The LIFE WORKS Podcast - Lessons From the Trenches of Life & Business

We’re living in a time of converging crises amid a pandemic, economic uncertainty, cries for social justice, riots, insurrections, and a frontline battle of truth and misinformation. We’re living in a time where the media itself, has become as much of the focus as the news it covers.

Mimi Geerges is a veteran broadcaster in TV and Radio, She was the Host and Executive Producer of the “The Mimi Geerges Show”, which was aired nationally for almost 16 years on SiriusXM Radio and PBS. Her show featured some of the most influential Washington DC power brokers, as well as leaders and luminaries from around the world. Mimi is also the Founder and President of Papyrus Media Group. In this interview, we discuss how the media really works from a real media insider. Does the media have its own agenda, or are they giving us EXACTLY what we want? YOU decide.

TIME CUTS

00:00 Converging crises, the Media, and introducing Mimi02:11 Mimi’s transition from an engineering job to nationwide broadcasting05:31 About The Mimi Geerges Show06:42 How the Middle East has changed in the last 10 years08:44 Israel normalizes relationships with UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan09:38 Why the show was eventually discontinued10:06 What Mimi learned from 16 years in broadcasting?11:08 Mimi’s view on the government, government leadership, and the country as a whole?12:51 The Media Agenda14:00 What news should we listen to?14:52 News Imposters15:10 How to be a savvy media consumer16:03 The real customer of the media17:00 Does The Media have a liberal bias?17:53 How The Media prioritizes news stories19:10Mimi’s reaction to all the recent news (e.g., The Contentious Election, The Capitol Riots)21:40 Is someone like Donald Trump good for The Media?23:08 The United States reputation on the world stage today24:37 Mimi’s two secrets of success25:02 Mimi’s most important lesson you’ve ever learned either in life or in business?25:34 Mimi’s one piece of advice to the world25:47 What Mimi learned from interviewing Former NY Governor, Mario Cuomo26:24 Where to find and connect with Mimi online

To follow Mimi

https://www.youtube.com/user/TheMimiGShow

To follow Mark

https://linktr.ee/markbotros

Podcast Music Credit

* Intro – “Invisible Forces” (Videvo)* Outro – “Don’t Turn Back” – Silent Partner (Youtube Audio Library)

Photo and Media Credit*

* ALB* Aluhut* All-free-downloads* Connor Danylenko* Eugene Vasilevich* Joseph Eulo* Melissa Cofie* Mimi Gereges* PBS* Rodnae Productions* SiriusXM* Pexels* Videezy* Videevo

*Out of respect for the artists, we made a genuine attempt to appropriately source and cite all media used incur videos. Where an artist was unnamed, we simply cited the site where the item came from. If a piece of media was not sourced or cited appropriately, please let us know in a direct message, and we will be sure to add the appropriate credit.

Kip Knight is in the top echelon of marketing leader in the world. Kip’s phenomenal career spans decades in senior marketing and C-Suite roles for Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo, KFC, eBay, and H&R Block. He’s even been a consultant to the Whitehouse. Today he’s an operating partner with Thomvest, a Venture Capital firm in Silicon Valley, among many other pursuits.

In 2019, he co-wrote the book “Crafting Persuasion” (Crafting Persuasion book cover) with Bob Pearson (Another guest of our show). In this book, they outline the secret sauce of high-impact marketing ampaigns.

Kip has launched and led some of the worlds most well-known brands. Get an insider’s look at company brands and the perception they create, as we dive into “How Marketing Really Works”

TIME JUMPS FOR THE BUSY AND OVERCOMMITTED

02:02 The Chihuahua Sacrifice03:39 What is a brand and what makes a good brand?05:08 The CMO’s Job06:23 What brands are really doing well right now in your mind?07:39 What brands that should be concerned right now?08:38 The marketing landscape today vs 25 years ago10:22 Why Kip co-wrote the book, “Crafting Persuasion”12:14 The call from the White House14:13 The ABCDE model for marketing and outreach campaigns16:14 The HIGH price organizations WILL pay if they didn’t follow the model as outlined17:40 Marketing Missteps and 100,000 TV commercials later19:50 Kips favorite campaigns21:27 Post-Mortem of a particular ad that failed spectacularly23:42 Marketing misconceptions26:00 The biggest piece of advice Kip would offer CMOs (Chief Marketing Officers) and their C-suites.27:50 Kip’s marketing advice to younger companies in his venture capital portfolio30:09 The critical role of data32:34 Kip’s next book35:31 Speed Round43:55 Kip’s one secret to his success46:38 Kip’s final thoughts48:12 Where to connect with Kip

