Onward Nation

Steve Weiss is the founder & CEO of MuteSix, a performance marketing powerhouse that has grown at a rate of 300 percent per year since 2013 and is the most awarded Facebook advertising agency, with more Facebook and Instagram marketing case studies than any other agency. In 2017, MuteSix was named one of Inc. Magazine's "Best Workplaces" and also ranked #341 on the Inc. 500 list for being one of the fastest growing private companies. Steve is passionate about building and recruiting agile marketing teams that execute and can be heard weekly on the "Spend $10K a Day" Digital Marketing Podcast.

• Steve's background & what led him to co-found MuteSix, named one of the fastest-growing private companies in 2017 by Inc.
• A trait that every one of Steve's team members has & why he loves it
• The main part of being successful
• A common mistake that business owners make within their Facebook campaigns
• The importance of providing a purpose for someone to join your email list
• Why you need to ask yourself why you are building your email list
• Being aware of how intelligent consumers are & the value that you are bringing to them
• The skill of being able to hire people who are smarter than you
• Why you need to be always working on your 'A' game
• Having consistency in your daily routine

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: mutesix.com
• Website: mutesix.com/spend-10k-day-podcast

Kylie Wright-Ford is the co-author of THE LEADERSHIP MIND SWITCH, a C-level executive, board member, speaker, entrepreneur, avid traveler, and farmer. She was most recently the chief operating and strategy officer for World 50, a company that exists to connect executives with their peers for conversations about topics like leadership, sustainability, global politics, and how to keep up with digital innovation.

• A lesson on how you should be open to all that's possible in life
• Why having a routine can be a potential enemy
• How prioritization is key to everyone, not only in business but in life
• Why co-writing the book, "The Leadership Mind Switch," was important to Kylie
• Why legacy, heritage & culture are so important
• The most critical skill that business owners need to master to be successful in the coming future
• The importance of coming up with your own "playbook" and competing with yourself
• Setting up a culture where everyone can thrive
• How the best lessons can come from your customers if you're in business
• Being aware of what's going on around you at any given time

• Website: www.MakeTheMindSwitch.com
• Website: www.kyliewf.com

Andy Swann is the author of THE HUMAN WORKPLACE and leads the development and delivery of people-focused transition management for organizations undergoing change at BDG Architecture and Design. He is also the founder of Simple Better Human, a creative organization development consultancy specializing in helping employees thrive so their organizations can too. He runs the All About People conference and speaks around the world on the benefits of taking a more human approach to organizational development.

• Why you should be open to opportunities as they present themselves
• The importance of doing something you love
• Andy's new book, "The Human Workplace" and why he felt so strongly about writing it
• Why companies need to give people the opportunity to be their best
• Why Andy decided to start and organize the 'All About People' event
• Why it's important to think about how you define success
• Why it's all about connections & building relationships
• Taking the time to step back and look at things from a different perspective
• One of the key skills for any organization, regardless of size or scale
• Why doing things for the right reasons can lead to big wins

• Website: www.andyswann.co

Dr. Glenn Livingston is a veteran psychologist and was the long time CEO of a multi-million dollar consulting firm which has serviced several Fortune 500 clients in the food industry. Disillusioned by what traditional psychology had to offer overweight and/or food obsessed individuals, Glenn spent several decades researching the nature of binging and overeating via work with his own patients AND a self-funded research program with more than 40,000 participants. You may remember Glenn and the wisdom he shared during Episode 251. If you haven't listened to, studied, and applied all he shared during our first interview...I highly encourage you to add Episode 251 to your list of vital priorities.

What you'll learn about in this episode:

• The benefits of working with people who are just as excited about your mission as you are
• The joy that Glenn is experiencing from the impact of his research and book
• Why Glenn is a firm believer that discipline creates freedom
• The power of focusing on what you want
• Why a lot of entrepreneurs get stuck
• Why Glenn defines success as having the ability to work and to love in balance
• Why you need to remember that feelings aren't facts when it comes to fear
• How, from a marketing standpoint, people today are still underestimating how much proof you need of your core value proposition
• Why you need to be good at calling out to a specific audience

How best to connect with Glenn:

Website: www.NeverBingeAgain.com

Pam Wasley is the Co-founder & CEO of Cerius Executives and Cerius Advisors. She has personally sold companies, led a management buyout, and advised hundreds of companies on strategies for growth and higher shareholder value. She's served on several private boards and has been featured in prestigious publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, Fortune, and Bloomberg Businessweek on the topics of mergers and acquisitions, the workforce of the future, and global contingent workforces.

