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Traci Fenton is the founder and CEO of WorldBlu, a global leadership education company teaching top CEO, leaders, and their organizations how to lead with the proven Freedom at Work™ leadership model. Traci is also a globally-recognized keynote speaker, author, and coach to CEOs and top leaders worldwide.

Traci is a "Thinkers50 Radar" award winner, received the Game Changer award for "Outstanding Results in Shaping the World," was named a "World-Changing Woman in Conscious Business," has been recognized in Inc. magazine as a "Top 50 Leadership

Thinker," and as a Marshall Goldsmith "Top 100 Coach" in the world.

Traci founded WorldBlu in 1997 and has helped spark and lead the global conversation around leading and reinventing workplaces using freedom and organizational democracy rather than fear and control. Traci and her team have helped hundreds of top companies and leaders at world-class organizations such as The WD-40 Company, DaVita, HCL Technologies, Mindvalley, Pandora, Podio, RevAsia, GE Aviation, Zappos, and more in over 100 countries worldwide.

Traci developed the groundbreaking Freedom at Work™ leadership model based in part on the WorldBlu 10 Principles of Organizational Democracy as well as numerous mindset, leadership, and organizational design courses, all of which are delivered on BluSpark™, the cutting-edge gamification learning technology she developed.

Traci frequently speaks to top leaders, and has spoken at numerous organizations such as Harvard, Yale, Yahoo! and the US Naval Academy, and at worldwide events such as South by Southwest and TEDx.

Her work has been featured in Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, the Wall Street Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, the New York Times, Inc., BusinessWeek, NPR, the BBC, and dozens of other media outlets around the world as well as in over three dozen books. She is the author of the book Freedom at Work: The Leadership Strategy for Transforming Your Life, Your Organization, and Our World.

Learn more at:

worldblu.com

worldblu.com/freedomatworkbook

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio : Ariza Music Productions

Transcription : Vision In Word

Marlana: Tracy Fenton is the founder and CEO of World Blu, a globally recognized keynote speaker, author and coach to CEOs and top leaders Worldwide. Welcome, Tracy.

Traci: Great to be with you. Thanks for having me.

Marlana: So today we're going to talk about a fearless mindset. And first let me ask you what you really mean by fearless? Is it just fearing less? Is it absence of fear? Is it talk to us a little bit about that? So, we have a basis?

Traci: That's a great question. There's a lot of ways to look at what fear is. A lot of people when they think of fear, they think of the acronym False Evidence Appearing Real which I love. It's a way of describing fear. I like to think of fear as a limited point of view of what we're capable of and what we're not capable of doing. Why I say this is because the brain research tells us that the average person thinks 60,000 thoughts a day, and 80% of those thoughts are the exact same thoughts we had the day before and have those exact same thoughts. 95% of those thoughts are negative and fear based.

Marlana: Oh! Wow!

Traci: And so, most of the time, we're thinking fear based thoughts. And we might not even realize it, you know, we tend to use words like, I feel stressed, or I feel rushed, or I feel anxious, or I'm limiting myself, or I want to up level and I can't get there or excuses or lack of personal accountability, all of that when you dial it down, it comes back to fear, it's at the root of it. And another thing that's very interesting about fear is that when we're in a state of fear, the peripheries of our brain shut down, and we become myopic. So, we literally have a limited point of view. And so that's why I like to think of fear as a limited point of view, it is an imposition on our unlimited ability that each one of us has. So, when we're ready to up level or ready to go and start our own business and begin a new career, or whatever it is that we feel called to do. What you have to know how to deal with is, how to handle the fear that comes up over and over and over again as you progress and go forward.

Marlana: Because each time we do that, each time we step into something bigger or something new fear usually packs its bag and comes right along.

Traci: Oh, yeah, those grounds. I call them the Gremlin voices, the Gremlin voice has come in and they want to give it a Yep, up in your ears. And that's why we developed a five step practice for how to overcome fear. We call it The Power Question Practice. We teach it at World Blu to all of our members who are part of World Blu, and it's a lifelong tool that you can have to literally handle any fear you may have in your life, whether it's a personal fear, a professional fear, a relationship fear, a business fear or health fear, whatever it may be, you can put it through this five step power question practice, and literally have a breakthrough, just like that.

Marlana: Well, go ahead and hit us with what they are then.

Traci: All right! What are the questions? I want to share this with you, and for all of your listeners, I'd like you to just kind of play along with me. You can grab a piece of paper if you want, as we talk this through, grab your phone and write this down. This is the gift that I want to share with you. And before I share the five steps of The Power Question Practice, I want to share with you where it came from. Because for me, when I was in my mid-20s, I was living in Washington, DC, I had started my company World Blu. I was a full time graduate student, I was also working for the NASDAQ stock market, I was travelling all over, I was living a crazy life, I was mean, was just busy, very, very, very busy. Talk about up levelling on every level. And when I was about 25, I ended up calling a spiritual mentor of mine and I said, I am totally overwhelmed. I'm totally stressed out. I kind of barf out all my problems to her, and she listened patiently. Then she said, Tracy, I have just one question for you. What is this one question? And she goes, what would you do if you weren't afraid? And her question kind of startled me because I didn't think I was afraid. You know, I thought I was just stressed out. I didn't realize how much fear was impacting what I was and wasn't doing and the opportunities I was taking, what I was going for, literally, in a moment with that question, what would I do if I weren't afraid? And my ability to self-reflect and be honest with myself, I thought, wow, I would change this, this, this, and this. And it was just like everything clicked into place. So, I started to call that question, what would you do if you weren't afraid? The power question, because when we're in fear, we're not in our power. But when we're acting from freedom, we are in our power. And so, what I want is for each one of us to be in our power, so that we can realize our full potential and greatness and go for our dreams. So, I started teaching the power question and taking people through it. Oh! Gosh! Probably, I started my company 24 years ago, World Blu. But I started teaching this probably about 15 years ago. And I've taught what I'm about to teach you all to 1000s of leaders now around the World. And they've all had massive breakthroughs. And in the process of teaching them, what would you do if you weren't afraid? And how to work with that question. I realized some people it was a little bit hard for them to break through just with that one question. So, as I finessed it, I eventually came up with these five questions, which are in my forthcoming book called Freedom At Work. And they're the five questions that I will walk you through now. So that's a little bit of the backstory of behind what I'm going to teach you. So now with that said, Here's what I like anyone to do listening, I'd like you to think about a challenge you're facing. So, it could be a personal or professional challenge. Maybe you're starting your own business, and you're trying to figure out what's that next step? Or how do I get the money I need to build this? Or what's my brand identity going to be like? Or how much do I want to be out there not out there? What was it that I actually want to do, or whatever that may be, or maybe it's a relationship issue, maybe you're challenged with a child right now, or a significant other, maybe there's a communication challenge that you have in your life, or maybe you have a huge opportunity that you are weighing if you should go for or not? So, think of a really clear challenge that you're dealing with in your life. Now, once you have that clear in your mind, let's go to the first question. And the first question is, what are you afraid of? So, what are you afraid of? All right now, first of all, to go into this practice, we have to be humble. And we have to be willing to see ah, I am afraid, as I briefly mentioned, remember, there's many symptoms to fear. I was reading a Harvard Business School, Harvard Business Review, article, interviewing CEOs, and they identified over 500 masks, I called a massive fear. So, remember, everything boils down to fear? So, we have to be humble and admit, yeah, I am afraid now, what am I afraid of? So sometimes what we think we're afraid of, and what we're actually afraid of are two different things. So, we may say, Well, I'm afraid that if I put myself out there, you know, what if my business doesn't take off? Or what if I don't have enough money? Or what if I fail? Okay. And so, all those things, and what I've found in the coaching work that my team and I do with top leaders around the World, is that almost everything comes down to the same core fears. And the same core fears are usually what if I fail? And I'm afraid that I'm not good enough, right? And the ultimate fear is fear of death in some way. It's not just literal death, it can be death of your reputation, or your image or your finances, okay? So, it usually boils down to the fear of failure, the fear of others' opinions of us, okay? And so on, and so forth. So those core fears of really that I'm not good enough, I'm not going to be good enough to rise to the occasion. So, when you think about what you're afraid of, you got to make sure on that first question, you're really going deep enough, and you're not just staying on the surface. And I can't even tell you how many people have had breakthroughs, just realizing what it is that they're actually afraid of. Because again, it's often not what we think. Okay, so that's the first question, what are you afraid of? The second question is, why are you afraid? And why are you afraid? Is it because of something that happened in the past, that you're now projecting into the future? Is it because you saw someone else go through a challenge, and now you're thinking this could happen to me? You know, why are you afraid? And so, you got to get really, really clear. Are you afraid because, you know, your dad always says you're never going to amount to anything you know, is other people's opinions, whatever it may be, why are you afraid? Get really clear on that? So that's the second question.

Marlana: let me just ask you this. How many people with that second question? Is the fear based on what other people have told us? Or led us to believe?

Traci: Yes! Well, look at it right now in our world, right? So much fear is, oh, this is happening to other people, or this is what experts are telling me to believe, are telling me what to think, right? Instead of thinking for ourselves. And that's what we have to do, think for ourselves and think from our own experiences natural also that we pull from the past and project to the future, that is an exactly healthy thing to do. So, we have to make sure we, you know, stay in the present. And so often, again, we're limiting ourselves because of other limiting beliefs, or because of basically made up limiting beliefs that we're projecting into the future. And I also talk about this in my book, Freedom At Work is 80% of what we worry about never comes true. Never comes true. That is a proven fact, 80% of what we worry about never comes true. Well, then you may say, Yeah, but what about the 20% that does come true? You know. And so, what the research finds is that of the 20%, that actually may come true, most people find that they're able to overcome the challenge. And there's always a silver lining, right? There's always a silver lining, we all know what it's like to go through hard times. But we also grow, and our characters grow as a result of that. So yeah, it's a very important question. But we have to remember as leaders, to think for ourselves, and that's a part of being fearless, not having others think for us, but doing our own critical thinking. So, the third question is the power question, which is, what would I do if I weren't afraid? So, you've now identified, what am I afraid of? Why am I afraid? And now Okay, so what would I do if I weren't afraid? And what you really want to make sure you do here is you identify what it is you would do if you weren't afraid. Sometimes I've seen people there's so in their story of their fear. And they've built such a sense of identity out of their fear that they don't even want to imagine what they would do if they weren't afraid like that actually feels scary for them, because it means that they're going to have to give up their old sense of identity as they grow it. So, you want to really think through what would I do if I weren't afraid? What action would I take? What conversation would I have? What new thought would I have? Now obviously, as we're talking about fearlessness here, we're not talking about reckless fearlessness. You know, we're talking about responsible fearlessness. So, this isn't about well, if I weren't afraid, I know what I would tell my boss, you know, if I weren't afraid, I know what I was, you know, none of them know what we're talking about. Is that responsible fearlessness? What action would you take, that's going to enable you to live more of your purpose? And your potential? That's what we're talking about hair? So, what would you do if you weren't afraid? Let yourself think big. Let yourself really expand into that question. You know, I remember one time, I was teaching this to an executive team of a company out in LA, and we got to this question, what would you do if you weren't afraid? And I remember the CEO, they were all sitting around the table. And the CEO goes, Ah, vague exhale. And she's just like, I know what I would do if I weren't afraid. And that's how it should be. It should be like this. Oh, my gosh! You know, back to my mentor, he said that to me, what would you feel if it was like, because see, you've been in fear, you're thinking like this. That's that limited point of view. And now all of a sudden, boom, I know what I would do if I weren't afraid. That's that expansive sense of freedom, not fear, not restraint, not constraint. But that's what we're going for here. So, what would you do if you weren't afraid? Now, the fourth of five questions is, okay. So how would you now feel without the fear? How would you feel without the fear? Well, you can imagine all kinds of words come up. Relief, joy, excitement, I would feel energized. You know, I don't know about you, lady, but I've had my times when I'm in fear. And boy, sometimes it is such a fog on your thinking, and it's exhausting. Right? I've had sometimes in my life where I am just like plodding through feeling so fatigued because I'm working through a fear, you know, and no amount of caffeine is gonna get you out of this, right? It's when you have that breakthrough through the fear. You feel that energy come back to you. And I think again, most of us are operating, whether it's with little fears that pile up. And then of course, there's the big fears and it really can weigh you down and really create that fatigue. And so that's why this mental work of really letting just overcoming that fear it just energizes you and it gives you joy. So, yeah,

Marlana: let me ask this. How often when we are in that, like exhaustion phase or, or mental fog, or any of that? How often is that usually fear?

