Inside Influence

Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation.

Now this episode - is a little different to any other episode of Inside Influence that we’ve ever done. 

One of my favourite parts of putting together the last 52 Episodes of The Podcast has been tracking down world class people to talk to - some of our ideas have worked beyond what I had hoped - poets, musicians, politicians, CEO’s, world record breakers - the list goes on. And some - well - haven’t. Which - lets face it - is just part and parcel of creating anything at all. Sometimes you win - sometimes you end up face down in the dirt wondering how you got there. 

Just as an aside on that - for anyone thinking about putting together a podcast (which I would wholeheartedly recommend by the way) - please never attempt any interview that involves three languages and a four way - real time - translation. As we found out recently it makes a fascinating mime show - but not so much great audio.

Anyway - pretty much the driving force of every episode we have ever done - has been to get inside how we influence ourselves (our own stories and reactions), how we influence others (either one on one or from a platform), or how we influence at scale (i.e. amplifying an idea or message that has the power to change the world).

Most CEO’s and leaders that I meet are on at least one of those journeys. In a world where everyone has a platform, noise is high, brand engagement and trust are low - and storytelling by algorithm now drives the majority of behaviour. Standing out - and converting that attention into action - is probably the largest challenge business challenge of our time.

In today's episode of Inside influence these are the issues we’re going to get into. However - for this week only - it will just be me. No guest. 

Today’s episode is a compilation of a few different speeches I have given recently - mainly for large corporations - most in industries that are currently suffering from a dive in trust. The common theme for each essentially being the question: ‘How do you become the most influential and trusted authority in your space?’. 

The pieces we’ve chosen hopefully answer some of the most commonly asked questions I get in regards to influence. These include:

• How to identify your unique space as a micro-authority
• How the digital world has changed the role of branding - and branded marketing - in driving opportunities, sales, conversations and change. Leaving humans as the most influential force on the planet.
• Why harnessing your unique skills and experience – or the unique skills and experience of the people within your organisation – is now the No 1 key to cut through
• The methods to designing a strategy to become the go-to expert in your space. 
• Tools to focus more on out-contributing - rather than out-spending and out-interrupting your competition
• How to harness the power of epic storytelling
• The power of co-creation - and how to amplify your impact by joining forces with those that already have the eyes and ears of your target market
• And why becoming the primary translator for your chosen audience is the most powerful decision you can make

So - as I said - today is a little different to usual programming. If you like it let me know on the usual social channels. We can try and do more. If not then - just like the multi translation episode - we’ll chalk it down to experience and keep moving. With that in mind, kick back, drive safe (or walk slow) and get ready to take a deep dive into standing up, being seen and harnessing the power of their voice. 

My name is Julie Masters and this is Inside Influence.

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Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation.

Here are some questions that have been on my mind recently:

Is there a science behind how and which ideas become mainstream? Could there be a formula to driving a movement through a human network - at maximum impact and speed? Is it possible to develop a framework that would predict what we pay attention to, what we ignore and what we actually act upon?

And… if the answer to any of those questions was yes… then could it be used to predict some of unexpected situations (politically and culturally) - that have occurred globally?

Essentially - is there something predictable here that I’m missing when it comes to who and what ideas gain the most influence.

My next guest has dedicated a career to - among many other things - understanding this science. The science of human networks. In particular decoding how our position in these networks impacts the most important decisions of our lives.

So why is that vital to the question of influence? Well - our networks - and where we sit in our networks - write the story of pretty much every choice we make. 

Traditionally these networks were the people we grew up with, the people we worshiped with and the people we worked with. However now and perhaps most influentially - they are the people, groups and platforms we spend our digital lives interacting with online.

These networks make up the fabric of our lives - our identities - our choices - and everything we believe to be true.

And yet - amazingly - very little is known about the science of human networks. In particular how ideas spread from one part of a network to another. A fact my next guest - Matthew O Jackson - aims to change.

