Million Dollar Relationships

What if the most powerful communicators aren't the most polished ones?

In this episode, Dia Bondi shares how watching a three-day communication skills class transformed her life. She had no resume to support her desire, but she made the ask that changed everything: "Will you apprentice me?" That mentor said yes, and 25 years later, she's still helping leaders speak powerfully from who they truly are. Dia's work goes beyond messaging to something deeper: helping clients articulate what they have to say before figuring out how to say it. She's coached VC-backed founders past Series B, VP-level executives, and even helped Rio de Janeiro win the right to host the 2016 Olympics (a $7 billion decision) without ever knowing who referred her.

Dia reveals the six attributes of the most compelling communicators: they make the choice to be big in big moments, they know how to make strategic asks, they absolutely know their voice, they've got killer setups for their asks, they bridge their voice to the business really well, and they prep on purpose by actually talking through what they'll say.

She shares the story of a founder who created a 40-minute story to invite existing customers to help inform what gets built next. That task drove $10 million of value in the business. Dia also explains why the most powerful moment in her career might have been her first deal that included both cash and shares, because once she did it once, she now had the confidence and understanding to recreate it over and over again.

[00:08:20] The Ask That Changed My Life

• Watched three-day communication skills class about storytelling in business

• Had no resume to support desire to do that work

• Asked if he would apprentice her, and he did

• 25 years later still finds it compelling because it truly moves the needle for people

[00:10:20] What You Have to Say vs. How to Say It

• Messaging is "how do I say it?" but Dia lives in the step before that

• "What is it that you have to say?"

• Until a leader can articulate things that feel innate but aren't obvious, can't create the message

• First articulate what you have to say, then figure out how best to express it

[00:12:00] The 40-Minute Story Worth $10 Million

• Former client needed to invite existing customers to participate in informing product development

• Put together compelling story bridging what founder has to say with story of business

• Set up really killer ask, 40-minute story to set up that ask

• Client secured participation needed, will drive about $10 million of value in business

[00:17:20] The First Deal With Shares

• Introduction to blockchain company working directly with founders

• First time setting up deal that included both cash and shares

• It paid off, and importantly gave confidence and understanding

• Once you do it first time, now have opportunity to do it over and over because it's in your radar

[00:20:00] Helping Rio Win the Olympics bid

• Got a request over the internet: "We heard you're good, can you give us a call?"

• Turned out to be production team working on Rio's bid for 2016 Olympics

• $7 billion decision, got to work in those teeny tiny rooms where stories get crafted

• Still doesn't know who referred her, but knows what part of work it came from

[00:24:40] Six Attributes of Powerful Communicators

• One: Make choice to be big in big moments (not about being polished or showboat)

• Two: Know how to make strategic asks and use asking strategically

• Three: Absolutely know their voice and can give good feedback to creative collaborators

• Four: Got killer setups for the asks they make of partners

[00:27:20] The Last Two Attributes

• Five: Bridge their own voice to the business really well

• Six: Prep on purpose by actually talking through it, not just thinking about it

• One founder's pregame routine: end call, go downstairs, change shirt, wash face, drink water

• If he did that six times in day, he'd go through six shirts

[00:30:00] Kevin's $16.1 Million Conversation

• 2003, owned cleaning and restoration company with website producing $15,000/month

• Mentor Joe Polish: "Come speak at event, document what you do into a course"

• Had never spoken publicly before, invested in Speaker's Bootcamp training

• Made $35,000 in course sales that day, but that wasn't the big win

[00:32:40] The Real Big Win

• Over next 12 years sold $16.1 million worth of that course

• All because of one conversation: "Why don't you come down and speak?"

• Brought energy, joyfulness, willingness to share with generosity

• When you're invited, say yes

KEY QUOTES

"I made the ask that changed my life. That gentleman brought me in and let me watch his class. I asked if he would apprentice me, and he did." - Dia Bondi

"The most compelling communicators make the choice to be big in big moments. And that's never about being a showboat." - Dia Bondi

CONNECT WITH DIA BONDI

🌐 Website: https://www.diabondi.com

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dia-bondi

📚 Book: Ask Like an Auctioneer: How To Ask For More and Get It

🎯 Special Page for MDR Listeners: https://www.diabondi.com/mdr

✨ The Intensive: https://www.diabondi.com/intensive

📋 21 Strategies to Elevate Your Voice: https://www.diabondi.com/getthe21

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What if saying your goals out loud, got you an email introducing you to your hero?

In this episode, Cliff Ravenscraft shares how he walked away from a family insurance agency (started by his grandfather in 1937) where he was next in line to lead, all because of a podcast about the TV show Lost. After building an audience of 60,000 subscribers and receiving over 500 handwritten letters from people whose lives were transformed, Cliff realized his real calling wasn't selling insurance or being a pastor. It was teaching people how to use their voice to create content that matters. He's since helped over 40,000 people launch podcasts, but discovered something critical: nine out of ten failed because they skipped the first seven steps of building an online business. Step eight? Create content and build your audience. Everything else comes first.

Cliff reveals the four-step formula that led to a $3 million relationship: believe it's possible, write it down, tell others, and work the plan as it becomes available. He also shares why his first year as a full-time entrepreneur, working 14-hour days seven days a week for $11,000, ended with a 24-hour podcast marathon and two weeks in the hospital where he almost died.

[00:05:00] Helping 40,000 People Launch Podcasts

• Left very lucrative career in family insurance agency started by grandfather in 1937

• Went out to teach people how to launch podcasts

• Helped more than 40,000 people in the world launch a podcast

• Published over 4,800 podcast episodes across 55+ shows in 20 years

[00:11:20] The First Year That Almost Killed Him

• First year full-time: 12-14 hours a day, seven days a week, not one day off first nine months

• Didn't receive single personal paycheck, just earned enough to pay business expenses

• End of year brought home $11,000 net personal income after taxes

• Celebrated with 24-hour podcast marathon, ended with two weeks in hospital

[00:13:20] Why Nine Out of Ten Podcasters Fail

• In 2012, more than 50 of top 100 business podcasts were Cliff's clients

• But nine out of ten failed to ever see sustainable profit or any income

• Created 11-step framework for building online business

• Step number eight: create content and build audience (first seven steps were missed)

[00:14:40] The Workshop That Changed Everything

• In 2017 stopped teaching podcasting, started coaching through what people missed

• One person earned no income before workshop, within two weeks secured $5,000/month recurring

• Coaches charging $50/hour walked out charging $300/hour

• "This is what fires me up"

[00:16:40] Choose an Audience With Money

• Most people fail to choose audience that has money

• Ideal customer must have money, be aware of problem, willing to pay to solve it

• "I've got entire audience of tens of thousands and none of them have any money"

• Must validate they will pay before you create website, logo, podcast content

[00:20:00] The Two Conditions

• At 18, convinced life would be devoted to ministry with servant's heart

• Parents asked him to work in insurance office because of computer skills

• Told parents: "You will never expect me to get insurance license"

• "If I'm offered opportunity to pastor church, I must get your full blessing to leave"

[00:24:20] Top 10 Out of 14,000 Insurance Agents

• Year 2000, top 10 out of 14,000 agents with Grange Life Insurance

• Top 50 out of 48,000 agents with Auto Owners Life Insurance

• Sold 30-100 policies per month selling term life insurance

• All while competing against people selling permanent life (much higher premiums)

[00:25:40] The Lost Podcast Changed Everything

• 2005, started podcasting as hobby about TV show Lost

• By third episode had 27,000 subscribers around the world

• Audience grew to over 60,000 subscribers

• Wooden inbox with over 500 handwritten letters: "Because of something you said, my life will never be the same"

[00:28:00] Reaching Hundreds of Thousands

• Within 18 months reaching hundreds of thousands through seven different podcasts

• Producing seven to fifteen podcast episodes per week

• People's lives being transformed

• "I wonder what life would be like if I could do this for a living"

[00:30:40] Testing the Four Step Formula

• Heard four-step formula: believe it's possible, write it down, tell others, work the plan

• Decided to test it with specific goal: meet Dan Miller and Leo LaPorte

• Didn't want to just meet at conference and be forgotten

• Wanted to tell them their influence and have them not forget meeting him

[00:32:40] Forty Minutes After Hitting Publish

• Recorded podcast episode explaining formula and his goal

• Hit publish, 40 minutes later got email from Andy Troub (the connector)

• "I happen to be working on a project with Dan Miller. He's already aware of who you are"

• "Would you like me to introduce you?"

[00:34:00] From Hero to Consulting Client

• One week later, Dan Miller was guest on Cliff's podcast

• After the interview, Dan asked "Can I schedule a consulting call with you?"