Traci: I think almost all the time. I think there's so much like, Look, I'm not a psychologist, I'm not a doctor, any of that. But I think so much of the talk about mental health and all these mental things. Often, it really comes down to fear. And we're not, we don't have the tools to handle the fear. And that's why I wrote this book, that's why we're doing the work we're doing, is we want people to have the tools to handle the fear, because so much the fear weighs you down. And the fear creates this paralysis, right? Where we don't want to act. We don't want to move forward, because we're so afraid of what others think of us, or what if we fail? Or what if we're all these hypotheticals, and sometimes it's not a hypothetical, sometimes we have failed, and sometimes others do think poorly of us. And that's part of life. That's part of like, look, I mean, I built my own company from scratch, I've had, I've made a million mistakes. But my worth doesn't come from those things, you know, and that's a whole mother thing we talk about at World Blu is where does our worth come from. So, you have to know your worth, you have to know your purpose, you got to get grounded on the walk rock. And you have to be able to also forgive yourself, you know, I'm here at World Blu. We don't talk about mistakes; we talk about learning moments. And I actually got that from one of our clients we work with is called WD 40. Gary Red is the CEO and he's a good friend of mine now. He taught me that when he went into WD 40, which is also a World Blu certified freedom centered company, and he took over as CEO, he found that they had a very punitive culture. And that created a culture of fear in their workplace. And he said, You know what, he did lots of different things. But one of the things he said was, we're not going to talk about mistakes anymore, we're going to talk about learning moments. And we've adopted that rather, into my company, and with my team, and we teach it to our clients Worldwide. And so, we have to be willing to forgive ourselves for mistakes, we have to be able to see them as learning moments, learn from them, and then you go higher, you can't up level without making mistakes, you know, that's how we learn, that's how we grow, take what you need from it, brush off the dust on the rest of it, and just keep moving forward. Don't let it all stick to you, you know, because all that again, is just fear based reasoning and that's really

Michael Fabber is the Founder and CEO of UnleashU Now! He created a 6+ figure business in 4 months with no ad spending, no email lists, and all organic lead generation. Michael and his fearless team host conferences internationally in addition to courses, programs, groups, retreats, and the UnleashU Now mastermind group. In addition to UnleashU Now, Michael is also the Executive Director of a nonprofit that focuses on suicide prevention and owns several other businesses. He is known in the entrepreneurial space for the impactful movement he has created while focusing on business and personal growth!

Promote: https://www.unleashunowretreat.com/

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio: Ariza Music Productions

Transcription : Vision In Word

Marlana: Founder and CEO of unleash you now an executive director of a nonprofit and owner of several other businesses, Michael Fabber, is known in the entrepreneurial space for the impactful movement he has created while focusing on business and personal growth. Welcome, Michael.

Michael: Hi, how are you?

Marlana: Good! You know, if anybody doesn't know who you are, and they were to look you up, there are a ton of things, it is obvious that we could glean from you from a business perspective. But instead of that, today, we're going to talk about something bigger, and creating a legacy. So first of all, tell me what does that mean to you, legacy?

Michael: To me, your legacy is a story you wrote by your actions and being here. And that's everything.

Marlana: You know, it was interesting, because this morning, it just so happened that something came across my Instagram feed, and it said, legacy is a story you leave behind for others to tell the impression you make on the next generation. And I thought, yeah, that's a pretty big thing. And it's also a pretty weighty responsibility. So, when did you decide that it needed to be bigger than business for you?

Michael: By 2011, was really when the realization that how I was living and what I was doing was pointless, was meaningless. And that if I continued that way, the only thing at the end would be a number in a bank account. And anybody ever lost somebody you never were like, hold on, What number is that not backing out again. Alright, that's never happened for all the people I've lost. So, at that point, I realized I lived life in a way that I never want to live again.

Marlana: So, what did you start to change?

Michael: Everything started with me; my mindset, I believe, my focus, and then started working outwards. I believe everything comes in out. So, if it's real, true, and sustainable to be here first, and then it's going to work this way. But I changed everything about what I believed when I looked for who I wanted to be, what I was about. So, it was a lot of interiors to start, and then start working on the process of how does this come out? Like, how do I show it's always this funny story the first time. So, I told my buddy, we were going to change the world, right in 2011. And his response was, Are you high? And I was like, no! All right! But that also tells me where we've been right? So, I'm like, No! But seriously, like, we're gonna change the world. He said, That's impossible. And like, nobody changed his world. I was like, how does the world change? Right? Like, people change world. And he goes, Well, how are you gonna do it? I said one person at a time. And I'm very like, I'm, I look ragged, and I played sports a lot. But I'm really a nerd. I love to learn. So, I love to go to places and learn different things. So, when like, coaching space, a lot of people were like, *** me! I didn't eat the brownie this morning, my health coach. Like, I did not want that to be my life. Right? So, I was like, I'm gonna learn everything about this coaching space. And I came from human behavior, neuroscience, mental health space, sorry, knew some of it. And I was just like, let me dive in and see what they're doing and saying, and what resonates with me and what doesn't, what aligns with me and what doesn't, or who I want to be. Sometimes really say, Who am I now? Does that align with me? And sometimes we have to ask who I want to be? Does that align with me? Right? Because some of the things serving us now won't serve us where we want to be. And I went and got like, a million certificates, right? That says, I'm a coach. Alright, so whatever that means, but I take my buddy on, like, watch, I can help people like we can do this, I can help you. So, we went to a diner in local town. And I walked in, and I'm just looking around to see who I'm going to help. Right. Like talking about like, crazy people have diner. I didn't think this through beforehand, clearly. And there's a guy that counter and he's sitting there and he's eating and I'm like, This is my guy. Right? So, I walk up to him. I'm like, sir, how are you? looks over at me. I'm like, my name is Michael Fabbre. And tell me what your biggest problem is. I'm going to help you to I mean, guide you through and solve it. He goes betray me dead my eye and goes, you. Right? And I go, you got it, sir. I walked away. I walked my buddy. And I said, See one down. Let's keep going. So, it was such an awkward, horrible beginning, but really, it was exactly what it needed to be for me.

Marlana: So how did you then take all of this learning knowledge and start to really play. In Motion aside from the awkward guy at the diner, right now?

Michael: So, it's like, this is back in 2011 to 2012. And the first year I think we did like 300 ads free, like style like moments, right? Like we did, we had numerous clients, I can't remember the exact number. None of them paid a dime, right? I was like, we are going to go out of business. Right? Like, we do not have a business. We have a hobby. Yeah, but we had 300 and some odd sessions. And then we did some, some different kinds of like, one on one activities, and experiences. And I was like, This is great, but we're not going to Vegas. Like this isn't a business zombie. Alright, and my buddy, actually, same buddy, Alex before he's been here from day one of this door still is with me. He literally emcees every single event we had except for the last two. Oh, no, go monster. Amazing, dude, hilarious doesn't shut up now before he never talked never gonna shut up. It's weird. But we were going through. And at the end, he goes, Mike, do you really want to do this? Are you just doing this for fun? Usually, if you really want to do this, you have multiple other businesses, you know how to run a business. And my fear was that if I let business get involved in this, it would become every other business. And that was that was my interior dialogue happening. That's why I was like, no, no, like, we don't need to charge like, let's just find people help it. And that was the time where I had to question myself and go, you know, can you do this differently? How will you do this differently? What serves that purpose? And how do we make this something bigger than just hey, do you need something? Right? Can we help and make this something where we were actually part of transforming lives?

Marlana: So, talk us through that a little bit. Because I think a lot of people, when you have a passion for something, and a desire to change people or do something for people, a lot of people are hesitant about the money part of it. So how do you shift that?

Michael: Right? So, what's great? So originally, when I got to this, I didn't want to talk business. Right? Right. Today, you're like, we're not going to talk business yet. We're talking some business. Because somehow, I always find a way towards it. And I'm like, I want to talk about mindset, I want to talk dreams and goals, and how like, what's fulfilment? What makes your heart neat? Like that stuff. So, when you say that passion, alright, a lot of people coming entrepreneurship, they know nothing about business, putting myself, my first attempt in nothing about this. I was like, I can do this, let's do this, right. And then I was like, Oh my God! I'm losing my butt over this. Right. And it was a lot of hard lessons. Right. And again, one of my buddies was like, Mike, you see all these people with passion? I want to help people. My ultimate goal is to end selfish behavior and suicide as my ultimate goal, right? When you say that you sound like a lunatic? Like, okay, buddy, right? So, it's like, how can we make that somewhat logical, so people can then believe it enough to follow you through the journey enough for you to actually be able to guide and serve them? So, one of the biggest things we have to change was, whatever the exchange policy is, we all need it. Right? Like, I don't care if you call it money. Now, crypto or NF Ts like any, like, used to be like furs, animals, and products. But whatever it was, that is your exchange policy, we all need that. And why I always say I want to serve Empowering Entrepreneurs is because we will typically take that and how can we better serve our people? How can we be better to be better, right? Because we have to be better before we can do better for others. Right? So, it's how, when you create that exchange policy, what you use that is for completely as you write like whatever you want the Lambo cool, right? Like, I'm really not a Lambo guy, so go enjoy that right, but cool, whatever it is you want to do. That's what you get to do with it. So, when we talk about money, a lot of people look at money as like, evil, or we'll bring them back out, right? No! It just highlights what's already there. Right. So, if you're good, you're good hearted. If you care, if you love, right, your people if you want to serve, that is going to be a tool to serve greater. So, we get out of the way of it being this crazy thing. And it's just a tool, right? Like anything else. And when you get it, you get to determine how you use it. But I know the more you have that tool, the more things you can do to help where you want to help and serve who you want to serve. And it's creating that mindset around it, and that you are worthy of it. Then that can create the change, and then like everything else, we work mindset first, and then we can start working outwards to who's your who and being able to explain your work in a way that resonates with people and make it realize investment, things like that. But that's some detail I won't get to.

Marlana: You know, and it's interesting that you say that too, because I know a lot of people that are in business, that money is not their driving factor. It's good people, you know, for a lot of us, it's a result of what we do, but it's not the reason for what we do. And that's okay.

Michael: That's great. But anything you do for the money, you're probably not gonna be able to earn it long enough to get the money. Right? There's two reasons why businesses fail, right? And it really comes down to one, right money. And I hate when people say that because that's not helpful at all. Right? We were having this, I literally almost walked off the stage was we're in this panel, and everybody kept talking about cash flow, right? And I'm like, that's a byproduct of what we do. Right? It's like even people that work, check to check you work, then you get your check, right? It's not like you get your check. And then hopefully, you work. Right, it does work that way. So, it's, we have to do what we have to do, order to create the impact, the value, add to whatever community or society we're trying to give it to. And then orange be reciprocated with the cat. So, if you get in this for cash, you're out, right? Even I can't work, I can't help you. It's over. Right? It's over. It's just when is it over? Right, because some people hit early. And then phase out, I would say like, there's so many people that come in that are hotter, right, or flashier than we are, right? I'm like, that's great. I, when I first started, they used to annoy the hell out me. I'm like, come on. We're here, like three years. They're just here three days, right? And now I'm just like, oh! That's going to happen. Let's see if they can maintain, right? Because it's a marathon. And if they're in it for the right reasons, they probably will. If they're in for wrong reasons, they probably won't. Right? And that's why we don't talk about opening businesses, we talk about starting, because movements never die. Businesses closed all the time. The movements never die. And the businesses that have been built in movement form, have survived product changes, leadership changes. And it's because movements don't actually live forever. You talked about legacy one.

Marlana: Yeah! So, talk to us about some of the difference between a movement and a business.

Michael: Right? So, movement is like there's a greater cause to it. All. Right. It's like I always talk about Apple being Apple. And Apple's like, look at their logo. It's like the worst logos ever happened. Apple, right? Like, I always tell people like oh, your logo is it, go to the store, buy an apple in half walk outside and try to sell it. And at an Apple users won't even cover it. Because they want you to know why. Because it's the best product. It's not what what do they make us the best, they don't make the best phones, right? Data can say this, I'm just gonna buy that I'm not gonna buy my opinion. I have an iPhone. So, for iPhone users get really mad, I raffle everything, right. But it's like, why because Apple came out and set up for the missed it. I'm for the one that doesn't want to be in a cubicle, you know, round holes, square peg, or vice versa. Right? Like they came out for that person that was like, this isn't my life, and I don't want it to be it. So, like anyone that has a 20 or videographers' younger guy, I call him a kid he gets very upset. But he's a younger guy. And he has his laptop. He has 7000 stickers on this laptop and was like why? Like, I couldn't have done it like any one of them. Right? But you don't want to sticker is not covering that apple. You know, he has like 7000 stickers on there. Why is because that's a beacon to all the other ones that feel the same way that believe the same way. They created a movement, a community, which was something bigger than just a product. That's why they went from computers to phones to headphones, to like a million other things, right? That people are now bought, buy, buy, buy, buy, why it's a different product, it's not what they originally sold you. If you're a product-based business and try to do that consumers gonna be like, That's not loyally, you didn't follow suit, you broke our trust. But if your movement based, they don't care what you give them because they know what it's for. And that's why when we say movements, it's like, it creates the idea that it's for something bigger, and your part of something bigger. And people we want connection as a cornerstone of the Union exists. Right? Like, there's a popular TED Talk says connection is the cure for addiction. And it's a dope, TED talk, I just disagree. And connection is part of addiction. I have an addictive personality. All right. I used to use it, booze, drugs, and parties and fun and all that good stuff. And then now I use it for personal growth and serving. I still have the same addictive personality. What I'm addicted to now serves me the person I want to be going forward rather than the other stuff served the whole I want to fill it; it didn't fill it was going to get worse and worse and worse and worse and worse. That's the problem. Right? So, connection is like we all want to connect this up. Right? It's like people that jump into different groups and communities and they're like, yeah, like you'll see on my post. People post, I looked like a Care bear, people will post a million hearts. Right? Blue and green hearts. I would say people make fun of me because I came from a different lifestyle. Right? Are you seeing a lot of trouble? I went through some things. Right? And now you'll go to my Facebook page and people were like so, people I know from bigger, like my whatever, like now you got like 40 hearts on your profile. And like, man, it's our community, we're strong, we believe in what we're fighting for, in what we're going towards, in the life and the world we think we can be part of, we can make, we can be part of setting. And that makes it important, right? Like that makes it matter because no offence, like, I'm just a person, right? Like, I'm just gonna bones, right? Like, they say, you know, what is the phrase "die hero" because we live long enough, they make you not want, right? And it's like, so the person is interchangeable. There could be someone else sitting in the seat tomorrow, right? But the movement, what we're going towards the calls above us all, I can't be stopped.

Marlana: And you know, you hit on an interesting point that I just want to touch back on. Because sometimes when we go in a different direction, not everybody from our past is on board. Talk to us a little bit about being able to move forward regardless and having to trim around.