• One of the first things that Pam learned when it comes to people
• The value of realizing that you don't know everything
• Some tips to keep up with the fast pace of the world today
• Why you should be thinking outside of the box when it comes to your business
• How being bored is good for your mind
• Surrounding yourself with people who are smarter than you are
• Why you need to focus on hiring well, especially with your executive team
• The one thing that is important for any business & how it can help you grow
• Building a team of advisors that help you in areas that you have big challenges

• Website: getcerius.com
• Website: getcerius.com/onwardnation

Good Morning Onward Nation...and welcome to Episode 636.

Before we get to lesson I prepared for today's solocast...I wanted to share with you that Onward Nation is now available on Amazon Echo -- holy bananas!

So if you have an Echo -- you just need install the skill called "AnyPod" -- and then the command goes like this, "Alexa...ask AnyPod to play Onward Nation" and then Alexa will play our latest episode.

You can even say, "Alexa, ask AnyPod to play Episode 636 of Onward Nation" to play a specific episode.

Rock solid awesome!

So for today's solocast...I am going to focus our time and attention around how to become an excellent host – whether we are talking about you hosting your own podcast – vlog – or perhaps you are creating content for your rockin' awesome blog and you will be interviewing guest experts.

It takes hard work to becoming good at interviewing – to hosting and facilitating a conversation – for some – like it did for me – it takes many hours of practice.

In full transparency, Onward Nation, it took me until Episode 77 with Mark Sanborn as my guest to really feel like I had gotten my sea legs and could do a good job as a host.

And fast forward, this is episode 636...and each and every day that I get behind the microphone and talking with a guest I am learning – so there is always room for improvement.

So my hope is that the recipe I have included within this solocast will shorten – or compress – the learning curve and accelerate your results and success.

This solocast can serve as your practical and tactical guide to becoming an excellent host. I will share several of my insights that I have learned along the way as well as what I learned from two Onward Nation guests and fellow podcasters: Drew McLellan and John Livesay.

Drew McLellan is the host of the brilliant podcast, Build a Better Agency. Drew is the Top Dog at the Agency Management Institute, host of the exceptional podcast Build a Better Agency, and has owned and operated his own agency over the last 20-years.

Drew also works with over 250 small to mid sized agencies a year in a variety of ways: peer network groups, workshops for owners and their leadership teams, on-site consulting, and one-to-one coaching with owners.

John Livesay is the host of the successful podcast, The Successful Pitch. Inc. Magazine calls John the "Pitch Whisperer." He is also the author of the book also entitled, "The Successful Pitch."

John helps CEOs craft a compelling pitch to investors in a way that inspires them to join a startup's team and he is a phenomenal professional speaker.

Okay, Onward Nation...let's get started.

In fiction, a "foil" is a character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character.

In my opinion, your ability to play the role of the foil will determine if you are an excellent host or mediocre.

You need to use your interview (again – this could be for a podcast, vlog, or written article) to help your guests advance their agenda – share their wisdom and expertise – not yours.

Avoid telling stories about yourself even if they are validating what your guest just said.

Your role is not to validate what your guest just said. You guest doesn't need you to validate their experience. Attempting to do so can be seen as arrogant or like you are trying to steal the show.

Don't do that. And if you have been listening to Onward Nation for a while now – you know – it is a very, very rare occasion that I will tell a story during an interview. I tend to save those observations or lessons for a solocast...because during an interview with a guest...they need to be the star...not you.

Instead, summarize, reflect back to your guest the impactful highlights of what he or she just shared, add a comment or two from what you have seen in your experience, and then ask your guest if you got all of that correct.

By asking the question, "Did I get all of that correct, Sally?" you do three things:

1. You demonstrate to Sally that you are listening to every word she shared
2. What she said mattered because you connected it to your own experience
3. And lastly, you subtly prompted Sally to go deeper with her examples and experience sharing

Next, start out the conversation with some light questions and then build trust and rapport in the first few minutes of the conversation.

Be engaging, personable, and if you are able to make your guest laugh in the first couple of minutes, congratulations – you're building rapport.

Avoid asking deep, emotionally charged questions early on in the interview. It will not go well. Your guest will likely think you are trying to move too deep too quickly.

I asked Drew McLellan for his insights on the most critical skill business owners need to master to be successful at podcasting. Drew shared that he believes it is a combination of skills — but — that the most important skill was for the host to check their ego at the door.

