This is Your Life

Why it’s essential for you (and your potential employees) to use a written job description in your hiring process.

Why the smaller your organization, the more critical your hiring decisions will be to the health of your organization.

Why you need to personally check references and how to do it right.

How a multiphase interview process can keep you from making major hiring mistakes.

Derek asked, “What is the best time to have live-call seminars or live-video seminars: during the day or evening, or on a weekday versus a weekend? Is there one time that’s better than another?”

Aaron asked, “When I post links for other bloggers, I’ve been told it helps their traffic. But my traffic falters. So I want to help, but I also want to protect my brand. Is there a way to find a balance?”

Jim asked, “With all of your success, you must experience a lot of judgment, maybe from yourself as well as others. I struggle with it, too. So how do you manage it?”

Laura asked, “At what point is adding a newsletter to your blog a good idea? What are the benefits, and what cautions do you have?”

Mark asked, “In Episode 4 of Season 1, you discussed strategies for building your email list. What are your insights on best practices for terms of use and privacy statements for those who trust us with their email addresses?”

Leslie asked, “I just transitioned from the automatic WordPress subscription to MailChimp, but I don’t really know what I’m doing. Where do you recommend I go to learn about pop-ups and subscriptions and that sort of thing?”

River asked, “I love creating wow experiences for my clients, but I’d love for you to share how you avoid driving yourself nuts by constantly anticipating their response. How do you distinguish between people pleasing and creating a wow experience?”

A listener from Ohio asked, “I’m calling to ask about a behind-the-scenes aspect of monetizing a blog. Should I open a separate bank account for my blog, and if so, when would you recommend that I do that? What tips do you have for keeping good records for tax purposes, etc.?”

Jerry asked, “How does an employee lead when he’s not in charge?”

Randy asked, “I noticed that you include a transcript for your podcast episodes. I’m wondering if the opposite would also be helpful, to include an audio version of every blog post I write?”

Allison asked, “I recently became a moderator of a writing critique group. Pretty quickly, a power struggle ensued. It was difficult, and we eventually had to part ways. For the future, what do I need to do to be a better leader in these types of situations where there’s a power struggle within the group?”

A listener from Israel asked, “How do you decide what content you give away for free and what you hold back for online courses or other products? I know you’ve said to give away your best content, but doesn’t that end up short-changing yourself in the long run?”

My family’s favorite holiday traditions.

Why we keep our decorations up until the Feast of Epiphany (January 6).

My most memorable holiday—it was like our own private version of Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase.

Michele’s most memorable Christmas. (Hint: six kids, a church service, and no where to sit—except with the choir in the front of the church.)

Our favorite gifts—to receive.

When I do my Christmas shopping. (No, it’s not on Christmas Eve.)

The gift-giving rule Gail, my wife, and I violate every … single … year.

One of Michele’s secret holiday addictions. It’s not crack, but it’s pretty close.

How your expectations often determine whether the holidays are a happy time or a sad time for you.

Who washes the Christmas day dishes at our house.

Finally, thank you for being a part of our family here at This Is Your Life and for listening in. I pray that your holidays are full of love, joy, and peace.

Why a written job description is more important for you than even for potential candidates.

5 key sections every job description should include—and why.

Why want-ads and job boards are the worst possible way to find the right person.

How referrals can help you if they are used right but how they can hurt you if they’re not.

Why you need to have a defined interview process before you ever interview the first applicant. (Do you?)

How to set up “multiple points of content” in the interview process to protect you from ... yourself!

Why it’s helpful to take the final candidate to dinner—with their spouse. (This once saved me from—what would have been—a really bad hiring decision.)

The pluses and minuses of psychological tests, including the ones I personally use in my hiring process.

The single most important action you can take to avoid costly hiring mistakes.

Avoiding these mistakes will not guarantee that you always hire well, but it will dramatically improve your chances. Like everything else related to leadership, the important thing is to be intentional, even if your process looks different from mine.

The one simple action you can take now to increase the likelihood you will hit your goals by a whopping 42 percent.

The ideal number of goals you should create. Too few, and you’re probably not addressing each of the major areas of your life. Too many, and you will inevitably lose focus and flame out.

Why you must set goals outside of work if you have any hope of hitting your goals at work.

How to get super-specific in your goal-setting and why you must. I provide concrete, before and after examples.

The three benefits of deadlines and why every goal needs a by when date. A goal without a deadline is little more than a dream.

The number one thing you must do to make sure you follow through on your goals and don’t end up in the same place next year as this year.

How I use Evernote to track my goals and keep them visible.

The three “negative emotions” that indicate you are on the right path. These are actually positive indicators!

Why you don’t need to worry about how you are going to accomplish your goals—at least in the beginning. In fact, if you get too focused on this initially, it will sabotage the possibility of a real breakthrough.

If you haven’t checked out 5 Days to Your Best Year Ever, please do. It will walk you through the exact process I have used for more than a decade to achieve my biggest goals, personally and professionally.

Why industry consolidation and competition is a good thing.

How digital publishing has opened up unprecedented opportunities for authors, publishers, and readers around the world. It doesn’t represent the end of publishing but the beginning.

Why people are reading more than ever before.

How personal platforms are giving today’s authors the ability to leverage their influence and and control their future.

How self-publishing no longer has the stigma it once had and why it’s a totally legitimate option for today’s authors.