This is Your Life

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 13 of the This Is Your Life podcast. In this final episode of the season, Michele Cushatt and I discuss why retirement is a terrible idea and answer eight questions from you, the listener.

One of my favorite shows is our Q&A show. It’s a fun, off-the-cuff way to interact with the needs of my audience and share what insights I have. In this episode we talk about why I don’t believe in retirement, post-vacation email overload, the value of empathy, and more.

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In this episode you’ll discover:

Why leadership principles can not only help you in your business, but also in your family—but only if you know when to apply them.

Why empathy and being willing to listen without forcing conclusions is essential to effective, healing leadership.

How to manage your inbox while you’re traveling so you don’t come home to a nightmare.

The benefits of doing a focus group instead of a reader survey when you’re just starting your blog.

How to decide whether your brand needs a static sales page or a live blog for first-time visitors.

Why living the life you want is more about priorities than time.

Read the Transcript

You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript of this episode here, courtesy of Ginger Schell, a professional transcriptionist, who does all my transcriptions.

Join the Conversation

My favorite part of doing these podcasts is participating in the conversation they provoke. Each week, I ask one question. This week, it is this:

Binge on All 13 Episodes!

If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all thirteen audio episodes of Season 3 here. I release the video episodes weekly, as they are not yet available for batch listening. If you are looking for previous episodes, you can find Season 0 here, Season 1 here, and Season 3 here.

Explore Additional Resources

In this episode we mentioned the following resources:

Podcast: “How to Lead from the Heart”

Blog post: “How to Unplug When You’re on Vacation”

Audio Series: The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown

Book: Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

Book: The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

Book: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Ask Me a Question

If you have a question, comment, thought or concern, you can do so by clicking here.

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 12 of the This Is Your Life podcast. In this twelfth episode, Michele Cushatt and I interview Greg McKeown, best-selling author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.

We live in a culture that drives us to do, produce, and consume more—constantly. As a result, our schedules are packed, while our lives seem empty. Greg McKeown’s Essentialism, one of the best business books I’ve ever read, offers the perspective and tools we need to break free from this trap.

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In this episode, you’ll discover:

Why “keeping your options open” might be the worst decision you ever make.

When it comes to our actions, there are really just two different approaches to life.

Why opportunities can sometimes be traps.

How scarcity drives decisions that end up drowning us.

Why we overvalue opportunities and activities and what we can do to streamline our lives for the best effect.

Why creating space in our lives to evaluate opportunities is essential for our productivity and quality of life.

The key questions to ask yourself about where you want to take your business and your life.

Why we usually underestimate the time and resources it will take to follow through on our commitments.

The value of a buffer for ensuring our commitments match our long-term goals.

Read the Transcript

You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript of this episode here, courtesy of Ginger Schell, a professional transcriptionist, who does all my transcriptions.

Join the Conversation

My favorite part of doing these podcasts is participating in the conversation they provoke. Each week, I ask one question. This week, it is this:

Binge on All 13 Episodes!

If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all thirteen audio episodes of Season 3 here. I release the video episodes weekly, as they are not yet available for batch listening. If you are looking for previous episodes, you can find Season 0 here, Season 1 here, and Season 3 here.

Explore Additional Resources

In this episode we mentioned the following resources:

Book: Essentialism by Greg McKeown

Web site: Greg McKeown

Ask Me a Question

If you have a question, comment, thought or concern, you can do so by clicking here. We’d love to hear from you.

Subscribe to the Podcast

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe:

Share the Love

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 11 of the This Is Your Life podcast. In this eleventh episode, Michele Cushatt and I discuss how you can lead transformational conversations.

A new model of leadership has emerged over the last several years that is more about dialogue than the traditional model. But it’s not always intuitive and it takes some practice. Here are ten practical strategies you can use to gain greater influence.

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Watch the Video

In this episode, you’ll discover:

How you can use conversations to not only generate the best creative thinking, but also produce buy-in from you team.

The importance of defining the desired outcome at the outset of the conversation.

The power of establishing the right questions in advance for reaching your desired outcome.

Why it’s essential to leave room for disagreement—and even affirm it.