HASHTAGS

#tacobell #yoquierotacobell #dropthechalupa #brands #branding #marketing #communications #strategy #CMOs #apple #gamestop #trends #craftingpersuasion #bobpearson #thewhitehouse #nsc #abcde #commercials #campaigns #failure #success #advice #lessonslearned #pepsi #csuites #venturecapital #data #dataanalytics #linkedin

To connect with Kip Knight

Websites: https://www.thomvest.com and https://www.cmocoaches.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kipknight/Email: [email protected]

To connect with Mark Botros

https://markabotros.comYouTube – https://www.youtube.com/user/markbotrosInstagram: @markabotrosTwitter: @markbotrosFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/Email: [email protected] LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Music Credit(s)

Intro: “Vikings” – Aakash GhandiOutro: “Don’t Turn Back” – Silent Partner

Photo and Media Credit(s)

Kip KnightPexels.comKetut SubiyantoAaron KittredgeJose FranciscoKhaled HossainMikhail NilovMartin Pechy

Maureen Kures spent 35 years as an oncology, hospice, and ICU nurse. This specialized work has given Maureen a unique perspective on life and death. She has seen first-hand the devastation that can happen when families aren’t prepared for death. So she decided to devote herself full time to helping families to prepare more proactively, and cope more positively with the transition of a loved one.

TIME CUTS FOR THE BUSY AND OVER-COMMITTED 😉

01:54 COVID-19 and Western society’s attitude toward death02:26 The hardest part about death02:53 Misconceptions about death03:21 What motivated Maureen to become and “end-of” Life Coach04:51 The unprepared family08:05 The big problem Maureen is trying to solve08:20 A history lesson on death in our society…but today…09:22 Some prompts to start conversations about end of life planning10:54 The attitude of people who are dying11:48 Maureen’s surprising call from her father14:09 On his death bed one hospice patient shares his deepest regrets and fears15:36 The regrets of the dying16:28 A healthy grieving process18:14 How the media presents death, and we need to see death19:23 The benefits of having a plan, and actually talking about “end of life”20:45 What is a Life Review?21:54 How Maureen stays positive and hopeful in a career with so much death23:17 How important is mindset / attitude as we go through a “negative” diagnosis prognosis?24:09 Cultures that celebrate death in a healthy and beautiful way25:07 Why it’s important to prepare for death27:30 The biggest mistake families make when dealing with a sudden health crisis or death30:29 Comfort for families with a hospitalized, COVID-infected family member33:16 The good thing that has been overlooked in media coverage34:18 The age it’s appropriate to start end-of-life planning36:31 End-of-life Insurances36:43 The Checklist – Getting our affairs in order38:43 The value of having an “End-of” Life Coach39:54 Speed Round41:00 Why Regret is unnecessary41:57 Maureen’s secret of her success, greatest lesson, one piece of advice for the world, and what she wants most for her life43:33 Maureen’s final thoughts45:19 Where to find Maureen Kures

TAGS AND HASH-TAGS

#death #dying #covid #preparation #regrets #life #lifeReview #lifeInsurance #radiantmourning #advice #culture #health #endofLife #celebrate #Celebration #LifeCelebration #GoOutWithABang #Healthcare #LessonsLearned #enlightenment #mistakes #benefits #hospice #cancer #crisis #peace #peacefultransition #lifeworks #beautifuldeath

To connect with Maureen:

Website: https://radiantmourning.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/radiant-mourning/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/radiantmourning

To connect with Mark Botros:

https://markabotros.comInstagram: @markabotrosTwitter: @markbotrosFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/Email: [email protected] LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Music Credit:

* Intro: Ester Abrami, “No. 4 Piano Journey”* Outro: Silent Partner, “Don’t Turn Back”

Photo and Media Credit(s):

* Cole Keister* Matthias Groeneveld* Tima Miroshnichenko* Top Way* Pexels

5 Ways to Develop Resilience for Tough Talks and Other Tough Things

One of my observations of our current society is that we have lost the sense of thick skin that I feel we used to have. There is such a heightened sense of political correctness and hypersensitivity, that we have created “safe spaces” and have new labels like “micro-aggression” to insulate us from what someone would have called “direct communication” just 5 or 10 years ago.

