Onward Nation

Lori Jones is the President and CEO of Avocet Communications and brings top retail, consumer product, business-to-business and nonprofit organizations knowledge and experience in all aspects of integrated marketing to clients. Her experience with Fortune 500 brands and entrepreneurial start-ups, enables her to contribute a keen understanding of the intricacies today's businesses. Lori is also the host of the brilliant podcast, Integrate and Ignite, recently launched on iTunes and soaring up the charts. You may also remember Lori and the wisdom she shared during episode 130 of Onward Nation. If you haven't listened to, studied, and applied all that Lori shared during our first interview…we highly encourage you to add episode 130 to your list of vital priorities.

Lori gets up at about 4 AM, gets some of the things off of her desk that she was not able to complete the previous day, does some heavy thinking for the day, and wakes up her children -- cherish the important moments. ONWARD!

"Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon." - Paul Brandt

There are personal, business, and mentorship forms of success -- and Lori shares how she defines the three kinds in the episode.

Lori reflects on pros and cons of a situation with pen and paper and then takes 24 hours to think about it -- and Lori tells the reasons why here.

1. Work on a personal brand to differentiate yourself from the competition
2. Develop a brand manifesto

• Twitter: @LoriJones
• Email: [email protected]

Aaron Anastasi is a serial entrepreneur with online businesses such as Superior Songwriting Method, Singing Success, and the internationally recognized, Superior Singing Method, an online singing lesson program that grosses seven-figures annually. Aaron has the #1 singing / life lesson channel on YouTube and has over 11.5 million organic views and over 130 thousand subscribers total on his three channels. Aaron is also a prominent success coach for clients in industry-leading roles, ranging from film directors to marine biologists to TEDx speakers. His new book, The Voice of Your Dreams, was released in April 2016 and reached Amazon's top 100 best sellers within the first week of release.

Aaron starts his day with meditation -- go over examples that refute the lies you tell yourself. ONWARD!

Give yourself time to refresh throughout the day -- Aaron goes into his walk-in closet to renew his mindset.

Aaron launched a product to zero customers -- and Aaron tells the whole story here.

"Commitment and tenacity."

"You can be 30 years old with a degree or you can be 30 years old without a degree."

I would have had an assistant sooner.

Keep your vision front and center and rehearse it every day.

1. Ask yourself how you can contribute the most
2. Find and hone your voice
3. Get a coach

• Website: thevoiceofyourdreams.com
• Twitter: @AaronAnastasi
• Instagram: @AaronAnastasi
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/aaronanastasi

Stephen is the CEO of Predictive ROI and the host of the Onward Nation podcast. He is the author of two bestselling books, speaker, trainer, and his digital marketing insights have been featured in SUCCESS, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and other media.

Good Morning Onward Nation…I'm Stephen Woessner. I hope you are having a wonderful week — a week filled with new opportunities in your business, new relationships personally and professionally, and yes, I even hope you have experienced some challenges along your path this week, too.

Why?

Because it is through the challenges that you are given the opportunity — the blessing — to grow, to make changes, and to learn. It is through the challenges — even the fiercest of obstacles that try to impede you on your path — that is when you are truly tested – and success is right at your doorstep.

You will grow the most, Onward Nation, when you are pushed to your limits — when you are…stress-tested. When I think about my darkest times as a business owner — or — when I think back to how when I was in the Air Force and situations sometimes went from bad to worse while I was working on a nuclear missile silo in South Dakota — I never quit — but more importantly — I looked at those challenges as opportunities to learn, grow, and oftentimes improve the system.

But part of being able to push through the challenges and achieve success as has more to do with our mindset than external factors. It is your belief system – what you believe you can do that will largely determine if you succeed or fail.

Your belief system – Onward Nation – is a complex interwoven network of inputs – your experiences – the people you spend the most time with – and so on. But there is one voice you hear and listen to most often – and this voice is the one that has the greatest amount of influence over your belief system.

And that one voice is yours Onward Nation. You speak to you more often throughout the day – consciously or unconsciously – than anyone else.

Your voice is the one that helps create beliefs, destroy previously held beliefs, and sets the trajectory of your life.

So it matters how you talk to yourself every day, Onward Nation.

And let's dive in.

