The Modern CEO Podcast

Move over, smoking, gambling, and over-eating ice cream -- procrastination may be the most common vice in the world!

There are a lot of reasons why people procrastinate: fear, laziness, anxiety, complacency, insecurity … the list goes on.

Not only is procrastination something that I hear about from a LOT of my clients, but it's something that I used to be guilty of myself!

That's right, my friend. This productivity champion used to do almost EVERYTHING at the very last minute. And I'm telling you, it was stressful! Because procrastinating on my deliverables is not in alignment with who I am as a person.

My procrastination meant that I was bringing my C-game, not my A-game.

When I had that realization, it threw me for a loop. I knew that I had to make a BIG change! That's what my latest podcast is all about -- how to take your C-game tactics and make the kind of change that leads to A-game results!In my latest podcast episode, I share:

• Why it's SO important to work in ways that align with who you are
• How to pinpoint your C-game behavior -- and why it keeps you playing small!
• Why you need to meet the universe halfway in order to reach your dreams!
• Some quick tips on using Right-On-Time thinking v. procrastination

Highlights:02:22 "You are right on time, but you still have to show up and meet your plans halfway"

04:00 Avoid using "right-on-time" as an excuse to procrastinate!

06:50 How I learned that I needed to change my work style

07:35 How do you show up in your business as a leader?

09:27 "The idea of bringing my C-game stresses me out!"

11:42 Procrastinating leads to apologizing

13:42 "If you don't build systems to support you, things are going to be a whole lot harder than they need to be"

15:06 Procrastination v. Right-on-Time thinking

Thank you for listening! Want more information and tips? Bookmark ambermccue.com/blog and follow Amber on Instagram: @AmberMcCue

Do you ever feel as though you're just on a treadmill or spinning your wheels? Like you're constantly working but don't seem to be making any solid progress?

Hustle for hustle's sake won't do anything for you or your business.

It's time to get intentional!

Focusing your activity in truly productive ways is a lot easier when you're able to cut through the hustle-related anxiety.

And I have just the thing to help!

In my latest podcast episode, I share:

• How choosing 'peace' over 'hustle' can improve not only your emotional well-being, but your productivity
• A guided visualization to help you sharpen your focus and quiet your hustle-related anxiety

Highlights:

3:10 "Hustle is a state of great activity. If it's not productive activity, you start to look a lot like a rocking chair"

5:14 If you're going to hustle, be strategic

7:10 Guided visualization Thank you for listening! Want more information and tips? Bookmark ambermccue.com/blog and follow Amber on Instagram: @AmberMcCue

What are you going to do this year that challenges you? That forces you to grow and change a little bit? That proves to you that you're capable of more than you thought you were?

Just a little bit of pushing outside of your comfort zone can MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

That goes for your life AND your business!

Making things happen doesn't have to be daunting. In fact, my friend, it can be a lot of fun!

So get ready to start checking things off of your bucket list and let's get your year off to an amazing start!

On my podcast, I don't just talk about business. I talk about life. As a small business owner or entrepreneur, the two tend to have very blurred lines, am I right?

What you want for your life and for your family happens through the business that you create -- and how you run that business.

A better business means a BETTER LIFE.

It means more freedom, more profit, less worry, and more fun! And doesn't that sound like something to strive for?

Getting to where you want to go is easy -- you just need to have a good roadmap!

Have you lost focus on your focus?

We all start out with great intentions for our businesses, but often get a little lost along the way. It's okay -- that's totally normal! Maybe we get excited about other options, maybe we get a little burnt out, maybe we feel pulled in a million different directions, or maybe we just deal with a LOT OF jet lag (guilty as charged!)

What's important is that we master how to get our focus back on track!

After all, as modern CEOs, it's part of our job to keep ourselves and our teams aligned with our vision and focused on the task at hand!

Did you know that entrepreneurs are generally happier than the average person?

People who feel as though they have chosen their own paths tend to be more content with their lives. Makes total sense, right?

And it isn't just about the destination at the end of that path -- it's about the journey itself, my friend!

A lot of people approach their business (and their life in general) with the idea that true happiness lies just beyond the goalposts. But positive psychology shows that the happiest people are those currently working towards a goal.

All the more reason to focus on making your journey as amazing as possible!

For full show notes please visit: ambermccue.com/blog

Do you ever wonder why we feel so refreshed and ready to start a project on January 1st? Or, for that matter, on the first of the month or on a Monday?

How about after a job change, birthday, or anniversary? Or even after a long weekend?

It's a little thing called the Fresh Start Effect!

(Yes, it's actually a real thing!)

At times like these, it's common to feel an awesome surge of momentum. That little burst? You can harness that to catapult yourself into an amazing wave of productivity!

And I'm here to tell you how to ride that wave … Whenever you want!

In this episode, I will:

• Reveal how "temporal landmarks" can lead to productivity-boosting fresh starts
• Teach you how to trigger your own Fresh Start effect -- anytime you want!
• Show you how to bake multiple Fresh Starts into your yearly plan to keep that momentum going!
• Give you three steps to get your Fresh Start party hopping!