Joseph Jaffe is a serial entrepreneur, master provocateur, innovator, and author of 5 best-selling books including his latest, “Built to Suck”. He has been featured on CBS, ABC, Bloomberg, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Fortune, Newsweek, and many others. Joseph says that every company and even every industry sucks and is destined to fall. He says that the key to success is to SUCK LESS. He has a solution, but for those who are smart enough to listen. 

In this episode:

01:37 Joseph is the prophet of the coming Corpapocalypse01:55 The 4 Horsemen of the Corpapocalypse02:05 Joseph at 14 years old03:55 Joseph’s dream as a child, and his epiphany04:50 Joseph meets his heroes and idols07:52 What younger Joseph would tell older Joseph of today09:01 Joseph gets laid off…and it changed everything10:33 Joseph gets laid off…again…but this time he was ready to pivot12:38 The CoronaTV Story18:18 Some of CoronaTV’s Guests19:56 What Joseph has been learning from CoronaTV21:34 Things that surprised Joseph from CoronaTV24:24 Enjoy it time now, we may never have it again24:57 Validation and true perception of reality25:45 Are people really ready for Inclusivity, fairness, common threads, and adaptation?26:50 Those who didn’t change during COVID27:44 Why Joseph wrote “Built to Suck”31:56 What about Apple, Google, Amazon, and Disney – are they inevitable?33:44 The kiss of death for a company is…34:16 The keys to thrival…they sound crazy36:28 What companies can do to get a real sense of where they are38:58 The key sign of the “point of no return”40:11 Where is the “rot” in companies that suck? + How you sell this to all your stakeholders42:20 Joseph’s biggest [unfounded] fear43:22 “Speed Round”45:35 Joseph’s formula for success45:57 Joseph’s greatest lesson46:54 Joseph’s dream for his life48:10 Joseph’s final thoughts – make use of this time + the greatest piece of advice ever49:34 An incredible insight about virtual connection50:22 Where to find Joseph online

To connect with Joseph

Website: https://josephjaffe.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaffejuice/You can also find Joseph on CoronaTV every day 2PM Eastern on LinkedIN

To connect with Mark Botros

https://markabotros.comInstagram: @markabotrosTwitter: @markbotrosFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/Email: [email protected] LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Podcast Music Credit

“Don’t Turn Back” – Silent Partner“The Awakening” – Patrick Patrikios

Photo / Media Credit

VICE NewsMicah Williams

Mike Sarraille is an Ex-Navy Seal. George Randle is a Ex- US Army Officer. Together they are on a mission to take on one of today’s most critical issues in the workplace – the assessment, selection, development – and deployment of Talent. Drawing on decades of experience in the special forces and working with elite organizations, they outline the problem in their new book “The Talent War”. Mike and George say that many organizations are already losing this war, and as a result they are not only losing their best people, but losing competitive advantage, market share, and ultimately are in danger of going out of business. But they also say there is a solution for those who are willing to listen.

In this Interview:

02:03 An Ex-Navy Seal’s opinion on the Capitol Riots04:45 What does it take to become a Navy seal?”08:03 “Their hiring process is the most robust behavioral interview in the world, that no company can replicate “08:46 “The training is designed to make sure everyone fails”08:53 “There’s so many things the business world misses out on that they could learn from the military”10:00 “The enemy get to vote much like your competition…”11:16 Why Mike and George wrote the Talent War?12:40 “oh no HR is a revenue generator”13:24 The greatest force in the world14:28 “we’re pretty damn good”15:03 “Enterprise is the basis of our American democracy”15:39 “America that’s pretty damn awesome”15:46 what’s a special about Special Operations Forces?16:19 “We’ve gotten very good at selecting people based on their potential, not industry experience”18:21 The core attribute needed by every position18:55 Talent Profiles19:19 The surprising difference between industry and Special Operations hiring21:02 Why does industry default to industry experience to select high performers?22:23 This is the kind of person you want to hire22:50 The Talent Mindset23:53 Quality is more important than quantity24:11 Yes, but will it scale at an enterprise level? The surprising answer25:24 The thing every business leader wants, but is also wildly problematic27:41 Hiring advice for every company and organization28:40 Are you a Talent Magnet? Here’s the litmus test30:05 When you make your people a priority this is what happens30:19 How to change culture to adopt a Talent Mindset30:30 A case study – Netflix vs. Enron (i.e., Netflix culture deck)31:51 Your Talent is judging your culture too32:20 Counterintuitive advice if you take a bad job with a bad culture33:02 if you have a toxic culture that lacks ethics…you reap what you sew33:43 Example of failed companies…even Amazon isn’t safe34:45 Succession planning (industry vs. the military approaches)37:20 “The military is the greatest leadership training program there is”37:29 “MBA programs do not produce leaders, they produce business practitioners”38:25 Hire for character and train for skill41:00 IQ is not necessarily a predictor of high performance45:50 Murder Boards and useful hiring pro-tips48:17 A surprising, underused, and valuable approaches to behavioral interviewing49:11 The problems with traditional hiring51:02 What’s the next action after reading “The Talent War”52:01 The war that can’t be won52:34 Mike’s secret to his success53:58 Mike’s greatest lesson54:22 “run towards the sounds of gun fire”55:39 Mike’s one piece of advice to the world56:45 Where to connect with Mike