Michael: This was the hardest thing for me like literally, they say we all have Gremlin. Right? And the Gremlin is something inside of you. That is like your hardest thing to get past. Right? It's like your Goliath. Right? And another sense. And mine was, I never want...

Michael Stein

Abadak Inc.

Stein Media

Michael Stein was diagnosed with a "learning disability" when he was a child. He is now the founder & CEO of Abadak Inc. Michael started the company while he was a broke filmmaker and nearly homeless. Since then the company has made over 100 million dollars.

He has been a writer, director, producer, actor, comedian, worked with academy award winners and some of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry.

He continues to build his company Abadak which is the leading tarps supplier in the USA and has donated over a one hundred thousand tarps to the homeless. Michael is the host of the podcast Long Shot Leaders. The podcast features the stories of high achievers that have overcome high odds and reached success.

https://longshotleaders.com

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio : Ariza Music Productions

Transcription : Vision In Word

Marlana: Michael Stein is a long shot, who went on to work with some of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry and built his company Abadak to over $100 million. He is also the host of the podcast Long Shot Leaders. Welcome, Michael.

Michael: Glad to be here. Thank you so much.

Marlana: So first of all, tell us why would you consider yourself a long shot?

Michael: I come from a long line of long shots. My grandmother escaped the Russian concentration camps on the way to America. My dad was in New York homeless street kid, became a multimillionaire, only to become homeless again. And he never finished eighth grade and I was born premature, all kinds of health issues. I had ADHD; they didn't know what it was back then. I was sent to the hospital a couple of times; I couldn't figure out what's wrong with me. I was put in a school … for special needs kids. I just really had a lot of issues, and you grow up with that, my mom who has an interesting sense of humor who was struggling with a crazy marriage with my dad always, I was the youngest in the family. She joke around say, "my son, he's the youngest. He's, my dessert. I drank, I ran up and down the stairs, I smoked, I..., but he survived." So, Mom, you don't have to tell everybody, just tell me…ranch or blue cheese with the meal, but that's what I grew up with. Hearing like you're lucky to be alive. I had to sleep in the same room with my grandmother until I was nine years old because my dad made all that money and lost it, but we grew up in Encino. It was a big house, but I was the youngest. So…I'd hear that story about her being a Holocaust survivor, and waking up in the morning, that's what I used to hear as my bedtime story and waking up alarm clock. So, you grew up with this appreciation of like you're lucky to be alive. This is what how it is for other people, and I really didn't find any success until I got two people laughing at me as a kid, I'd laugh, I'd make fun of things, and I was a hyper kid. So other than that, I was just a basket case. I never felt like there was anything like I was when I wasn't winning. So then one day, I see the movie Rocky, like most American kids, and I was 11 years old. I said, "here's a guy like me, he doesn't succeed a lot. He keeps on trying, he's not smart, or people think he's not smart." But the one difference between Rocky and myself is that he was physically fit, and I was not. So, I said, "I'm gonna make fitness my thing" And five years later, I just went hyper focused on that, like the person does. I became a physical fitness trainer when I was 16, and I said, "this *** can work. if I really do something, I see the ebb and flow of failure and success at an early age." Then I became president in a school leadership program and I said, "I'm going to be an entrepreneur like my dad was, I'm going to graduate high school, and I'm going to become successful." So, I said, I'm gonna be an entrepreneur, actor, and comedian. And my High School tutor says, you should maybe work with your hands, because not everybody's meant to do what they want to do. I said, Screw you! So, I started a business the day after I graduated high school, I failed miserably. Two weeks later, it didn't work out. But then I decided, Okay, I'll go to City College for six months, practice psychology, acting, entrepreneurship and business. And within six months, I did standup comedy when I was 19, my first, and I brought a lot of people there. I said, if I could do this, I could do this …which is really big in the late 80s. And then six months after that, I became the number one nightclub promoter in my age bracket in Los Angeles. That was when I stepped into AWS and my story where I open the floodgates. I became an actor, my first role was playing Dirk Diggler in the Dirk Diggler story, which became Boogie Nights, which I appear in as well, I became a filmmaker, did a lot of documentaries, that some of the biggest promotional events in Hollywood for movies like the Batman movie 89, which is a 4000 person event, and I left my nightclub business, then I said, I'm gonna be a filmmaker, an actor, and I made an award winning short film that got bought by HBO and I almost got close to a movie deal for one of my screenplays. But then nothing, no deal. Two years of development, how I'm broke, I'm in debt, no more nightclub business! So, then I said, I'm going to make my own movie screw Hollywood. I'm gonna make a movie that they don't want to make because they want to make this gambling casino movie, which I did. I did it underground gambling Centre in LA when I was a promoter. So, I wrote a screenplay about what they want to do, but it just fell through. So, I was making movies nobody wants to make, but I was dead broke. So, I started a company, the company I have now, and I started it when in debt. I was breaking and I didn't have any money. Within six months, made half a million dollars and was able to produce a movie called Love Hollywood Style with Faye Dunaway, Andy Dick and Coolio and acting, producing, directing it. Basically, it almost bottomed out my business and I made the movie successful for what it was. But then I said, I'm going to choose my opportunity over passion, and I grew this business, and I kept with that business. And it made over $100 million since and I said if I'm ever going to do a podcast, it's going to be about somebody that shows the ebb and flow of failure and success…I am closely related to psychology, personal development, which I became heavily involved in when I was in my early 20s. And really exploited, passion and opportunity, success, and failure. That's why I do a podcast called Long Shot Leaders.

Marlana: love it. Let me ask you this, when people come at you and they give you all kinds of excuses as to why they can't do this or can't do that, what would you say to those people based on your story?

Michael: Well, yeah, cuz that's my creed. There is no excuse, you're lucky to be alive. my dad was put in an orphanage when he was like eight years old, and he ran away from the orphanage. So, he was homeless, he slipped that alleyway in second St, Mark's on Lower East Side. And you'd hear that story all the time, so, my first knee jerk reaction towards that, forgive me, it's just Pavlov's conditioning. For me is like, there's no excuse, I can't, it's hard to hear an excuse. Because, I should be dead, three times over, I shouldn't be alive, but I don't want to be tendentious - to use that fancy word, for other people, want to be open minded to see for every scenario. So, it's important for me to be fluid, but I do say that my first intuition is, look! You got to gravitate towards pick up your bootstraps. There's got to be a way because where time plus effort equals into critical mass. There's got to be inevitable, somewhat a modicum of success that you can build upon. That's my philosophy.

Marlana: What's your thoughts on seizing opportunity versus creating opportunity?

Michael: Well, you can, it doesn't really matter. I like to hit the Zen Buddhists things like, ones a Buddhist wearing white, one wearing black, they both jump off of 100 story building, which one hits the ground? First? What difference does it make if you facilitate your own opportunity, or opportunity comes in…? It depends on what your broad, you step back for scope, whatever your broad concept is of success. And you step way back, and you say, what's going to get me from point A to point Z, the quickest way for my ultimate goal is that congruent? Or am I just telling myself, I really want to do this, but there's cognitive dissidence, that like is going adverse to that? It really doesn't matter to me, whether something comes along, you're 'but I facilitated all this success in one area'. It's like, Wait, something just came along, that's going to meet your end goal? What difference does it make, just go for that? So, I follow your opportunity, but long as it meets the end goal, but you got to be clear on your scope first.

Marlana: Yeah. And I know that you have a 10 point recipe that sets you up for success. So

Michael: you looked at that? I don't think anybody looks at that.

Marlana: I look at everything.

Michael: I'm not a personal development person that makes money off of that, I'm an entrepreneur, but I put that that's what I, I said, I'm gonna put something together that, that is successful for me. And the first thing is scope., that's the first thing I put on there, I believe, right? And to understand the whole, who you are, what you want, why you want that, the total five why's and then implement that, Why is that? and then understand your situation first because can't go anywhere? Unless you know where, you understand why you're going,

Marlana: What about changing where you are being… let me put it this way, being open to changes and morphing into something because I know somebody had said to me once be rigid on the goal but flexible on the method. Right? Do you believe that?

Michael: I have a wonderful metaphor for that actually. It reminds me of standup comedy., which I've done off and on for, since I was 19. And the most important thing Greg Dean who's been on my show will tell you is one of the foremost like greatest comedy, standup comedian coaches in the world. The most important thing when doing standup comedy is that you want to learn your set, you want to know what you're going to talk about, you want to know the objectives, you want to get so comfortable with the subject matter, and use pictures, sounds and feelings to get attached to it emotionally. But the most important thing, when you performing to an audience, whether you and I, as podcast, people, the most important thing an act is the rapport with the audience, the band, a loop of what we're communicating with each other, that's the most important thing. So, what was the metaphor for? Rigid on your goal, but flexible on your vision.… So would you drop all the material, you learn it, set it, and then forget it and drop all the material. And then, realize that look at something else comes along, can't be so rigid. The rapport, the audience is most probably in sound, how do you have to be willing to take everything in a different direction, because the most important thing is the end goal, which is to make people, have that bandha loop, the most important thing with your goal is that end result. So, anything that you have to be hone your craft, another great metaphor is like Bruce Lee be like water, your bottle could be ice, it could be fluid, be fluid to be ready for anything. But that doesn't mean that, I'm not going to do any work, I'm not going to like to prepare, you got to prepare and prepare hard, so then you could forget, so you're ready for whatever can happen. Whatever you need to be,

Marlana: how difficult is standup comedy,

Michael: it is extremely difficult. It's like one of the most difficult things you could ever do. Because it's like being an athlete, anybody can imagine, but focus on you walk on a stage. If you're just starting out, there could be over 100 people, and you don't have any instruments…anything other than you and a microphone, and it is your job to get lpm (laugh per minutes), X amount, at least maybe three laughs per minute. And you need to be able to get those people to emotionally trigger into laughter in a succession that will get this and also keep a rapport. It's extremely difficult but that's the technical part of it. You just need to do your reps. So, it's seven days a week if you want to be the best, if you want to dabble fine, but then you're going to screw up and be careful because the great is great in comedy, but the worst is much better when you bomb. So, I was terrified not to prepare and then actually be in the moment. It's really difficult.

Marlana: How has humor helped or supported you throughout your journey?

Michael: There's a lot of pain, a lot of comedians, not all of them I guess Seinfeld, maybe he's well adjusted, but most of us are just poor sad sacks that have gone through a lot of pain. So, when you talk about the relationship between laughter and when you first got people to laugh and why you got laughed, every comedian will have a knee jerk reaction of tears in the end if they're honest with themselves and I'm no different. So, the relationship is my first bit of success, my way to survive, my way to talk myself out of fights. I've never been in a lot of fights, I've had aggression myself, but I've never really picked on me because I've been on both ends of the spectrum. I mean, it's a tool that when your girlfriend's cheat on, your dad doesn't show up, or you get beat with a wooden hanger, or whatever it is, things that traumatize, you choose that, and you know what it works because it's called an NLP (neuro linguistic programming). You can now reframe, you got to be careful with comedy. When I got heavily involved in person development, I had a coach when I was in my 20s and everything was a joke trigger response for premise punch line. And she goes Whoa! Whoa! Wait! you gotta be careful what you're focusing on because your focus, your physiology, and your words are going to the triad of emotions, are going to determine a metastasize a certain result. So, I said wagon better invents something like the third eye a comedy to realize what I'm saying, something or doing something that I have a trigger says my guts a joke is premise punchline. You can't always believe everything, but it really helps you to reframe kidding me. Comedians helps them to reframe a situation. And now it gives it a new meaning and it's not pain.

Marlana: But you went on to do a lot with a lot of big names and things in Hollywood. So how did you make those connections? Because I know, a friend of mine says, nobody steps on to the roof. You always get there by a ladder. So how did you start to make those connections?

Michael: I think your journey starts with making friends, that's why I do a podcast, that's why I'm connection driven. That's why I want to be a standup comedian. I didn't have a lot of friends because I was feeling alienated. So, I start doing parties in high school, I start doing standup comedy, I do a nightclub. Once I start doing a nightclub, then things really change because you're running for president without the education. You meet 1000s of people seven nights a week, seven days a week, you have a full force; and that really opened up for me to meet a lot of people. The way I got to meet some of the biggest people in Hollywood is my love for calves. So, I see this girl, I don't know who she is. I said, "you have great calves". I just love the girl with great developed calves. So, my wife also has good calves. So, she says thank you, and she just brushes me off, finds out that she kind of liked me, so two months later, she pursued me and called me got my number that we started dating, and I didn't know who her dad was. But her dad was Peter Guber, who was just finishing up the final touches on Rain Man producing Rain Man, which he won the Academy Award for that year as Best Picture. And he was also preparing to do the Batman movie in 1989, which became the biggest blockbuster and he's one of the, as partners, John Peters, Barbra Streisand's ex-husband. And so, I read, I walked into this situation, and I grew up in a wealthy neighborhood as a poor kid. So, I was used to that even in Encino. That's where I grew up. But walking into Bel Air, Peter Guber, who was voted the most powerful man in Hollywood. And I walked into that, that's what happened, everything kind of changed., I ended up getting a lot of doors open, I've never been on private Learjet got to do that. So, a couple of times, go to Aspen, and, and just see a warm part of the world. So, I meet people. And that changed my life and also got me to see how a really, truly successful person does what they do, and see how they operate and see how they think. So, I got to do the Batman movie. That was my idea to do a big promotion because I was a nightclub promoter. So, let's do that. And there's a great story behind that because John Peterson was kind of like me, he felt like an outsider. He and I teamed up in Aspen with this concept to do a Batman a big party, big event for the Batman movie. That's why I met Paul Thomas Anderson, because his girlfriend was Jody Gruber, and my girlfriend was Elizabeth Gruber. Then he kept saying, I want your hilarious, I want to put you as a short film concept, I have to play Dirk Diggler in the Diggler story. And that became Boogie Nights, which I appeared in and, and so, that was you put yourself out there. I wasn't phony, I was a person operated with integrity. I think people have power always like that, and that just came natural to me, as to where I didn't try to pull a lot out of people, and sometimes to the detriment sometimes not enough, but that's part of my big journey. And then I've always really appreciated the quality relationships, I've met a lot of powerful people that I've not friends with, just because they're powerful, but I've met a lot. The people I hold on to appreciate me, and I appreciate them because integrity and honesty which is the antithesis of Hollywood culture, sometimes not Hollywood, the places great, so where I was born, but the culture is a little different. So that's my encapsulated concept on meeting people of power and…the relationships.