Matthew is the author of ‘The Human Network - How Your Social Position Determines Your Power, Beliefs, and Behaviors’. He is a Professor of Economics at Stanford University, an external faculty member of the Santa Fe Institute, and a senior fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. 

He is also a member of the National Academy of Sciences; a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and former Guggenheim Fellow. Having reached more than a million students via his popular online courses on social and economic networks.

In today's conversation Matthew and I unpack: 

• The digital tipping point in human revolutions - how, when and why ideas take hold
• Why influence and popularity are distinctly different - and how the person with the least contacts is often the most influential
• The importance of being the primary translator - or ‘centre star’ - for your target market. 
• How not enough people focus on the ‘halo effect for building influence - where it’s who you know rather than how many people you know that makes the difference
• How to go about identifying the most influential people within your network
• And finally - some of the key patterns that make an idea or a movement contagious

There is a quote by Sonia Sotomayor that Matthew uses in his book that I love: ‘Virtue in obscurity is rewarded only in Heaven. To succeed in this work you have to be known to people’.

Understanding human networks is essentially that - understanding the science of becoming ‘known’. Which I would suggest, whatever work you do - is usually the key to taking it to the next level.

So grab a cup of coffee, a notebook and pen and get ready for a crash course in global movements, historical figures and network based influence.

Enjoy my conversation with the fascinating Matthew O Jackson.

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How do you go from an idea to influence to income? Often we only hear about the two polarities. We hear about people who have a great idea, who put a lot of time and effort into building their influence with very little results. And then there are the multi-millionaires who are living in a New York loft apartment who, just last week, we're living in their parent's basement but then they discovered this Killer system and now they are uber-successful. So what does it take to actually build a business as an influencer? 

My next guest is Dorie Clark, author of the groundbreaking book 'Stand Out' where she first came to my attention. It was named the number one leadership book of 2015 by Inc magazine and named one of the top 10 business books of the year by Forbes, and is a Washington Post bestseller. She's also recently just published a new book which is what brought us to talk this time. 

It's called 'Entrepreneurial You' and I would urge you to go out and get it. In this episode, we discuss how to find your breakthrough idea. We discuss the keys to building a following when starting from scratch. Why most success stories you see on Facebook aren't true and why fear plus 10 percent is the magic number when it comes to turning it expertise into income.

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Greetings everyone, my name is Julie Masters and welcome to another episode of Inside Influence. In which I delve into the minds of some of the world’s most fascinating influencers – or experts in influence - to get to the bottom of what it really takes to own your voice - and then amplify it to drive an industry, a conversation, a movement or a nation.

Over the course of the Inside Influence Podcast, my intention has been to bring you some of the brightest minds in the world of Influence.

However, every now and then, I come across a person who is the embodiment of what this podcast is about. A person who can in every sense of the word claim mastery as an influencer of influencers. 

As some of you might know - I’ve spent the last few weeks bunkered up with my newborn son.  One of the challenges of committing to consistency with anything is that - when life takes over - you need some support. 

So, while I was on Maternity leave the Inside Influence team took over and curated a list of the hottest questions we have been asked over the past year. When they showed me the list I knew there was only one person I would go to to answer them, and that person is the Incredible Dorie Clark. 

For our regular listeners, you would be aware of Dorie's influence genius, however for those of you who have not heard of Dorie... fear not! She is about to become your number one guru on the art of standing out as a global authority in your space.

If you needed more than just my word - Dorie is in fact the author of the groundbreaking book Stand Out, which was named the #1 Leadership Book of 2015 by Inc. magazine, one of the Top 10 Business Books of the Year by Forbes - not to mention a Washington Post bestseller. The New York Times described her as an “expert at self-reinvention.” 

Dorie has also just recently published a new book – Entrepreneurial You. Which I would urge you to go out and get. Believe me, in all my years of working in this field - it’s rare that anyone actually talks about the grassroots tactics of what it takes to build a business as an influencer. Creating influence is one thing - turning it into income is another.