Ford Saeks is the president & CEO of Prime Concepts Group. Ford's extensive background in the business world and the Internet provides his clients with a unique advantage. His practical marketing approach and proven strategies have been applied across a wide range of industries and applications. He has successfully founded 10 companies, received three U.S. Patents, sold millions in sales, and is the genius behind many successful ventures. He has helped thousands of people improve results, monetize their websites, leverage social media, and expand market share. He is an entrepreneur in every sense.

Ford uses Act to block time -- use a CRM that fits you to save yourself time. ONWARD!

What you focus on you attract -- Ford starts every day with positive messages.

Ford marketed an event for a year and only sold 65 tickets -- and Ford tells the whole story here.

1. Create a "dream board" of what you want to do, have, and become
2. Create a success library
3. Only surround yourself with quality people
4. Make sure you take time for yourself

• Text "superpower" to 33444 for a special bonus
• Website: www.primeconcepts.com
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/primeconcepts

Nicole Walters quit her 6-figure, 9 to 5 corporate job LIVE in front of 10,000 people on Periscope...and six months later...she built a million dollar business while teaching others how to monetize their passions. Monetize Thyself™ Nicole is creating a transformative lifestyle brand that offers online training courses, consulting, mentorship, networking, and a full suite of resources to help everyday people -- brands -- and leaders -- realize their full potential.

Nicole uses the tool Wunderlist -- use the tools that exist to make your life easier. ONWARD!

Talk to your audience -- Nicole starts her day with social media.

Nicole scrapped her product and redid it before launching -- and Nicole tells the whole story here.

"Listen to your audience -- and -- be responsive."

"You don't need to listen to everything -- listen to what speaks to you."

I would have had ran surveys right from the beginning.

You need to use multivariate beta testing within your team.

If you're having trouble selling something:

1. Fix how you're selling something
2. Fix what you're selling

• Website: www.nicolewalters.tv
• Twitter: @NapturalNicole

Coach Jim Johnson developed winning high-school basketball teams for 30 years, taking over three losing varsity programs and turning them into winners in short periods of time. Of his 428 career victories, one in particular will surely never be duplicated. On February 15, 2006, Coach Johnson made the kind-hearted gesture of inserting his autistic manager, Jason McElwain, now known to the world as J-Mac, into Greece Athena High School's final home game, which the Trojans won 79-43. J-Mac scored 20 points in just over four minutes, including six three-point baskets, to become an instant national celebrity. Since that night in February, Coach Johnson has made a number of radio and television appearances, including the Oprah Winfrey and Jim Rome shows to tell this incredible story. Coach Johnson has retired from teaching and is now a professional speaker focusing on teamwork, goal setting leading by example.

Jim studies success and leadership -- you have to make life a study. ONWARD!

Have a specific morning routine -- Jim starts his day off with a nutritious breakfast and then takes the time to pray, writes down his 17 goals, reads, exercises, and listens to educational and inspirational audio.

Jim had anarchy amongst the parents of his basketball team -- and Jim tells the whole story here.

"Know what you're all about -- and master the art of sales."

"You have to live your life with integrity."

I would have had systems for leading to new opportunities following speaking engagements.

Be clear on your mission and vision -- and then attract those are passionate about your vision.

An individual would believe in the same values that you do.

1. Be clear on what you're all about
2. Come up with routines and disciplines that you can do on a daily basis
3. Continue to grow as a person

• Website: coachjimjohnson.com

Kelly Hatfield is co-founder of Enginuity Advantage based in Everett, Washington. She has been in the recruiting and HR field for 20-years and loves serving others. Kelly and her business partner have built three successful companies with the purpose of helping others succeed and delivering remarkable results. Kelly and her team strategically align themselves as "The Partner of Choice" with clients and strive to be the first place clients call when they are looking for extraordinary service, quality, and reliability. The result outcome has been an outstanding referral network that has built and continues to build their companies. h3>Secret – timesaving technique Kelly plans tomorrow today -- you can't sleepwalk through your day. ONWARD!

Appreciate what you have -- Kelly starts her day with gratitude.

Kelly's most challenging time was the first two years of her business -- and Kelly tells the whole story here.

"Be really, really open-minded."

"Anything you set your mind to, you will be successful at."

I would have implemented our onboarding system sooner.

Start with the end in mind -- and start with your vision.

An individual would focus on building relationships -- not the sale.