Matthew Hunt - Automation Wolf

Matthew Hunt is a Serial Entrepreneur, B2B sales and marketing expert, and coach to company CEOs, marketing directors, and entrepreneurs. His extensive experience of over a decade of helping B2B companies succeed in sales and marketing has driven him to create several 7-figure businesses and he's just getting started!

His company, Automation Wolf, is known for helping clients generate a full month of LinkedIn content in just one hour per week.

automationwolf.com

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio : Ariza Music Productions

Transcript : Vision In Word

Marlana: Matthew Hunt is a serial entrepreneur, business to business sales and marketing expert coach. As the creator of several seven figure businesses, he's just getting started. His company Automation Wolf is known for helping clients generate a full month of LinkedIn content in just one hour per week. Welcome, Matthew.

Matthew: Hey! Thanks for having me.

Marlana: So, you know that I create images for clients to use in their branding. But you're gonna talk to us a little bit today about what to do with them.

Matthew: Great!

Marlana: So first of all, let me ask you this, because I know LinkedIn is your thing. Why do you think LinkedIn is so overlooked?

Matthew: I don't wanna say that this is probably a terrible essay, but I guess at a social media, it's probably the ugly, redheaded stepchild that nobody wants to pay attention to. However, if you're in b2b, it's really the greatest opportunity. In fact, anything that you care about, if you care about your career in any way, I think LinkedIn is a great opportunity. And it's even a greater opportunity due to timing. So, a lot of times when you're in social media network solver catching the wave at the right time. For example, my first agency, I caught the wave around search engine optimization and search advertising in general. So, I started way back, I started learning how to do in 2007, and started the agency in 2010, and I got to ride that wave for a good four or five years before it got a little more sophisticated. Then in 2014, I caught the Facebook one, so, there's organic, free traffic, and then there's the paid advertising, it was early, and people are still figuring out the ads, and cheaper, got the ride that wave. Then in 2017 I discovered the LinkedIn one and we're still going with the LinkedIn one. So, what's so great about LinkedIn is that it is a social media network, just like any other social network, so it has a focus of being for professionals. But what's so magical about it right now is that they have 700, 800 engaged users logging in, but only 1% of people post. So, what that means organically is there's a huge amount of eyeballs there, but not enough content inventory, and so if you just post on LinkedIn, you get a lot of reach, the challenge is with all the other social networks are so noisy. Now, it's very hard to get recognized organically, unless you already are a celebrity or a micro celebrity, or an influencer in some way already, have a following for people to pay attention to without having to pay to play. And so, in the sense of free earned organic attention and eyeballs on what you do, LinkedIn is a great place to be right now.

Marlana: And you know, one of the things that I've learned about LinkedIn is that a lot of people may see your content, but not many people necessarily. You may not know that they've seen it. And I only say that because I have had people come to me, weeks, months, whatever, after the fact and say, yes, I've been following you and love what you're posting in this net, I would have never known because they don't like it. They don't comment on it. They don't do any of these things. But they're seeing it.

Matthew: Yeah, they're secretly creeping it, and you got to remember that the algorithms like they're not only looking at liking, commenting, or resharing, the very obvious, explicit ways of showing that people are engaging with your content, they can also tell when someone has stopped them scroll, and they're sitting there based on dwell rate, how long they read your text post, or how they looked at your images, or how the PDF carousel worked, or videos. And this is why carousels are so effective. Is because it forces the dwell rate to be longer, someone has to swipe to the left to see all the different images. So, for example, yourself, someone is focused on producing headshots, a really good strategy for you on LinkedIn would to be to create these image carousels, where there's many examples of work that you've done. Or even it could be up before and after-effect of Photoshop. It could be all kinds of different stuff that you could do, but the point is, it keeps them there longer, which then the algorithm rewards to show more of your content. But you're exactly right that people do not always tell you what they engage, and this is why when you're in b2b sales, what's so important because the buying cycle so long, it's very, very hard to track the different touchpoints of your marketing. You got to ask three questions when people come to see and the first question is, how did you hear about us, which is a pretty obvious one, and then mark it down in your CRM. So sometimes they'll say I was referred, I saw your stuff in search on Google, I think I clicked on an ad, or I watched your video on LinkedIn. All this is very important, but a tag your CRM, the second question you want to ask is, how long have you been aware of our brand, and a lot of times, that's when you'll find out a little bit more about the buying cycle be like, well, we kind of like looking at your stuff like the last six months, or 12 months, or sometimes just 18 and 36 months. I can't tell you how long a b2b Buying Cycle is, and it doesn't matter if you're doing professional headshots for LinkedIn, or whether you have an agency that offers some sort of done for your service, or whether it's a b2b SaaS tool, or whether you're in recruiting, it really doesn't matter, you'd be really surprised on how long this buying journey can be for people. The last question is, what are the things do you remember about engaging with us around? and this tells you what type of maybe content is working, or what kind of digital assets or lead magnets are working, that you can also put another tag to, and this is the best way to track this stuff by talking them because what's really hard to do with b2b When you have a long buying cycle is tracking. Everybody wants a dashboard and to automate it through Google Analytics, or Bing, or whatever your preferred tool is, but it's almost impossible to do because people go from browser to browser, from social media to social media, they have their own journey, they bounce all around. It's very, very hard to connect all the dots. You know, it's easier if you have a low ticket price item, that's b2c. And you can create some sort of advertising and people click and buy or, or in a very short window of under 90 days, then this kind of tracking works really well. However, all the analytic tools kind of cap out, after 90 days, like if their look back window no longer shows you what was that journey. And so, it's very, very difficult to know what's working with and it's not working. And this is why you got to train your salespeople, or you got to exercise those quests, those three questions when someone comes into your sales pipeline, and makes you mark down tags of those things in your CRM. So, then you can draw over at the end of the year or the end of two years, you can run a report based on tag to sales, and then you can really see what activities are actually working really well.

Marlana: Interesting. What are your thoughts on what content on LinkedIn should look like as opposed to content on let's say, Facebook or Instagram?

Matthew: Well, it's very similar, at the end of the day, the structure of the framework that you follow should be the same for all networks. The reason being you want to make your life easy. However, you need to recognize that each platform is a little bit different on what they reward and what they lean into, as well as the community or the culture that is on that network wants to receive. So, all the networks have a few different places that you can live, all of them have a newsfeed, right, which is usually where people log into the network to consume their information, very rarely do they go to a different section of the social media platform. However, some platforms have a couple things that are important. So, LinkedIn, one thing organically that you want to lean into besides the newsfeed for your personal profile, not your company profile, nobody goes to your company page on Facebook, right? Is the only other thing that they really need to be groups or communities. Subgroups of companies are active and 58 of textbook one that shows up in the newsfeed as well too. So, those are two places you want to live when it comes to Instagram. Instagram is really today's magazine, and obviously, you want to keep things very photo centric. At the end of the day, however, they offer all the other platforms including video, but it needs to be very snackable right? Facebook's can be very snackable as well too. People go there to procrastinate or to discover, to treat it like today's magazines, they're just kind of getting updates on their friends, family, and other things that they're interested in, in a scrolling news for new swarm format. Then when you look at LinkedIn, it's a very similar thing except there's no other place for you to kind of like live again. It's going to be snackable content, they even know that it's snackable content. Like, a video is capped at 10 minutes. If you look at Instagram, a video is kept pretty much at 60 seconds. You can't publish it unless you the Instagram television version that can see a little longer, but it shows you that people are there for snackable content. Now if you get to other social media networks, things like maybe YouTube, or a version of podcasting like this, you could have your own podcast within the podcasting ecosystem like Apple podcast. Gas is still sort of a social network at the end of the day, not exactly saying we're not quite as social as YouTube, but something like Clubhouse has caught a bridge, that gap is the other one, and this is the long form content, in which case people are ready to consume longer form content. And what you have to remember is, you have to remember where you are. So, is it long form content or short form content? And just remember that the world in general, is addicted to short form, click Beatty content, that's the hook that gets them right.

Marlana: We have no attention span.

Matthew: That's right! They literally published statistics on this for a long time that our attention span is less than a goldfish, 10 minutes, eight seconds. And apparently, ours is less than eight seconds if it doesn't capture interest. However, I think people secretly desire long form content. And the transformation takes place in the long form content. But the way you get them, there has to be a journey, right. So, you have to remember that the one minute video leads to the two minute video, the two minute video, it's the three minute video and the five and then 10, and then eventually become a subscriber to our long form content. So, it just remember where you are on the journey. And the goal, even the days, most of the time is if you're a stranger, they're just trying to get to know you. And so, Stranger usually means danger, so, we have to warm them up. And we don't usually start consuming or buying from people until we know, like, and trust them. So, they can't trust you if they don't like you, they can't like you if they don't know you. So, the first step is about being consistent and you can do that organically, or you can do it through paid ads, but it must be snackable. And so, just showing up regularly in the newsfeed on social media networks, both through paid and organic is a great first step, snackable content for people to get to know you.

Marlana: Let me ask you this real quick. What do you consider regularly?

Matthew: they should be seeing you at least once a day, every day, where your brand comes up, and it delights them in some way. So, I'll talk about what how to delight people, so they can get to know you in just a minute. What's the type of content that you want to create, but all content, whether it's paid, or organic, should always feel organic and natural? What I recommend is you follow something called the ACES method, which just stands for authority, connect engagements and show, or some people will call it sell, but I prefer to show. Authority is like adding value, so it'd be like, let's say we're doing this podcast right now, and I decided to explain the Aces method and there'll be you and me side by side, discussing this, and you could clip it into a one minute Did I be an authority post, it doesn't always have to be you who's providing the authority, but you must be associated with the authority. So, don't always feel like you need to be the expert, sometimes the best solution is actually being the talent scout, just like you're doing right now. Kinect is the stuff that hits the heart, that gut or the funny bone, and the best pieces actually hit all three at the same time. Engaged is stuck for you go to your audience or to the community, whatever social media platform you're on, and you start a conversation or ask a question, a lot of times you can get people to create the content for you, if you welcome them, invite them into participating. So, this could be a poll, it could be a lot of different things that starts really interesting conversations. And a lot of times when you get a good enough conversation going, then you can also get a lot of attention on what it is that you do and will breadcrumb back to where you're going, then show is just simply showing the results like before and afters are the best ways of doing it, before client met me was x results after client sent me it's this result. It doesn't really matter what it is, but that's the best way of doing it. So, I always tell people don't tell other people that you're awesome instead, show versus tell. If you do that, that's a great snackable content and if you mix that up between the different formats because everybody likes to consume content a little different some audio, some live video, some love text, slum love images, you don't know how people like to consume it. Then you're gonna hit all the right notes on the piano, play very beautiful snackable content song, it's just like on a piano if you hit one key. Just Amapiano, you have one key. Remember, it's gonna be really boring song, but if you play all the keys, get a really beautiful song and so this is why you want to follow the ACES method. And then you mix it up between the different types of content formats from short video to images, to carousels, to text posts, to audio grammes, whatever it is mix it up. Now, once you've done that, what's so great about this is, a lot of times the social networks allow you to work run advertising and they can show you whether they've consumed your content or not. So, if someone's watched 25% or more of your video, well, you could remark it to them, and at which point, that's when you want to remark it to them, the longer content things to start getting into five minutes, to 10 minutes. And once they start consuming 5 10 minutes, you can start making direct response type offers, which puts them into your long form content because this is where you're trying to do, is indoctrinate them, educate them, and create such demand around your brand that you don't have to do any selling later on. And you can charge more it creates positioning. This is what's really called demand gen, versus inbound marketing or outbound marketing. And this works much, much better, particularly for b2b businesses, with long buying cycles that have high ticket prices, and that's what everybody wants, they want something where the system does all the selling, so that by the time someone gets to you, they're presold. So, you and your team don't have to be good at sales or don't even need a sales team. And you can close sales at higher prices.

Marlana: And listening to all that, all I could think was wow! That's a lot of work.

Matthew: Absolutely! it is a ton of work if you go about doing it in a wrong way. So, there's definitely an order to doing this type of work. And if you get it at an order, I find that in general, you set yourself up to fail. And so, here's the filter that you in general you want to use, is how much effort do I need to put in versus how much impact does it provide. And the reality is most businesses or business founders or owners, especially when they're bootstrapped, and they're starting out, their biggest problem is actually time. So even when people come into my sales pipeline for our done for you services. My number one question is, how much time do you have? How much time can I get a view every single month? And based on what they tell me is then going to dictate what is the right strategy and tactics to use for them. Right. And because and really the other day, this is where a lot of programmed fail is because they commit to programmes that require too much of their time, and it doesn't work. And this is why our service works so well. Where we go, we can create all your LinkedIn content or social media content in one and a half hours, right. So, an hour to create it, and 30 minutes to approve it or provide feedback each...