Drew said to me, "Stephen, my job when I'm hosting is to augment and put the spotlight on my guest and their expertise. I do that by listening really hard to what they say and running it through my filter of, 'What else would an agency owner want to know about that?' I'm not talking over them, I'm not trying it jump in and show how much I know about the topic.

"I am listening super hard. I am asking what I hope are great follow-up questions. I'm really trying to stay out of the guest's way so they have as much airtime as possible to share their expertise.

"I think part of listening with real intent is to able to ask the question that, I'm always thinking, 'If somebody is driving while they're listening to this, or walking on the treadmill, or whatever, what would they want me to ask?'

"Or, do I frustrate them by not asking the follow-up questions that they want me to ask? I'm always listening with that intent.

"What should I be asking next?

"What did somebody want to hear more about or how would they want to drill deeper into this?'

"I'm trying to ask those questions because I don't want any of my listeners thinking, 'I can't believe he didn't ask X?'"

I asked John Livesay for his insights on the same questions of critical skills. John explained to me why and how he uses empathy and listening to make connections with guests.

John said, "Stephen, one of the investors on my show told me that the more empathy you show for your customer, the more the customer feels like you understand that customer and can solve that problem.

"I think what makes you have empathy for someone is your ability to listen to them and put yourself in their shoes.

"The more you can do that with your guests and respond to what they're saying and make them feel heard and then summarize what you're hearing for your audience as the takeaways, that, in my opinion, is what it takes to be really great as a podcast host.

"Stephen, you do it in spades. It's easy for you. You're probably not even aware that you're doing it, it's part of who you are, but if you don't have that in your DNA, then it's a skill that you really need to develop to be a successful host."

Okay...so now, Onward Nation...let's move on to one of the best ways to ensure your excellence as a host.

And that is in how you help a guest prepare to be a great guest on your show.

You can do that by implementing a solid guest advocacy system that shares all of the logistics of their interview multiple times in advance of the day and time of the interview...shares the questions you plan to ask...and give them tips on how to sound the very best they can.

And you ought to supplement your guest advocacy system by personally setting expectations with guests.

In my opinion, Drew does this masterfully well.

Drew shared with me, "Stephen, what I discovered is that the minute I checked my ego at the door, I realized the show wasn't about somebody listening to me, it was about me cultivating this great list of guests and serving guests well, which serves my audience well.

"So, if I allow my guests to have the spotlight, and I allow them to really share their expertise, and I prep them properly, so it's like, 'Look there is no selling, this is not about you getting clients, this is about you generously sharing your expertise.

"Here are the kind of questions I'm going to ask, if you're not comfortable answering those questions, don't come on the show.' None of that was about me. It's about serving up the best content possible for my audience by putting my guest in the best possible light."

So, Onward Nation...in addition to sharing insights from Drew and from John...I wanted to formalize this into a recipe – into a checklist that you could study before your next interview.

Okay, so here we go...the 10-point CHECKLIST FOR HOSTING WITH EXCELLENCE

1. Check your ego at the door. Your show is about making your guest the star. Your show should not be about you.
2. Study. Listen to other hosts and hear how they interact with their guests.
3. Keep the conversation casual yet focused on the result outcomes you want to deliver to your audience.
4. Help your guests prepare by implementing a guest advocacy system so they receive email and text reminders before your interview as well as tips on how to sound their best during the recording.
5. Also help your guest prepare by emailing them your questions in advance along with some insights regarding your audience so your guests have context and know how best to answer your questions.
6. Begin on time and end on time. This shows respect for your guest's schedule.
7. Turn off your email, your cell phone, all social media, and listen intently to your guest so you can think of follow-up questions your audience would want you to ask.
8. Summarize and recap your guest's awesomeness during the interview. Then ask your guests if you got the summary right or if you're missed something. This is the perfect invitation to a guest to go deeper and share even more value with your audience.
9. Thank them before the interview, during the interview, and after the interview for taking the time to generously share their wisdom with your audience.
10. Have confidence. You are good enough to do this. You are worthy. You will make a difference in the world by sharing the wisdom of your guests. You are building a nation of true fans. Kick the Imposter Syndrome to the curb by remembering the wise words of Walter D. Wintle, quoted by Napoleon Hill, author of Think & Grow Rich:

"If you think you are beaten, you are, If you think you dare not, you don't. If you like to win, but you think you can't, It is almost certain you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost, For out in the world we find, Success begins with a fellow's will – It's all in the state of MIND.