• Cliff told Dan audio quality was terrible, people can't make themselves listen

• Dan: "I really appreciate how honest you are. What do you recommend?"

[00:35:00] The Weekend in Franklin, Tennessee

• Dan said order duplicate of everything in studio, ship to house

• "Come spend weekend with me, stay in guest room, help me build podcast studio"

• Dan started telling massive audience about Cliff Ravenscraft

• Cliff was booked solid for years because of that relationship

[00:36:00] The Michael Hyatt Introduction

• Dan told Michael Hyatt (CEO Thomas Nelson Publishing) podcast was #1 marketing tool

• Dan did email introduction to Michael Hyatt

• Within a week, Cliff was in Franklin staying in Michael's guest room

• Setting up Michael's podcast studio

[00:37:40] $3 Million in Revenue

• Between Dan Miller and Michael Hyatt relationships alone

• Can trace at least $3 million in revenue to those two

• Also met Leo LaPorte, both goals from four-step formula checked off

• Tested formula over and over, it worked every time

[00:40:20] The 10-Step Formula

• Over time developed 10-step formula (includes four steps plus six others)

• Six other steps where you don't have to wait for plan to become available

• Ask series of questions that will give you next step

• Email [email protected] with subject "10 step formula" for free video

KEY QUOTES

"I've got an entire audience of tens of thousands of people and none of them have any money, and none of them will buy any of my products and services. This is why you're creating content year after year with no real income." - Cliff Ravenscraft

"Forty minutes after I published that episode, I got an email from Andy Troub saying Dan Miller is already aware of who you are, he's been having trouble with his podcast, would you like me to introduce you?" - Cliff Ravenscraft

CONNECT WITH CLIFF RAVENSCRAFT

🌐 Website: https://www.Ravenscraft.org

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cliffravenscraft

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliffravenscraft

📧 Email: [email protected] (Subject: "10 step formula" for free video)

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What if restoring impossible relationships just required knowing what's on the other side?

In this episode, Greg Stephens shares how 24 years as a master trainer for Crucial Conversations taught him that breakthroughs aren't permanent until they're practiced over and over. That realization led him to shift from training to coaching, creating a six-month program where executives and emerging leaders have conversations they never thought possible. His specialty? Seeing relationships like some people see music, orchestrating conversations where people show up as their best.

Greg also reveals why his mentor Bill Solomon intentionally made his welding job miserable before college, teaching him the resilience he'd need to push through Baylor surrounded by wealthy students. Most powerfully, he explains "emotional accounting": why putting off a Friday conversation until Monday doesn't just ruin your weekend, it costs you exponentially more on the back end.

[00:04:44] What Alignment Resources Does

• Company goal: everyone eats at the trough (trainers train, coaches coach, sales people sell, speakers speak)

• Greg's specialty lives in areas of difficult relationships, everyone has at least one

• Works with relationships that seem impossible

• Application of Crucial Conversations tools for talking when stakes are high

[00:05:40] Twenty-Four Years Teaching Crucial Conversations

• Was master trainer in Crucial Conversations, taught it for 24 years starting in 2001

• Before the book was written, it was called "Path to Dialogue" then "Dialogue Smarts"

• One of first master trainers, stayed until January this year when he released his book

• Got to travel the world, train on stage, do keynote talks

[00:06:00] Why Breakthroughs Need Practice

• People would take class, have great experience, have aha breakthrough moments

• Found that breakthroughs aren't permanent until they're practiced over and over

• If you want permanence around a breakthrough, you've gotta go do something

• That piece was lacking, so decided to shift business to coaching

[00:06:20] The Six Month Coaching Program

• About six month program, 20 different weeks

• Teaching executives and emerging leaders (ages 21-28)

• Wanted to teach younger generation what executives said "I wish I'd learned this 20, 30 years ago"

• Most people say "I've had a coach before, this is nothing like it"

[00:07:00] Building Up and Completing Relationships

• Build people up in relationships, let them go back and improve, clean up, or complete relationships

• Complete doesn't mean never see person again (could, but doesn't have to)

• Can work next to person and have completed relationship around an issue

• It just doesn't show up for you anymore because you know where you stand, said what you need to say

[00:07:40] The Skills Most People Don't Have

• Coaches and mentors say "you need to go have this conversation," but how?

• There are skill sets you need, the application of them, and how to make adjustments

• People talk about psychological safety but don't know how to create it

• What to do when your emotions take hold or other person's emotions take hold

[00:08:20] How to Really Listen When You Disagree

• How do you begin to really listen when you disagree with everything being said?

• How do you get on the right topic?

• Most people don't know how to dissect and break down conversations

• Greg helps dissect it and break it down for people

[00:08:40] Executives on Retainer

• Some executives don't want to learn all skill sets, just want someone to do it for them

• Working with groups on retainer where they call when they have big problem

• They lay out background, what they've done, then Greg lays out plan for conversation

• Role plays exactly what might happen, clients say "it was like you were right there"

[00:10:00] When People Don't Show Up as Their Best

• Sometimes people have breakdown, don't show up as their best, come back saying "I really blew it"

• Great learning point, it needed to be this way

• Limiting belief: thinking it's over when conversation goes badly

• When you know these skills, you can go back over and over and reset

[00:11:20] What Drives Greg Most

• Watching people restore relationships they thought were just not possible

• Worked with police captains on issue, individual conversations showed no one thought it could be done

• Scheduled for four sessions, had breakthrough after first session

• One person took responsibility for their part, allowed everyone else to take responsibility

[00:13:00] It's Still Hard Even With Skills

• People say "you have the skill, you should be able to do it"

• Greg still doesn't like having difficult conversations

• Doesn't want to have the conversation, but wants what's on the other side

• "Stop looking at the conversation right now. Let's look at what you want beyond that."

[00:14:00] Work is Easy, Personal is Hard

• When working with businesses, always eventually get to their personal lives

• Those are the much more difficult conversations

• Work is easy, we all want to make more money and enjoy work

• Hardest ones are family businesses with so much emotion and unspoken hierarchy

[00:16:00] Bill Solomon Changed Everything

• Gentleman who wrote forward to Greg's book, had heart transplant before writing it

• Bill told Greg "I'm so glad you asked me to write the forward because I couldn't stop writing"

• Two months later Bill had book of his own called "Losing Control" (in his seventies)

• Was the person who pointed Greg toward something more in his life

[00:17:20] The Welding Job That Taught Resilience

• Bill gave Greg job before college as welder's helper (Bill was CFO of company)

• Told the guys "You're gonna like this guy I'm bringing in, but treat him like crap"

• "Tear him down every day. Make him feel stupid. You're gonna begin to like him. Make it hard on him."

• Never told Greg this was happening

[00:18:20] Breaking the Golden Handcuffs

• Wouldn't have business today without Bill Solomon

• Getting through Baylor, getting great job, then getting out of job and breaking golden handcuffs

• Starting own business in 1999, none of that would've happened

• Bill took interest, made it difficult on purpose, said "you're gonna be a great leader one day"

[00:21:40] Greg Reynolds Called Every Day

• After Greg's divorce, Greg Reynolds called him every day for three months

• All he said was "How you doing today? How you doing today?"

• One of hardest times Greg ever went through

• Showed Greg the power of that, he's done same thing for friend of his

[00:22:20] Taking Interest in People

• If you really want to take interest in a person, find out what they're doing every day

• Every one of these gentlemen shaped how Greg mentors others

• Having conversations he never would've had, saying what he never would've said

• Taking interest like Bill Solomon did, being there like his coaches

[00:24:40] "What Do You Want to Do?"

• Woman was looking at situation from the past when she didn't have skills

• Now she does have skills

• "Question isn't what they want or what I want to do. It's what do you want to do?"

• She got quiet: "I want to have the conversation."

[00:25:00] Over 20 Resets to Stay on Track

• They practiced again, she went and had conversation

• Wrote amazing email about how each time she had to stop herself and come back

• Get conversation back on track by sharing your best intent

• Had to do that more than 20 times

[00:28:20] Investing Upfront vs. Costing on Back End

• If you add skillset and knew how to address it, you'd say "I'm not wasting my weekend"

• Have conversation, no matter what outcome, it's out of you

• Have entire weekend to problem solve whatever that was and learn about what you did

• Used time wisely by investing upfront rather than it costing you on back end

[00:31:40] Marcus Newcomb Connection

• Marcus Newcomb is special person, they hit it off

• Greg has gotten to meet so many great people networking and marketing his book

• Kevin is "the real deal"

KEY QUOTES

"Breakthroughs aren't permanent until they're practiced over and over. So if you want permanence around a breakthrough, you've gotta go do something." - Greg Stephens

"If you really want to take interest in a person, find out what they're doing every day." - Greg Stephens

"My life is built on the shoulders of all my friends and people in my life that have shown me so much." - Greg Stephens

CONNECT WITH GREG STEPHENS

🌐 Website: https://www.alignment-resources.com

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregstephens2

📚 Book: Build New Bridges: The Art of Restoring Impossible Relationships (Amazon)

🎙️ Podcast: A Shot of Inspiration

⏰ Office Hours: Weekly coaching forum (details on website)

Thanks for tuning in!