Whether he's producing a tour, assembling an All-Starr band with Ringo Starr, or writing a best-selling book, there's one thing David Fishof is always doing: dreaming. Hailed as one of the most creative and innovative entertainment producers in the world, David has been responsible for some of the most original, successful, and exciting live shows ever brought to the stage. But of all the shows he's put on over his 40-plus year career, there's one production that stands out from all the rest: Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp.

A!er years of good fortune working with veteran rockers like Roger Daltrey, Ringo Starr, The Monkees, Levon Helm, Joe Walsh, Jack Bruce and Peter Frampton, David decided it was time to share his experiences with rock fans around the world. And so, in 1997, he debuted the rock camp—a place where people from all walks of life can reconnect with their passion for music alongside the most famous names in the business.

Click Here to View the Rock Camp: The Movie Trailer

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5TO_UJoq8w&ab_channel=RockCampTheMovie)

Click Here to Check Out My Top Selling Book - "Rock Your Business: What You and Your Company Can Learn from the Business of Rock and Roll" (https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Your-Business-Company-Learn/dp/1936661454)

http://rockcampmasterclasses.com (http://rockcampmasterclasses.com)

Website

http://rockcamp.com (http://rockcamp.com)

Website #2

http://rockcampthemovie.com (http://rockcampthemovie.com)

Website #3

http://rockcampmasterclasses.com (http://rockcampmasterclasses.com)

LinkedIn URL

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfishof (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfishof)

Facebook URL https://www.facebook.com/RockFantasyCamp

(https://www.facebook.com/RockFantasyCamp)

Twitter URL

https://twitter.com/dfishof?lang=en (https://twitter.com/dfishof?lang=en)

YouTube URL https://www.youtube.com/c/rockfantasycamp/videos

(https://www.youtube.com/c/rockfantasycamp/videos)

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/rockfantasycamp (https://www.instagram.com/rockfantasycamp)

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio : Ariza Music Productions

Transcription : Vision In Word

Marlana: Whether he's producing a tour, assembling an all-star band with Ringo Starr, or writing a bestselling book, there's one thing David Fishof is always doing dreaming. Hailed as one of the most creative and innovative entertainment producers in the world, David has been responsible for some of the most original successful and exciting live shows ever brought to the stage. But of all the shows he's produced over his 40 years plus career, there's one production that stands out from all the rest, Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp. Welcome, David!

David: Thank you. Thanks so much for having me. You know, I think we were talking in the beginning about bucket list. That's all I do all day is I get people their bucket lists. Go to Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp. It's the ultimate bucket list. You can jam with, Slash, Roger Daltrey, you name it…so I'm giving everyone their bucket list. And I'm trying to think in the last two seconds, what would be my bucket list? The irony is that people think they know what's on my bucket list. So, guy invited me to, he was so thankful to go to Rock Roll fantasy camp. He's been a friend for many years, I want to take you to Michael Jordan fantasy camp. Wouldn't that be cool David and give me your fantasy? They know I love basketball. And I said, I'm not going on Michael Jordan fantasy basketball camp, and they said why? I'm not going to look like an idiot. Try to beat him one on one or with these two other guys. And I realized that as much as people have their bucket list, people are scared for the bucket list. Because yeah, I have that a rock and roll events, again, people, initially, the wife buys it for the husband. And then the husband gets really nervous. She knows that his whole life, he's a guitarist, like, he wants to play with Joe Perry. He's dreaming of it. Now all of a sudden actually gets the opportunity to do it. And she calls up a week before for him. His mother has cancer, his father has cancer. His guitar has cancer, you know. I mean, they throw that word around, it's terrible…let me talk to him. And then you talk them off the ledge, and they come through this rock camp. And they get more than their bucket list…a bucket list is something you do once, and The Rock Roll fans can come again. So, it's more of a, you do it once but then now you're addicted, you want to start playing in a band, you start writing music, you want to start doing this and you're able to climb that mountain. So, it's just interesting for our opening conversation in the light that you explained to me. And I guess we'll save it to the end. But yeah, that'll give me a good half hour to think about what my bucket list would be. Because I have bucket lists. I do. I don't stop. I do them.

Marlana: And here's the thing. When I was first starting in my photography career, there are only two places that I wanted to work. One of them was Rolling Stone. And instead of Rolling Stone, I climbed on a tour bus with professional wrestling. So, tell me what I missed by not climbing on the rock'n'roll tour bus. What was that like?

David: You missed a lot of drugs, sex, and rock and roll. So, you really didn't miss much. You probably have a family now like, no, let me tell you. So, I didn't go through that. I'm 10 years younger than and Ringo is 81, I'm 65. So, even the guys from the Turtles and The Grassroots and The Monkeys., they're on the radios now the 79-80s. So, I was 15 years younger. I didn't live that life with them. I met most of these rock stars when they were clean and sober, so, I didn't, and I never lived on the bus. I tried; I couldn't sleep on the bus. But there was heavy partying, I'm reading the Led Zeppelin book because I wanna learn what I missed. But I gotta tell you, I am a father to five amazing kids, I have eight grandchildren, I have a lovely wife, and I gotta tell you, my kids, they go from ages 14, 15 Now to 42 So, you know, with different wives. But I have to tell you that in the end, I love what I have versus people who went on the road and thinks they had. They had a party life, but I think they missed a family. So, I had to get off the road. I love doing home work now. In the first time I was younger on the road with Ringo, and even when I wasn't on the road, I was always thinking about my artists, my client, my athletes. So, I was trying to manage them. They were having lunch and we're talking about… you know, I say I'm home now, I'm available. He says you're right; he says you know the years we were home even though we were home, we will still be worrying that we're getting a phone call from the artist or the athlete. You know, I'm here in *Iowa*, I'm in North Raleigh, North Carolina, there's no catering, what I'm dressing. Oh, you're always waiting for that call. And so, you really weren't there. So, when your kid came over to you and said something to you? Yeah, sure! Sure! Sure! Sure! Yeah, I'll do it. Don't worry. But now I'm present that was the word…present. Now I'm present. My grandson calls the other day and says, Can you help me with my homework? I said, Sure. Be glad to. Send it over. Let's go over it. And then last night, I went to a basketball game, and we're studying in the car. This is the things that by going on the road and being involved in the rock'n'roll world, and 24/7, you didn't miss much. I will tell you; I think I need the rockers that are living today, look back at those days and say, You know what? I was stupid. But yeah, here's the other side, how many amazing songs were written under the influence of all those drugs, trade off, and on tour buses, those experiences, and whether it's Grand Funk, 'We're an American Band', that talking about Sweet Connie, and they've been on the road, so the road was great material to write all these amazing songs. And so, I tell you, the ones who are alive today, they're alive to tell the stories of what happened. God bless them, to see McCartney at 80 and Jagger, 80 and Ringo, 80 and they're still touring and working. So, it's conflicted. I can go on and on, because it's a great subject.

Marlana: Yeah. So how did you start to make all these connections?

David: What happened was, I started the capsules. And I'm just now reading Bill Graham's book because he was my idol. And I decided I'm going to reread it and, I didn't realize how many similarities that him and I had. He was an actual Holocaust survivor. He didn't go through the concentration camps. But Graham, little background for your listeners is, was the number one rock and roll promoter who started the Fillmore East and the Fillmore West. He opened up the doors for all these bands to perform, moved out to San Francisco, created Bill Graham Presents, built the original amphitheaters, the theaters, the clubs, and he controlled that market. And then he put the Rolling Stones on the road, Grateful Dead. And so, he was our big promoter unfortunately passed away. He was going from gig to gig, and you can't just go in a car, you're going to helicopter, and the helicopter crashed. And so sorry! You lost a great man. He did a lot of benefits, a lot of charities. Not only was he into promoting concerts and building a business, but he did a lot of charity work, a lot of those charity concerts, Live Aid. That was Bill Graham. And if he found the cause he would get everybody together and say, Hey, we're a business, we take money from the public, we got to give back. And so, I'm reading his book. And similarly, he was a waiter in the Catskills like I was, but I knew he was, but I didn't realize to the extent in the book, but I started in the Catskills and what happened was that you're a waiter in the Catskills. That's what you did, and the Catskills is a very interesting place. Many of you have seen Dirty Dancing.

Marlana: I'm just gonna say when I first heard this part of your story, I remember thinking to myself, Oh my gosh! He's Dirty Dancing!

David: It's Dirty Dancing. That's what it is. But let me give a little background. The hotels were places that were two hours out of New York City, and they were so many people in that area who would go up to vacation the summer, for a week, two weeks, three weeks, a weekend? And you went to these hotels, hundreds of hotels were there. And for, I don't know, let's say today's market less than $100 a day. They fed you three meals a day. And these are big meals, and I was aware of that, so you wanted to stuff your people - Hey, try this, eat this, this is putting food in front of you. Like they hated when they said don't sell the food. I'd sell the food all the time. Why? Because they would check in on Sunday, the following Sunday to check out. I really waited…and we worked on tips. So, I'd want them to give me a big tip. It was a great way there. The average tip is $5 a week..let's give this guy it… $10 He took great care of us. He got us to steak when it was rare. You know, he took care of us, so we're selling the food now, do you three meals a day now. On top of three meals a day you have a tea room, so, if in case you woke up early and you're hungry, you wanted a Danish and a cup of coffee, you would go to the tea room and then you went to breakfast and you know anything on the menu was there, but afterwards you'd see people walking out of the dining room with napkins, with a bread in it and the cakes and it was called for later food because in case they got a little hungry before lunch, they'd have food for later. And then after for later food, they didn't realize that tearoom was open again after breakfast, so, if you're hungry, get more fresh Danish and more cakes and then you had lunch. Lunch was you get everything was on the menu at junior's lunch, but in case you didn't feel too hungry before dinner, then the tearoom was always open again. And then you would go to dinner and these people would go to dinner and they would order dinner. They would order food like a side. You know I don't want a whole chicken… just give me a side of chicken and give me a side of roast beef, a side of lamb. Take the hamburger I don't need the fries, and everything was a side, and let's say bring it on a side of a cow. Just put the cow on the table and don't start eating. I mean, these people ate. Now they have to go to the show, they were given a comic and they were given a singer every night at 10:30. The singer got up there to perform, the comic got up there to perform. Now you can imagine it's one thing to sing songs, but can you imagine if you have to entertain these people as a comedian…first of all, they're afraid to laugh. They got all the food in them. They didn't pay for the show, that's a big thing, they didn't pay. So, they're sitting behind and looking up at us. Okay, I dare you to make me laugh….so now these comics had to come out. And they had to come out with a funniest stuff that crushed it. So that's why the greatest comics came out of the Catskills. Whether it was David Brenner, or whether it was Richard Beltzer, or any young man or Jan Murray and Chuck Carter, and you name it, they all started. All these great comics started in the Catskills because they had to entertain an audience. It didn't pay for it. If you got a comedy store, you're expecting comedy. You go to a show and to go to see a comic comedian in the theatre. You paid a ticket, you're gonna laugh at everything he says, Hey, you're not Shadow. These guys said, so a guy would come out and say, I had a really tough day today. I went to the dentist, and I had to take a tooth out. And all of a sudden you hear five Chiclets gonna come out of his mouth, I really just do funny stuff….that's how I started in the caskets. What I learned in the Catskills was a lot, I went to work for a booking agency, and the booking agency used to go to the comedians. They would say to them, and a singer say, Listen, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, we're going to give you a guarantee of 50 shows, we might book you at a bar mitzvah, we might book you what a bundle…might book you to be the headlining act that the Concorde hotel, you're gonna get 50 shows unless you're going to work at a beach club, whatever it is, and they control the talent. And then they will go sell the talent to these different places. And then you have to worry call up are you available? not available? They know. They have the schedule. So, when I learned that part of the business is packaging, how you buy the talent, and you package. So, years later, when I created my Happy Together Tour, my Ringo Starr and The All-Star Band tour, and Dirty Dancing and Beta Go Live tour, and I did a lot of back to back, I really took that out of the Catskill model. The other thing I took out of the Catskill model was, you have to entertain people, and you can only give hit songs. …I hate going to a concert and seeing artists. 'Oh, here's a new song for my album just coming out next week.' I tell every artist that's the bathroom break. Yeah, no, no, don't use live… I followed artists; I'm going to close the show with a song I love. I may not. You got to close with a hit so we can sell merchandise, people got to walk out in their feelings. and I learned that in the mountains. So, there's a lot of lessons that I was able to pick up by booking act in the Catskills and, packaging I would say…

Marlana: So, then how did the whole idea of rock and roll fantasy camp, where did that stem from?

