When we talk about the journey from surviving to thriving, one of the areas that can't be ignored is your closest personal relationship - most often a marriage or serious dating relationship. When that dynamic isn't operating at top-notch, it can become a cloud that hangs over everything you do (personally and professionally). On the flip side, when that relationship is going really well, it can be a safe haven when things get hard.

In this episode, Amanda sits down with Wade Johannes to talk about relationships, including:

• How your relationship is demonstration of your priorities
• A simple trick for benchmarking how your relationship is doing
• Considerations for creating an epic date night routine
• One of our favorite tools for making sure you and your significant other are speaking the same "language"

And more!

While we may want to draw a barrier between our "work life" and "personal life," many times that just isn't realistic. Taking care of your relationships is important and hopefully you'll find a few tips here for taking it to the next level!

Episode Resources:

• The 5 Love Languages Quiz
• Wade Johannes on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Snapchat (user: wadejohannes)
• Mark Jewell Speaking & Training on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram
• Mark Jewell on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: markjamesjewell)
• Amanda Sollman on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: sollmana)

Are you one of the many people who are terrified of public speaking? Do you find yourself struggling with what to say? Do you want to feel more confident when addressing a crowd? Well, then, you've come to the right place!

This week, Amanda is joined by Marlene Eick – an Ohio farm girl, creative agency owner, and a fellow speaker and coach. She’s the host of the Live Your Story podcast, which will also be airing this episode, and we're so glad to have her join the pod! In this episode, Amanda and Marlene dig into:

• Why people are so scared of public speaking
• How to create a great speech (no matter how long or short it is)
• Tips for taking the stage with confidence

And more!

If you listened to episode 49 where Mark and Amanda shared ideas for creating engaging workshops, I think you’ll find this to be a great expansion of that topic!

Episode Resources:

• Live Your Story Podcast
• Marlene Eick on Facebook, Instagram and her website
• Mark Jewell Speaking & Training on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram
• Mark Jewell on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: markjamesjewell)
• Amanda Sollman on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: sollmana)

It can be easy to think of all the reasons why we can't do something. The customer wasn't available. I'm too busy. I don't have the energy for that. I don't know how. But how often are we making excuses for not taking action vs. really brainstorming ways to work through a legitimate challenge?

In this episode, Amanda sits down with Wade Johannes to talk about:

• The difference between a challenge and an excuse – and how to identify which one you're defaulting to
• What happens when you switch from a limiting belief to a "what's possible?" mindset
• Why clarity is key to stopping the excuses

And more!

We're all guilty of giving excuses every now and again. However, challenging ourselves to find a different way forward – instead of simply saying "I can't" – is the true path to growth!

Episode Resources:

• The Success Principles by Jack Canfield
• Inkspiration – The Inky Johnson Podcast
• Wade Johannes on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Snapchat (user: wadejohannes)
• Mark Jewell Speaking & Training on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram
• Mark Jewell on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: markjamesjewell)
• Amanda Sollman on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: sollmana)

If you're a senior level leader – maybe a division head, general manager or a member of the C-suite – chances are good that you face some unique challenges that your early career or middle management colleagues don't. How do you manage that pressure, while still taking care of yourself and your life outside of work?

In this episode, Amanda sits down with Wade Johannes – our director of new business development and a coach at Mark Jewell Speaking & Training – to talk about:

• Where he finds organizational leaders falling into survival mode
• Tips for leading with integrity and leading through change
• The game-changer that Wade recommends for all of his senior leadership coaching clients
• Must read books for leaders

And more!

Whether you drive organizational decisions today or hope to in the future, this conversation will provide insights to help you truly thrive in your leadership role.

Episode Resources:

• 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
• Good to Great by Jim Collins
• The Last Lion by William Manchester & Paul Reid
• Wade Johannes on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Snapchat (user: wadejohannes)
• Mark Jewell Speaking & Training on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram
• Mark Jewell on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: markjamesjewell)
• Amanda Sollman on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: sollmana)

As the workplace continues to evolve, one of the trends we see is the promotion of young professionals – many in their 20s – into formal positions of leadership. Whether you're leading a team of 2 or 20, it can be challenging to guide people who (in many cases) have more experience than you. So what do you do?

In this episode, Amanda sits down with fellow MJST coaches Christina Gallant and Jon Anderson to discuss their experiences as young leaders, including:

• The path they took to leading a team
• The roadblocks and challenges they faced
• What they wish they had known when promoted into management
• Why current leaders should consider young people for management positions

And more!

If you're a young professional who is currently managing a group of people or if you hope to some day, make sure to take a listen!