Some of the questions we explored include: 

• How to identify trends and distill your breakthrough idea. 
• How to turn your influence into income. Again this is where most people - even some of the most well known or famous people you might know - can often get stuck. You can’t pay your mortgage with ‘likes’ - or at least that’s what my accountant says.
• How to get influence cut through as quickly as possible i.e. traction
• Proven methods to identify your niche, add real value and then amplify your impact 
• The common mistakes that industry influencers make in the early days - and how to avoid them 
• Plus - just a ton more.

This episode is pretty hard and fast. Dorie takes the questions and just dives straight in - with none of the usual rambles or segways from me.

However - for those of you who missed Dorie’s original hour long Inside Influence episode don’t worry. We will also be re-releasing the original interview “From Influence to Income” this time next week as an added bonus. If you caught it the first time around and haven’t managed to yet implement the ton gold she delivered - well - then definitely worth a refresh.

Enough from me - enjoy, kick back and soak up the incredible one-on-one wisdom of Dorie Clark. 

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As a leader, it is our ability to influence harmony within a culture that determines our success. There needs to be a focus on both listening and guiding an individual. We must have an ability to hear the voice of one and the voices of many. As leaders we are the conductors in a symphony where the influence we have will determine the magic in the music we create. 

Todays guest is the incredible Itay Talgam. I have wanted to interview Itay for quite some time for one purpose, and that is to decode how leaders can create influence like the greatest conductors on the planet. Conductors who influence, listen, guide and unite individuals in creating musical magic all while performing live in front of huge audiences...where any mistake is there for the world to see. 

Itay Talgam is an orchestral conductor turned into ‘conductor of people’ – A producer of the symphony that is influence. He has mastered the creation of human harmony and cooperation passing on key leadership and influence skills to Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits and universities, and at conferences around the world, including TED, Google’s Zeitgeist, and the World Economic Forum at Davos.

With a lifetime of experience behind him Talgam conducted many orchestras in Europe – being the first Israeli conductor to perform with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and with the Leipzig Opera house. He also performed in the United States, and, naturally, conducted and recorded many times with all of Israel’s major orchestras, including the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Israeli Opera, Jerusalem Symphony, and the Israel Chamber Orchestra.

While your office is clearly not a stage, and your team are more than likely not professional musicians, there is so much that can be learned about influence in decoding the mindset, methodology and the magic of some of the worlds greatest composers. Talgam's anecdotes and insights will change the way you think about listening, humility and the path to unpredictable brilliance. They will equip you for exceptional leadership and influence. 

In today's episode we discussed: 

• The Intersection between the office and the conductor's podium. 
• The sheer gravity of silence as a tool of influence
• What it is to create space for others in leadership
• How do you go about creating a community of listeners
• How do you ensure other peoples stories are shared
• The balance between direction and enabling self expression in leadership. 
• Why creating space to simply enjoy your creation revitalises your role in leadership 

So as always kick back, and get ready to tune into the music of influence. A space where leadership and influence express themselves via graceful movements, expression, emotion and sound. 

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My next guest Chris Voss was the FBI lead kidnapping negotiator and what that means is he had to understand influence at a level and with stakes that you and I can barely imagine. During his 24 year tenure in the FBI He was trained in the art of negotiation at Scotland Yard at Harvard Law School. He is also the recipient of the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in law enforcement and has taught business negotiation at a number of prestigious universities around the world.

He is the founder and CEO of The Black Swan Group and he’s also also the author of Never split the difference which is a book that I genuinely cannot recommend highly enough. If negotiating persuading or influencing is a part of your daily life which I can promise you it is. In our conversation we jumped in to a number of really fascinating ideas. The first of which was how yes is actually the last thing we want to hear which blew my mind because I had assumed that negotiation was all about getting to a Yes and apparently not one single hostage negotiation technique is designed to get a yes. What are they designed for. You’ll have to listen. We talk about high stakes conversations. How does he prepare. His mental state going into these conversations where literally lives are on the line. We talked about delivering bad news. How to do it quickly and efficiently and get straight into what’s next.

