Read to Lead Podcast

If you believe that an unlimited life, an unstoppable business, and perpetual happiness are all part of the “impossible dream” you haven’t met today’s guest.

Ever since she was a little girl, Dixie Gillaspie’s least favorite word was “can’t.” It still is, and she’s on a mission to prove that anything is possible, for anyone.

Her first love is working with entrepreneurs as a coach, consultant, muse, and firestarter. She’s good at seeing opportunities where other people see walls, navigating crossroads where other people see dead ends, and helping people connect their passion and purpose to create a powerful presence and increased profit.

Dixie is the author of Just Blow It Up: Firepower for Living an Unlimited Life, she contributes to Entrepreneur and Huffington Post and is a Senior Managing Editor for The Good Men Project.

To join our conversation, simply hit the play button below.

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In today’s episode, Dixie and I discuss:

The idea that creativity is often educated out of us, and what to do about it

The belief that long-lasting positive results cannot be achieved with negative reinforcement

Dealing with the mindset of, “but I can’t because…”

And much more!

This Episode is Sponsored By the Folks at UpDesk

Read to Lead is supported by UpDesk, helping you “take a stand” for your health.

One of the smartest decisions I’ve made this year is investing in a motorized standup desk.

UpDesk will ship your desk free anywhere inside the contiguous US.

Go to ReadtoLeadPodcast.com/desk and find the one right for you. Get healthy at work!

Dixie Gillaspie’s Latest Book

You can order your copy of Just Blow It Up: Firepower for Living an Unlimited Life right now!

The Just Blow It Up Book Trailer

Books Dixie Recommends

Supersurvivors: The Surprising Link Between Suffering and Success by David B. Feldman

The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea by Bob Burg and John David Mann

Dixie Gillaspie Resources

Chances are, everything you’ve learned about introverts, or what it means to be one, is wrong.

My guest today, Beth Buelow (pronounced BEE-loh), says that you don’t need to be loud and brash be be successful in business. In fact, the strengths and traits of the typical introvert lend themselves well to entrepreneurship, as well as “intrapreneurship” and a range of business roles.

Beth’s book, The Introvert Entrepreneur: Amplify Your Strengths and Create Success on Your Own Terms, is available for pre-order now.

In it, Beth addresses a wide range of topics, from managing fears and expectations and developing a growth mind-set, to networking, marketing, leadership skills, and community-building. Her book is filled with fresh insights and actionable advice.

To join our conversation, simply hit the play button below.

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In today’s episode, Beth and I discuss:

Some of the misconceptions society has about introverts

Tips for communicating with the introverts in your life

The introvert’s relationship with fear

And much more!

This Episode is Sponsored By the Folks at UpDesk

Read to Lead is supported by UpDesk, helping you “take a stand” for your health.

One of the smartest decisions I’ve made this year is investing in a motorized standup desk.

UpDesk will ship your desk free anywhere inside the contiguous US.

Go to ReadtoLeadPodcast.com/desk and find the one right for you. Get healthy at work!

Beth Buelow’s Latest Book

You can order your copy of The Introvert Entrepreneur: Amplify Your Strengths and Create Success on Your Own Terms right now!

Beth Buelow in Action

Books Beth Recommends

Feel the Fear…and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers

Please Understand Me: Character and Temperate Types by David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates

My guest today is a digital media innovator and pioneer in the music, video distribution, social media, and eCommerce space.

He is recognized as one of the world’s leading experts on disruption and innovation. He launches billion dollar businesses, transforms entire industries, revamps government institutions, and for over three decades continues to be at the forefront of global trends.

His name is Jay Samit and his book, Disrupt You!: Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovation, is my new favorite book of 2015…it’s that good!

Everyone from the Pope to the President calls on Jay help bring positive change in this era of endless innovation.

Jay says it starts with mindset. In other words, “you have everything you need to thrive; you just have to plan for the race of your life.”

To join our conversation, simply hit the play button below.

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In today’s episode, Jay and I discuss:

* The secret to thriving as a disruptor

* Why disruption has to be a part of your DNA if you want to be a successful company in the 21st Century

* What to do if you’re struggling to get a job or are ready to make a career transition

* And much more!