If you think you're outclassed, you are, You've got to think high to rise, You've got to be sure of yourself before You can ever win a prize.

Life's battles, don't always go To the stronger or faster one But soon or later the one who wins Is the one WHO THINKS THEY CAN!"

So with that said...

Thank you again for taking the time to be here today...I am grateful for you making Onward Nation what you listen to and study. We all have the same 86,400 seconds in a day and I appreciate you taking some of your invaluable time and sharing it with me.

Until tomorrow...onward with gusto!

Jacob Baadsgaard is the Founder & CEO of Disruptive Advertising, a company that helps businesses advertise and market themselves profitably and efficiently on Google and Facebook by leveraging their software and team of marketers. After starting Disruptive Advertising in 2012, the company grew to over 60 employees and $9 million dollars in annual revenue in just 3.5 years. They have worked with over 1,000 businesses and found that an average of 76% of AdWords and Facebook ad budgets are wasted.

• How you can make some very impactful decisions for your business with the power of data
• The benefits of connecting marketing all the way through to a sale
• How, on average, 76% of ad budgets are wasted
• Why you should let your budget flow through what's performing best with your ads
• The two high-level metrics that matter for any business
• Why it can be more expensive to go for the "cheap" traffic
• What most businesses are doing wrong with Facebook ads
• How to leverage social media & maximize the ROI
• How being direct and holding people accountable can help you to become a better leader
• Why you need to learn how to say no to bad revenue

• Website: disruptiveadvertising.com/audit

Nicole has worked as a client-facing business executive for Fortune 500 companies in both sales and marketing for over ten years. Everyone from stay-at-home parents to small-business owners can access her affordable and entertaining webinars and private monetization coaching. Using her trademarked Pitch & Pray™ method, Nicole will help you embrace the #monetizethyself™ mindset and realize your brand's fiscal goals.

• Key ingredients to get started on building momentum if you want to pursue speaking engagements
• Why it's always a good thing to get in front of a demographic that aligns with your audience
• What led Nicole to get a television development deal that will follow her entrepreneurial journey
• Why you should consider live streaming to your audience with controversial, relatable, or incredibly valuable content
• The power of being able to say no to things to get you where you want to be
• Why now is the time to launch a course if you've been wanting to get into that space
• Strategies to help you overcome fear & kick it to the curb
• How to improve the way you show up to others
• One strategy that you can use to build a solid platform for your business
• How to get to the next level if you're feeling stuck

• Website: www.nicolewalters.tv

• Fierce Clarity Course: myfierceclarity.com

Joe Vitale is President of Hypnotic Marketing, Inc., a marketing consulting firm and the author of many best-selling books, including "The Attractor Factor", ""Life's Missing Instruction Manual", "The Key", "Attract Money Now", "Zero Limits", and "The Secret Prayer!" He is also one of the stars of the hit movie "The Secret", featured as an expert on the Law of Attraction. Joe recently released The Secret Mirror program, helping thousands of people to attract their desires using his newly developed Mirror Technique.

• The definition of Hypnotic Marketing
• Why learning to be a good writer is critical to success
• How to use publicity to draw attention to your product or business
• Why you must clear your negative beliefs to achieve success
• The importance of having a business coach
• The value being part of a mastermind group can provide
• Why communication is a critical skill to master
• How you can help your business by thinking like a publicist
• Why you should combine offline media with online media for more impact

• Website: www.attractmoneynow.com

Rosalie Chamberlain specializes in maximizing talent and productivity within organizations. Her mission is helping organizations become inclusive environments where everyone has the opportunity to succeed and to help individuals become their best authentic self to lead effective careers and lives. You may remember Rosalie and the wisdom she shared during Episode 284. If you haven't listened to, studied, and applied all she shared during our first interview…I highly encourage you to add Episode 284 to your list of vital priorities.

• Letting go of self-judgement and negative self-talk
• The importance of assessing your fear
• The need to understand your biases and the beliefs you hold
• How your biases and beliefs have an impact on your decisions
• How having a vision board can help you reach your goals
• Why knowing your message is important
• Tips on how to apply to be a TEDx speaker
• What Rosalie's acronym for F.E.A.R. is
• How fear prevents us from recognizing privilege
• Why continual learning is important for business owners

• Website: www.rosaliechamberlainconsulting.com
• Twitter: @rosaliechamberl
• LinkedIn: Rosalie Chamberlain
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/rosaliechamberlainconsulting