I invite you to sit back and listen and take a fascinating peek behind the curtain of what has to have been one of the most interesting careers I’ve ever heard of. And as a result take some tools and in the words of Chris start negotiating like your life depends on it.

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In the last episode of Inside Influence, I spoke to the incredible Dr Kristy Goodwin - children’s technology and development expert, a speaker, author and parent - about The Digital Dilemma.

We unlocked the challenges faced by parents, leaders and teachers in influencing young people in a new digital age. An age where digital devices increasingly - and soon to be literally - are woven into every fabric of our environment.

The episode was full of perspective changing information - or at least I know it was for me - which is why today as bonus episode - and for the first time for Inside Influence listeners we are backing it up with a Part Two.

For those of you who missed last week’s conversation - I would recommend downloading part one - although not essential it will be helpful in giving you some background context to Kristy’s work - however if you did miss it, we covered everything from infobesity to techno tantrums, brain science to boundary setting and Kristy (very generously) offered up a toolkit of proven parent strategies to manage your child's relationship to digital devices….100% guilt free.

At the heart of the conversation we explored one of the most profoundly influential positions we will ever hold as a human being… The Influence we have as parents, mentors and leaders in helping a new generation make healthy choices - in particular around what and who they allow into their worlds.

As I mentioned in the first episode - this used to be as simple as closing the front door - finishing school, heading home and forgetting about it for the day. Now that world - and all it’s opinions, personalities and messages - follows us home in the form of digital devices.

In part two we discuss the following:

• The right and wrong environments for digital devices
• How to engage young people - in particular young children - in conversations about digital safety
• Why technology can in fact support our relationships - but should never supercede them
• How to manage the mine field of early exposure to sexuality, body image norms (or apparent norms) and exposure to porn. This one is I know on the mind of a lot of parents I know, in particular those of young boys.
• How to protect our children from cyber bullying.
• And the most influential question for us all: Are we being controlled by digital or is it possible to develop boundaries - healthy and resilient boundaries - where we can take the best of this new world - and leave the worst?

Now it bears repeating in the words of Dr Kristy herself - these are 100% guilt free conversations. Feeling guilty about our relationship to technology isn’t going to help anyone. It’s just going to keep us all further stuck in the dark - and prevent the type of conversations that are needed if we’re going to navigate this new world. None of us know the rules here. So let’s talk.

On that note - for the second time - grab a cup of tea - a bar of dark chocolate - or your running shoes - whatever floats your boat and enjoy Part Two in my conversation with the incredible Dr Kristy Goodwin.

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Do you remember the world before the internet? A world where children built Forts, rather than play Fortnite, and setting boundaries was as simple as closing the bedroom door. Or in my case - the day your Father received one too many outrageous phone bills and unplugged the telephone for a week. Teenage. Life. Over. As. I. Knew. It.

Compare that to some of the stories from my next guest….

In a world of influence, there’s possibly none more powerful - or wide reaching - as the influence we have on the next generation.

Maybe I’m thinking a lot about it at the moment - new baby on the way - young daughter I can feel already watching my every technology move. Someone asked me recently - boyfriend beaming into her eyeballs. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR THAT?

Yet this isn’t just a question for parents - this is a question for peers, teachers, mentors, relatives and leaders of young people. Or really for anyone trying to navigate a digital age where no one - not even the technology creators themselves - fully understand the rules (or consequences) of the game.

So how do we face this new digital dilemma with optimism rather than fear? How do we instill OR MODEL a resilient, healthy and empowered relationship with the technology that increasingly fuels every facet of our lives?

That’s the reason why today, I am introducing a 2 part podcast series with the incredible Dr Kristy Goodwin. Kristy is a children’s technology and development expert, a speaker, author and parent who has committed her life to translating the latest research on leading young people through a digital age. And it starts - you guessed it - with first leading ourselves.

