it's important to be mindful of its potential for misuse.
• Each person should find their own path and embrace their unique talents and potential.

Listen to the podcast to find out more.

Our guest in this episode is Sally A Curtis who is a Content Repurposing Wiz & outside of the box thinker who loves leverage. She works with Brilliant Individuals to leverage their IP to engage & entice their audience through the power of visuals. Sally is best known for turning books into two years worth of social media posts. Her content agency works with change-makers across the globe and publishing or media houses to maximise visibility by amplifying clients' wisdom & insights.

Sally started her career working with Australia's most influential business leaders, helping them fill their events nationally and internationally with exceptionally high conversion rates. She went on to do this for herself and then mentored others and this led her to find the secret was in engagement through visual content and human conversations. Sallys' team create for you a library of re-useable, profitable brand assets that amplify your impact, make you stand out, be heard and help you reach more people with ease.

In our conversation Sally shares her insights into simplifying the content creation process and finding your inner genius. Key takeaways:

• What you do and say repeatedly, showcases effortless talent;
• Repurposing existing content is an effective strategy for simplifying content creation;
• Break down existing content into small chunks and use visuals to connect with your audience.

Tanya Alvarez in episode 581 (publishes on July 13) introduced us to Sally.

Listen to the podcast to find out more.