Think. Live. Repeat.

Some people have great voices. Then there are a select few who have INCREDIBLE voices. Cliff Dorsey is one of those blessed few who can literally transport you into another dimension as you listen to him sing and play guitar! This guy's voice will make you stop & look twice - I promise!

Cliff and I cover the gamut and discuss everything from his musical influences, the business behind assembling & managing a band, getting a record deal & how he got his start. You'll have to listen to get the full story, but I'll tell you this: being pushed up on stage as a teenager one Sunday at church to sing and play Long Black Train is part of his music journey. It's a classic!

We also scored big time with Cliff offering to perform a few songs from his new EP New Neon LIVE while we recorded our episode! Think of it as your own private acoustic set, complements of Cliff - crazy, right??

Not surprisingly, we had too much fun and our conversation went far too long to keep release it as 1 episode. So, today is part 1 - we'll pick up the conversation next week as Cliff opens part 2 with his view of music genres and where the industry is headed next.

Check out Cliff's new EP New Neon on Spotify today!:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4zsh902OKX6B46ISTh9eRa
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/cliff-dorsey/1375757810

A great place to start following Cliff's trajectory is his homepage: https://www.cliffdorsey.com/

You can also interact with Cliff on Instagram & watch him perform on YouTube:

• https://www.instagram.com/cliffdorseymusic/
• https://www.youtube.com/@cliffdorseymusic

Follow me on Instagram @ johnskomski for daily intrapreneurial motivation and learn more about Investing Inward at https://jskomski.com/

Music: Hindsight (Instrumental) by Fivefold (used with written permission)

Ever hear of a little band called Maroon 5? Today you’re going to hear from their founding drummer Ryan Dusick & this conversation just might change your life!

We talk about the band's rise to fame, what life is like touring in a world renown band and some of the surprises he encountered along the way. We take a detour down entrepreneurship lane and talk specifically about the processing of finding your voice (literally in the band's case) and how the path to success is almost longer than we anticipate.   

We then dig into his ultimate exit from the band, and his struggles with anxiety & panic that ultimately led him down a dark path of addiction & alcoholism.

Ryan completely destroys any pre-conceived notions about a "rock star persona" you might think someone with his background would have. On the contrary, he's one of the most real & empathetic people I've had the pleasure of interviewing on the show. I promise you won't be able to put down his new book Harder to Breathe and you'll come away inspired.  

We wrap the episode on a positive note, working through Ryan's recovery process and hearing about how he serves people today as a certified therapist & coach. He's also a great speaker and I'm hoping he'll be launching a podcast or YouTube channel soon!

Oh, and Ryan shares some fun stories, like the time John Mayer did an impromptu comedy routine before the band opened for his concert. 
 
Order Ryan's book Harder to Breath: https://www.amazon.com/Harder-Breathe-Memoir-Finding-Recovery/dp/B0BVNPN6LJ

A great place to start learning more about Ryan: https://www.ryandusick.com/

Follow & interact with Ryan on Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn

• https://www.facebook.com/ryan.m.dusick/
• https://www.instagram.com/ryan_michael_dusick/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-dusick-ma-amft-26460894/

Follow me on Instagram @ johnskomski for daily intrapreneurial motivation and learn more about Investing Inward at https://jskomski.com/

Music: Hindsight (Instrumental) by Fivefold (used with written permission)

There's no elegant way to put this: today you're going to hear from one of the best freaking guitar players out there! JJ Tejlgaard is a Danish guitar phenom and he's only just beginning. You may have heard one of his incredible covers of well-known  pop and rock tunes and he's been shared by artists including Alan Walker, Avenged Sevenfold & The Jonas Brothers. Apologies in advance for being a fanboy!

You'll get to hear about how JJ started with guitar and the evolution of how he became the stud that he is today! We dive into his creative process, the business side of the music industry and the importance of collaboration. And we of course talk about his debut concert, brand new EP and what's coming next. (HINT: MORE concerts, stay tuned!!)

Become a true fan and support JJ on his Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/jensjulius

A great place to start learning more about JJ: http://jensjulius.com/

Follow & interact with JJ on TikTok, Instagram & YouTube

• https://www.tiktok.com/@jensjulius_tejlgaard
• https://www.instagram.com/jensjulius_tejlgaard/
• https://www.youtube.com/@JensJulius/videos

Follow me on Instagram @ johnskomski for daily intrapreneurial motivation and learn more about Investing Inward at https://jskomski.com/

Music:
Intro & Outro Segments played by JJ Tejlgaard (used with written permission)

You go to a restaurant with your family. Once you're seated you take a look around...what do you see? Chances are, a large % of the people there are looking at some form of a screen. Why? Because we are ADDICTED to our distractions. We're so comfortably numb (yes, Pink Floyd reference) with being detached from reailty that we don't even realize we're doing it.

