Ponderings from the Perch

Join Priscilla McKinney, CEO and Momma Bird at Little Bird Marketing and Dan Leadbetter as she takes a pop quiz! Priscilla takes an awful lot of compliments from Dan right before he announces that he is going to shoot questions at her and put her on the spot! He collected questions from listeners and added some of his own. He starts with an easy pitch about what albums she would take if she were stranded on a deserted island. Once they finish discussing Freddy Mercury, they move on with the quiz. He moves on to ask about her most satisfying moments in business which include some highs and some lows interestingly enough. They discuss fears and inspirations and much, much more. Original theme music by the illustrious Leighton Cordell.

Join Priscilla McKinney, CEO and Momma Bird at Little Bird Marketing and Dan Leadbetter as they discuss the pros and cons of consulting. It seems these days there is a consultant for every kind of expertise needed and in some ways it can seem frivolous until that day you NEED that expertise and someone truly delivers thoughts, tools and concepts that help you take your business or personal life to the next level much more efficiently. They ask questions about what kinds of expertise would be worth loads of money. They talk about consultant experiences that are worth the money and which ones seem like a waste of money. They celebrate Michael Bolton's whole collection. Also, bonus advice: Don't watch the movie Office Space with your mother. Original theme music by the illustrious Leighton Cordell.

Join Priscilla McKinney, CEO and Momma Bird at Little Bird Marketing and Kathryn Budig. She is the author of "Aim True: Love Your Body, Eat Without Fear, Nourish Your Spirit, Discover True Balance!" She is a totally authentic and beautiful person demystifying good health, self love and whole body health. Priscilla gushes on and on about how amazingly stylized this book is and seriously wants you to buy multiple copies of this for all of your friends this year. THIS WILL MAKE YOU POPULAR. Kathryn Budig is an American yoga teacher. She authored the multiple books and writes regularly for publications including The Huffington Post and Yahoo! The recipes are also to die for! Be sure to check out her website about Aim True at http://kathrynbudig.com and tackle a great online course at http://www.mindbodygreen.com/classes/aim-true-21-day-journey. Original theme music by Chris Stewart.

Join Priscilla McKinney, CEO and Momma Bird at Little Bird Marketing and Dan Leadbetter as they discuss brand positioning statements. As companies step out into the market they seem to ask questions about how to position themselves, but as older companies morph over time they sometimes fail to come back to reviewing their brand positioning statement even as their company has completely changed and the people who they serve has changed. They grapple with the dilemma of how you figure out how you be totally true to the brand and WHERE a brand fits in the market. They discuss how the process truly help you understand who you BEST serve. They take an amazing digression into completely reviewing the Shoji Tabuchi Show playing in Branson, Missouri. Just for reference, Shoji Tabuchi is a Japanese American country music fiddler and singer who currently performs at his theater, The Shoji Tabuchi Theatre, in Branson, Missouri. Go figure. Original theme music by Chris Stewart. As promised, Dan Leadbetter's Brand Positioning Statement: I'm Dan Leadbetter, a professional emcee who will ignite the social vibe at your next event. I bring spontaneous humor and engaging observations to create a fun and comfortable atmosphere for your eventing. I kick corporate events up a notch with industry-specific humor. I also help causes struggling in obscurity deliver an effective fundraising event. I bring a fresh perspective to the issue that sparks conversation and ultimately compels the audience to open their wallets. Whether entertainment or infotainment, I am always a crowd pleaser.

Join Priscilla McKinney, CEO and Momma Bird at Little Bird Marketing as she interviews Dan Chiodo. He is the author of "Perfect Timing" a book about how to gain at least two hours each day through developing time saving strategies. As a Certified Mastermind Executive Coach (CMEC) he works with Fortune 500 companies and others to help them ask the best possible questions in order to create the best possible work. As a solopreneur he gives great advice about how to spin your greatest expertise into valuable services your clients will come back to you for time and time again. Included in this podcast are tips about listening, organizing, and maximizing your time in a way that help you carve out the life you want to lead. That is a topic that is near and dear to Priscilla's heart. Enjoy his practical and insightful tips and apply them to your life today. Learn more about Dan at www.impactbydan.com. Original theme music by Chris Stewart.