Episode Resources:

• Jon Anderson on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat (user: jdanderson4274)
• Christina Gallant on Facebook and Instagram
• The Thriving Leader – Training+Coaching Program
• Mark Jewell Speaking & Training on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram
• Mark Jewell on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: markjamesjewell)
• Amanda Sollman on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: sollmana)

There's a good chance you've heard of virtual reality, maybe as that thing teenagers put on their head to play video games, but do you really know what it can do? What about augmented reality or mixed reality technology? If your head is spinning, no worries! Today's guest is here to talk about what these tech innovations are and what they can do for your business.

Reekita Gala is all about business, marketing, and technology! She is the founder of Mixed Reality Universal Studios, a VR-AR-MR development and education service business that is already known for evoking high flying deeds when it comes to merging real and virtual worlds to produce new environments and visualizations, where physical and digital object co-exists and interact in real time.

In this episode, Mark and Reekita discuss:

• The basics of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) technologies
• Four types of augmented reality that could be leveraged, depending on your goals
• Where these technologies are already being used (even though you might not have realized it!)
• Ideas for using VR, AR and MR in agribusiness

And more!

Reekita trains on Personality Development, Marketing, and Augmented Reality for Business Solutions. She also has courses lined up for launch related to Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence and the latest technology. Her course is for anyone who wants to start learning about AR and its potentials for business and marketing without the need of any technical knowledge.

There's no question that Mark nerded out for this interview – and we hope you'll enjoy it too!

Episode Resources:

• The Dawn of the Age of Holograms - A TED Talk from Alex Kipman
• Microsoft HoloLens (here's a demo of how it works!)
• Amazon AR View (here's a demo of how it works!)
• Layar app for augmented reality
• Facebook Spaces
• Augmented Reality Marketing Facebook group
• Reekita on Twitter and LinkedIn
• Mark Jewell Speaking & Training on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram
• Mark Jewell on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: markjamesjewell)
• Amanda Sollman on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: sollmana)

We know that retention is a big concern for many employers. So, while we may not be able to hold on to everyone forever (or even that we'd want to), it's important to think about how we can help employees feel a sense of support – and that needs to come from all angles.

In this episode, Mark and Amanda discuss:

• Why being in survival mode at work is basically killing us
• The most important employee that leaders need to be investing in
• Creating peer groups both within and outside of your organization
• How to set expectations so clients, customers and your direct reports can be a part of your support network
• What role coaching can play in a 360° support system

And more!

Episode Resources:

• Dying for a Paycheck by Jeffrey Pfeffer
• Who's Got Your Back? by Keith Ferrazzi
• Your Tribe: Who, Why and How – The Live Your Story Podcast with Marlene Eick
• Mark Jewell Speaking & Training on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram
• Mark Jewell on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: markjamesjewell)
• Amanda Sollman on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: sollmana)

When people first work with us, they'll often ask, "How do I get more motivated?" Here's the thing, though: If you only focus on the "how" – the tactical, tangible actions – you may not tackle the right problem. So, in today's episode, Mark and Amanda are going to dig into the better question:

Why can't I get motivated?

In their conversation, Mark and Amanda discuss:

• 7 motivation blockers that could be affecting you or your employees
• How leaders can help their employees build clarity and certainty – both of which contribute to motivation
• Ways to get employee buy-in on menial tasks
• How the stories and limiting beliefs we have get in the way of motivation

And more!

Episode Resources:

• Our ebook, The Definitive Guide to Motivating Employees
• Loving What Is by Byron Katie
• Episode 50: Setting & Managing Expectations
• Mark Jewell Speaking & Training on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram
• Mark Jewell on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: markjamesjewell)
• Amanda Sollman on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: sollmana)

If there's one question we get asked A LOT, it's this one: How do I get more motivated? How do I motivate my team?

Motivation is a common frustration for people, so this week, Mark and Amanda are breaking down myths about motivation that may be keeping you from making progress. During this conversation, they dive into:

• Why motivation (or lack thereof) seems to be a universal problem
• The top three myths about motivation that need to be busted
• The impact of leadership on creating culture – and, by extension, motivation – throughout an organization

And more!

Episode Resources:

• Our ebook, The Definitive Guide to Motivating Employees
• Mark Jewell Speaking & Training on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram
• Mark Jewell on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: markjamesjewell)
• Amanda Sollman on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: sollmana)

This week, Amanda's in the host chair talking about one of our most common coaching subjects: setting and managing expectations. If there's one skill she hopes professionals of all experience levels could hone – it's this one. 

During this conversation, Amanda dives into:

• Why many professionals - especially young professionals - struggle to set expectations
• Why it's not (only) your boss's job to ensure you're successful
• Four questions to ask yourself, your clients, customers and boss when setting expectations
• Examples of how to manage expectations when things change in the middle of the process

Episode Resources:

• Mark Jewell Speaking & Training on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram
• Mark Jewell on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: markjamesjewell)
• Amanda Sollman on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and Snapchat (user: sollmana)