Today's conversation with Paul Agone might just be the thing you needed to shake you out of the haze and start engaging with the world around you once again.  Paul  is an iconic influencer and advocate for millennials, relating to their struggles in an incredibly empathetic way. His website (and brand) All Groan Up is a testament to the struggles twenty-somethings face as they work on "adulting" and he's been a force for helping inspire them to move forward in life.

He's expanded beyond the millennials with his latest book  Listen To Your Day and is on a mission to help people unplug from constant distractions and learn both from themselves and the world around them. You'll find our conversation incredibly insightful and walk away with a boatload of tips on being more present and alive!

Order Listen to Your Day  today:  https://www.amazon.com/Listen-Your-Day-Life-Changing-Attention/dp/1540900711

A great place to start learning more about Paul and his mission: https://allgroanup.com/

Follow & interact with Paul on Instagram, Twitter & LinkedIn

• https://www.instagram.com/paulangone
• https://twitter.com/PaulAngone
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulangone/

Follow me on Instagram @ johnskomski for daily motivation and learn more about Investing Inward at https://jskomski.com/

Music: Hindsight (Instrumental) by Fivefold (used with written permission)

Every think about the words we use? No...not four-letter ones when we hit our shin on the tow hitch. I'm talking about the framework of our language...simple words, like "But" & "Then". Did you know that the words we use have the power to literally shape how we think and act with the words we use? Sounds crazy? Coach Reed Maltbie joined me for a fascinating conversation about this very topic and I promise you'll be a believer by the time the episode is over.

Reed is a brilliant guy who's cracked the code for effective communication. He's been coaching sports since he turned 16 and he's distilled decades of knowledge into a concise handbook for how to level up how we communicate. These insights landed him a Ted talk, speaking engagements within massive corporations and now a brand new book!

What he shares isn't just for the sports field; on the contrary, it's equally (if not more) applicable to parents communicating with kids, spouses communicating with each other and employers communicating with team members.  This is a must listen and I promise you'll want to go and buy the book after hearing what it's about.

Order Reed's brand new book The Spartan Mindset: Mastering the Language of Excellence:  https://www.amazon.com/Spartan-Mindset-Mastering-Language-Excellence/dp/1631959980

A great place to start learning more about Reed and his mission: https://www.coachreed.com/

Check out Reed's Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhRXQs0K6ls

Follow & interact with Reed on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

• https://www.instagram.com/coach_reed/
• https://twitter.com/Coach_Reed
• https://www.facebook.com/coachreed/

Follow me on Instagram @ johnskomski for daily motivation and learn more about Investing Inward at https://jskomski.com/

Music: Hindsight (Instrumental) by Fivefold (used with written permission)

*PART 2* Imagine laying in a parking lot as a child with your arm 10 feet AWAY from you. Today you're going to hear about how a life threating injury as a child and the actions of an incredible stranger forever shaped the direction of Brian Bogert's life. The energy and intensity Brian brings to the table is palpable and you'll experience just how passionate he is about his mission of helping people take out the trash. Wait, what?

See, we've all got trash in our lives. Guilt, shame, fear...the list goes on. And often we sit on this and try to bury it deep below. But hiding it and trying to pretend it's not there isn't a solution...just like with actual trash, our inner trash finds an explosive way out and it's never pretty. Brian believes lasting growth starts with dealing with the trash we've compacted into our lives from the times we were children and creating healthy, empowering beliefs about who we are in its place.

Brian brings in current, real life examples of what he's talking about to drive his point. He's an open book who's not afraid to be real about his own life in an attempt to inspire and influence others to take steps to change their own lives.

In the conclusion of our conversation Brian gets practical & discusses how to actually implement the concepts of taking out the trash. He gives some killer examples from his own life!

FAMILY FRIENDLY NOTE: This episode has language throughout, not for kids!

Wanna learn more about Brian? Check out his home page: https://brianbogert.com/

Check out Brian's brand new podcast Flipping the Lid today:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/flipping-the-lid/id1676524898

Follow & interact with Brian on Instagram, YouTube & Twitter

• https://www.instagram.com/bogertbrian/
• https://www.youtube.com/@BogertBrian
• https://twitter.com/BogertBrian

Follow me on Instagram @ johnskomski for daily motivation and learn more about Investing Inward at https://jskomski.com/

Music: Hindsight (Instrumental) by Fivefold (used with written permission)

Imagine laying in a parking lot as a child with your arm 10 feet AWAY from you. Today you're going to hear about how a life threating injury as a child and the actions of an incredible stranger forever shaped the direction of Brian Bogert's life. The energy and intensity Brian brings to the table is palpable and you'll experience just how passionate he is about his mission of helping people take out the trash. Wait, what?

See, we've all got trash in our lives. Guilt, shame, fear...the list goes on. And often we sit on this and try to bury it deep below. But hiding it and trying to pretend it's not there isn't a solution...just like with actual trash, our inner trash finds an explosive way out and it's never pretty. Brian believes lasting growth starts with dealing with the trash we've compacted into our lives from the times we were children and creating healthy, empowering beliefs about who we are in its place. 