If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe!

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What if the book you're writing is actually about the story holding you back?

In this episode, Amanda Johnson shares how twenty years of helping entrepreneurs write books revealed something most people never see: the reason you can't finish your book usually has nothing to do with time, organization, or writing skills. It's the old stories you're carrying that keep one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake. Amanda's work goes far beyond traditional book coaching. She creates what she calls "story saving" experiences where high-achieving entrepreneurs finally see the truth they've been avoiding.

She tells the remarkable story of a social worker writing a "choose your own adventure" book about high-conflict divorces who spent 18 months unable to get one character right. Amanda kept trying to show her client she was writing her own husband, but the truth wasn't safe enough to see yet.

After a decade of watching hybrid publishing houses destroy clients' carefully-built brands with covers that would "completely disrupt trust," Amanda's 19-year-old entrepreneurial son suggested while she cursed in the kitchen: "Mom, how about we just build a publishing house?" Now, with her son as business partner and youngest sister as creative designer, Amanda runs Saved By Story, a boutique hybrid publisher where every detail honors the transformational work her clients have done.

[00:03:40] Entrepreneurial DNA

• Raised with entrepreneurial grandparents, it's in her DNA

• Accounts for rebellious spirit: entrepreneurs see problems and think "I could fix that"

• Thought she was going to be a Christian journalist at end of high school

• Got to university, asked to be part of honors program (classic books program)

[00:04:40] Learning to Think Critically

• Four and a half years wrestling with great ideas and stories that formed civilization

• Hadn't been taught how to think critically or feel greatly

• Halfway through decided: I want to get to teens before they're in college alone and disconnected

• Became a history teacher to help teens think critically and wrestle with big ideas

[00:05:40] Bouncing Out of the System

• Got classroom with all gang bangers, drug dealers, kids nobody else wanted first semester

• "What is the logic here? Send the newbie to barely survive?"

• Did it for six months, gave absolute best

• Realized couldn't give it her all every day and show up as good mom for toddler

[00:06:20] The Online Writing Program

• Friend of family starting online writing instruction program

• "You have teaching credential, writing chops, can do it anytime when your kid is sleeping"

• Helped build curriculum, got really great results

• Went to networking events to share the program

[00:07:00] The Side Business That Changed Everything

• Female entrepreneurs said "I don't want you to teach me to write, I need you to fix what I've written"

• Opened side business helping people get clear on message, audience, and engagement

• Quickly found story was the answer

• Story was also the answer to why most people weren't finishing their books

[00:08:40] The Retreat Model Today

• Mostly retreat and community model for busy, wildly successful individuals

• They need time away, good excuse to say "I'm out for three days, seven days"

• They know how to focus and achieve goals, but book always gets pushed to back burner

• All of a sudden five or ten years have gone by

[00:09:20] Authorship is Lonely Like Entrepreneurship

• Not every entrepreneur writes book to establish authority

• Entrepreneurs can be very lonely working from home without water cooler experiences

• Gets exacerbated when someone decides to write: Who am I to write? How does one do this?

• Having community where everybody's in same soup moves people much more quickly

[00:10:40] Two Types of Clients

• First type (15-20%): "I need this done in three months and published in another three"

• Example: Client franchising business in six months, needed book published first

• Wrote book in less than three months, published in another three months

• These clients know how to block time and make it happen

[00:12:40] The Choose Your Own Adventure Book

• Works in high conflict divorces, helps judge sort out what's best for kids

• Wanted to write choose your own adventure for her career

• Family with parents and two children, both parents get three options each

• All sound amazing but only one actually is best, shows destination of each choice

[00:13:40] Writing the Husband Character

• Writing family quite unfairly, good for women but men would say "What? She didn't do anything"

• Couldn't get one character right, Amanda realized she was writing her husband

• We write what we know

• Readers said "No way would I put this in front of male reader, this has to be changed"

[00:15:20] Breaking Generational Patterns

• Didn't have enough safety in herself, writing character out helped her see truth

• Realized all the stuff in marriage was generational

• Has been able to break that generational story for her own kids

• This is the book "You Can't Make This Story Up"

[00:16:00] Fifteen Years of Seeing People Stuck

• Could have been wounded story or something they didn't want to talk about

• Sometimes they'd been dimmed in childhood or got in trouble when they got visible

• One foot on gas, one foot on brake even though it's for great cause and fulfilling purpose

• Had to figure out what the brake was

[00:16:40] After That Story, Everything Changed

• After 15 years of stories, decided to help other creatives and entrepreneurs learn about being stuck

• It's not just "not organized" or "not right time" or "I'm not good writer"

• Those are ego's convenient way of keeping us from changing the real story

• That lady worked for two or three years and still rewriting it three or four years later

[00:17:20] Do It In Community

• If our souls know that hard work is coming, of course there's resistance

• Answer: Write it, process it first, do it with partner who knows what you're up to

• Do it in community because communal experience really accelerates it

[00:19:40] The 12 Month Program Structure

• Seven days together quarterly in person in cozy Airbnb (not conference settings)

• First three days: story saving work (not therapy but sort of feels like it)

• One day: go to spot together or do something fun in nature, let everything recalibrate

• Three days of work: goal is to get first chapter at first retreat

[00:22:40] It's Always About Relationships

• When trying something new, doesn't want to do all the tasks

• "Where are the people? It's all for me. It's always been about relationship, not the actual to-dos"

• First person who changed everything: Ursula Lameris, sales coach

[00:24:40] Learning From an Extrovert

• Connection was so natural to Ursula but not natural to Amanda (introvert)

• Put it in the book, had fun for five or six years in same neighborhood

• Made game out of networking: "Today I'm gonna sell this many contracts for you"

• Both experienced each other's work, just created relationships

[00:25:20] Making Networking a Game

• Would go to networking meetings and talk each other up

• "Oh you need to talk to Amanda. Oh you need to talk to Ursula"

• That's how they both built really amazing businesses in a few years

[00:28:00] Ten Years of Saving Self-Published Authors

• After 10 years helping individuals self-publish, people started looking at hybrid publishing

• Needed imprint for their position, status, industry

• Would try different hybrid houses, then call Amanda to come save it

• Couldn't believe what she was seeing

[00:29:20] The 19-Year-Old's Solution

• Son said: "Mom, how about we just build a publishing house? We'll just figure it out"

• He was 19 years old

• Always been an entrepreneur, was hustling people at garage sale at age three or four

• Amanda: "I don't really have time, but if you want to, I'll partner with you"

[00:30:00] Saved By Story Publishing House

• Son is business partner, youngest sister is creative designer

• Boutique hybrid publishing house

• A lot of people who do writing process eventually move through publishing

• Do education and empowerment for people ready to publish without giving all power away

[00:30:40] The Bigger Impact Vision

• More of what's already doing, bigger impact on personal side

• Narrative resilience work that happens when people write in community

• Gets to end of retreats thinking "There are only few people in this room"

• Dream: expanding transformational work through personal brand, speaking, facilitation

[00:31:00] Narrative Tools for Every Arena

• Take narrative tools and skills and infuse them into places that need them

• Education system, mental health space

• Pretty much every other arena could benefit from narrative resilience right now

[00:32:00] Free Content at Foreshadows

• Website: savedbystory.house

• Forward slash foreshadows has whole bunch of free content

• Helps anyone at any stage from "I have an idea" to "Am I on right track for publishing?"

[00:33:00] Tell Your Family How to Support

• Figure out how to make people around you feel safer while on amazing adventure

• Most family members really want to support, but if we don't tell them how, they don't know how

KEY QUOTES

"We're made to belong. We're made to be in a community. And the way that we do that and have for millennia is by figuring out how to be reciprocal." - Amanda Johnson

"Most of our family members really want to support, but if we don't tell them how, then they don't know how." - Amanda Johnson

CONNECT WITH AMANDA JOHNSON

🌐 Website: https://www.savedbystory.house

📄 Free Resources: https://www.savedbystory.house/foreshadows

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thestoryoracle114

What if losing half your business in a betrayal led you to make $120,000 in 60 days on a platform everyone ignores?