David: Here I was in the Catskills, and I went on to represent baseball players and I started records. I met ballplayers and as you'll see in the movie, I pick up a bunch of athletes, and from there, I came up with the idea to do a baseball camp and Lou Piniella, and I went to camp. As a kid, every Jewish kid in the east coast was sent to camp. You came, I won. Goodbye, kid, you're gone for eight weeks, we'll see you it's time for mom and dad to travel. You've got to camp. Oh, we need a break too. And it's so funny because I send my kids to camp…and they love it. By the way, they can't wait to go. But I really didn't want to go, I don't want to be separated my parents, I hated it. My brother worked the kitchen, so, I was able to run in there every five minutes and get something from him. And don't worry, Mom's gonna be okay, that's okay. Just go have fun. So, I got to like camp, and I was on tour with Ringo, and all-star band. And as you see in the movie, they played this crazy joke on me. After the fourth show, and Joe was to leave on him pull a prank on me and get the movie, you'll see it. It's funny. I was able to have the privilege to travel with all these incredible rock stars. And I saw how much fun they were having, it's different when they're on tour with their bands, because then it's competition within the band. That one musician doesn't like another musician because they didn't get you stole half my song, I didn't get credit for it, used to date my ex-girlfriend, there's normal stuff he stole from me, whatever it is this, right? This tour with Ringo,…was unbelievable, because it was something people said will never happen. But you took band leaders from the band, from the Eagles, and you put all these people on one plane. And you said get along, and now they get along. It was incredible. They became artistic, they were able to go on tour and just enjoy themselves and come back to their friends and not worry that the other musician was… It was really an unbelievable feeling, and I said to myself, if I could give this feeling that we're having here to the average Joe, and fan, and musician, and experience it, it was incredible, and I have to tell you, it is incredible. I mean, going to rock romance again, it's just… I hear it every day. I mean, it's just unbelievable email, a comment for somebody to change lives. And why am I so enthusiastic, still 65 and loving working and don't want to quit? I'm changing lives every day to the power of music, and people are just getting an experience that they can't get anywhere else in the world. Yeah, people try to replicate it. But my goal is,

Christine Johnson has worked as an Associate Professor with a specialty in TV Production for The State University of New York for fourteen years and at Western Kentucky University for two years. Before her academic work, Christine was a Producer/Director in the TV industry for over fifteen years, producing live sports entertainment programming worldwide, first for WWE and then for AOL/Time Warner. In addition, Christine had several other opportunities, producing packages for: The Jay Leno Show, Extra, and the feature film "Ready to Rumble: starring David Arquette and Oliver Platt.

During her tenure at The State University of New York, she produced two video projects in conjunction with the Geology Department that was recognized and distributed to conservatories nationwide. In addition, she ran the University Television Station for 12 years.

In the summer of 2015, she had the privilege of working as a Field Producer with the Les Paul Foundation for their red carpet event, "The Les Paul 100th Anniversary Celebration," at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square. The project and Christine were awarded a Bronze Telly. (https://vimeo.com/133774005)

She has served as an advisor to the National Broadcasting Society Chapter for nine years, and during that period, her students won over 80 Regional and National Awards. In addition, Christine served as Marketing Director for the National Office of NBS and, in 2014 and 2018, was awarded "Professional of the Year."

Christine has established and continues a trusted relationship with various recruiters/department heads of different national television companies throughout the years. As a result, many of her students have benefited and secured positions with these production companies as full-time employees or interns.

Education

MFA​Reinhardt University​​In progress

​ (Creative Writing)

MA​Texas Christian University​2003

​ (Media Arts)

BS​Texas Christian University​1988

​ (Radio/TV/Film)

Teaching and Research Area

Basic and Advanced TV Production​​Field Production

Television Station Management​​Television Station Operations

Producing​​​​​Directing

@thechristinejohnson

@ihaveathingforshoes

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio: Ariza Music Productions

Transcription: Vision In Word

Marlana: Christine Johnson has an impressive resume and TV production, producing live sporting events, packages for the Jay Leno Show extra and a feature film. She was also a field producer for the Les Paul 100th anniversary celebration, serves on the National Broadcasting society chapter board, among other things, and has helped many students go on to have careers in the industry. Welcome, Christine!

Christine: Thank you, Marlana.

Marlana: So, here's the thing, a lot of people think TV production, movies, all that kind of stuff, it's got to be a glamorous world, is it? Are you going to burst our bubble?

Christine: I'm going to burst your bubble, it's glamorous that you get to travel. But unfortunately, my travel kind of was hotel, arena, airport. There were occasionally, we got to go in early, I would go into like San Francisco early so I can visit my friend Allison, and my brother lives there at the time. So, there were like some perks to it, but two productions very hard, very long hours. We're talking 12 to 15 hour days, and you know, you're crawling around on the floor. Well, in my case, if you're at an arena, like you're crawling around trying to find places to shoot. So, it's definitely not glamorous, I can kind of sum it up the way my mom used to say to me, why don't you ever buy nice clothes? Because I crawl around on the floor and get dirty while I'm not. So, I'm not getting nice clothes.

Marlana: When you first started out, what about the industry surprised you? And were there stuff that you weren't really prepared for?

Christine: I would say the majority of it, I wasn't prepared. I mean, I absolutely love my alma mater, I have two degrees from there, but they did not prepare me for what this industry was like at all. You know, it was like, Okay, we know it's a lot of work, but they didn't really get into what happens, like if you're not agreeing with people, you're working with people you don't care for. You'll work three weeks without a day off, and you'll get treated not well sometimes. Gosh! I started in the late 80s in production, and I basically became a first woman that produced professional wrestling. So, for me, it was kind of different because nobody prepares you for being around all men. Not that I was like, oh my god! I'm the only woman around all these men, but they don't really prepare you for what kind of an environment that would be, let's put it that way.

Marlana: Was it difficult to establish , you know, as a producer, this is kind of your domain with all these men that you're working with?

Christine: Difficult to establish? Um! yes and no. I mean, I think you always have people that you work with that, you know, are very nice and professional, then you have people that you work with that are the greatest people and basically, they just treat everybody like crap. So, for me, that was an eye opening experience because there was a lot of kickback that came my way because some of the boys didn't really respond to a woman telling them what to do. And you know, it's still a good old boys world, it's male dominated. You really don't see a woman working in that unless on the ring.

Marlana: Right! In general, how do you think things have changed for women in the world of television production? Or have they?

Christine: Gosh! I really can't say because I don't think it's changed in some ways. I still think women are definitely singled out. We have to work twice as hard. Boys will be boys' attitude still seems to prevail, which is very disheartening. So, I think in that way, things have gotten a tiny bit better with the need to movement but not where we should be, let's put it that way. So, in wrestling I've been backstage a couple of times since I was fired because our company was sold. So, there you do see women backstage, I'm not really seeing a lot of women in the upper tiers of that. So, as far as wrestling goes, I'm not really sure. I mean, I think it was two years ago, NHL had the first all women crew. Why did it take that long for it to happen? 2019? So, stuff like that is, when you see things like that, and you're like, Oh! Well, this is the first all-woman crew. Why didn't that happen before? Why does it take until 2019 for that to happen? It's that whole thing, like girls don't know sports, So, In that way, I think it's starting to change, but it's changing in a way that's like, Look what we did, so it's not so much. We're trying to progress and we're trying to better ourselves, it's like, we're trying to put a band aid on it as quickly as possible. So that people will say that we're being progressive.

Marlana: Because I know you've dealt with a lot of students over the years and things like that. Have most of your students been men wanting to get into the industry? Or has split?

Christine: No! For a while, I think it was like 60-40, and then it kind of evened out, and then it was like a little bit more women than men, and then it kind of went back to the 60-40. So, I also think in university, it depends on what teachers you have. I think if you have teachers that are discouraging women to go into the industry or to be in production and that kind of stuff, that kind of sets the tone. And I think for me, I'd have to say I was a little bit harder on the women in my class because we would have talks like there's no crying and TV, we don't do that, if you're gonna do that, go do it in the bathroom, because men perceive that as weak. I'm not saying crying as a weakness, because it's not, I cry when I get frustrated. I'm like, Okay, I'm done. So, when we were carrying flats around and stuff, I would tell the girls like, Don't tell me you're gonna break a nail or anything, because we don't want to set that precedent. We don't want anybody to have any kind of, you know, hold every so to speak. Like, don't play the oh! I'm a girl! I am not lifting anything. So, in that way, I have a lot of really, really successful students, which is amazing. I mean, I have Emmy Award winners, and I have kids that have started their own production companies, two that have their own ESPN radio station, I have a student I taught that's going into the Olympics for the fourth time. One of my girls just dropped her first single. So, that was kind of exciting, and she did her first music video. I have another student that for the first time I taught he works on Broadway and has works of this Shubert Theatre. So, I have a lot of students, they were very, very driven, which was amazing, and it was great to work with them. But I think the thing that they always appreciated even though I was really hard on them, they would always say, but we knew that you were hard on us because you cared about us, and you wanted us to succeed because I always tell them "I'll never set you up to fail". That's just a bad teacher to do that.

Marlana: And I think that especially back in the day, I can't speak to it so much now that what you were doing was actually a service to them because I feel like more stuff got thrown at us as women. At what point we would break?

Christine: Absolutely! When I got promoted, it was almost like oh, well she's starting over again. So, we have to test her again which to me was just like soul crushing. I've been doing this; I've been working my ass off. Why am I at this point once again? So, that was icky feeling, because then you start to question the relationships you have with people, like, Are these people really my friends? Or are they just sitting here waiting for me to fail? And when people are waiting for me to fail out, I'm bound and determined to prove them wrong every step of the way.

Marlana: So how did you navigate all of that?

Christine: I cried in the bathroom. I have a very strong mother who unfortunately hurt a lot of the stuff that I went through. She didn't hear everything, but she heard my tales of the road when I was on the road, I needed somebody to talk to. So, I had a good support system with that. There were a few females on the road, that we can kind of commiserate, kind of go off on around and do our own thing. So, when I was in WCW, if I need to just get away for like, 10 minutes, I'd go hide in the girl's locker. The Knights or girls are like, Oh, okay, you just need a rest from it. I'm like, Yeah, I'm just gonna sit over here. They're very sweet. So, for me, it was more like I was in constant survival mode, and that I was in constant survival mode for about 15 years, which took its toll on me, and it still does. That's something that I battle with, because you're in that fight or flight constantly, you're always waiting for the other student drop, or you're waiting to come back at somebody who's making some nasty remark about you. It was like a crapshoot; you just didn't know what was gonna happen from one day to the next. So, it's really a lot of rolling with the punches and that puts you in that fight or flight, you have to survive. I've always been a survivor. So, I think whether that was good or bad, I don't know.

Marlana: So, if women are going through that now, what would be your advice to them?

Christine: I would say, don't lose yourself, because I did. So, I think staying grounded as much as you can, and whatever people in your life keep you grounded. That's really the best way to go, you always have to remember where you came from. So, for me, I was always the PA, that got suit thrown at her and was called bench over the intercom system. So, I always remember that. I'm not like, Oh! I'm the life of Easter now. I'm a big personal, I don't like to pull rank on somebody. A bad manager does that, that I think sometimes when it comes to the point where you're being disrespected, I've done it twice, I think in my lifetime, and it doesn't make me feel good. So, because I don't feel like I really should have to do that, because I don't think a man would have to be like, Hey! Listen! I'm producing this show. So, I hate doing that. I think it puts you in that hysterical woman category, which is horrible. So, I'm saying that women are hysterical, but that's the word that men like to use as the head. Your head being hysterical.

Marlana: I'll show you hysterical.

Christine: Yeah, exactly.

Marlana: So, what would you say are the best and worst parts of TV production?

Christine: Gosh! I think the best part as well, I didn't realize I was an adrenaline junkie until I started doing live TV. So, I guess I was not that I'm going to go parachute out of a plane or anything, because I would never do that. But I think the best thing was the people because we were like a family, maybe like a highly dysfunctional family. But it was a family, I loved them, and they saw you at your best tonight, you're worse, and they loved you anyway, or they hated you, whatever week it was, you know. So, everybody was pretty passionate about everything. I think when I was working, I was always criticized. You know, "Christina" that's what they would always say on my review. Christina is extremely passionate about what she does. Is that a bad thing? Apparently, they thought it was, I don't know. So, I think I loved what I was doing. I didn't exactly like the content I was producing. I didn't even know anything about wrestling when I got involved in it. So, I liked what I did, I liked travelling, that was really awesome. I met some awesome people that I'm still friends with, which is amazing. The cons, there's very long hours, you have no personal life, I was on call seven days a week, 24 hours a day. It becomes obsessive and takes over your life. And was the only job I allowed to do that, and I will never do it again. So, I think the good thing I learned out of that was saying, "No", I think that's a powerful word to learn. And I still struggle with that sometimes because I always want to help everybody. So, I'm like, Sure! I can help, but so, the best thing was, I got a degree in TV and film, I got to actually use it. That was fantastic. I did it for 15 years, I travelled all over the world. I think that was amazing. It was a creative outlet for a while, I did special projects for a while where I basically went out and shot packages and put stuff together to kind of build a character's persona. So, I liked that part of it. I didn't like going to the airport every week. I mean, I would be so exhausted, literally, I would cry on the way there. Or sometimes I'd be like, I just want to stay home. But I think anybody gets frustrated like that with a job. So, it's like a love hate relationship. That makes sense.

Marlana: Tell us some of the things for people that don't know, what's the difference in producing, let's say a live thing for TV versus a taped something?

Christine: Well, if we're talking about live events, period, so from my experience, we did live to tape, which of course, they don't use tape anymore, but we still call it that. So, I have to say, it's like film, we use filming, we're alive today, if you're just shooting it in the order that it's going to appear, and then you're leaving holes so that you can plug stuff in. So, I did one show that was live to tape. And then I did pay per views that were live. I think anyway, I mean, the live to tape is like, Okay, if something screws up, I can go fix it in editing, hopefully, even though that's the evil word to use fixing editing, you can't fix everything in editing.

Marlana: Same thing with photography.

