OneSharpSword

Sarah is an actor and playwright out of New York, who started acting and dancing when she was nine years old, performing her whole life.  In the past decade, she’s written four plays.

Sarah is compelled to write and then gives herself freedom to write simply with her message in mind.  She notes that her belief in herself, without the attachment to outcome, is part of what’s made her successful. She writes because she must, not because she “should.”

With plays ranging from political to dark farce involving family relationships as well as a play for kids to offer them coping skills, Sarah brings her characters to life.  

As leader Sarah just carries on, “doing the hard stuff,” and an observer and social commentator, Sarah’s nextis starting her own production company.

Key messages:

Give yourself permission to think and dream bigger!

Have bold trust in yourself!

Check out this episode and check out more about Sarah at www.SarahBierstock.com

Thank you for listening to One Sharp Sword!  Be sure to also check out Wednesdays With Wayne for quick, fun, and inspirational mid-week reading.  www.WaynePernell.com/blog 

Felicia teaches us that the dash between the dates of birth and death is what we need to celebrate. 

As an events planner and after seeing that funeral homes were simply templated, Felicia wanted to find a way to personalize each person’s life celebration. 

In normalizing death as a part of life, she discovered the Death Positive Movement.

There are so many ways to celebrate the end of life and different types of funerals. When thinking about the end of life, it’s important to start with a plan!

PLAN:

• How do you want to be remembered?
• Set up legal paperwork including a revocable trust (though no legal counsel is intended here; seek your own legal guidance)
• Consider what type of funeral you want
• • Home?
  • Green?
  • Open Funeral Pyre?
  • Cremation?
  • Fireworks???

Death is a natural part of life.

It’s not morbid, it’s sacred (the same way birth is sacred).

Managing loss - 

• remember that the stages of grief and loss are
• • Denial
  • Anger
  • Bargaining
  • Depression
  • Acceptance
• Grief becomes a part of who you are
• Focus on the person and their purpose for being here - each of us are touched differently by this person - what part of them changed us?
• Grief doesn’t have to be painful
• Grief doesn’t belong in your body

Don’t feel like it’s urgent to manage the funeral unless the body is being buried right away. Making decisions a few days after the passing and having planned ahead of time will help you. Pre-plan how you want to be remembered.

Check out: www.CelebratingTheDash.com

Thank you for listening to One Sharp Sword!  Be sure to also check out Wednesdays With Wayne for quick, fun, and inspirational mid-week reading.  www.WaynePernell.com/blog 

The holidays can be stressful. Here are five M-A-G-I-C tips for successfully managing any gathering, whether it's with family at the holidays or a team meeting. Learn more https://waynepernell.com/

Thank you for listening to One Sharp Sword!  Be sure to also check out Wednesdays With Wayne for quick, fun, and inspirational mid-week reading.  www.WaynePernell.com/blog

What does the guy who used to be known as The Get-It-Done-Guy who happens to be an MIT engineer and Harvard MBA have to teach us about becoming extraordinary?  A lot, naturally.

Stever Robbins was raised in a travelling commune. With such a different background, his approach to life, politics, and economics gives us a perspective worth pondering.  

Stever and I couldn’t stop talking (okay, Stever couldn’t stop talking) so this podcast is divided in two parts. Be sure to  listen to both parts and sign up for his newsletter and/or reach out to him at www.SteverRobbins.com

He can also be found on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stever/

Thank you for listening to One Sharp Sword!  Be sure to also check out Wednesdays With Wayne for quick, fun, and inspirational mid-week reading.  www.WaynePernell.com/blog

What does the guy who used to be known as The Get-It-Done-Guy who happens to be an MIT engineer and Harvard MBA have to teach us about becoming extraordinary?  A lot, naturally.

Stever Robbins was raised in a travelling commune. With such a different background, his approach to life, politics, and economics gives us a perspective worth pondering.  

Stever and I couldn’t stop talking (okay, Stever couldn’t stop talking) so this podcast is divided in two parts. Be sure to  listen to both parts and sign up for his newsletter and/or reach out to him at www.SteverRobbins.com

He can also be found on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stever/

Tune in next week for part 2!

Thank you for listening to One Sharp Sword!  Be sure to also check out Wednesdays With Wayne for quick, fun, and inspirational mid-week reading.  www.WaynePernell.com/blog

Rob Thomas is a networking hero - he teaches people how to make connections work. It’s a lost art and he’s got it.

The son of old-school communications parents, he learned the importance of crafting the way we engage. His commitment and integrity shine through as examples for any of us.

From the old-style fax toner salesman to the instructor he is now, he says, “don’t be that guy who tries to sell you.” Ask questions. Sales is about connection and whether you’re known, liked, and trusted. 

Connections aren’t always about selling. And he notes that to get to know someone, plan your conversation. Find out about their Family, their Occupation, their Recreational activities and hobbies, and the Message they have. This is the FORM framework and part of the Rob Thomas Method™ (RTM).  

Here’s another helpful tip. Ask for introductions.

Introductions is such a better word than referrals.

How can you be a hero for the other person? Keep that in mind the next time you’re networking.