In this episode, Anthony Simonie shares how being adopted by his grandparents literally saved his life and how that experience shaped everything from his approach to entrepreneurship to his decision to adopt both of his children, Miles and Daisy. After his nine-month-old son Miles stopped breathing and Anthony performed CPR not knowing if his son would survive, his business partner exploited that crisis by drawing up a fraudulent amendment that gave away half of Anthony's half of their seven-figure business.

That betrayal could have crushed him. Instead, it led Anthony to discover LinkedIn's hidden goldmine. Within 30 days, he generated $60,000 in new business plus $60,000 in recurring revenue, for $120,000 total. He did it again the next 30 days with the exact same numbers, proving it wasn't luck but a duplicatable system. Now, having helped over 1,000 clients leverage LinkedIn to build databases of affluent prospects, land strategic partnerships, and get booked on podcasts, Anthony has turned relationship-building into a science.

Anthony reveals why his five-foot-tall Italian grandmother's persistence shaped his entrepreneurial DNA, how his daughter Daisy (his niece whose parents both committed suicide within five months) is now thriving, and why Tim Tebow's words hit him like a lightning bolt: "You can be successful without having any significance."

[00:05:40] Raised by Grandparents, Saved by Adoption

• Adopted and raised by grandparents, literally saved Anthony's life

• Grandparents stepped up when they should've been enjoying retirement

• Both of Anthony's kids (Miles and Daisy) are adopted because adoption was a blessing for him

• Five-foot-tall Italian grandmother wouldn't let anyone leave without a meal, haircut, and promise to go to church

[00:07:00] Learning Entrepreneurship at Craft Shows

• Grandmother was an artist making ceramic and wooden crafts

• Anthony helped her set up and break down at craft shows

• Watched her overcome challenges as they came

• She taught persistence and perseverance that stuck with him forever

[00:08:00] The Pharmaceutical Sales Path

• Finished high school, walked onto college baseball team (paid for school for couple years)

• Became pharmaceutical sales rep like his stepdad, seemed like helping people

• Got job at Schering-Plough, did well but wasn't happy

• Started learning pharmaceutical goods may not be so good for us

[00:10:00] The Foreclosure Cleaning Business

• Buddy said "We've got this little side business cleaning out foreclosed properties"

• At first thought "I don't think I wanna clean houses"

• Had moment of "I'm just done" with corporate job

• Started business, expanded from Missouri to Los Angeles (brother in charge), then Phoenix

[00:11:00] The Dan Kennedy Event That Changed Everything

• Same friend took him to Dan Kennedy marketing event in St. Louis

• Eyes opened watching people make money helping others understand their business

• Friend said "Why don't we do it together, you be the face"

• Anthony had already turned cleaning business into real business with systems

[00:11:40] First Year: Over $1 Million

• Partnered up, grew business in first year to over $1 million

• Had to learn everything: copywriting, email, webinars, buying traffic

• At first loved the money, but then started receiving messages from people he was helping

• "You saved my marriage. You helped save me from losing my home." Hundreds of them.

[00:12:40] When It Became More Than Money

• First time felt complete: "This is so much more than just the money"

• People appreciate you, like you for what you're doing to help them

• Attorneys, physicians, everyone was losing businesses during that time

• Learning how to make income by doing something in large demand that people didn't know existed

[00:15:40] Losing Everything

• Was the beginning of everything falling apart

• Used to a certain quality of life, now worried about son and business blows up

• Lost interest in the business, couldn't do it anymore, business died

• Partner had franchised business to double dip, his franchise failed too

[00:17:20] LinkedIn Saves the Day

• Anthony: "LinkedIn? Are you trying to help me get a job? I'm not looking for a job"

• Took skills he'd learned and applied them to LinkedIn platform

• Created an offer, first 30 days sold $60,000 plus $60,000 recurring = $120,000

• Thought maybe he got lucky, then did exact same thing next 30 days with same numbers

[00:18:20] Helping Over 1,000 Clients

• Realized he had something duplicatable

• Close circle started asking what he was doing, started sharing it

• Years later, helped over 1,000 clients leverage LinkedIn

• Building databases of affluent prospects, referral partnerships, getting on podcasts, strategic partnerships

[00:19:00] Every Successful Entrepreneur Has Been Crushed

• You're gonna have ups and downs in business

• If you have fortitude to stick it out and learn from challenges, you grow

• When you talk to people at measurable level of success, all have been through steep challenges

• Sometimes way worse than Anthony's experiences

[00:23:40] Not An Agency, Highly Customized

• Not a one-size-fits-all agency approach

• Very highly customized and specific strategy depending on who you are, what you offer, who you serve

• Usually at capacity, takes on one or two new clients per month

• Recently launched "done with you" program to teach people how to run the play themselves

[00:28:40] The God Thing

• Anthony and Jill were thinking about adopting again

• Friend sent invitation to dinner for adoption agency

• Right during that timeframe, all the tragedy happened with Daisy

• "It was a God thing... put on our hearts for specific reason: to step up and take care of Daisy"

[00:30:40] Tim Tebow's Words: Success Without Significance

• At mastermind, got to watch Tim Tebow speak

• One thing stuck: "You can be successful without having any significance"

• Never heard it phrased that way before

• If all entrepreneurs adopt that mindset, we can change the world better than any politician

[00:32:20] Starting the Real Estate Fund

• Works with lots of real estate syndicators and operators

• Asked: How else can I serve these people outside of helping them make more money?

• Started real estate fund to protect capital and provide hedge against inflation

• Helps people grow their capital while protecting it

[00:35:00] Nobody Is Self-Made

• Doesn't believe anybody's self-made

• When people say "I'm a self-made millionaire" they're not being honest

• Even just your mother deciding to go through with birth, that person helped you

• There's abundance of opportunity, money, success out there for everybody

[00:40:20] Remember Why You Do What You Do

• We live in world that's so distracted, separated, at odds

• Take time every day and remember why you do what you do, who you do it for

• What's the purpose, what's the passion, how does it impact world around us

• Entrepreneurs can change the world, but it starts under our own roof

[00:42:40] Turn Off The News for 30 Days

• Challenge: Turn off news for next 30 days

• Watch how your mind clears up and you start focusing on things that matter

• You'll become more productive, have more pep in your step

• If you're business owner, you need that clarity to continue with what you're compelled to do

KEY QUOTES

"You can be successful without having any significance." - Tim Tebow (as shared by Anthony)

"I don't believe anybody's self-made. Even just your mother deciding to go through with the birth, that person helped you." - Anthony Simonie

"We as entrepreneurs can change the world in my humble opinion, but that starts with us. It starts under our own roof." - Anthony Simonie

CONNECT WITH ANTHONY SIMONIE

🌐 Website: https://www.anthonysimonie.com

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anthony.simonie.1

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonysimonie

📄 Free LinkedIn Profile Guide: https://foundmoneypartnerships.com/linkedin-profile-secrets-guide?fpr=kevin93

What if Forrest Gump taught a six-year-old how to never worry about money again?

In this episode, Jerremy Newsome shares how watching Forrest Gump at age six sparked a question that changed everything: "What does it mean to not have to worry about money?" That question led him to pick blackberries door-to-door, earning $1,500 that his dad matched to buy $3,000 worth of Apple stock in 1995. While those shares would be worth $39 million today, Jerremy sold them in 2000 for $12,000. That early win, and the lesson from selling too soon, ignited a 20-year journey mastering liquid markets.

Now Jerremy helps people understand stocks, options, crypto, and other "liquid markets" using what he calls "second grade math" to achieve financial freedom. He shares the story of Jordan, a police officer making $80,000 a year who recently made more in one month trading than his entire monthly salary. But Jerremy's impact goes beyond teaching trading. When he stood up at a Vail event and matched $40,000 in donations for blind and special needs children learning to ski, he didn't just change those kids' lives. He turned a skeptic named Preston Brown into a lifelong friend and business ally.

Jerremy reveals how meeting his wife at a Tony Robbins event, connecting with business partner Brittany Turner through Instagram, and operating from abundance instead of scarcity has created a life where impact matters more than income.