How to listen effectively and keep the conversation moving.

The importance of followup questions and positive feedback to increase engagement.

That these ten strategies work for almost any relationship, including among family and friends.

Read the Transcript

You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript of this episode here, courtesy of Ginger Schell, a professional transcriptionist, who does all my transcriptions.

Join the Conversation

My favorite part of doing these podcasts is participating in the conversation they provoke. Each week, I ask one question. This week, it is this:

Binge on All 13 Episodes!

If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all thirteen audio episodes of Season 3 here. I release the video episodes weekly, as they are not yet available for batch listening. If you are looking for previous episodes, you can find Season 0 here, Season 1 here, and Season 3 here.

Explore Additional Resources

In this episode we mentioned the following resources:

Blog post: 5 Strategies for Becoming a Better Conversationalist

Blog post: Leading Powerful Conversations

Blog post: How to Have Better Dinner Conversations

Ask Me a Question

If you have a question, comment, thought or concern, you can do so by clicking here. We’d love to hear from you.

Subscribe to the Podcast

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe:

Share the Love

If you enjoyed the show, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review.

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 10 of the This Is Your Life podcast. In this tenth episode, Michele Cushatt and I talk about how to handle criticism with grace.

Criticism is inevitable, and it stings. But only the foolish sting back. The wise pause, evaluate, and turn it to their advantage. Here are four disciplines to help you better handle—and even benefit from—criticism.

Listen to the Audio

Watch the Video

In this episode you’ll discover:

Why receiving criticism and handling confrontation is essential for anyone in a leadership position.

Why it’s crucial to pause between the stimulus of criticism and our response to it.

What kind of critics warrant a response—and who doesn’t.

How defensiveness sabotages ourselves and relationships.

How we let shame inflate our response to criticism.

Why sometimes people deliver criticism with more force than they intend.

How to handle criticism in a group setting.

Why it’s essential to own our missteps and wrongs—all the way.

Read the Transcript

You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript of this episode here, courtesy of Ginger Schell, a professional transcriptionist, who does all my transcriptions.

Join the Conversation

My favorite part of doing these podcasts is participating in the conversation they provoke. Each week, I ask one question. This week, it is this:

Binge on All 13 Episodes!

If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all thirteen audio episodes of Season 3 here. I release the video episodes weekly, as they are not yet available for batch listening. If you are looking for previous episodes, you can find Season 0 here, Season 1 here, and Season 3 here.

Explore Additional Resources

In this episode we mentioned the following resources:

Book: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

Book: Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs

Ask Me a Question

If you have a question, comment, thought or concern, you can do so by clicking here. We’d love to hear from you.

Subscribe to the Podcast

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe:

Share the Love

If you enjoyed the show, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the show.

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 9 of the This Is Your Life podcast. In this ninth episode, I turn the tables a bit and interview Michele Cushatt about her new book, Undone: A Story of Making Peace with an Unexpected Life.

As I said in my review Monday, Undone is one of the best memoirs I’ve ever read. It’s a book that will give you clarity, courage, and the commitment we always talk about on this podcast. More than anything, it will help us see that our lives our a gift.

Listen to the Audio

Watch the Video

In this interview with Michele, you’ll discover:

How gratitude can serve as our lifeline in hard times.

Why fear and anxiety can be worse than the potential trials we face.

Why true strength is being willing to admit we need help.

What our vantage point has to do with how we experience hardship.

How embracing difficulty sometimes makes room for miracles.

Read the Transcript

You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript of this episode here, courtesy of Ginger Schell, a professional transcriptionist, who does all my transcriptions.

Join the Conversation

My favorite part of doing these podcasts is participating in the conversation they provoke. Each week, I ask one question. This week, it is this:

Binge on All 13 Episodes!

If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all thirteen audio episodes of Season 3 here. I release the video episodes weekly, as they are not yet available for batch listening. If you are looking for previous episodes, you can find Season 0 here, Season 1 here, and Season 2 here.

Explore Additional Resources

In this episode we mentioned the following resources:

Michele’s book: Undone: A Story of Making Peace with an Unexpected Life

Ask Me a Question

If you have a question, comment, thought or concern, you can do so by clicking here. We’d love to hear from you.