Check out www.RobThomasUSA.com for more information about Rob or his great book, Who Do You Need To Meet? 

Thank you for listening to One Sharp Sword!  Be sure to also check out Wednesdays With Wayne for quick, fun, and inspirational mid-week reading.  www.WaynePernell.com/blog

What can being punched in the face teach you about leadership?

From Vice-Champion fighter to success coach, Nico Veressen has taken some blows. And as someone used to winning, he knows how to dish it out, too.

Raised in Belgium and now living in Portugal, Nico says he was shy at 14 and that’s when he knew he wanted to get into competitive fighting. After winning his way up the ranks in championships, retinal detachments stopped him. He could take no more physical blows.

Layering his experience on his psych background, Nico has a lot to share that is relevant for us all. Some of the key take-aways are:

• Sometimes, even though you have success, you can feel empty. 
• Personal success is just that - it’s something different to everyone.
• Stress is normal and can be enhancing.
• To get to the next level, engage in open conversations, recognize that you can move past  your current level of psychological safety, and engage in co-creation
• Plan your pleasure - build that into your schedule
• • Engage in both entertainment AND pleasure
• There’s a difference between dopamine that comes when you’re striving and serotonin that you get when you’ve paused to enjoy. You need both.
• If a task is distasteful, keep the outcome/benefit in mind.
• Stress can be a pleasure enhancement and can be leveraged for a competitive advantage.
• On intimacy: loving deeply is healing.
• Sensual meditation is about going slowly and becoming more aware.
• Ecstasy is about being absorbed in the moment… it’s Flow.

Nico says, “I’m a champion; I get results.”  And I’m thinking, what if we all lived that way!!!

Find Nico at www.PerformWithPleasure.com, download his free masterclass, and stay in touch with him. Look for Nico Veressen on all social platforms.

Thank you for listening to One Sharp Sword!  Be sure to also check out Wednesdays With Wayne for quick, fun, and inspirational mid-week reading.  www.WaynePernell.com/blog

Carolyn has almost two decades of business coaching coming from her experience in the corporate world and trying things out - what works and what doesn’t. 

She says she’s been a bit of a risk taker, and the lesson here is to bet on yourself! Carolyn continues, noting that her strategy was based on the mistakes she’s made. So just know that you’ll make make your own mistakes and keep moving forward, believing in the way things could be and making that your reality.

Key point: to redefine yourself, let go of what is no longer (or never has been) fulfilling.

When you’re searching for a “me” - that new identity - you have to keep moving and stay open to being creative.

Find Carolyn at: www.CarolynHerfurth.com

Thank you for listening to One Sharp Sword!  Be sure to also check out Wednesdays With Wayne for quick, fun, and inspirational mid-week reading.  www.WaynePernell.com/blog

From high-school english teacher to broadway producer to founder of Small Pond Enterprises, Michael Roderick shares his amazing insights on How To Create A Referrable Brand! 

Great lessons from this beautiful soul today include (and I’m paraphrasing what he actually said): 

• When an opportunity that matches your dreams arises, don’t hold back. Step into it.
• • That’s how he met Broadway producers!
• Learn the ropes - move from contributor to producer!
• As a thoughtful giver, you have something that is brandable. What is your referability factor?
• What is your “IF” - your Integrative Framework?
• • How do you see the world uniquely?
  • What can people do with it?
• BIG QUESTION: If your business were a Broadway Show, would anyone buy a ticket and be talking about it so much that you’d get automatic referrals?
• Build your network around what you’re delivering, don’t try to deliver to everyone.
• How are you helping?
• • Solve A Problem
  • Alleviate Pain
  • Reduce Friction
• Don’t underestimate the significance of making other people feel significant.
• Consider the WIIFM - How is what you’re offering of VALUE to them?

Check out Michael’s websites: 

www.MyReferabilityRater.com

And

www.SmallPondEnterprises.com

Thank you for listening to One Sharp Sword!  Be sure to also check out Wednesdays With Wayne for quick, fun, and inspirational mid-week reading.  www.WaynePernell.com/blog

Working at 14, but forbidden from going to college… from drilling in a warehouse to becoming a fashion executive - What A Story!

Jill says that she just tried things. She took on the family label for her - Firecracker - and forged into the world. 

Drawing on courage and tenacity, Jill embraced the New. And we can all learn from her.

She saw beyond the tradition of the industry and wanted to help create clothing for “real sized women” to inspire confidence. Her “I’ll show you” attitude led her to the top as she continues to focus on how to accentuate the positive.

Jill says that doing so inspires trust and that leads to shared stories and that creates true connection. That’s how she runs Frox, her specialty clothing shop. 

On the podcast and in her book, Behind the Button, she talks about how putting cloth in a dye bath changes it and strengthens it. And it’s that process from which her strongest metaphors blossom.

Listen in! “It’s all about connection and empowerment!”

Search for Frox online.

Find Behind The Button at Amazon

And reach out to her at www.JillStricklandBrown.com

Thank you for listening to One Sharp Sword!  Be sure to also check out Wednesdays With Wayne for quick, fun, and inspirational mid-week reading.  www.WaynePernell.com/blog