[00:04:00] The Forrest Gump Moment That Changed Everything

• At age six, watching Forrest Gump with his dad and brother when Lieutenant Dan "invested in some kind of fruit company"

• Growing up poor, hearing someone didn't have to worry about money was a huge paradigm shift

• Asked his dad what investing meant, learned about Apple as a computer company

• Dad gave every excuse: "I don't have time, I'm not smart enough, I don't have enough money"

[00:05:20] Picking Blackberries to Buy Apple Stock

• Dad said "If you bring me some money, I'll match it dollar for dollar"

• Jerremy's favorite quote: "It's not your resources, it's your resourcefulness"

• Picked blackberries, sold them door-to-door for a dollar a bag in summer 1995

• Made $1,500, dad borrowed from uncle to match, bought $3,000 of Apple at exact bottom

[00:06:00] The $39 Million Lesson

• Those shares today worth about $39 million

• Sold them in 2000 for $12,000 when family moved from Georgia to Florida

• Dad called it "the best investment, the best trade I'd ever make my whole life"

• Got $12,000 at age 12 and has been studying markets "like a heathen" ever since

[00:07:00] From History Teacher Dream to Teaching Financial Freedom

• Wanted to be history teacher since fourth grade, teacher said "You don't get paid any money"

• Has blend of entrepreneur spirit and teacher spirit

• Loves learning unique things and teaching them simply because that's how he learns

• Teaches "liquid markets": stocks, options, crypto, futures, bonds, gold, silver, commodities

[00:08:00] Making Complex Things Simple

• What motivates him: helping people understand complex subjects and explaining them easily

• When someone learns something and it clicks, that energizes him more than anything

• Teaches "second grade math to how to become financially free as quick as possible"

• If you have access to internet, you have access to income once you have knowledge and tools

[00:09:20] Jordan the Police Officer's Transformation

• Started working with Jordan 7-8 months ago, police officer in Northern California making $80,000/year

• Jordan said police officers are massively undertrained, don't have equipment/knowledge for wide array of situations

• Last month Jordan made more trading than his monthly salary

• Made $12,000 net on $60,000 account (20% return in one month)

[00:11:20] From Scarcity to Abundance

• Jordan paying off debts, taking wife and kids to Disneyland

• Using money to feel abundant, taste prosperity, be in place of creation versus fear

• Most people find themselves in scarcity when it comes to money

• The opportunity to create income exists every single day in the stock market

[00:12:20] Giving People Choices and Freedom

• Jordan now realizes he has choices and options

• For entrepreneurs doing $500K-$3M, you're in the swamp: making enough to do well but not enough to be free

• Mindset shift from "I have to work to make money" to "I get to create to attract more value"

• Making (grinding energy) versus attracting/receiving/creating (different energy)

[00:15:40] Two People Who Changed Everything

• His wife: Met at Tony Robbins UPW event November 4, 2012 in Orlando

• Brittany Turner: Reached out via Instagram in February 2020 through mutual connection

• Both have helped him heal, expand, and step into greatness

[00:16:00] Meeting His Wife at Tony Robbins

• Boss said "you really should go to this Tony Robbins event called UPW"

• Met his wife at Unleash the Power Within in Orlando

• Took 12 years to figure it out, got married about five years ago

• Have three boys together, she's helped him expand and step into greatness

[00:17:00] The Brittany Turner Partnership

• Needed real estate specialist for his Money Grows on Trees conference

• Sent Brittany Turner video via Instagram DM in February 2020

• In coming-up-on-six-year relationship: organizations built, purpose stepped into, islands, investments, opportunities

• Alignment with someone who brings joy, understanding, and awareness of more into your life

[00:18:40] The Web of Million Dollar Connections

• Brittany introduced him to Ané Gupta (relationship specialist)

• Ané introduced him to Chuck Hogan who ran Your Best Life mastermind

• Chuck's mastermind had three main members: Chuck, Dean, and Preston Brown

• Got asked to speak at event in Vail, Colorado in February 2022

[00:19:40] The $80,000 Donation That Changed a Relationship

• Organization helping blind and special needs kids learn to ski said "$5,000 would change our whole life"

• Preston Brown admittedly didn't like Jerremy before they met

• Jerremy stood up and said "I will match every donation given today"

• Room raised over $40,000, Jerremy matched $40,000 for $80,000 total to Little Champions

[00:21:00] From Skeptic to Lifelong Friend

• Preston came up afterwards, gave hug: "You are my guy, that reminded me of Christ"

• "Between me and you, we'll be friends for life"

• Preston has given so much business, referrals, opportunities since

• Coming to Vegas this weekend with 40 entrepreneurs for "radical business"

[00:23:00] When Making More Money Ceases to Inspire

• Kevin: Once family needs are met, making more money ceased to inspire him

• Having conversations with entrepreneurs, making introductions that lead to big deals, that's what inspires

• It's not the revenue, it's the impact

• Les Brown taught Jerremy: "Your income is directly tied to your impact"

[00:25:40] Connecting with Jerremy

• Name spelled J-E-R-R-E-M-Y (stands for Jerry + Me, his dad's name was Jerry)

• Newsome: N-E-W-S-O-M-E.com

• All social media platforms, look for blue verified check mark

• Broke to Woke podcast with Brittany Turner (six seasons, 24 episodes, season seven coming)

[00:27:00] Ask For More

• Awareness of what's possible comes by asking for more

• It's okay to want more so you can offer more, provide more, give more

• God is the God of infinite, receiving more doesn't take away from anyone else

• "Those who knock, door is opened" - ask for more and change your awareness

KEY QUOTES

"It's not your resources, it's your resourcefulness. That's probably what entrepreneurship is." - Jerremy Newsome

"If you have access to the internet, you have access to income once you have the knowledge and the skills and the tools." - Jerremy Newsome

"The secret to living is giving, and one of the best things to give is the gift of a relationship." - Jerremy Newsome

"Your income is directly tied to your impact. You wanna make more, figure out a way to impact more." - Les Brown (quoted by Jerremy)

CONNECT WITH JERREMY NEWSOME

🌐 Website: https://www.jerremynewsome.com

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jerremy.Newsome

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerremynewsome

🎙️ Podcast: Broke to Woke (with Brittany Turner)

🎙️ Podcast: Solving America's Problems

Thanks for tuning in!

If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe!

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Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher

What if an entire family's trajectory changed in a single moment of tragedy?

In this episode, Stephen Woessner, founder of Predictive ROI, shares the remarkable story of his grandfather Peter Marus, who arrived in America in 1920 with just $10 and couldn't speak English. After his father was murdered on the streets of Istanbul for being Greek, eight-year-old Peter became the family breadwinner, dropping out of third grade to support his mother and siblings. That singular tragedy transformed his family's DNA, creating a lineage of entrepreneurs that spans four generations.

Stephen reveals how his grandfather's business philosophy during the Great Depression, giving away more soup than he sold because "Jesus might look like anyone," shaped his own approach to business and giving. Now running an agency that serves other agencies, Stephen and his wife have quietly paid thousands in tuition for struggling families, honoring his grandfather's sacrifice while pursuing an audacious vision: building 100 churches and funding college educations for as many kids as possible.

Stephen explains why education is the great equalizer, how one moment of violence created an entire family of business owners, and what it means to honor the risks your ancestors took by working late into the night when you'd rather sleep.

[00:03:00] The Corey Morris Connection

• Kevin and Stephen connected through Corey Morris and felt like they'd known each other for years

• Stephen: "When Corey introduces me to somebody, there's the transference of trust and credibility"

• The power of context in introductions versus generic "you're both great guys" connections

• Trust transfers through quality, contextual connections

[00:06:40] Family First, Business Second

• Married 32 years to Christine, daughter Caitlyn is freshman in college

• Stephen and Christine were married 14 years before having Caitlyn

• On "empty nesting": "I think we're gonna be okay" spending time together again

[00:07:00] Building Predictive ROI

• Started Predictive ROI in 2009 with team of 26 who genuinely care about each other

• Uses the "forbidden love word" inside the business

• Agency supports other agencies with business development and sales operations

• Team travels together, hangs out together, laughs and cries together

[00:09:20] The Unlikely Path to Agency Life

• Grew up in Canton, Ohio surrounded by family restaurant businesses

• Graduated 272 out of 300 in high school ("I don't think you got your percentiles right, Mom")

• Joined Air Force in junior year, spent four years in nuclear missile silos in South Dakota

• Learned power of troubleshooting and system design

[00:11:00] Breaking Into Advertising

• Working at Red Lobster, needed marketing experience to become manager

• Called agencies in Rapid City offering to work for free, most said he was "greener than green"

• Robert Sharp and Associates said yes to three-month unpaid internship

• Competed against two other interns: "There's no way I'm not winning this"

[00:16:00] What Inspires the Work

• Changing trajectory from famine to feast in business development

• Replacing desperation with hope, confidence, and structure

• Creating dependable sales pipelines that open new possibilities for agencies

[00:17:40] The Everest Mission

• Business goals mapped on office wall, but real "why" is building 100 churches

• Put as many kids through college as possible

• Stephen: "Education is a great equalizer"