Christine: Exactly! Whatever is there is there. I think in that way, live to tape is a little easier when it's live, you're on the hot seat and anything that you screw up, it's like, well, your walk out of the truck, you're like, I'm done. There's nothing you can do about it; you just have to keep rolling with the punches. So, I think I was good at that, because that's kind of the way I lived my life. So, I was just like, okay, you know what's coming next. So, for me, I enjoyed it, and it was definitely something I

Recently featured in the fun Auto Insurance Commercial for Geico the 90s classic Reel School HIP HOP due TAG TEAM is back on TOP. Bursting onto the scene with their TOP OF THE POPS hit and automatically became one of those songs that stick in your head. "Whoomp! (There It Is)." The track quickly climbed to #1 on the Billboard Hot R&B charts in just 14 days. The song continues to appeal to admirers who were raised in the '90s and appeals to new enthusiasts of every era as it is recognised as a true symbol of the time. "Whoomp! (There It Is)" has been showcased in world-class nationwide ad campaigns as well as in Hollywood hit motion pictures and television series

Other top songs from their hit album Whoomp! (There It Is) includes "Freestyle" and "U Go Girl". Spanning the spectrum from TV and Radio Adverts, programmes, films and sporting events TAG TEAM's music has risen to be the defining 90's Hip Hop Melodic Voice. The big hit "Whoomp!" remains highly relevant and those ranging in age from 8 to 108 continue to groove and boogie down to the exceptional tune.

Listen to their top hit and more

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3NfJ6VPVz0lf3jWy5F1N7g?si=YBrfk_WfSuiDLAOX6aSxzg

With '90s hip-hop more recognisable than ever, venues all over the world are energized to watch Tag Team live and in action. Social media has also supplied a new avenue for converting music enthusiasts into "Whoomp!" fans. DC Glenn and Steve thrive on hooking up with brand new fans who have discovered them via viral Facebook posts and appreciate seeing their blissful faces when they listen to the song performed live.

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In addition to their consistent old school performing schedule, both DC Glenn and Steve Rolln are also sought-after international speakers. A professional voice artist and actor, DC Glenn is represented by the People Store Agency in Atlanta and frequently talks on the challenges of the music industry. Steve Rolln, a talented music producer who regularly looks for fresh talent, addresses sophisticated ways of getting into the industry. Both DC Glenn and Steve are sought-after presenters at music training seminars, law colleges and universities, and entertainment industry events.

Follow them on social media for updates and exclusive behind the scenes looks

https://www.tagteambackagain.com/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/dcglennatl

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/dcglennatl

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/dcglennatl

PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/dcgottaeat/

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio: Ariza Music Productions

Sprinkles!

It is all relevant and it is all relative. Everything goes with everything else and that is where I think my mastery lies.

I was embarrassed at first…I love being incognito. I love being below the radar….I was a the pharmacy…no, you gotta put the chip in Sprinkles…and I was like 'no you didn't' and she was like 'I don't care if you're mad. My daughter loves you!'…you just made my day.

That is the thing that brings everybody joy and it has essentially turned into the new party people.

My father forced me to play trumpet and my mother forced me to take piano lessons.

I got to the 11th grade and I met Steve…Steve was in a band that played in the quad during lunchtime sometimes…I gotta be in that band….I gotta be in that choir…I went to my first high school dance and I saw a DJ use two turn tables and a mixer…THAT is what I want to do…I honed my skills and wound up doing every fraternity party…and I became a force to reckon with.

I started DJing in Atlanta….I never looked back. I kept making music.

I realized I was in the wrong place to do the type of hip hop I was doing.

Do it your way, but go back to the essence of hip hop.

Whoomp! There it is…it was a party saying…It was just a song about guys chasing women on a Friday night.

I took it to work that night and played it…and to this day it's the biggest response to any record Ive ever played.

Back in the day, there were only two big hubs of music. NY and LA.

One of my reps from Columbia records was in the house…and he was like 'What is THAT?'…I'm taking this to NY.

I almost gave up.

'Brother, I don't have to hear the record. I hear it in your spirit. Let's agree to agree and get this thing moving.'

I gave my notice…signed a messed up record deal and in a month and a half we were platinum and the rest is history.

I don't regret anything because I'm a grown man and it was my responsibility…to do my due diligence.

We actually signed a decent deal but there was a point where we had to sign over a piece of our rights and I didn't really know what it was and I signed it anyway. And that was the fatal flaw.

…Tag Team is in the middle and they're the pawns for the game…

You better become a paralegal. So, that's what I did. I learned about discovery..case law…how to file a motion…I Iearned all these things and I prepared.

We prevailed. But it came at a cost.

That challenge, that heartache, that pain was the very thing that taught me how to sequester my ego and sequester my pride.

I'm watching Will Farrell dance on a table in Elf to Whoomp! There it is. And I'm happy, but I'm mad because they didn't even ask me…

When you sequester your ego and pride, your mind is open to every possibility

I had a forever hit record…so that is an evergreen product…then it is up to me to make my money.

I've always been on this journey to learn everything I could about what it is I love to do.

I'm not just your DJ. I am your sound guy, light guy, I do the flyers, I do your video, I do your television commercials, I do your flash photography. I do everything. And what I've done is essence is make myself invaluable because you've got to hire 10 people to do everything I can do.

If you hustle hard enough, live long enough, learn how to learn, you become masterful at those trades. Then they all come into one big ball and they serve you in way you never could image as time goes along and you become ambidextrous in life.

They beat me out of some money, so I became a licensed commodities broker.

I've developed learn how to learn hustle tactics. It is not enough just to learn, you have to learn How to learn. What does that look like? Well…

Everything is about narrowing the focus…

Why should I let you manage my hedge fund?…and what they don't realize is while they're pitching me, they're teaching me.

There are unintentional consequences in a positive way for things that your do…the time is not wasted.

Learn how to run your life like a corporation...

I learned how to learn in a way that always puts me in a position to flourish.

What can I do when I'm in the corridor now?

A business plan is difficult. Took me 6 months, but I did it.

When you're doing all those things in the beginning, it may seem like you're all over the place because you actually are. Because you don't know where to go, but some of those things you start liking. And voice over was one.

I wanted the best coaches. It was hard. It was challenging. But, I never gave up.

And for the past 12 years, this microphone has pulled me from the abyss so many times when nothing else could.

The world thinks that Barack Obama was in your music video.

We didn't have a web presence, that's why she couldn't find me….I vowed that would never happen again, so that's what started my SEO career.

I didn't give up. I play offense. I don't quit.

2020…I get a call from my acting agent..DC! You just booked a Geico commercial….They were able to find me in one stroke.

It's a testament to perseverance, steadfastness, continue to train…and the one thing the pandemic did for me was I vowed to not leave this Earth regretting something I always wanted to do that I didn't do.

The traditionalists will say…you cannot do it like this…you can't do everything….you're right…but I sure enough can be prepared for everything.

The very thing you just disapproved of, you now approved of said differently….because preparation is doing everything

I don't move fast…I gotta vet this…if you're coming at me…and I don't know nothing about it, that's my fault…or something else suffers that's a bigger lick…that's my fault

What is your bucket list? Oh. That's a different question.

You've given me every reason why you can't do something instead of one reason why you can and I'm trying to pay you.

Learn how to learn hustle tactics. This is my greatest one ever. Whenever somebody tells you you can't do something…join an organization, society or association. Cuz those entities are filled with people who love their profession…and they can't wait to run their mouth and tell you everything about what they do…she gave me the entire breadth of her experience in 10 minutes.

I thrive on problems and excuses…you have to use that…what is the solution?…what do you want?…and I use these opportunities to come up with all kinds of solutions. For every problem you give me, I'm coming up with 5…and I'm putting it in my toolbox…no, I got an Ace Hardware…if this is what you want, male it the most fantastical, pie in the sky, dreamy, everybody's telling you no way you can do that, but you think you can do that cuz you see your vision….what if you inch your way back?…make a reverse business plan because it comes with a step ladder to your goals and dreams. Just work your way back to practicality.

I want it all. Because I've put myself in a position..where I get to pick and choose.

I've combined that things I've very good at…even if you know it, go find people who know it so y'all can collaborate

I'm doing the work…you gotta put in reps…I put in the rest doing This! Everything serves everything else.

You combine all these things you're achieving mastery at and the combinations are endless.

What if I can be the answer to your question? That's all you have to be. The answer to people's question in what you do.

You gotta be that ambulance for people that need you in a pinch.

Everything for me is a Trojan Horse and everything I put in that Trojan horse is for me to infiltrate everything.

I only do it when I know I have enough to create curiosity and this is just the next phase of it.

Don't chase that fame, don't chase that stardom. Spend less than you earn. Pay yourself first. Put the rest away.

I want to be in the Madalorian…give me 5 lines with The Rock. Big movie. I'll do the rest.

A book and a microphone.

Type in my name DC Glenn, or Tag Team or Whoomp! There it is! Because I know SEO and you will find me.

Wes Harper

LightWire, Inc.

Wes Harper is the owner and President of LightWire, Inc. LightWire is an IT services company commonly referred to as a MSP (managed Service Provider). They provide IT support to small and medium size businesses across the Triangle and throughout the US. Wes started the company in 1996 and has grown it to employ 14 engineers and a small admin/sales staff.

Wes is married and has 5 grown children. He has a passion for all things outdoors and is also a recurring cast member on The Discovery Channel's show, Naked and Afraid.

https://lightwireinc.com/

FB @LightwireRaleigh

FB @wesnakedandafraid

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio : Ariza Music Productions

Transcript : Vision in Word

Marlana: Wes Harper is the owner and president of the IT services company (Lightwire, Inc,) but you may know him from his other gig as recurring cast member on the Discovery Channel show Naked and Afraid. Welcome, Wes! So, on the show, you have earned the nickname The Assassin. What I want to do is ask you, how do you make that mind shift? You're a recurring cast member, how do you make the mental shift from mild mannered Wes Harper, which indeed you are to the Assassin? Also, how do you make the shift back after the show's over?

Wes: It's tough. It takes a couple of days to kind of weed the professionalism out of your system. When you go on a challenge, it takes a couple days before you get that wild streak back in you. And then all sudden, you just kind of get in with the environment and you're feeling it. Then the whole different persona takes place. But I mean, it's a transition and then coming back, it's not two days, it's two weeks, maybe a month before you really get back into a corporate, you know, business owner working in a professional setting. It's a tough return.

Marlana: Why do you think it's tougher on the way back?

Wes: Because things seem so trivial. When you're out there trying to survive, you can concentrate on food every day, and you're starving every day, and just staying warm and staying dry. I mean, those are just core things that you need, and so when you get back and you have to check email, you just really don't care, that just doesn't mean the same thing. And even worse, when your kids want to tell you about their day, you have to really take them and listen to them. And you know, at first, it's kind of boring, for everything that you went through, you know, just three days before and listen to somebody talk about their homework. It's hard.

Marlana: Was it more difficult on the longer challenge? Because I know you did an Excel, was it more difficult then? Or it doesn't really matter whether it's 21 days or 40 days?

Wes: the longer you're there, the harder it is. I mean, you just keep getting Wilder, the longer you're there. I mean, you're really like the wild animals, and you just keep morphing every day, for better or worse into the environment. So, the longer you're there, the longer the recovery processes.

Marlana: And with that, what about the dynamic between you and your partner or in the group, perhaps that you're in? Does that dynamic seem to change and become wilder and more primal, the longer you're there as well?

Wes: That part becomes a little bit more of a close knit family. Actually, a mess! That's probably the part that's actually keeping you a little grounded as opposed to everything else you're going through. You still tell stories about when you're not in a survival mode, you share things about your family, and so it's a nice diversion from just trying to find something to eat.

Marlana: Each time does it get a little easier or no?

Wes: You know what to expect, that you're going to be pretty miserable. And so that parts easier. It's not such a surprise that you're starving to death, but no, it's very difficult. It's tough, and that part really doesn't get any easier. I've done three of them now, and the third one was by far the absolute worst. So now it doesn't get easier. It really depends on where you're located, I think as well, so it makes the third one the worst. It rains constantly. I mean, every day, it rains almost all day, every night during almost all night and mosquitoes and bugs were biting me to death. It was depressing and there really wasn't much to do. So, you just were alone with your thoughts, and that's sometimes a tough place to be.

Marlana: And with that one too, you wound up alone in the end. So, did that make it more difficult?

Wes: Yeah! I'm not someone who really likes to be alone. I'll do it, and for a weekend it's fine. But for a long term, I'm a people person, I like being around people. And so yeah, I mean, I had a lot of time to think. I was there for, oh goodness! 14 days by myself. And you know, a lot of introspection during that time for sure.

Marlana: Would you learn about yourself, other than you're not a people person? I mean that you are a people person.

Wes: A lot of things, you know, you start having regrets about how you live some parts of your life, you celebrate things that you've done, you get a real perspective on what kind of person you are. You think back to every person you've ever slightly wronged in your life and you go, dang! I really shouldn't have said that, maybe when I get home, I'm gonna write a quick note and apologize. Your mind just has so much time to think and dredge up things from your past. It's a lot of thinking that you do out there.

Marlana: So, those scenarios that for some of us play out in the middle of the night, that that was just an ongoing scenario for you for 14 days?

Wes: Oh! Yeah, it was constant, it really was. I mean, when you are just sitting still looking at rain, and have absolutely nothing to do because it's too cold to get wet and be outside, you just have to hunker down. I mean, for me it's miserable. I solitary confinement, and I have not made up for that.

Marlana: And I know that they pulled you out of that challenge before you were able to complete it only because COVID, and what you had no idea was going on. So, when they first came to pull you out, what was your reaction?

Wes: I thought they were kidding, I thought it was a joke, I really did. I was like, No! This is ridiculous! You know, get out of here. I got three more days to go or two and a half. So, I really didn't believe them, and then as they pressed on, telling me details of what was happening, it kind of dawned on me that they were really not playing around. And this challenge was over.

Marlana: You know, it's so interesting to me. That whole concept that you were so isolated that you had no idea what was happening globally.

Wes: Yeah, not a thing. You don't know the score, the ball game. You don't know COVID (Coronavirus) at the time, you really don't know anything, all you know is that you have to get some food, you have to stay warm and try to keep the bugs off. I mean, that's all you know, butter out there.