1. Know your why
2. Be clear about your vision and direction
3. Focus on sales and marketing

• Email: [email protected]

Stephen is the CEO of Predictive ROI and the host of the Onward Nation podcast. He is the author of two bestselling books, speaker, trainer, and his digital marketing insights have been featured in SUCCESS, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and other media.

Good Morning Onward Nation…I'm Stephen Woessner. And thank you for taking the time to be here this morning…and for all the support, the encouragement, and the notes letting us know how we can improve and deliver even more value.

I appreciate the feedback so very much.

Each week — we receive virtual high fives, thumbs up, posts on Facebook, Tweets, LinkedIn messages, and emails letting us know how much Onward Nation means to you as well as the value delivered by the incredible transparent lessons learned shared by our rock star guests.

I want you to know that my team and I are deeply committed to our mission and purpose of sharing practical and tactical insights you need in order to think, act, and achieve like today's top business owners — so you can move your business onward to that next level.

So thank you, again, Onward Nation — it is an honor to be here with you — just 2 days after July 4th — a day for us to remember how fortunate and blessed we are to live in a free country — where we can chart our own course — where we can be a business owner if we choose to be — and where we can create the life of our dreams…if we just have the grit, the persistence, the tenacity, and the courage to do so.

Thank you also for helping us celebrate our recent 1-year anniversary. Episode 258 on June 15th with Wendy Keller as our great guest marked 12 full months of Onward Nation…and what started as our mission to help business owners here in the United States…quickly spread globally.

In fact, two of our early guests, Afraa Zammam in Episode 9 and Albrecht Behmel in Episode 12— both business owners from Germany — started our international expansion, which has grown steadily to the point that our episodes are listened to in 91 countries around the world. 91!

So thank you, Onward Nation — thank you for everything.

It is hard for me to express just how much these last 12-months have meant to my team and me. To be able to see our hard work provide so much value is rewarding.

And…it is especially rewarding to me because I know the backstory…the story of how Onward Nation almost never happened.

This dream of ours almost never got off the ground.

The concept of Onward Nation could have vanished before it ever started — if — I would have let FEAR cheat us out of our full potential.

So for today's solocast, I am going to take you deep behind the green curtain of Onward Nation — and — deep behind my personal green curtain by sharing Onward Nation's startup story — it is a story about fear, about procrastination, perseverance, and then success — but — FEAR could have derailed Onward Nation from launching or from becoming a top-ranked business podcasts that it is today.

Stephen Christopher is the founder of Seequs Marketing Technologies, a web marketing firm designed to help business owners achieve results they never thought possible. Before starting Seequs, Stephen started and ran several other award-winning businesses. One of which was a mortgage company from 2004 to 2008. With the crash of the mortgage industry in 2008, he learned what it's like to go from profitable to over $100,000 in debt overnight. From this failure, he learned more about business than any school or program could ever teach. Since then he has become an avid student of personal and business development and his number one focus is helping businesses thrive.

Stephen uses a daily tracker that tracks his 3 big daily wins, his daily "aha's," and his daily accomplishments -- the power of forward progress is amazing. ONWARD!

Be very deliberate with where you spend your time -- Stephen monitors his minutes.

Stephen's partners weren't working as hard as him -- and Stephen tells the whole story here.

"Be persistent -- don't let anything get in your way."

"We have the power to choose to focus on the positive instead of the negative."

I would have painted a clear vision and had a niche focus for my business.

1. Know your why
2. Remember that fear is fake

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: bizrevolution.com
• Stephen's Daily Success Tracker

Greg Kaplan is a college application strategist and author of Earning Admission: Real Strategies for Getting into Highly Selective Colleges. Greg focuses on empowering families to develop their children's high-value skills, interests, and passions and market the value they would bring to colleges. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business and UC Irvine School of Law, where he received almost a full tuition scholarship.

Greg writes down today the tasks he needs to accomplish tomorrow -- go to bed with a plan. ONWARD!

Take the time to invest in your health and happiness -- Greg works out early every morning.

Greg didn't launch well and considered backing out -- and Greg tells the whole story here.

"Be flexible and understand the changing market."

"Cash flow is key."

I would have had reached out for more support.

Never lose sight of the forest through the trees -- keep the big picture in mind.

An individual would have perspective that I don't have.

1. Be flexible and open-minded about collaboration and outsourcing

• Website: www.earningadmission.com
• Twitter: @Greg_Earn_Admsn