Subscribe to the Podcast

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe:

Share the Love

If you enjoyed the show, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the show.

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 8 of the This Is Your Life podcast. In this eighth episode, Michele Cushatt and I discuss how to stay consistent with your blogging in just 70 minutes.

One of the most important aspects of building your platform is consistency. But creating great content on a regular basis is time consuming, right? Not if you follow my simple, step-by-step workflow for content creation.

Listen to the Audio

Watch the Video

In this episode, you’ll discover:

Why perfectionism is the enemy of consistent productivity.

Why waiting for inspiration never works and how a simple, ten-step routine can ignite your productivity.

How to turn your subconscious and downtime into powerful engines of creativity.

What soft music and firm deadlines can do focus your attention and channel your effort.

The key reason to use plenty of internal links in your posts.

Why writing without editing can keep you moving at your most creative.

Read the Transcript

You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript of this episode here, courtesy of Ginger Schell, a professional transcriptionist, who does all my transcriptions.

Join the Conversation

My favorite part of doing these podcasts is participating in the conversation they provoke. Each week, I ask one question. This week, it is this:

Binge on All 13 Episodes!

If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all thirteen audio episodes of Season 3 here. I release the video episodes weekly, as they are not yet available for batch listening. If you are looking for previous episodes, you can find Season 0 here, Season 1 here, and Season 3 here.

Explore Additional Resources

In this episode we mentioned the following resources:

Music: My Spotify Writing Playlist

Blog post: “Anatomy of an Effective Blog Post”

Blog post: “How to Blog if You Don’t Have Time”

Blog post: “Beginner’s Guide to Writing with MultiMarkdown”

Video: “Use a Blogging Template to Write Posts Faster”

Template: My Scrivener Blogging Template

Conference: SCORRE Conference

App: Scrivener

App: Evernote

App: All in One SEO

Royalty-free Images:

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 7 of the This Is Your Life podcast. In this seventh episode, Michele Cushatt and I discuss five proven platform-building actions you can do in just thirty minutes a day.

Building a platform can feel daunting. There are so many different tactics, tricks, and tools it can seem like too much to manage. But it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. These five simple actions will get big results with a small time commitment.

Listen to the Audio

Watch the Video

In this episode, you will discover:

The best tools for automating your social media promotion.

How to stay current on social media without killing your productivity.

Why your distaste for self-promotion is actually shortchanging your audience.

Why mining your archives is crucial if you want to grow your platform.

How analytics can give you the direction your need for promotion.

Read the Transcript

You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript of this episode here, courtesy of Ginger Schell, a professional transcriptionist, who does all my transcriptions.

Join the Conversation

My favorite part of doing these podcasts is participating in the conversation they provoke. Each week, I ask one question. This week, it is this:

Binge on All 13 Episodes!

If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all thirteen audio episodes of Season 3 here. I release the video episodes weekly, as they are not yet available for batch listening. If you are looking for previous episodes, you can find Season 0 here, Season 1 here, and Season 3 here.

Explore Additional Resources

In this episode we mentioned the following resources:

Plugin: CoSchedule

App: Buffer

App: Feedly

App: Tweetdeck

App: Hootsuite

App: Edgar

Ask Me a Question

If you have a question, comment, thought or concern, you can do so by clicking here. We’d love to hear from you.

Subscribe to the Podcast

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe:

Share the Love

If you enjoyed the show, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the show.

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 6 of the This Is Your Life podcast. In this sixth episode, Michele Cushatt and I discuss what every leader needs to know about their relationships.

People need close interpersonal relationships to thrive. And for leaders, there is more at stake than you might think.

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Watch the Video

In this podcast, you will learn:

The one trait essential for both leadership and marriage.

Four relationship land mines to avoid.

Three steps you can use today to improve the relationships that matter most.

How the act of identifying your favorite qualities in a friend can enable you to be a better friend to your spouse.

What to do when important change doesn’t come immediately.