Let's get (fresh) started!

Highlights:

02:00 Wishing you a Happy New Year and a Happy Fresh Start!

02:50 What is the Fresh Start Effect?

3:20 "One month into the new year, only 64% of resolutions continue to be pursued"

4:50 Use temporal landmarks to help you navigate time

8:55 "You have got an opportunity to create your own fresh start" right now

10:30 Why you should leverage the 90-day planning process

11:47 Your three missions (should you choose to accept them!)

Thank you for listening! Want more information and tips? Visit http://www.ambermccue.com and follow Amber on instagram: @AmberMcCue

Mentioned in this episode:

86 Days This Year When You Can Change Your Behavior - Daniel Pink

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing - Daniel Pink

The Fresh Start Effect by Hengchen Dai, Katherine Milkman, and Jason Riis

Aaaand we're back! That's right, I'm finally settled in my brand new home in Ethiopia! And let me tell you, it's been quite a year! The past ten months or so have taught me a lot of lessons that are SO important for both life and business, including:

• The importance of adaptability
• The virtue of patience
• The value of making peace with unpredictability
• How to surrender and BE PRESENT!

The most important lesson that I learned? Ask and you shall receive. The second most important lesson? Be careful what you wish for! We have SO much to catch up on, so let's get started! Listen to my latest podcast episode to get the details about one of the craziest and most adventurous years of my life! Highlights: 01:02 Tag me in on Instagram & tell me what's new! 02:25 Freedom & flexibility don't happen overnight ... you have to ask 04:04 Always be ready to pivot -- you never know what will happen! 08:35 "Ask and you shall receive" 11:10 Heading into move #13 12:15 "Be careful what you ask for" 19:16 Knocking one off of the bucket list! 20:35 "Be clear on what you want … and be ready to show up" 22:48 Be present & surrender to what is unfolding Thank you for listening! Want more information and tips? Visit ambermccue.com or follow Amber on Instagram "@ambermccue"

Hi, everyone!

Do you suffer from an overabundance of ideas? You know what I'm talking about – you're trying to figure out the next step you want to take for your business, but you have a dozen potential plans swirling around in your head and it's hard to narrow down on The One!

"I want to host an in-person event!"

"My new course should be on XYZ!"

"I should start a new online community!"

AHHHHH!

I call this "idea mania" and let me tell you – it's something I am VERY familiar with! Having too many ideas can leave you feeling overwhelmed and confused.

And a lot of the time, none of the ideas from a mile-long list actually get implemented. (Even if they are brilliant ideas!)

Here's the thing about ideas – they are useless unless you're able to hone in on one, buckle down, and actually get it done!

Ideas are easy. FOCUS is tough.

But don't worry – over the years I've developed some tips and tricks to help me deal with my own idea mania. And now I want to share them with you!

In this episode, I'm going to:

• Explain the reasons behind idea mania – and how to counteract it!
• Teach you how to give your spare ideas a new home until you're ready to use them!
• Give you the list of questions you need to ask yourself in order to figure out exactly which idea you should be focusing on RIGHT NOW – and which ones can wait
• Get you on your way to building your plan!

Say GOODBYE to idea mania!

Highlights:

3:03 Why does idea mania happen??

4:14 Big or small – all entrepreneurs deal with it!

6:09 Be an idea landlord – give them a home while they wait!

7:50 The big questions you need to ask – and why the answers are SO important!

13:21 Start building your plan!

Thank you for listening! Want more information and tips? Visit http://www.niceops.com and follow me on twitter and Instagram: @AmberMcCue

Mentioned in this episode:

Planathon

Hi, everyone! I really hope you listened to my last episode where I talked about the concept of Scalable Intimacy, an amazing business model that bakes connection and intimacy right into your scaling efforts! If you missed it, give it a listen, because this week's episode is going to take it to the NEXT LEVEL!

(Don't worry – you can listen to this one first if you're short on time. I'll get you caught up to speed!)

Here's the thing: Scaling your business does NOT mean that you have to lose that sense of connection and intimacy that you had as a smaller business!

I know it sounds wild, but all you need to do is reinvent how you do your business.

No big deal, right?

It's actually easier than you think!

In this episode, I'm going to:

• Dive way down deep into a case study and give a detailed play-by-play on how I applied Scalable Intimacy to my own business
• Explain how and why systems and structures are the absolute KEY to scaling with intimacy – and give you a TON of ideas of what you can put in place in your own business!

Get ready to reinvent your business model!

Highlights:

2:17 Recap: What in the world is Scalable Intimacy??

6:39 Case Study: The story of Freshly Implemented, the implementation incubator

17:03 Different membership levels make things more scalable

19:55 Systems and structure are the key to scaling

21:15 Repeat after me: Mentors and templates!

Thank you for listening! Want more information and tips? Visit http://www.niceops.com and follow me on twitter and Instagram: @AmberMcCue