This Episode is Sponsored By the Folks at UpDesk

Read to Lead is supported by UpDesk, helping you “take a stand” for your health.

One of the smartest decisions I’ve made this year is investing in a motorized standup desk.

UpDesk will ship your desk free anywhere inside the contiguous US.

Go to ReadtoLeadPodcast.com/desk and find the one right for you. Get healthy at work!

Jay Samit’s Latest Book

You can order your copy of Disrupt You!: Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovation right now!

More on Disrupt You!

Books Jay Recommends

The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong by Raymond Hull

Vaporized: Solid Strategies for Success in a Dematerialized World by Robert Tercek

Jay Samit Resources

First off, let me say that the only reason I’ve been able to make it to 100 episodes is because you choose to listen. Thank you for being here each and every week.

It has been a real honor to have reached this milestone episode, but trust me when I say that narrowing this list to 10 of my conversations was about the single hardest thing I’ve ever done.

I’ve chosen my top 10 favorite moments, or lessons, from the first 100 episodes and count them down Casey Kasem-style.

If you have been helped personally or professionally from the wisdom shared here the last two-plus years, would you mind sharing this episode with your network. This episode should serve as a great slice of what the show has to offer.

Well, let’s get started. Without further ado, here they are (complete with time stamps). You can click the play button to listen. You can also scroll down to see the lesson shared and the author who shared it.

The Top 10 Leadership Lessons Learned After 100 Episodes

10: Invest in a career savings account. – Jon Acuff (3:15)

09: You cannot live to your full potential if you’re not surrounding yourself with people who are striving to live to their full potential. – Hal Elrod (6:10)

08: Don’t succumb to the curse of peripheral vision. – Todd Henry (7:39)

07: Don’t buy into the lie that grandiose ideas are reserved for a rare breed of people. – Dorie Clark (10:58)

06: Sometimes the best response you can offer as a leader…is no response at all. – Dana Perino (13:42)

05: Regarding mentors: “How do I find a mentor” is the wrong question to ask. – Jeff Goins (17:02)

04: Not knowing what you’re doing can actually aid you in doing it well. – Liz Wiseman (18:52)

03: Passion is not enough. – Chris Brogan (22:42)

02: It’s not what you know, it’s how fast you can learn. – Dan Miller (24:59)

01B: Stop thinking you have to please everyone. – Seth Godin (27:55)

01A: Do first. Believe second. – Seth Godin (29:56)

Today’s guest is serial entrepreneur and DuckDuckGo founder and CEO Gabriel Weinberg.

Gabriel, along with Justin Mares, has co-authored the brand new book Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth.

In it, he and his co-author lay out the 19 traction “channels” they’ve identified and a framework for testing the one that’s right for you and your company at any given time.

The great thing about this framework is, it doesn’t just apply to founders and startups. You can leverage the principles in this book to gain traction for your online course, your new side hustle you’ve been working on during the weekends, and just about any other scenario you can think of.

One of my favorite aspects of the book is Gabriel and Justin interviewed dozens of successful startup founders, analyzed their processes, and developed their framework from the data. In other words, their methods are proven to work. I think you’ll get a lot out of listening.

To join our conversation, simply hit the play button below.

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In today’s episode, Gabriel and I discuss:

* The simple three-step framework for unlocking explosive growth (whether a startup, an online course or side hustle)

* Some of the biggest mistakes to avoid when trying to gain traction

* How our natural biases can adversely impact our success

* And much more!

This Episode is Sponsored By SoFi

Read to Lead is supported by SoFi, a leading marketplace lender.

You could save thousands when you refinance your federal and private students loans at lower rates with SoFi.

Take advantage of a special $200 welcome bonus for Read to Lead listeners who refinance their student loans.

Go to SoFi.com/readtolead and find your rate online. Accelerate your success with a smarter loan.

Gabriel Weinberg’s Latest Book

You can order your copy of Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth right now!

More on Traction

Books Gabriel Recommends

Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions by Dan Ariely

The Outs...

Even if you don’t recognize today’s guest by name, chances are the title of his book is one you’ve heard mentioned again and again the last several years.

