Journeys with the No Schedule Man

Can you step out of your own story long enough to see yourself from an outside perspective? Are you able to honestly and objectively consider yourself and your activities from someone else's viewpoint, and then ask and answer the question: Why would they care?

This week, we're joined by Lisa Brandt, who describes herself on her website as "An experienced author, reliable writer-for-hire, long-time broadcaster and versatile voice-artist."

At the time of this recording, she has just released her latest book, "Make the Media Want You." It's her fifth turn as an author, with some of her other more recent books including "My Sepsis Story" and "The Naked Truth."

Lisa is presently the morning show co-anchor at News Talks 1290 CJBK radio in London, Ontario, the most recent stop in a distinguished broadcasting and journalism career (she tells much more of the story of her background when she joined me a couple of years ago, in Episode 6: "Balancing Multiple Creative Passions").

I've read "Make the Media Want You" and I loved it. Its principles truly speak to the challenges that come up in the work I do with small businesses, non-profit organizations and community groups, particularly as it relates to marketing and communication.

While this episode is very much a conversation, Lisa's part of it is loaded with valuable insight on what to do, and what not to do,if you are looking to reach out to members of the media in hopes of securing more exposure for whatever it is that you're working on.

Just a sample of some of the areas where Brandt suggests people often misstep include:

• Making it easy for the person you're asking to help you.
• The basic courtesy of getting names correct.
• Being aware of your own "industry jargon."
• Thinking things through from the listener, viewer or reader's perspective.
• Having an interesting story to share as opposed to just more "dates and locations" to toss on the pile.

If you're looking to connect with members of the media or just do a better job of effectively communicating in general, there are all kinds of key tidbits and takeaways in this discussion that will help you!

How in touch are you with who you really are and what you really want to be doing?

Are you going through life doing all the things you feel you should be doing? Or are you absolutely certain you're the path for which you are uniquely suited, in touch with the kind of life and work that will continue to light up your soul for as long as you're alive?

In this episode, we're joined by Alina Calinescu, a kind and gentle soul who asked herself those very questions not all that long ago. As has been the case with so many others who have shared their stories on this podcast, Alina found that her true path was divergent from where she started out.

Originally from Romania, Alina followed in her father's footsteps and became an engineer. But some time after moving to Canada and being introduced to fitness, something new clicked in her spirit. A little over a decade ago, she listened to what she calls a "gut feel" and changed her career path to one of fitness, yoga and meditation.

Now a yoga teacher, therapist, educator, what she loves most is to share iRest (Integrative Restoration) Yoga Nidra. iRest is known to help alleviate stress, help us sleep better and heal unresolved issues. It can also allow us recognize an underlying peace of mind that is always present within us - no matter what circumstances we are facing in life.

In sharing so much about her personal and professional journey, Alina said several things that truly resonated with me. Some examples include:

• The challenge of pacing herself.
• What she calls "indigestion of thought."
• Touching base with what is all right within you.
• Developing and nurturing patience and trust.
• She talked about how she to the point where she would remind herself to "stop apologizing for her choices." That really hit home for me.

I also love how she described what she does as "part science and part art."

What are you competing for?

Jake Thompson is Founder and Chief Encouragement Officer at Compete Every Day® a global lifestyle brand committed to reminding you that your life is worth fighting for. They strive to reignite the competitive fire already within you that's necessary to achieve life's victories.

From a passion project to a worldwide motivational brand, Jake started Compete Every Day to connect competitors, provide quality apparel, and motivate fans to live a powerful life.

Like most entrepreneurial adventures, this one has had its share of ups and downs. Among the many valuable insights Jake shares are his reflections on how hard it has been, and how much he's had to grow both personally and professionally in order to keep Compete Every Day on a positive path.

Another very important distinguishing factor that I hope people will notice is how much Jake's brand is tied into story. In fact, the whole thing is a story, tying into his podcast, speaking and the Compete Every Day community.

Storytelling is a powerful, magnetic and very natural human mechanism for creating emotional buy-in and bringing people together. In my opinion, anyone looking to more effectively market their business would be well-served by carefully considering what Jake has to share on this subject.

A few of the key things that stood out from my time with Jake included:

1. "Building a giant sand castle" with his life - It always interests me to discover what motivates people to step out and build something all their own, as Jake has done with Compete Every Day. Even more interesting to me was Jake's reflection on how he felt he was "building a giant sand castle" with his life and decided he want to use his time to do something that made more of an impact.

1. Ignorant enough to be dangerous & willingness to step into conflict - It's amazing what can be accomplished when you don't let what you don't know get in your way.

1. Power of story and storytelling - Back to the "sand castle" idea, Jake came to realize his life was missing a great story element and he became determined to do something about it.

When you daydream about the things you really wish you could be doing or would like to be doing, how much does potential feedback from the "naysayers" influence what you do ... or choose not to do?

Tim Alison is a semi-retired entrepreneur who, at the time of this recording is just about to release a book called "Screw the Naysayers." He has already started producing and sharing a podcast of the same name.

Tim's primary goal? To empower young people to do the work they are uniquely suited to do and live a life that aligns their work with the things they care about most.

His message is simple: Know the life you want and have the courage to live it. Today, Tim shares the lessons he gathered along his journey while outlining how and why his "Screw the Naysayers" movement was born.