• Business profits fund impact, not the other way around

[00:20:40] Peter Marus: The Man Who Changed Everything

• Born 1902 in Istanbul, Turkey

• Father murdered on streets when Peter was eight for being Greek

• Dropped out of third grade to become breadwinner for mom and two younger siblings

• At 18 (1920), came to United States with $10 and no English

[00:22:20] Building The Ideal Restaurant

• Came to Canton, Ohio, started washing dishes and cutting vegetables

• Traded skills for money, saved everything

• Six years later, opened The Ideal restaurant in downtown Canton

• Got married, had four kids

[00:23:20] The Depression Philosophy

• Gave away more soup than he sold during the Great Depression

• Peter's response when asked why: "I know Jesus is coming back someday. I don't know what he's gonna look like, so I'm just gonna be kind to everybody"

• Entire business plan: "If you take care of your customer, they will take care of you"

• And he was right

[00:24:20] Papu: 14 Years of Living Proof

• Stephen called him "Papu" (Greek for grandfather), passed away when Stephen was 14

• For 14 years, showed Stephen what it meant to be good person, take care of people, sacrifice for family

• Stephen: "I didn't hear somebody just talk about it. I saw somebody live it"

[00:25:40] When DNA Changes in a Moment

• Stephen believes when great-grandfather was murdered, family DNA changed to entrepreneurs

• Peter's four kids all became restaurateurs

• All 10 grandkids became business owners

• 100% of family downstream became entrepreneurs

[00:28:00] From Poor Student to Education Advocate

• Peter had only third grade education but was incredibly intelligent

• Never stopped reading and consuming knowledge with fervor for education

• Stephen got four college degrees through Air Force

• Now wants to put as many kids through college as possible in Peter's honor

[00:29:20] Becoming a Partner in Three Years

• Told agency president: "I want to be an owner in this business"

• Set five-year goal, worked hard, badgered the president

• Accomplished it in three years instead

[00:30:00] The Late Night Work Ethic

• Peter's photo framed on Stephen's office wall as daily reminder

• At night when tired: "I think I can send one more email"

• Has privilege to do what he does because Peter took all those risks

• Grandmother's struggle from Crete to America was horrendous too

[00:32:00] The $5,186 Check That Changed Lives

• First time Stephen has shared this story publicly

• 15 years ago at back-to-school night, wondered if families were struggling with tuition

• Principal Bob said family's business failing, owed $5,186, had to pull kids out

• Stephen brought check that day, one condition: complete anonymity

• Received anonymous thank you letter, Stephen and Christine crying in kitchen: "We need to do more of that"

[00:36:00] The Gift of Receiving

• Kevin's realization 13 years ago: not receiving deprives others of joy of giving

• Family foundation gives kids debit card at Christmas to find struggling families

• Kids shop for gifts/food, deliver everything themselves

• Oldest daughter: "Dad, I wish I could just do that all the time"

[00:38:40] Blossom Garden Orphanage

• Kevin's family supports Jamaica orphanage for years, takes trips to spend time with kids

• Kids call it "white people day" when they visit

• First trip son Brock was 3, only white kid in photo, completely oblivious

• Now take kids' school friends, parents amazed when they return with new perspective

KEY QUOTES

"You know, I know that Jesus is coming back someday. I don't know what he's gonna look like, so I'm just gonna be kind to everybody." - Peter Marus (Stephen's grandfather)

"If you take care of your customer, they will take care of you." - Peter Marus

"In that moment that my great-grandfather was murdered in Istanbul, everything downstream changed. We became entrepreneurs." - Stephen Woessner

"Education is a great equalizer. If you want to change somebody's trajectory, give them education." - Stephen Woessner

CONNECT WITH STEPHEN WOESSNER

🌐 Website: https://www.predictiveroi.com

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoessner

Thanks for tuning in!

If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe!

Find me on:

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What if a stranger inviting you to build a boat halfway around the world led to meeting your wife, building a family, and discovering your life's work?

In this episode, John Caprani, video advertising specialist for home service businesses, shares his unconventional journey from Ireland to West Africa to Fiji and finally to Spain. After meeting a Swiss sailor named Hans in 2011, John packed everything for a one-way ticket to Senegal to build a 72-foot wooden sailboat. That adventure led to a job in Fiji doing construction project management, where he met his wife within six weeks, married her six months later, and became a father 10 months after that.

Six years later, with two kids under three and a deep dissatisfaction with his corporate job, John made the leap into entrepreneurship at age 37. Now specializing in video advertising for home service businesses generating $1M to $5M annually, he's helped clients book $800K in 30 days and $95K in 40 days using a simple approach that most marketers overlook: putting the founder on camera and building trust through personality instead of just showcasing work.

John reveals why trust matters more than perfect craftsmanship when entering someone's home, why employees can never sell as effectively as founders on video, and how narrowing his focus to home services transformed his results.

[00:02:20] The Technology That Makes the World Smaller

• John is in Valencia, Spain (nine hours ahead of Seattle)

• Zoom and modern technology make global conversations seamless

• Kevin used to commercial fish in Alaska before technology like this existed

• The ability to work from anywhere is now a reality

[00:04:00] What John Does: Video Advertising for Home Service Businesses

• Spent years as a copywriter but found it hard to sell to uneducated buyers

• Shifted 18 months ago to focus specifically on home service businesses

• Serves businesses doing upgrades: walls, paving, air conditioning, barns, storage units, renovations, landscaping

• Specializes in video advertising on Facebook and Instagram only

• Works with businesses selling high-ticket services for the home

[00:06:33] Why Home Services Is Different: Trust Over Technique

• Local business marketing is not as sophisticated as e-commerce or online coaching

• Most local businesses aren't doing video marketing at all

• Those who do focus on work being done (pictures of installations) which doesn't solve the real problem

• John's approach: focus on personality and the business owner themselves

[00:08:38] Kevin's Parallel Journey: Carpet Cleaning in 1995

• Started carpet cleaning and restoration business in 1995

• Blew through $300K in first year following traditional industry approach

• Advertised "two rooms and a hallway for $59.95" (then dropped to $49.95)

• Key lesson: trust is huge when you're in people's homes while they're at work

[00:13:04] John's Background: From Father's Business to Sailing

• Father was entrepreneur in publishing, graphic arts, and printing

• Tried entrepreneurial things as teenager but they didn't work out

• Spent twenties traveling, went to UK, learned woodworking skills

• Learned artisan craft skills, made lovely things, lived hand to mouth existence

• Everything changed when he got married, needed more stability

[00:14:20] The Construction Years: Getting Promoted Out of Success

• Friend offered job in construction industry doing project management for holiday resort renovations

• Was good at project management, actually being on site

• Got promoted out of job he was good at into job he sucked at: marketing and sales

• Had to learn copywriting and marketing to sell to traveling business clients

[00:15:40] The Big Decision: Quit at 37 with Two Kids Under Three

• In 2018, didn't want to stay in construction, wanted freedom

• Knew online meant he could travel, move countries, income unaffected

• Was 37, married, two kids under age three

• Had enough money to live for maybe three or four months

• Quit job in September 2018, got first couple of clients, took it from there

[00:20:16] The Jockey and the Horse

• John likens his role to being a jockey

• "The horse you ride on is most of the race won"

• Not magic on his part, certain factors need to be in place

• When it works, it really works

[00:22:00] The Sweet Spot: Five to Fifteen Person Teams

• Prefers smaller businesses: 5-15 people team

• Direct relationship with founder

• No layers of bureaucracy

• Say "Can you help me?" John says "Yes," they say "Okay, let 'er rip"

• Bigger businesses (20-30+ people) have marketing team in-house, bureaucracy, people covering their own ass

[00:23:08] The Non-Negotiable: A Good Assistant on the Phone

• John needs business owner to have assistant who is good on the phone

• When leads come in, owner should NOT be doing screening or appointment setting

• Owners are often best salesperson but definitely not best appointment setter

• They start to hate it because it's beneath them, then they hate John

[00:27:00] The One-Way Ticket to Senegal

• Hans said: "I'm not gonna buy your ticket there, but I'll pay for everything after. I want to see that you get there on your own steam"

• "Show up at Dakar Airport in Senegal on such and such day, I'll be there to pick you up"

• John packed up, sold his vehicle, got one-way ticket to Dakar

• Worked together for 10-11 months building the boat, launched it, did sailing together

[00:27:47] The German Guy in Fiji

• Hans was going to sail elsewhere, John didn't want to go back to Ireland

• Asked Hans: "Do you know anybody else who might have something interesting?"