Most importantly - what I want you to notice is that Kristy doesn’t believe in guilt. Which in a world where all our decisions in relation to technology - seem to be increasing coming under fire - in particular when it comes to digital devices and parenting. Is as refreshing as it is insightful.

In part one of this podcast dive into:

• Info-beasity, and address what it takes to tame the information beast.
• Why our ancient brains are struggling to cope in a digital world.
• Tips to prevent and manage techno-tantrums
• How our own digital habits inform how our children engage with devices - TIP - that age old parenting phrase ‘do as I say and not as I do’ - which is a from memory from my childhood - is about effective now as it was then.
• Effective (parental war zone tested) strategies to implement digital boundaries.
• The neuroscience governing our engagement with digital platforms.
• AND finally - and this one totally changed my perspective - why we should avoid using (or removing) digital devices and connectivity as a punishment tool

So - grab your digital device of choice - find a quiet spot - drop the guilt - and prepare to make some empowered choices in relation to how technology can enhance - rather than control - your life and the lives of those you love and lead. Enjoy my conversation with the crazy talented… Kristy Goodwin.

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Now for anyone that’s been listening to the podcast for awhile - you’ll know I FIRMLY believe that the days of out-spending, out-shouting and out-interrupting our competitors is over.

What do I mean by that? I mean that if you want to stand out in a new age of influence - in an age where what gets talked about, what gets remembered, what (in the words of my next guest) is considered ‘remarkable’ enough to share within our networks - isn’t ‘business as usual’ - OR ‘marketing as usual’.

In fact - I believe it was Robert Stephens, founder of Geek Squad - who said the immortal words ‘advertising is a tax paid by the unremarkable’.

The challenge now is not to constantly interrupt what people are interested in - but to BECOME what they are interested in. To provide a service or information so valuable - so engaging - or so unexpected - that word of mouth - or word of mouse - literally takes care of itself.

My next guest Jay Baer would describe these moments as Talk Triggers. A Talk Trigger being any strategic, operational differentiators that compel word of mouth. NOTICE THE WORD STRATEGIC THERE - NOT ACCIDENTAL - NOT HOPEFUL - BUT AN ACTUAL PLAN TO CREATE CONSISTENT AND PASSIONATE WORD OF MOUTH. Sounds simple - yet as he points out - nearly every organisation has a…. We have social media strategies, marketing strategies, sales strategies etc.

Now word of mouth has always been the backbone of any business - but in a digital landscape - where voice search, reviews and algorithms all tie back to the sentiment of the crowd. If you don’t have a plan - you are missing one of the biggest opportunities available.

Jay has spent 25 years in digital marketing and customer experience, consulting for more than 700 companies, including 34 of the FORTUNE 500. His current firm – Convince & Convert – provides word of mouth, digital marketing, and customer experience advice and counsel to some of the world’s most important brands.

Jay’s Convince & Convert blog was named the world’s #1 content marketing blog by the Content Marketing Institute. He is also the author of three best selling books - including “Youtility: Why Smart Marketing is About Help not Hype”, “Hug Your Haters”, and his latest book with co-author Daniel Lemin, “Talk Triggers - The complete guide to creating customers with word of mouth”.

It is fair to say that Jay understands every aspect of what it is to build a brand around earned influence. And the great thing about earned influence - rather than hype or the number of followers you can amass - it’s really hard to lose once you have it.

Now a warning about this conversation - it’s pretty rapid fire - so grab a pen and paper now. In it we sprint our way through:

• Why so many people confuse influence with audience
• Why relevance is the new killer app
• Why contribution takes courage - and the fears that will hold you back
• How to hardwire ‘help over hype’ into your marketing strategy
• The 4 requirements to designing a compelling talk trigger
• Why in this day and age building a marketing campaign around earned influence shouldn’t be the Wild West - but instead driven by data, AI and machine learning
• AND finally - why real influence is always earned.