Join Priscilla McKinney, CEO and Momma Bird at Little Bird Marketing and Dan Leadbetter as they discuss the state of marketing. Every once in awhile someone will comment to me that they believe social media to be dead. On the contrary, it is alive and kicking. What seems to be more the issue is HOW people are using social media and WHY marketers are using it. This episode really focuses on the changes that are here to stay because of the major shift in the advertising world which is the dominance of the end-user. Gone are the days of prime time TV and big media buys in the local newspaper for many businesses. People are tuning out from content that interrupts and want their content when they want it, where they want it and on the device of their choosing. It is not that traditional media buys are dead, but that marketers must adapt. But simply adapting to a new medium or channel like Facebook is not enough. Companies who advertise there must still understand they are building their kingdom on leased land. Content marketing instead offers to build a platform where companies can engage with their clients in meaningful ways to garner direct connection to them. With effective email list building companies can choose whatever medium of the moment, but can still grow their list with lead generating efforts. In accordance with the prophecy, this leads to sales automation and lead nurturing, which this Momma Bird loves to talk about. And, as they say in the business, the original theme music by Chris Stewart.

Join Priscilla McKinney, Momma Bird and CEO at Little Bird Marketing as she talks with Mary Maru about website design, user experience and user interface and how they go hand in hand to create amazing design. As creative director of Mary Maru Design, she works with clients who are ready to make a significant impact on their overall marketing strategy with the help of her design and technical expertise. Check out her clean and beautiful aesthetic at www.marymaru.com. Once you see her work you'll completely walk away from the scatter shot approach to website design. They discuss the importance of company brand and message clarity as a successful part of any website build and marketing strategy. Mary gives some parting thoughts about trends in web design that will get you thinking maybe it's time for a new website for your business. By then end, you'll simply wonder when the champagne cart will be by to celebrate your success! Original theme music by Chris Stewart.

Join Priscilla McKinney, Momma Bird at Little Bird Marketing as she talks with Bari Tessler Linden, MA, Financial Therapist, Mentor Coach and Mama-preneur. Bari’s gentle, body-centered approach weaves together personal, couple, and creative entrepreneurial money teachings into one complete tapestry. She is the founder of The Art of Money: a global, year-long money school, which integrates Money Healing, Money Practices and Money Maps. Bari is also the Author The Art of Money: A Life-Changing Guide to Financial Happiness. Visit her website for a free offer and learn more about Bari at: http://baritessler.com/. Original theme music by Chris Stewart.

Join Priscilla McKinney, Momma Bird at Little Bird Marketing as she talks with Dan Leadbetter trends in website builds. The discuss what Priscilla is hearing from clients about their websites and how she challenges clients about their perception of their website. Even for clients who are not actually selling products a website is a tool. They discuss their biggest frustrations with websites that don't work, and especially those that don't work on your phone. She also is amazed by how many business owners don't even look at their own website and think critically about how it can be a tool to advance their business goals. She gets transparent about the changes they have made to the Little Bird Marketing website and how content marketing, lead generation and sales automation can be accomplished with an amazing website, coupled with a dynamic content marketing strategy. As with everything in marketing, Priscilla forces the client to come back to the WHY for building a website. They also discuss typical mistakes people make in website design. Original theme music by Chris Stewart.

Join Priscilla McKinney, Momma Bird at Little Bird Marketing as she talks with Dan Leadbetter about books they love. But before they get started you'll enjoy the BONUS STUNNING AUTOHARP INTRO by Priscilla herself and special whistling guest, Leighton Cordell. Once they stop relishing the goodness of her new autoharp, they discuss books and the general disdain Priscilla has for business books that gloss over self doubt and instead choose a revisionist history. They discuss the following books: How to Read a Book by Charles Van Doren and Mortimer J. Adler Cather in the Rye by J.D. Salinger Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger Thrive by Arianna Huffington Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun by Wess Roberts Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds by Carmine Gallo Presence: Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy Finish Big: How Great Entrepreneurs Exit Their Companies on Top by Bo Burlingham The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level by Gay Hendricks PhD The Martian by Andy Weir Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train Through China by Paul Theroux The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown The big ideas start flowing about addressing "upper limit problems" and what our reactions are when things aren't going well, or when things are just about to go REALLY well. These are amazing concepts to help in all aspects of your life.