• Hans: "I know this German guy in Fiji doing work on holiday resorts"

• German guy called a few days later: "I need a man. Can you be here in two weeks?"

• John: "Would you buy me a ticket?" German: "I'll send you a ticket today"

• Packed up from London, jumped on plane to Fiji

[00:29:40] From Project Management to Sales to Entrepreneurship

• Started doing dusty construction project management on site in Fiji

• Got better at job, got promoted to sales

• Had to learn about selling

• Led to 2018 decision: "I have these sales skills, I know copywriting, I want out of construction, let's quit and go do my own thing"

[00:30:06] The Big Leap: Married, Kids, No Steady Paycheck

• Pretty big step going from steady paycheck to own thing

• Mentally tough, but felt like it was now or never at 37 with two kids under three

• "Gun to the head moment, and gun to the head is a great motivator"

• Family helped: gave them place to stay while getting on feet in Ireland

• Wife was rock solid: "I don't understand why you're doing this, but if you want to do it, I'll support you"

[00:32:20] The Turning Point: Everything's Actually Okay

• About 18 months after quitting, I was constantly worried: "Is this gonna fail?"

• Looked at himself: "Everything's okay. We've still got a place to live. Kids still have shoes. We have food. Nobody's going hungry"

• "This might not be working perfectly, but it's working. I've covered the basics. We're surviving and I can grow from here"

[00:33:20] Five Years Later: Life in Valencia, Spain

• In 2024, decided time to move on from Ireland

• Glad to spend those years there, reconnect with family

• Wanted kids to know his family, wanted wife to become Irish citizen

• Sold up everything, packed into two cars, road tripped from Ireland to Spain

• Life has become so much better since moving to Spain

[00:36:00] The Integration Life: No Rules About When You Work

• Don't have work-life balance with entrepreneurship

• Do get work-life integration if you're smart about it

• Bring everything in, don't live by rules about finishing work at certain time or can't do anything on weekends

• Do what you can when you can, find time to get everything in

[00:39:38] Where to Find John

• Website: firedigitalmarketing.com (short video explaining what he does and how it helps)

• Facebook: John Caprani (most active there)

• Can get sense of who he is, his opinions and thoughts before reaching out

• Best place to connect

[00:42:40] Repetition Over Perfection

• First time around won't be perfect, won't be what you feel is perfect in your mind

• Kevin's coach had him make 24-25 videos in one day walking through a process

• Every time got more comfortable, didn't have to think about what to say, got the flow

[00:44:06] What Really Works: Belief and Confidence

• All the fancy copywriting, hacks, tactics are good, valuable, useful

• But what really works better than anything else: somebody who believes in what they do and has some confidence in themselves

• That'll convert better than anything

KEY QUOTES

"If you are an eight out of 10 at your work, but you're like 10 out of 10 in terms of a human being and being trustworthy, people would care about that more than being a 10 out of 10 in the work and maybe being a five out of 10 in the character side of things." - John Caprani

"Gun to the head is a great motivator. It'll get you to do shit you wouldn't normally do." - John Caprani

"You don't get work-life balance [as an entrepreneur], but you do get work-life integration if you're smart about it." - John Caprani

"There's nobody but the founder of a business who really has the conviction and has enough on the line to actually sell it as effectively on video." - John Caprani

"All the different fancy copywriting and hacks and tactics, in the end, what really works better than anything else is somebody who believes in what they do and has some confidence in themselves. That'll convert better than anything." - John Caprani

CONNECT WITH JOHN CAPRANI

🌐 Website: https://www.firedigitalmarketing.com

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jdcaprani

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncaprani

🌐 Personal Website: https://www.johncaprani.com

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What if the most important person in your life handed you their most powerful peer group and said "yes you can" when you were certain you couldn't?

In this episode, Natalie Michael, executive coach and CEO Forum Chair with 20 years of experience guiding leaders through transitions, shares her journey from psychology studies and consciousness research to becoming the person who holds space for some of the most powerful entrepreneurs in Canada. After riding the .com boom from 2 million to 30 million in four years with no outside venture capital, Natalie learned what she loved and what exhausted her about the entrepreneurial journey, forcing her to dig deep into who she was and what she wanted.

From her first CEO client (who shocked her by saying yes) to the moment the founder of McKay Forums handed her a peer group filled with billion-dollar CEOs and told her "yes you can" when she was certain she couldn't, Natalie's story reveals the power of someone seeing your potential before you do. Through her work as a Tiger 21 chair and coaching founders through exits worth hundreds of millions, she's witnessed that the people who get there with their spirit intact aren't driven by money, but by contribution, challenge, and a deep understanding of what really matters.

Natalie shares why "the money is the outcome" but the journey is everything, how one entrepreneur taught her that "home is where my wife is," and why she's learning to build a life she never wants to retire from through silent weekends and putting her needs on the calendar first.

[00:04:35] The Journey: From Psychology to CEO Transitions

• Studied psychology with deep interest in consciousness studies, mindset, brain, spirituality, and how they all intersect

• Through that process realized what she loved and what exhausted her about entrepreneurial journey

• Had to do soul searching to figure out what was more important than her options plan

• A lot of the journey exhausted her

• Had to dig deep: who am I, what do I want, how do I want this journey to look for me?

[00:07:20] Witnessing the Journey: Money as Outcome, Not Driver

• Has ringside seat to the journey through clients she serves

• Number of clients have had hundred million dollar exits

• People who get there with their spirit intact are driven not by money

• They're driven by sense of contribution and challenge, and often a restlessness

• Didn't understand this earlier but witnesses it the higher up she gets in entrepreneurial space

[00:08:18] What Natalie Does: Supporting CEOs at Crossroads

• Supports founders and CEOs to figure out what's next

• Looking at how the CEO role does or doesn't fit into that

• How founder or CEO needs to support that process

• All the nuances, politics, and emotions that go along with it

[00:09:21] The Arc: Moving Up, In, or Out of the C-Suite

• Works with people trying to become a CEO (moving up into C-suite)

• With demographics right now, a lot of people thinking about moving out

• One client was so stressed about his business he sold off locations in almost a fire sale because he couldn't deal anymore

[00:11:04] Results That Matter: The Art of Each Client

• Doesn't associate results with being proud

• More about the acknowledgment the client provides as they move through the experience

• When you get to this level with people, you're in each other's circle of trust

• Like a deep friend from high school: might not talk every day, but when you do, you pick up where you left off

[00:12:43] The Timeline: 15 Years of Building This Work

• Doing this work in various forms for about 15 years

• Real focus and commitment to CEO transitions as the focus and CEO Next Chapter has been about seven years

[00:15:52] The Relationship That Changed Everything: "Yes You Can"

• Looked at the bios: one running a billion dollar company, one running huge Crown Corporation, one was top entrepreneur

• "I cannot do this. No way"

• Founder looked at her and said: "Yes you can. No one's better than you. I totally have faith. You can do this"

• Combined founder's faith in her with her own personal development around holding space for powerful people

• That's what her whole career's been built on

[00:19:58] The Entrepreneur Who Taught Her What Matters

• Through that experience, been exposed to people who continue to inspire her

• Fortunate in her forum to have a man who on paper is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Canada

• Built multiple businesses, highly successful, has a foundation

• So rooted in his family and his love of a challenge as being his driver

• When you see someone like that behave like that, it gives you permission to put that stuff first

[00:24:45] The Tiger 21 Reality: Life After the Exit

• Work as Tiger 21 chair is "life after the exit or when you're thinking about what's next"

• A lot of people think those conversations are about squeezing a percentage point on investments

• Rented a house on an island by herself, meditated, walked in the woods every day, just found herself again

• Said it was really hard because she was so addicted to feeding her restless energy with action

• Created a clearing that allowed her to step into what was new from a new identity

[00:31:15] Building a Life You Never Want to Retire From

• "That's kind of the thing that I hold for my clients. It's like, how do you build a life you never wanna retire from?"

