Life and Mission

If you’ve got a message of any kind, you’ll need to find some level of comfort stepping in front of the camera or speaking into a microphone. Tami Romani is a Brand Voice Strategist and a Business Communication Consultant. She helps business owners and brand representatives feel comfortable when they’re being the voice of their own brand. But she goes beyond tips and techniques, right into the heart of why we do what we do.

Tami shares how she started a successful online group, Building Empty Nest Empires, and how small things make a big impact.

Key Takeaways

• We're all building empires, of finance, family, faith, fun, and fitness.
• Small things can have big impact.
• We can be intentional about building great memories.
• Different seasons of life look different, and that's okay!
• Empty nester? You've still got a lot to give!
• We have to be purposeful about building community.

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Ronne Rock is a storyteller, truth-teller, hope-dealer. Her new book is One Woman Can Change the World: Reclaiming Your God- Designed Influence and Impact Right Where You Are.

One Woman Can Change the World: Reclaiming Your God- Designed Influence and Impact Right Where You Are  (Amazon link)
onewomancanchangetheworld.com
RonneRock.com
instagram.com/ronnerock/

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!

Public speaking is one of the best marketing tools you could ever hope to employ. Aurora Gregory coaches speakers on every aspect of the speaker life. In this interview, she shares tips for virtual speaking opportunities, and more.

Key Takeaways:

• You can have an audience any time you want.
• This new season creates opportunities.
• Public speaking is one of the best marketing tools.
• There are ways to translate the live experience to a virtual one.
• Tell stories.
• Make eye contact.
• Create a meaningful experience for your audience.

Resources:
auroragregory.com
Get Picked: Tips, Tricks and Tools for Creating An Irresistible Speaker Proposal
by Aurora Gregory & David Pitlik (Amazon Link)

Here's an earlier interview with Aurora, about public speaking and the fears every entrepreneur has to face - https://lifeandmission.com/public-speaking-with-aurora-gregory/

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!

Mary Valloni has helped thousands of individuals and organizations overcome the lack and scarcity mindset to fund and fulfill their missions. Her award-winning book is Fundraising Freedom: 7 Steps to Build & Sustain Your Next Campaign.

Talking about money
While many of us shy away from conversations about money, Mary tackles the money issue straight-on: “Let’s just start dreaming, because there’s no reason why money should ever stop anyone from fulfilling the vision that God has given to them… If money is your biggest problem right now, I’ve got something to tell you. That can be overcome. We can tackle that. That is easy on the scale of what to overcome.”

How does she know the money problem can be overcome? She’s done it. In a recession.

Mary’s enthusiasm and her joy are contagious. We need more people like her. One of the big problems for fundraisers, especially in ministry, is that we do it alone. So, Mary teamed up with Mike Kim, a top personal brand and marketing expert. They created Fully Funded Academy, which helps missionaries get – you guessed it – fully funded.

The process for missionaries or nonprofits of any size is basically the same, and it follows Mary’s seven-step framework laid out in her Fundraising Freedom book.

Our focus in this interview is on mindset, because during a crisis it’s easy to assume people aren’t going to give. But that’s not the case!

What you can do right now
Communicate frequently, because that’s what friends do. Now is the time to check in on our supporters, to see how they’re doing, and to ask for their advice. Share the wins, even the little wins. There is a lot of bad news these days, so your good news will get noticed. “We all need each other. Some people are going to have the finances; some people are going to have the passion, the time commitment to go and do the physical work. But we are all in this together.”

Connect with Mary - maryvalloni.com
Mary's Fundraising Freedom Podcast - http://maryvallonishow.com/
Get the book (Amazon affiliate link)

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!

Ghostwriter. Sounds mysterious, doesn't it? In today's show, my guest Nick Pavlidis unpacks what a ghostwriter is, what they do, and who can benefit from hiring one.

Nick used to practice law, but he wanted more control over his time, and more time with his family (you can hear more about that in our earlier interview). He became a skilled ghostwriter, and now he’s teaching others the craft and business of ghostwriting.

His mission? Nick says, “I help people help people.”

What is a ghostwriter?

Ghostwriters help create written content, often without a byline. That content might be a series of blog posts or articles, or it might be posts for social media. It could be a book. “Basically we’re creating written content and positioning it to make a connection with a desired reader for a greater purpose,” says Nick.

Why hire a ghostwriter?

• Saves you time, so you can focus on the things you do best.
• Publishing consistent high-quality articles, blog posts, and social media posts helps build authority and trust in your industry.
• Having a book establishes you as someone who is knowledgable, and opens doors for you. This is especially true of you want more speaking engagements.

Writing is part of it, but positioning that content to make a connection is something else. This is a special skill. The ghostwriter does more than take your words and ideas, and rearrange them on the page. The skilled ghostwriter understands how to deliver your content to the reader in an effective way.

A skilled ghostwriter can do this for you:

• Gathers the information and organizes it in a logical way
• Creates structure for your story
• Brings expertise to both the writing and presentation of your message
• Makes your content easy for Google to index

This skillful organization and positioning helps your audience find you. It strengthens connections and help keep your readers engaged. Ultimately, by hiring a ghostwriter to create quality content, your message can help more people.

Links

• Connect with Nick Pavlidis at authorityghostwriting.com on Facebook or LinkedIn.
• If you’re interested in becoming a ghostwriter, get Nick’s guide here.
• Connect with Kay at KayHelm.com
• Get the full show notes and transcript at lifeandmission.com/41
  
  
  

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Kristin Ingram is a Small Biz Mama. In this interview, she shares how she’s able to run multiple businesses and enjoy family life. Plus, tips for launching your successful online business!