How willing are you to go into the storm and then wait for what you want?

Today's guest, Brian Spencer, has set a great example of how to mix passion and perseverance with patience by living the kind of story that you don't hear about every day.Known as the "Canadian Storm Chaser," Brian loves to chase tornadoes. And I don't mean metaphorical emotional storms (though, like anyone else, he's been through his share of those too). I mean that, once he discovered he held a fascination with the power and ferocity nature sometimes unleashes in the form of tornadoes, he was determined to get as close to them as possible. He has, and you're going to hear about it today.

Brian is also a successful business person, operator of a company called Streaming Incorporated while also continuing to serve as creator and curator of a very popular website called PearlJamLive.com.

There is a strong thread of curiosity, passion, connection, challenge, perseverance and patience that runs through all aspects of Brian's story, and the lesson is (I think) that in order to catch our dreams, we sometimes have to be willing to chase a storm or two and also be willing to wait for things to develop - or not - in their own time.

What would have to change in your life for you to consider it a "miracle?"

Today, we're joined by Nichole Wynter, a Miracle Life Coach. Nichole helps ambitious business women materialize miracles in their business and in their lives.

Among the many areas where Nichole helps her clients: managing their distractions, overcoming the need to please others (so you stop saying yes, when you mean to say no) and to execute their plans so that they can materialize their own miracles within their business & life.

As you're going to hear, Nichole is the perfect person to coach on this because it's exactly what she's done in her own life and work.

A few of the key Takeaways

1. Significance - What gives us a feeling of significance and what we're doing to contribute to the feeling of significance of the people around us (in her case, husband and kids) 2. You're Going To Have Doubts - No matter how certain of something we feel when we start out, it's inevitable that we're going to encounter doubt along the way; from people we love, from people don't know … and from ourselves. It's just part of the process.

3. Leadership in life & work - Ultimately, it's up to us to recognize and decide what it is we want to stand for and how we want to be viewed as a leader, at home and at work. As Nichole said in our conversation, "If you don't set the culture, you allow the culture to form." In other words … if you don't choose, life will choose for you. Most of us don't realize how much influence we hold over our own experience through our power to choose.

Something else Nichole mentioned near the end of this chat is how she feels that self awareness is an absolute game-changer when it comes to making the choices that shape our actions that turn into the experience we're having at home and at work. I could not possibly agree with her more.

If my guest and I could take one of your fears and flush it away forever … which would it be?

That's a huge part of what Beth Allen helps people do, and she's joining us today to share her story, which I know you're going to love.A little bit about Beth: she is the Founder of HIP Chicks (the Home Improvement Project Chicks), which is for real homeowners wanting real DIY direction to save money, time and stress. HIP Chicks is for women and men, ready to be strong homeowners and fearless people, too.

One of Beth's central topics is "Flush the Fear." As an author and speaker, she actually brings a toilet up on stage to help give people a "Do It Yourself" guide to letting go of that nasty stuff in your life that has you stuck. Whether your hangups are about money, relationships, health, and work, Beth can help you put it into perspective

The University of Michigan men's basketball team made it all the way back to the Final Four championship game again this year. Here is the remarkable story of one of the top recruits in U of M's basketball history, Jerod Ward, the incredible adversity he encountered, how he dealt with it and what it's taught him.

Reclaiming human connection. That's the mission of today's guest, Joe Beckman, who visits educational settings around the world.

It's Joe's feeling that our schools are experiencing an unprecedented shift and that student loneliness is at an all-time high while self-worth and feelings of belonging are at all-time lows. Joe feels the culprit is lack of human connection, and I'm pretty sure I agree with him. And I would say, not just connection with each other, but with ourselves.

Among the things that really stood out to me from this conversation with Joe were:

1. Energy vs. talent. Joe tells a really interesting story about where he was first introduced to the idea of how important energy is, how people want to be around others with good energy.
2. The trap of trying to talk your way to a solution (instead of just listening).
3. "Go big with this moment." When Joe described the moment when he said, "5-year-old Joe met 18-year-old Joe," I immediately reflected back on times when I felt like I had rediscovered and reconnected with an authentic part of myself that I had perhaps forgotten or lost sight of. It is an electric, visceral experience when you reconnect with who you really are. I hope Joe's story helps you recall times when that's happened for you, as it did for me.

© 2018 Kevin Bulmer Enterprises

What do you think would happen, in work and at home, if you were to allow yourself to be exactly who you are, embrace who you are not, connect with the people for whom you are a fit, and joyfully wish all others well as you let them go along on their own unique path, with or without you?

Today I'm going to introduce to somebody who is doing that better than just about anyone else I've ever seen.

Matthew Kimberley is the creator of Professional Persuasion and author of the self-help classic, 'How To Get A Grip.' He trains sales teams and helps very small personality-led businesses get more customers (www.matthewkimberley.com).

But more than any of that, when I first came across Matthew and his work, his voice, I felt like I had finally found a breath of pure oxygen in world full of carbon dioxide. Or more specifically, someone in the sales, marketing, coaching and speaking space who is actually REAL, an authentic and 100% genuine voice shared by someone who is perfectly happy to be exactly who he is.

It was an absolute pleasure, having the opportunity to speak with Matthew. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.