Bob Burg is the author of a half a dozen books! He is a sought-after speaker at company leadership and sales conferences. He regularly addresses audiences ranging in size from 50 to 16,000.

He’s shared the platform with notables including today’s top thought leaders, broadcast personalities, Olympic athletes and political leaders including a former United States President.

His best-known book is one he co-wrote with friend John David Mann and is a book that was originally released in 2007. It’s called The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea. It’s being re-released in a newly expanded edition and, at the time of this writing, is available for pre-order. It has, to date, sold over half a million copies and has been translated into 21 languages

To join our conversation, simply hit the play button below.

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In today’s episode, Bob and I discuss:

His insights on what he calls the 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success

Some of the misconceptions often associated with being a Go-Giver

Examples of successful Go-Givers in the real world

And much more!

This Episode is Sponsored By SoFi

Read to Lead is supported by SoFi, a leading marketplace lender.

You could save thousands when you refinance your federal and private students loans at lower rates with SoFi.

Take advantage of a special $200 welcome bonus for Read to Lead listeners who refinance their student loans.

Go to SoFi.com/readtolead and find your rate online. Accelerate your success with a smarter loan.

Bob Burg’s Latest Book

You can order your copy of The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea right now!

More on The Go-Giver

Books Bob Recommends

The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino

The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason

I’ve had more requests about interviewing today’s guest that anyone else I can think of.

Brian Tracy is the author of more than 50 books! In addition to author, he is a speaker, and entrepreneur, business coach and a CEO. His goal is to help  you achieve your personal and business goals faster and easier than you ever thought possible.

If you’re like everyone else, you have too much to do and too little time to do it. Problem is, that’s not going to change. Brian helps you get clear on what is really important so that you can spend more time doing the things that matter and less time on the things that don’t.

His latest book is his second co-written with his daughter Christina Stein. It’s called Find Your Balance Point: Clarify Your Priorities, Simplify Your Life, and Achieve More. It’s a delightful read and comes in at just 94 pages (more business books could benefit from brevity in my humble opinion).

To join our conversation, simply hit the play button below.

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In today’s episode, Brian and I discuss:

The importance of identifying your values (and how to do it)

Why putting your own happiness ahead of others is the right thing to do

How to effectively set and accomplish your most important goals

And much more!

This Episode is Sponsored By SoFi

Read to Lead is supported by SoFi, a leading marketplace lender.

You could save thousands when you refinance your federal and private students loans at lower rates with SoFi.

Take advantage of a special $200 welcome bonus for Read to Lead listeners who refinance their student loans.

Go to SoFi.com/readtolead and find your rate online. Accelerate your success with a smarter loan.

Brian Tracy’s Latest Book

You can order your copy of Find Your Balance Point right now!

Books Brian Recommends

The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande

Eat that Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy

In my work in the corporate world for over 25 years (most of it in radio), one thing I feel I never quite got the hang of, let alone mastered, was the hiring process.

Now, I’ve hired my share of employees over the years but, for reasons I don’t fully understand, I received little if any training in this area. I never felt comfortable with the process, and relied on my gut instinct more than anything. In other words, I guessed.

Sometimes I guessed right, other times not so much. If only I had a manual to help walk me through the process step-by-step. Something that outlined the pitfalls to avoid, the questions to ask, the signs to look for.

Well, there’s good news for you. Jim Roddy has written that book. It’s called Hire Like You Just Beat Cancer. I know, weird title. But there’s a fascinating story that goes with it, and one you’ll no doubt enjoy and learn from. Click the play button below to join our conversation.

Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

In today’s episode, Jim and I discuss:

* What cancer taught him about the importance of hiring the right people

* The four main areas we need to evaluate effectively to determine if a candidate is a good match for our company

* Why the mantra, “When in doubt, schedule another interview” is the right one

* And plenty more!

This Episode is Sponsored By SoFi

Read to Lead is supported by SoFi, a leading marketplace lender.

You could save thousands when you refinance your federal and private students loans at lower rates with SoFi.

Take advantage of a special $200 welcome bonus for Read to Lead listeners who refinance their student loans.

Go to SoFi.com/readtolead and find your rate online. Accelerate your success with a smarter loan.