So sit back, grab yourself a coffee and enjoy the insights of one of the most experienced thought leaders on the planet when it comes to brand influence. My conversation with the outrageously talented - Jay Baer.

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Now I have a bit of an obsession with fear. Or - at least I didn’t realise I had - until looking over some of the amazing guests we’ve had and have lined up for the podcast this year. And realising that fear - or at least mastering fear - seems to be a constant and underlying theme.

So that raises the question of why - what has fear got to do with influence - and why can’t I seem to leave it alone. I’ll tell you why - other than because it’s a daily dance of my own in one way shape or form. As it is for anyone that’s ever tried to do or say anything in the public domain - or any domain for that matter.

I think it’s because - over the years of working alongside influencers - I have met and worked with one too many brilliant people, one too many brilliant ideas, companies, brands and products. One too many people with something important to say or contribute. Who have all been left on the sidelines as a result of this statement: ‘I will do this… when I feel more...’

Sound familiar? Essentially - I will show up, stand up, be seen - and offer the full force of what I have to offer. When I feel less fearful.

So - in that sense - fear - or the ability to move towards it, harness it, rewrite it’s stories and relinquish it’s control over when and how we show up. Is the ultimate key to influence. Without it - the rest - negotiation tools, presentation skills, content algorithms, leadership habits - all mean nothing at all. So - there’s my why.

Now back to this episode. As a metaphor for negotiating with fear - surfing a 50 foot wave has to be on top of the list. As one of Australia’s best big wave surfers, my next guest Mark Matthews understands better than most the the intersections of fear, focus and staying in place when backing out seems like the only sane option. In fact - one of my favorite moments in our conversation is where he talks about ‘Holding the line’.

I don’t know if many of you will remember that infamous scene from Braveheart before the great battle - possibly showing my age here - where Mel Gibson shouts ‘HOLD!’ over and over again as the charging army gets rapidly closer. Mark talks about how he literally uses this technique, this phrase - over and over again when at the crest of a wave - to keep himself in position until that exact right second. Basically - to prevent himself from reacting to adrenalin by backing out or moving too fast.

Unbelievably - as you’ll hear - Mark was frightened of the ocean as a child and spent his childhood visits with family to the ocean sitting on the beach. YET - he went on to carve out a niche as one of the top big wave surfers in the world. Having surfed many of the world's heaviest and biggest waves including Cape Fear, NSW, Teahupoo (hope I got that one right), Tahiti, Maui and - well - if you know anything about big waves - you’ll be able to recite the rest. He has won three Oakley Big Wave Awards and is considered one of the best big waves surfers in the world.

Then - while in surfing in Australia in 2016 - Mark fell feet first onto a shallow reef - waking up later in a helicopter in a full body brace. He had tore his artery, nerve, multiple ligaments and fractured his shin. After an artery transfer he was assured by Dr’s that he would keep his leg - but with that kind of nerve damage - he would never be able to surf again. What followed was a new journey into fear. The fear of starting again. Only this time against the odds - and while the whole world was watching.

In this epic conversation Mark and I dive into:

• The role of risk analysis in dealing with fear
• How to ‘hold the line’ when you’re so committed you can’t back down
• Why pushing any boundary starts with being unreasonable
• How to ignore the feelings that make you want to run - and swap fear for focus
• The power of embracing the pain - to stop the brain shutting you down.
• How to consciously choose your next adrenaline kick to take you to the next level
• AND why you should always train for wipe out scenarios - in order to push past where other people would choke.

I loved my conversation with Mark. He’s unassuming, humble - and yet driven to take on challenges that will blow your mind. Just quickly Google his name and look at the images that come up - that will be enough for you to get a sense of what I’m talking about.

So - if you know you have a 50 foot opportunity or challenge coming your way - or maybe feel like you’re surfing one right now - then this is for you. Sit back, buckle up - and enjoy my conversation with phenomenal big wave surfer Mark Matthews.

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