Brian brings in current, real life examples of what he's talking about to drive his point. He's an open book who's not afraid to be real about his own life in an attempt to inspire and influence others to take steps to change their own lives.

This conversation was so good & I didn't want to cut it short,  so we're spitting it into 2 parts...come back next week for the conclusion of his story and practical ways to implement the concepts he discusses in part 1!

FAMILY FRIENDLY NOTE: This episode has language throughout, not for kids!

Wanna learn more about Brian? Check out his home page: https://brianbogert.com/

Check out Brian's brand new podcast Flipping the Lid today:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/flipping-the-lid/id1676524898

Follow & interact with Brian on Instagram, YouTube & Twitter

• https://www.instagram.com/bogertbrian/
• https://www.youtube.com/@BogertBrian
• https://twitter.com/BogertBrian

Follow me on Instagram @ johnskomski for daily motivation and learn more about Investing Inward at https://jskomski.com/

Music: Hindsight (Instrumental) by Fivefold (used with written permission)

The ripple effect - a minding bending principle that says you never know just how big of an impact you can have on someone's life (AND not even realize it). Today's guest is the incredibly talented & funny Jeff Civillico. Jeff does it all...he's entertained all over the world, headlined in Vegas for a decade where he had his own show, rode a unicycle off a cliff (with a bungee cord), started an amazing charity for kids, speaks...yeah, you get the picture.

Jeff highlights that the work you do matters and you never know just how many lives are being changed because of the work that YOU do. And it's not just a matter of waiting for it to come full circle. Other times these instances of impact are sitting right under our noses and it's just a matter of reframing the situation so we can see just how much of a difference we're making. 

And in one of my all-time favorite moments on the show, Jeff shares the unbelievable  story about how he got into the entertainment industry and the incredible impact a random performer named Peter Panic had on him decades earlier. It goes full circle and I promise you'll be blown away and inspired!

Check out Jeff in action on his site: https://jeffcivillico.com/

Learn more about Win Win Charity, Jeff's amazing organization that brings entertainment, happiness & hope to children in hospitals across the country: https://winwincharity.org/

Follow & interact with Jeff on Instagram, LinkedIn & Facebook and stay tuned for excited updates on his upcoming Amazon Prime special!

• https://www.instagram.com/jeffcivillico/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffcivillico
• https://www.facebook.com/JeffCivillico/

Follow me on Instagram @ johnskomski for daily motivation and learn more about Investing Inward at https://jskomski.com/

Music: Hindsight (Instrumental) by Fivefold (used with written permission)

"Everybody has it together...EXCEPT me". Ever say that before? You, me  and everyone else if we're honest. See, that's the ironic thing. We all think everyone else has it together when in reality, each of us is some kind of messed up. NOBODY knows what the heck they're doing!

And that nugget is just one of like 74 different insights the incredible Shawn Anthony delivers on this episode. I learned so much in this conversation and he was dropping gems faster than I could pick them up!

Wondering how to build & leverage a following? Stumped by low engagement on your social media posts? Clueless as to how to grow your brand and network to the next level? Shawn shares actionable ideas on these and several more relevant topics.

Shawn is the host of the amazing School's Over...Now What podcast. He provides a tremendous amount of value and shares practical insights that you can use and grow with. Check out the show today!
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/schools-over-now-what/id1405269030
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6jqDZivua3u9bfDbsaLM0h

A great place to start learning more about Shawn and his mission: https://www.schoolsovernowwhat.com/about

Follow & interact with Shawn on Instagram & LinkedIn 

• https://www.instagram.com/shawnranthony_
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnranthony/

Follow me on Instagram @ johnskomski for daily motivation and learn more about Investing Inward at https://jskomski.com/

Music: Hindsight (Instrumental) by Fivefold (used with written permission)

Question: where do you think someone who sold cell phones & timeshare presentations would end up 10-15 years later? Answer: the president and CFO of a successful company and published author! Surprised? You shouldn't be. 

Today's guest Cody Adent proves that there is no magic formula for success. Consistent, hard work and being willing to learn & grow will take you MILES farther than most are willing to go.

Cody & I cover the gamut and talk about everything from the struggles that early entrepreneurs face to super practical ways to make better decisions on a consistent basis.

This conversation was REAL and FUN!

Order Cody's book Winning the Moment: A Blueprint for a New Mindset and Focus https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Moment-Blueprint-Mindset-Focus/dp/1642255629?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER#customerReviews

A great place to start learning more about Cody and his mission: https://www.codyadent.com/

Follow & interact with Cody on Instagram & LinkedIn 

• https://www.instagram.com/cody_adent/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/codyadent/

Follow me on Instagram @ johnskomski for daily motivation and learn more about Investing Inward at https://jskomski.com/

Music: Hindsight (Instrumental) by Fivefold (used with written permission)