Jim Roddy’s Latest Book

You can order your copy of Hire Like You Just Beat Cancer right now!

Books Jim Recommends

Mother Teresa: The Essential Wisdom by Carol Kelly-Gangi

The E-Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

D...

If you’ve listened to Read to Lead for any length of time, you’ve likely gathered that I’m a bit fascinated by a couple of topics in particular.

One is what I like to call the evolving world of work. The work landscape is changing rapidly. Studies show that, in the future, those working in traditional jobs will actually be in the minority. Industry after industry is being disrupted by entrepreneurs and their computers.

The other topic that fascinates me is this new world’s impact on our educational system. Today’s colleges simply can’t keep up with these exponential changes. Most of what is being taught in college today will be obsolete within 5 years.

Taylor’s new book The End of Jobs: Money, Meaning and Freedom Without the 9 to 5 tackles both of these issues and more. If you long to get a handle on this new world and do all you can to prepare for it, don’t miss our conversation. Simply hit the play button below.

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In today’s episode, Taylor and I discuss:

The transition we’re experiencing from a “knowledge” economy to an entrepreneurship economy and what it means

Why globalization and technology are affecting, not just low-skilled jobs, but even highly-credentialed jobs

The issue of the rising cost of college with the simultaneous decrease in the relevance of a degree, and what to do about it…

And much more!

This Episode is Sponsored By SoFi

Read to Lead is supported by SoFi, a leading marketplace lender.

You could save thousands when you refinance your federal and private students loans at lower rates with SoFi.

Take advantage of a special $200 welcome bonus for Read to Lead listeners who refinance their student loans.

Go to SoFi.com/readtolead and find your rate online. Accelerate your success with a smarter loan.

Taylor Pearson’s Latest Book

You can order your copy of The End of Jobs: Money, Meaning and Freedom Without the 9 to 5 right now!

Books Taylor Recommends

The Dalio Principles (PDF) by Ray Dalio

Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Taleb

Recently, I had the opportunity to speak at the Podcast Movement conference. It was easily one of the best conferences I’ve ever attended. Hard to believe it’s only in its second year.

It was an honor to share the stage with some pretty big names! And though I’d like to believe I bring my “A” game every time, finding myself in this group would require me to pull out all the stops.

Thankfully, my speaking opportunities have increased considerably in the two years since launching this podcast, giving me the chance to hone my skills on smaller stages.

Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | RSS

In today’s episode, I cover:

How I gather and organize my presentation content

Leveraging Canva to create your slides and wow your audience

The importance of placing emphasis on images over text

And a lot more!

This Episode is Sponsored By SoFi

Read to Lead is supported by SoFi, a leading marketplace lender.

You could save thousands when you refinance your federal and private students loans at lower rates with SoFi.

Take advantage of a special $200 welcome bonus for Read to Lead listeners who refinance their student loans.

Go to SoFi.com/readtolead and find your rate online. Accelerate your success with a smarter loan.

Over the last four to five years, I’ve read my share of presentation-related books and blog posts to further refine my approach, not to mention the experts whose advice you and I have benefitted from here on the show (some of whom have written books on the topic, and many others whom I’ve asked to share their best presentation tips).

Content is Key, But…

Content is key, of course, but where I find many people get stuck is when they attempt to translate that content to slides. It can be a tedious process for some, but it happens to be one I thoroughly enjoy. I’d like to believe my passion has helped me get pretty good at it.

Since delivering my Podcast Movement presentation, I’ve received a number of questions about how I attack the process. If you’d like to improve your presentation preparation process and have attendees buzzing about your talk afterwards, I encourage you to employ these simple but effective tips and techniques.

Start With An Outline

A key first step in preparing any talk is developing an outline. Surprising as it might sound, I find most people never bother to do this. I am guilty in the past of only developing my main points before moving on to creating my slides. I strongly recommend, however, that you fully flesh out your entire talk, including your supporting points, before you even entertain the idea of slides. The benefits are numerous.

First, an outline helps give you a birds-eye view of your talk throughout the entire process. I’ve found an outline to be by far the best way to lay out my talk than any other method I’ve tried (Post-It Notes anyone?).

To do this,