You can connect with Kristin at smallbizmama.com

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!

We are in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, and my guest is therapist, and author KJ Ramsey. We’re taking about pain and suffering, our bodies and stress, grief, and our communion with Christ.

We tend to think that more effort should produce a blessing. When we suffer, we might question our faith, or we might question whether we have a strong enough prayer life, or wonder if there's more we could do to earn God's favor. 

K.J. says, "I think that for me, finding hope and suffering and finding joy in suffering, being able to be resilient within vast amounts of uncertainty. That has largely come through dwelling in the scripture and seeing what the whole scripture says about what is the story that God is writing in our world and where does my life fall within it." 

What becomes clear is that God chose to enter into our suffering.

Now, as we walk through the uncertainty of our times, in this coronavirus pandemic, we can know we are not alone. Still, we have lost much. Acknowledging that grief and allowing ourselves to grieve the losses is human and healthy. It's not a sign of a small faith, but rather, it's an invitation to draw close to God, who loves us.

"We cannot be unaffected by this grief. And so we have an invitation here to be honest about where we're at, but this is too heavy for us, and that we can set aside our striving and let our souls be where we're actually at...That's where we can experience the grace and rest of a God who loves us, not for what we do, but for existing because we're his children." - K.J. Ramsey

Links:
This Too Shall Last: Finding Grace When Suffering Lingers
kjramsey.com
@kjramseywrites

Disclosure: Links may be affiliate links. If you decide to purchase any of these resources, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. 

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!

I was struggling. I found myself sitting at a picnic table at the beach, praying a simple, desperate prayer: “Jesus, I need you to come have lunch with me.”

He did show up, just not in the way I expected. If I hadn't been writing it all down, I might have missed it.

Full transcript at lifeandmission.com/38

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Sometimes a single word or phrase has the power to change the course of our lives, and “Chickening IN” is that word for JJ Gutierrez. This little twist on a familiar phrase launched JJ into a transformational journey from fear to faith. Her book, Chickening IN: From Fear to Courageous Faith, 8 Pillars of Transformation, is a practical guide to defeating fear and doubt. I spoke with JJ in February, but her message is especially needed today.

JJ says, "We all have fear. But some of us have a lifestyle of fear."

Chickening IN represents a lifestyle shift. It’s the transformation that takes place when we face our fear and confront it with the truth. In JJ’s case, a simple comment from her daughter was the catalyst for life-changing action. And it gave her a word to share, to help bring this lifestyle change to us. During our conversation, JJ shared her own story of “chickening in”, the eight pillars of transformation, the ways fear lies to us, and examples of how people in the Bible experienced and overcame fear.

Overcoming fear is a process. One step follows another, with small, sometimes imperceptible forward movement. That first step of faith, saying “God, I’m terrified,” invites Him into the conversation. As He speaks truth, we are able to take those practical steps we need to take.

How many times have you “chickened out”? Chickening IN is an invitation to a lifestyle of courage and faith.

Links

JJ Gutierrez, Courage Challenger and Mentor – chickeningin.com
Get the book (affiliate link): Chickening IN: From Fear to Courageous Faith, 8 Pillars of Transformation
Find JJ on Instagram and Facebook

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!

Do you have a story to tell?

You may not think you have a story, or you may think your story is too overwhelming (and it may be, at the moment). Either way, a simple, structured approach along with a safe space and community to share with may be what you need.

Mackenzie Ryan is a national award-winning journalist and founder of Faith Storytellers, a community that is lifting up and sharing the story God is writing in the world through true, first-person stories of faith.

"The goal of first-person storytelling is to help people share in a way that creates emotional space so it can be given almost like a gift. I'm giving you the story and then I'm letting it go and you are picking up that story and receiving it."

To facilitate the storytelling, Mackenzie has developed a storytelling guide (which you can download from the Faith Storytellers website) to give structure to the storytelling process. She created free resources and an online community dedicated to lifting up and sharing the story. She also leads workshops and walks new storytellers through the process of shaping stories, drawing out the divine details, and sharing them with others. 

"Really the goal was just to share what we know to be true about God. If somebody is going through a hardship or struggle, they might not be able to see because God is just so close to them, you know? It's almost like, he's just so close to you, you can't see him. You're in a fog, and he's so close. But once you get some distance and you can look back and like, 'Oh, that's where he was! That's how he was working in my life!' And just think of the impact you could have sharing your story. I mean, that happened five, ten, twenty years ago, with someone who is going through the same thing right now."

Your story may be just what someone needs to hear.

This week's resources:

Read stories and sign up for weekly Faith Storytellers email: www.faithstorytellers.com 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/faithstorytellers
Download a free faith storytelling guide: https://www.faithstorytellers.com/stories/submit
M Ryan Media, www.mryanmedia.co 

Faith Storytellers provides storytelling resources to churches, life groups and ministries and shares individual stories every Wednesday on Facebook and directly to your inbox. Mackenzie hung up her press badge in 2019 to found M Ryan Media, a content marketing and public relations company that uses values-based storytelling to drive results for businesses, nonprofits and personal brands. She lives in West Des Moines, Iowa, and loves gardening, reading and running. She spends most of her free time with her fiance, Andy, his two boys and their two crazy dogs, Maddie and Jax.

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Mission Writers is a library of resources to help missionaries and nonprofits raise funds through storytelling. I've been re-organizing the content in response to some of your comments and suggestions, and I'll have some great resources for you soon. Sign up for my emails so you'll know when it's ready!