• Reading a book called The 100 Year Life

• Purpose, relationships, money, and health are all catalysts for being fulfilled

• For Natalie: if she puts her stuff in her calendar first (things she needs to nourish herself and be healthy and engaged), that goes in first

[00:33:39] Silence Weekends: Decompressing the Chatter

• Started playing with silence weekends, new thing in last couple years

• Already planning for next one

• Three days where she goes into the forest, has a bit of a back country experience, does it by herself

• Very important part of how she wants to serve and lead in the world

[00:35:24] Where to Find Natalie & CEO Next Chapter

• Website: ceonextchapter.com (very easy to remember)

• "That's essentially the essence of what we do in the world"

• Thanks Kevin for doing his work in the world and inviting her

• Inspiring to her, both the question he asked and the choice he made in his own work to focus on relationships

KEY QUOTES

"I had value. I add value, I'm adding value, I'm adding value. Listen to add value, listen to add value." - Natalie Michael's mantra

"The money is the outcome... but oftentimes the people who get there with their spirit intact, they're driven not by the money. They're driven by a sense of contribution and challenge, and often restlessness." - Natalie Michael

"Each time I get a client, it's like a little piece of art. It's my art. And so it's more about the relationship we have as we go through it. That is what is deeply gratifying." - Natalie Michael

CONNECT WITH NATALIE MICHAEL

🌐 Website: https://www.ceonextchapter.com

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-michael-01a7361

Thanks for tuning in!

If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe!

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What if everything you built (the money, the status, the business success) left your heart completely empty?

In this episode, Dane Maxwell, serial entrepreneur and founder of The Foundation and Paperless Pipeline, shares his raw journey from "3D success" to discovering his sacred calling. After launching more than a dozen businesses and achieving what most would call the dream (money, freedom, recognition), Dane found himself with a hollow heart. Through a prophetic message in a church, answered prayers, and divine signs, he reclaimed the gift he'd buried 10 years earlier: his voice and music.

From training 2,000 students (including two billionaires) to singing improvised songs that help people take their most difficult actions, Dane's story reveals the difference between performing for validation and surrendering to become "a flute that the divine blows its breath through." He discusses spiritual hierarchy, the power of slowing down, and why being wanted by God matters more than being wanted by the world.

Dane reveals why music is sacred (not about fame or sex), how four signs in one week confirmed his calling, and what it means to approach life from the inside out instead of outside in.

[00:02:28] Meeting at Destiny Fest: A Three-Hour Conversation That Wouldn't End

• Kevin and Dane met at Giovanni Marsico's Destiny Fest in Toronto

• Sat at dinner table for hours after everyone else left

• Dane performed an entirely improvised musical piece on stage for 1,400 people

• Kevin's been connected to Gio for 14 years, watching the vision grow from a dinner conversation to nearly 2,000 attendees

[00:05:45] The Philosophy: Greatness in the Moment

• Most people rehearse before presenting to 1,400 people

• Dane chose to "dangle by a string," the string of present-moment creation

• Believes the next evolution of events is not rehearsed but "moment oriented"

• "I wanted to be present with people instead of rehearsed"

• Magic happens when people are willing to risk unpreparedness

[00:07:54] Current Mission: Music for Difficult Actions

• Creating songs that help people take the most difficult actions in their lives

• Actions that would dramatically improve their lives in 90 days

• Examples: losing weight, starting a business, going to the gym, writing a book, picking up a new hobby

• Not telling people what to think, singing pure possibility and inspiration into their hearts

[00:13:40] The Problem: 3D Success with an Empty Heart

• Had all the external markers of success: money, time freedom, status, women

• "3D success," everything in the physical, three-dimensional world

• But his heart felt completely empty

• Realized he'd been "distracted by success" as a safe, socially acceptable way to avoid vulnerability

• Business felt safe; true connection and music felt vulnerable

[00:15:06] How Men Are Stripped of Their Power

• "You make them believe that the outside world can make them happy"

• Make men believe worth is achievement, status, attention

• The world is designed to engineer us to strip us of our power

• Jesus had a donkey and white robe but was "beaming with power"

• External trappings (beautiful women, cars, homes) are an illusion when coming from a dissociated place

[00:19:00] The Spiritual Hierarchy and Heart Pursuit

• Jesus's heart field could reportedly be felt from two miles away (average is 15-50 feet)

• Dane was raised Christian with teaching that "the heart is deceitful and wicked"

• Felt he couldn't trust his own heart, so wrapped it in external things

• Realized the teaching was "not being communicated or translated correctly"

• Started approaching life inside out instead of outside in

[00:21:06] The Turning Point: Slowing Down and Hearing "Sing"

• Heart kept feeling empty despite business success

• Slowed down and heard the word "sing"

• Initial resistance: "I'm a six-foot-one 42-year-old white male, I don't look like a singer"

• Thought he was "such a broken man" that performing for others was the best he could do

• Admits: "When I say I don't know what I'm doing, it's very honest"

[00:24:00] Teaching Wealth: The Karma of Money

• Taught 2,000 students how to build wealth

• Two billionaire students, one valued at $1 billion, one student exited for $500 million

• Half of students did very well, other half probably shouldn't have bought the program

• Friend Danielle LaPorte said people have their own "karma to sort out with money"

[00:24:30] The Church Moment: Getting His Gift Back

• Age 31, attending Bethel Church (Holy Spirit-led church)

• Pastor stops mid-worship, points directly at him: "Son, I just got a message from God"

• "He didn't trust you with a gift, so he took it away. But he trusts you with it now, so he gave it back"

• Dane's hand went to his throat, realized it was his singing voice

• Had trained intensely for his first open mic at age 21

[00:28:20] Eleven Years of Fear and Teetering

• 11 years since that church moment

• Released four albums, done shows, played for 1,400 people

• But always "teetering around it"

• Wasn't sure if he was authentically interested or just trying to impress people

• Admitted fear: maybe doing it "to get laid" (common male conditioning around music)

[00:29:00] The Week of Signs: Music Is Sacred

• Got hypnotherapy session to bring more freedom to singing

• During hypnosis, saw subconscious belief: "I'm just trying to do this to get laid"

• Sign #1: Massage therapist's hat said "MUSIC IS SACRED"

• Sign #2: Someone wrote "I hope you're doing music"

• Sign #3: On a business Zoom, someone private messaged "Hey, how's music?"

• Sign #4: Woman he used to date said "Obviously you're supposed to be doing music"

[00:36:29] Rumi and Becoming a Flute for the Divine

• Quotes Rumi: "I am but a flute that the Christ blows its breath through"

• In spiritual hierarchy, highest level before God is Lord Christ

• Jesus was "Christed," fully surrendered mediator for Lord Christ

• Got off stage thinking "nobody got any flavor of me, I blew it"

• Heard hysterical laughter (maybe angels): "You were just an instrument for love"

[00:39:40] The Mecca of Bliss

• Bob Dylan and Michael Jordan have "an extra sense of something else"

• That's spiritual connection coming through their work

• "That's the mecca, the mecca of bliss"

• Dissolve all sense of self, merge with Christ, allow God's love to flow through

[00:40:20] Approaching Life Inside Out

• Doesn't have hot girlfriend, sexy car, amazing mansion anymore

• "Am I way happier than when I had any of that stuff? Does any of me want any of that stuff? Maybe if it's aligned"

• Not an ache because approaching life from inside out

• If something feels "authentic to my core," he'll get it

• Deep enough in his body now to not fool himself

[00:41:40] The Vocal Cord Miracle and Feeling Unwanted

• Went to ear, nose, throat doctor after the church message

• Doctor put camera down his throat, looked at vocal cords

• "Dane, your vocal cords look pristine"

• The four signs made him "feel so wanted by God"

• Mother was concert-level flute player, listened to sophisticated music in the womb

[00:46:20] Holy Spirit Working Through Connection

• Marcus Collier told Kevin: "This is the Holy Spirit working through you"

• Making introductions and connections is being a vessel

• When you allow it, you become more effective

• They want more of that feeling

[00:49:36] Where to Find Dane and Final Message

• Instagram: @musicbydane (Music by Dane)

• Website: danemaxwell.com (book, businesses, principles)

• Encourages Christians: stay where you are, it's close to God

• Book recommendation: "The Great Work of Your Life"

• "May anybody who loves God the way they do continue to love God the way they do"

KEY QUOTES

"How do you strip men of their power? You make them believe that the outside world can make them happy. You make them believe that worth is an achievement. That worth is status, that worth is attention." - Dane Maxwell

"What we're supposed to be doing with our life is evolving our consciousness to such a state that we can become a completely surrendered vessel for the divine love of God to flow through. That's the mecca, the mecca of bliss." - Dane Maxwell

"I've felt so unwanted on the earth and in my life, and just such a deep degree of unwantedness, which was a product of the conditioning of the nineties, which is you have to be a certain way to be wanted." - Dane Maxwell

"In Isaiah they say, and the Lord said, whom shall I send? And I said, here am I. Send me." - Isaiah (quoted by Dane)

CONNECT WITH DANE MAXWELL

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musicbydane

🌐 Website: https://www.danemaxwell.com

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dane-maxwell-b7105b5b

Thanks for tuning in!

If you liked my show, please LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW, like, and subscribe!

Find me on:

Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart Radio | Stitcher