4 Steps To Start Your Week Even When You’re Not Ready

Have you ever felt the “Sunday Night Dread”? The “Sunday Night Dread” is a phrase I coined to express the feeling you get every Sunday night before going into work on Monday morning. It’s that feeling of not looking forward to what you’re going to face the next day.

Col. Tom Connally, is a retired United States Marine Corps officer; He’s the Founder and President of Connally Consulting; and the author of the breakthrough leadership book, “Becoming a Leader – A Roadmap for my Daughter and the Aspiring Leader”. In this episode he teaches us everything we need to know about being an effective and successful leader.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS INTERVIEW

01:22 Col. Tom’s Backstory07:58 What is a leader vs what is a manager?10:28 Overview of key concepts in the book, “Becoming a Leader”12:38 The #1 thing you can for your people as a leader14:23 “Chaplin” Connally17:06 Leadership is an apprenticed vocation17:37 How leaders build culture17:57 Leadership is contextual18:51 Personal Leadership – We need to lead ourselves first21:43 Passions get you in a ditch real fast22:44 You need more than goals – you need these as well23:53 you can’t choose what kind of leader you need to be25:54 Most battles are lost by commanders who give, not when they are beaten27:28 When our will is strongest28:52 What causes us to follow other people?29:57 4 types of leaders (Competence and Character)31:37 Are you supposed to be the leader?33:04 Do bad leaders out number the good ones?35:19 The misconceptions about Leadership35:52 Can anyone lead?37:47 How to change culture in an organization42:28 What leaders need to give their people all the time43:30 A Case Study in Culture Change: Deploying to Iraq46:47 How to assess an organization to improve its performance and make it better52:18 Why most leadership training is worthless52:50 What our leaders need from US54:44 Can anyone become a better leader at any point in their career, especially later?55:31 Don’t sell the lawnmower58:49 Where to find and connect with Col. Tom

To connect with Tom Connally

Website(s): https://connallyconsulting.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-connally-08488711/Instagram: connally_consultingFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/247leadership

To connect with Mark

https://markabotros.comInstagram: @markabotrosTwitter: @markbotrosFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/Email: [email protected] LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Podcast Music Credit

Track: InvincibleArtist: Aakash GhandiUsed under YouTube License

Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]Music provided by Audio Library PlusWatch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQYFree Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/MemoriesUsed under Creative Commons License

Photo Credit

Jordan Madrid

I think we can all agree that 2020 was an unexpected year on so many levels. We saw a once in a century global pandemic, we saw an economic collapse, where in the United States alone more than 33 Million jobs vanished within a matter of weeks, we saw George Floyd and the social justice protests and riots that came about as a result. In the midst of all that, we also lived through a highly contentious presidential election.

This year I really sought to make sense of all this for myself — and for you. So I decided to invite experts to talk to me, and what I’ve compiled are 10 of the lessons and takeaways from those interviews in 2020.

00:00 Intro00:45 Lesson 10: How to Prevent Covid-19 (Dr. Lisa Koche)02:28 Lesson 9: The Fountain of Youth (Olivia Sheldon)03:57 Lesson 8: Never Ever Give Up (Andre Watson)05:43 Lesson 7: Follow Your Curiosity (Lorraine Rise)07:32 Lesson 6: An Exercise in Humility (Dr. Dan Hill)08:48 Lesson 5: Suffering and Identity (Professor Myles Eldreth)09:43 Lesson 4: How the Media Skews Reality (Dr. Victoria Romero)11:43 Lesson 3: How to Turn Down the Social Media Volume (Bob Pearson)12:31 Lesson 2: The Impediment to Confidence (Michael Hertz, Ph.D)13:31 Lesson 1: A Life Well Lived (Katiusca Guzman, Esq.)