Read the Transcript

You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript of this episode here, courtesy of Ginger Schell, a professional transcriptionist, who does all my transcriptions.

Join the Conversation

My favorite part of doing these podcasts is participating in the conversation they provoke. Each week, I ask one question. This week, it is this:

Binge on All 13 Episodes!

If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all thirteen audio episodes of Season 3 here. I release the video episodes weekly, as they are not yet available for batch listening. If you are looking for previous episodes, you can find Season 0 here, Season 1 here, and Season 3 here.

Explore Additional Resources

In this episode we mentioned the following resources:

Book: Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs

Song: “Break in the Cup” by David Wilcox

Ask Me a Question

If you have a question, comment, thought or concern, you can do so by clicking here. We’d love to hear from you.

Subscribe to the Podcast

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe:

Share the Love

If you enjoyed the show, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the show.

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 5 of the This Is Your Life podcast. In this fifth episode, Michele Cushatt and I discuss the top-10 characteristics of lousy leaders.

Follow the major news stories on crises in business, politics, diplomacy, whatever, and it’s impossible to miss that most are crises of leadership. Unsurprisingly, we see the same failures and mistakes over and over. Here are the ten I most often notice.

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Watch the Video

In this episode, you’ll learn:

The kinds of questions lousy leaders never ask about their business.

Why too little or too much confidence can devastate your leadership.

How bad leadership breeds cynicism and undermines an organization.

How a lack of organization undermines our ability to persuade and sell others.

The one trait to avoid if you want to lead well.

Read the Transcript

You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript of this episode here, courtesy of Ginger Schell, a professional transcriptionist, who does all my transcriptions.

Join the Conversation

My favorite part of doing these podcasts is participating in the conversation they provoke. Each week, I ask one question. This week, it is this:

Binge on All 13 Episodes!

If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all thirteen audio episodes of Season 3 here. I release the video episodes weekly, as they are not yet available for batch listening. If you are looking for previous episodes, you can find Season 0 here, Season 1 here, and Season 3 here.

Explore Additional Resources

In this episode we mentioned the following resources:

Blog post: The Top-10 Characteristics of Lousy Leaders

Website: John Maxwell

Ask Me a Question

If you have a question, comment, thought or concern, you can do so by clicking here. We’d love to hear from you.

Subscribe to the Podcast

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe:

Share the Love

If you enjoyed the show, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the show.

Welcome to Season 3, Episode 4 of the This Is Your Life podcast. In this fourth episode, Michele Cushatt and I discuss why we should play full out, especially when we feel like giving up.

Anyone can start something. But after we begin a new project, goal, or relationship, a million things come up and it’s easy to drop out. Here are three truths to keep in mind when you’re not sure you can finish.

Listen to the Audio

Watch the Video

In this episode, you’ll discover:

The three options we face when we’re tempted to walk off the field.

Why it takes takes hard times to help us maximize our gifts.

What we learn about our character when we push through difficulties.

How our decisions in tough times leave lasting marks on more lives than our own.

The one emotion we can’t escape when we choose to quit early.

Read the Transcript

You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript of this episode here, courtesy of Ginger Schell, a professional transcriptionist, who does all my transcriptions.

Join the Conversation

My favorite part of doing these podcasts is participating in the conversation they provoke. Each week, I ask one question. This week, it is this:

Binge on All 13 Episodes!

If you want to listen to more episodes, you will find all thirteen audio episodes of Season 3 here. I release the video episodes weekly, as they are not yet available for batch listening. If you are looking for previous episodes, you can find Season 0 here, Season 1 here, and Season 3 here.

Explore Additional Resources

In this episode we mentioned the following resources:

Blog post: Don’t Quit Before the Whistle Blows.

Heather Kampf (née Dorniden): There are two videos that capture Kampf’s extraordinary comeback. Here are links to the first video and the second.

Book: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.

Ask Me a Question

If you have a question, comment, thought or concern, you can do so by clicking here. We’d love to hear from you.

Subscribe to the Podcast

If you have enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe:

Share the Love

If you enjoyed the show, please rate it on iTunes and write a brief review. That would help tremendously in getting the word out and raising the visibility of the show.