Did any of these resonate with you? Put it in the comments below. Were there more lessons? Absolutely, you bet there were. Over the holidays, I invite you to look into these interviews if you have some time. I promise you, they will not be a waste of your time. If you love to learn as much as I do check out the full interviews you won’t regret it.

To follow Mark

Instagram: @markabotrosTwitter: @markbotrosFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/Email: [email protected] LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Media Credits

* CDC* Jon Sailer* Kilian Figueras Torras* Pixabay* Pressmaaster* Victor Varetto

Special Thanks To All Guests in 2020

* Dr. Lisa Koche* Olivia Sheldon* Andre Watson* Lorraine Rise* Dr. Dan Hill* Prof. Myles Eldreth* Dr. Victoria Romero* Bob Pearson* Michael Hertz, Ph.D* Katiusca Guzman, Esq.* Tim Clark, Ph.D* Garry Golden* Marti McEwean* Walter Powell* Dr. Marisela Martinez-Cola

Psychologically, why do we follow someone? In this interview, Dr. Victoria Romero helps us understand why and how we are persuaded and influenced, and what the psychological underpinnings are.

Dr. Victoria Romero is a researcher, consultant, and speaker in the areas of neuroscience and human behavior. She is the Chief Behavioral Scientist for CACI, where she focuses on using both social and data science to better understand information transfer and social influence.

IN THIS INTERVIEW

01:21 How Victoria got into her field03:05 The intersection between marketing and national security04:09 The psychological components of persuasion and influence04:50 Categories05:50 Types of ideas we encounter today06:07 Generalization06:58 Heuristics (aka Mental Shortcuts)08:09 Car Accidents09:09 How the news media really works, and how it doesn’t line up with reality at all09:45 Fear of terrorist attacks vs. falling in your bath tub10:26 Medical Errors vs Gun violence11:34 Common biases (in and out groups)14:06 You can’t get rid of biases14:53 How we develop biases (the blank slate vs. the evolution of the ability to have biases)16:40 Speaking and categorization17:06 Emotion and influence and persuasion18:24 How we actually make decisions18:52 How to persuade purely on logic, reason, and thinking – but usually…20:49 How we are persuaded emotionally22:04 Does the brain buy into “fake news”? The answer will surprise you23:50 The truth about fake news24:41 The truth about memory in persuasion and influence (our own “fake news”)28:42 Definition of Schemas (Mental Framework and Scripts; e.g., Restaurants and Political Parties)31:57 Changing Schemas (e.g., perceptions of LGBTQ population over time)33:41 Psychological identity35:19 Individualism vs. collectivism39:08 Moral foundations, values, and sacred values47:06 Examples of highly effective persuasion and influence campaigns (e.g., Taking down the Marlboro Man)48:00 If you want to make real change…51:26 The Truth Campaign53:10 How suggestible are you?54:20 Age, suggestibility, and inhibition56:00 You are more suggestible when…56:34 How to think critically about information we encounter (“counter-heuristics”)58:35 Have some grace with others, we’re more alike … in our brains59:24 How to build a persuasion or influence campaign1:02:00 Pro-Vaccination vs. Anti-vaccination1:03:47 Victoria’s one secret of her success1:05:04 Victoria’s greatest lesson1:06:35 Victoria’s one piece of advice to the world1:07:45 Victoria’s legacy

CONCEPTS TO GOOGLE

HeuristicsBiasesAvailability BiasIn Groups / Out GroupsCognitive PsychologyConfirmation BiasSchemasIndividualismCollectivismMoral FoundationSacred ValuesThe Truth CampaignSuggestibilityTip of the tongue phenomenon

To connect with Dr. Victoria Romero

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriaromero/Email: [email protected]

To connect with Mark Botros

https://markabotros.comInstagram: @markabotrosTwitter: @markbotrosFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessstrategist/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mbotros/Email: [email protected] LIFE WORKS Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-life-works-podcast/id1475582936

Podcast Music Credit

Track: Memories — INOSSI [Audio Library Release]Music provided by Audio Library PlusWatch: https://youtu.be/GePAKPB6vQYFree Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/Memories

Photo Credit

Todd Poirier