Marlana: So, was there any time in any of these challenges that you actually were afraid?

Wes: Oh! Yeah! There's many times. Mostly the fear came in Africa though, and that was really in relation to predators, to things that actually want to eat you and It's not passive. That's not like, well, maybe you know, something might pass by that might think about it. There were things that actually wanted to eat you and that was their goal, to get a meal, and you might be it. So, that was pretty frightening, especially at night, you can't see, and you hear weird noises. Yeah, that'll make you sit up. Think about it, for sure.

Marlana: How do you sleep? Because I don't think I could.

Wes: I have been given the gift of sleep. I can sleep pretty much anywhere. I wake up a lot on the challenges, especially, you know, wake up every 15 minutes or every hour, when you hear a noise or get too cold or some random bugs Scorpion bites, something. But I go right back to sleep. I don't have a problem with that and so I'm very fortunate that my wife says that's my number one survival skill, being able to sleep. And she probably is right.

Marlana: So, you hear all these bugs and fighting and starving all these kinds of things. What are some of the best parts of these experiences?

Wes: Think your small victories overcoming a challenge really, that makes it for you, you can reflect on a small victory for days and just smile about it. In Africa, I was able to procure a lot of food, and so even today, I reflect back on that and those are victories that make me smile. When you're out there on challenge, it can be a simple victory. Really, it can be finding fresh water and having a drink. That can propel you for two days and then build a shelter and have it rain, and you stay dry up. The victories that you have out there are huge and so those are things that you reflect on.

Marlana: What's been your favorite place?

Wes: Oh! you know, Africa really has to be my absolute favorite scared as well as an elephant or having a hyena dragging me out of the BOMA, the wildlife. They're the scenery, they're just living in the moment in the bush was absolutely fantastic. Yeah, I would go back tomorrow if they would let me.

Marlana: Is there any place that you'd say no to?

Wes: Oh! Yeah, I would never go to Alaska. I'd never go to North; I am not a cold loving person. Keep me somewhere hot, desert dry, I'll take that all day, but to even go three hours north and try to stay there during the fall, that's not for me.

Marlana: Do you have a choice? How long? If you are booked to be on a challenge? Let's say do you have the option to say yeah, I'm not going there. Or do you even know far enough in advance?

Wes: You know in advance, and really, no, you don't have an option. I mean, you go there, or you say, I'm not gonna be your guy. So, it's really all or nothing, and if they said, hey! we want you to go to Alaska, well, you know me well enough to know, I'm going to Alaska. Am I gonna be happy about it? Am I gonna enjoy it, the cold? No! I'm not, but yes! I'd go to Alaska, not to absolutely not.

Marlana: So, alright, let's talk for a minute about... By doing this, you stepped into a different spotlight, and I think sometimes we forget that when we do things like this, when we step onto a bigger stage, or any of those types of things, how it affects also not just us, but the people around us. So, what would you say? How has it affected your family? What has been their reaction to it all?

Wes: well, you know, I have five kids, and their reaction is really kind of, they shrug their shoulders and say, "Wow! That's really cool. No big deal." They're a little embarrassed when they see a picture, their friends get picture of mine naked, but on TV, they're like, Oh Dad, come on! But other than that, they're really cool with it. My wife is generally super supportive about it. But there are times when it gets to her, like when I talk about it too much or when I'm doing some shopping at a grocery store, and somebody recognizes me, comes over, and wants to do a selfie. That doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen. And sometimes ruin a moment that is just made for me and my wife (Molly).

Marlana: The first time somebody did that, recognize you or asked for a photo or an autograph or any of those kinds of things, what was your reaction?

Wes: Oh! I couldn't get my pen out quickness. I was so excited. And, you know, I had pictures prepared for it. You know, that's part of the deal. With Discovery Channel, you're there to promote the show as well. So, I had pictures, and they said, "Aren't you Wes from Naked and Afraid?" And I said, Yeah, they were like, can we get a picture? And I was like, "Yeah, I got a ton of my truck. Hold on! I'll be right back." You know, so excited! It was fantastic. And even today, when somebody recognize me or ask for a picture, or an autograph or selfie, I still get excited about it. It's an adrenaline rush. I enjoyed that part of it.

Marlana: Did it surprise you at all when somebody first came up to you?

Wes: Yeah! It really did. In fact, it still does today. I mean, Naked and Afraid has kind of a cult following. Not everybody watches the show. And even people will watch the show, they might not know who I am, especially when I'm going to work outfit, when I'm wearing a button up shirt. I had somebody say, "don't you work in South Carolina sometimes?" I went on vacation. Somebody asked, "don't you work for someone?" So, in South Carolina I said, "No! I really don't." But they knew me from Naked and Afraid. They just couldn't place me.

Marlana: Because you were overdressed?

Wes: Yeah, so I saw overdressed so that they knew me, but they didn't know. And so, you know, there's a fair amount of that.

Marlana: speaking of which, how has this affected your business? Or has it not?

Wes: It has really had an impact and I'm not shy about promoting the fact that I've been on the show. A lot of people say, "Oh! Well! he's a guy on TV. So, let's do business with him." I mean, that's a real thing and so I don't shy away from that at all. You know, groups of 50 year old women, they kind of love that. They're like, "Hey! this guy from Reality TV. We've never met somebody on Reality TV." So, you know, I get invited into a lot of places and I'm given a lot of credibility. Because of the show, even though I'm the guy sitting out there naked, dirty, messy. I'm also the guy that's on TV. So that lends credibility in places where maybe it really shouldn't.

Marlana: for everybody that doesn't know, tell us what you do as mild mannered Wes Harper.

Wes: My Clark Kent. Yeah, persona. Yeah, I own an IT company (Lightwire), I've owned it since 1996, with a name change in the middle. I have twelve engineers, a small admin staff, and my job is to make sure the company runs smoothly and correctly and grows. So, it's really a corporate professional setting that I'm in. For my real life. My everyday life is that.

Marlana: Have you ever had a client find out after the fact that you were the Naked and Afraid guy?

Wes: Yeah, and that's the most fun actually. That is the most fun because they'll say, I've been talking to you for two months and I just found out that you're Wes from Naked and Afraid. And then you can tell they went, and they Googled me and checked out stuff. Then they have little questions, you know, but it's fun. At that point, it's fun, because we already established a relationship and then you know, there's sprinkles on top. So, that makes it fun for both the client and me.

Marlana: so how did you get your business to a point where you can go off and do these three week or 40 day challenges, and it still doesn't miss a beat?

Wes: Well, it actually started because of the first time I went away. Knowing that I was gonna go, probably I was clued in about six months before I was leaving, I was really good. So, I had to start preparing my staff. And so, I added responsibilities to people. I gave them the aim and power; I gave them the power to make decisions. By the time I left on the first challenge, my people were ready, they were pretty much running the company day to day operations without me. I didn't need to be there for every single decision. So, that was really what made it happen and then since I've been twice since then, it's only gotten stronger, my ability to take off for a month.

Marlana: And that's really so important I think, especially if you do have any kind of a business, if you want to do something bigger, or if you want to step up into the next level, you've got to be able to let go of things.

Wes: really do, and it's very difficult. Starting the business from scratch being the guy that was up on a ladder. That's really hard to let go of you always want to do it like you want to do it. You're a perfectionist and obsessive compulsive about things and then whoever takes your place might not quite be that obsessive compulsive. And you've got to grapple with that, but the more that you delegate, and the more you give it away, the more you can grow as a business, you can't do. You can't do everything.

Marlana: And I think sometimes too, we forget that people don't have to do it like us. And sometimes they will do it better than we have done it.

Wes: Amen! Yeah, absolutely! When I got back from Brazil, the company was in a better financial position than when I...

My name is Karsta. My business is Karsta Marie

Karsta spent years creating a life that was "fine"- and it cost her EVERY ounce of energy. After a divorce, fifteen years as a single mom, a second failed relationship, some serious introspection, healing and bravery she's using the lessons she's learned to help others start living the extraordinary life they deserve.

website: https://karstamarie.com

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karsta_marie/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karstamarie

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karihurd/

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio : Ariza Music Productions

Transcription: Vision In Word

Marlana: My next guest spent years creating life that was fine. And it cost her every ounce of energy after a divorce 15 years as a single mom, a second failed relationship, some serious introspection healing and bravery. She's using the lessons she learned to help others live the extraordinary life they deserve. Welcome, Karsta.

Karsta: Thank you so much for having me!

Marlana: So, let's talk about fine. What does fine get us?

Karsta: Fine gets us frustrated. Fine leaves us feeling stuck. I've recently come to…discover that fine really left me… it was the biggest puzzle piece in my lack of confidence.

Marlana: Which is when? When you say sorry? W

Karsta: Well, just recently on a different podcast, actually, we were talking about confidence. And I realized that once I started stepping away from fine, once I got a little bit brave and took that first step, I realized that we end up in fine, because we're subscribing to so many other stories of what is supposed to bring us happiness. And that part I knew, but what I realized is the; more I started trusting my own intuition, listening to what really was lighting me up inside, that fire in my belly and following that my confidence started to skyrocket because I started trusting myself more. It was like I had started to build and nurture that relationship with myself just like you would with somebody else.

Marlana: But the longer you're in a relationship with somebody, the more you trust them, the more confidence you have in that relationship. And it's the same thing with yourself?

Karsta: That's been just a really fun new piece that I've been, journaling on and exploring, and it's just kind of opened things up for me even more.

Marlana: So, at what point did you realize that you were living a life that was fine, and not extraordinary?

Karsta: I think we all sort of know it always. It's that nagging feeling of something, or everything sucks all the time. Just kind of that you're worn down, you're tired, but really, it happened in retrospect, when I looked back, and I just got to my breaking point, quite honestly, I had been in, like you said, in the intro, so I was married for 10 years, when we were together, at first, he was like my best friend, and it was wonderful. But there was just always this knowing that I had that for as wonderful as a human as he was and as much fun as we had together, I just wasn't supposed to be married to him. I think it's bad, right? That constant sort of nagging of like, I'll do this, but just something inside me, I know, it's just not right. But we ignore it because, for me, building sort of what I call that picket fence life. That's what I saw everybody around me doing, Nd that's what made sense. The things that were burning in my belly that excited me didn't really make sense with what I saw happening. So, it was a matter of stuffing those down and subscribing to what made sense around me and adapting to all of that. I think looking back, like I said, there was always this knowing. It's those intuitive hits that you get. For me, on my day after my wedding, we were driving to our tiny little apartment, and we happen to be in separate cars, and I was like bawling. Part of it was like the exhaustion and stuff, but it was just sort of this. In that moment I thought, this is not good. Like I kind of knew, but I wouldn't say it out loud. It's those kinds of moments where but you won't admit it to yourself.

Marlana: And in this particular case, it applied to a situation, (your relationship that you were in), but it can apply to jobs, calls and all those kinds of things. How often would you say that we play to the level of people around us?

Karsta: Oh! I couldn't even give it a percentage, but it's absolutely true. I did do it with my career. I became a teacher because I didn't know what else to do and I think that's a lot of it. We don't trust and this is where that confidence piece circles back, we don't trust ourselves. And for whatever reason, sometimes it's some sort of childhood. When I say trauma, I don't mean like the big traumas, those are kind of obvious, but for me it was growing up in an environment and it wasn't just my parents, it was a lot of the adults around me kind of telling me that they knew best. And so if I would get a little imagine… That's silly. "What do you know", those kinds of things, where we don't mean anything by it, but we start to internalize them. And so, I just assumed I didn't know any better and it became, if I don't know any better, I better start trusting other people, because I must not know what I'm doing.

Marlana: it's interesting that you say on that too, because I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine, and we were talking about the employee mentality versus the entrepreneurial mentality. There's not that one's better than the other. But recognize, even if you want to be an entrepreneur, that it's a different way of thinking, and you're not the people that have a work for hire mentality, or an employee mentality, are not going to understand what you're looking to accomplish. They're not going to understand that you want this bigger thing, they're not going to understand your risks, and all of that that's involved with that. So, it becomes finding people that do.

Karsta: right! I think the flip is true, I was an employee for over 20 years, and I played that game. So, I get that game, and at the same time while I played it, and I kind of get it, I don't understand it in my heart, I understand it in my head. But I don't understand it in my heart, I try to live by following somebody else's rules I wasn't meant to follow the rules, I wasn't meant to be normal. I was meant to have this different life and I think that that's the biggest thing for a lot of us entrepreneurs, or those of us that have… even if you're not an actual entrepreneur with your own business, or some kind of adventure, those with that mindset, the biggest obstacle is overcoming other people's lack of understanding. And it's really easy to fall back into those old patterns if all these other people are saying that I'm a little bit crazy, maybe I am. And maybe I better just take a step back and jump back into that employee mindset or about that, quote, unquote, normal mindset.

Marlana: Do you think that it's easier now, especially with access to everything that's online, to find a tribe that will help you learn and grow?

Karsta: For sure! Absolutely! I've had to be very mindful of who I follow, because sometimes, it can swing the other way, if you've lived so long in that mindset of following what others say. Then you find yourself with other entrepreneurs, that there's still that, am especially if you're kind of newer to honoring that part of yourself. There's this "am I doing it right" sort of feeling, whether its business related or just kind of living your life that way. There's this "who am I doing it? Well, she's doing it that way. Maybe I better try to do it that way". And it's one of the things that I love with the women I work with, is we get to the root of "No, it doesn't matter what she's doing, what stop throwing spaghetti at the wall, let's stop trying everybody else's on and let's figure out what works for you". And then go see if there's somebody you can use as a guide or a mentor, so, that there's purposeful.

Marlana: I always say there's purposeful sort of trying on of other people's strategies. Talk to us a little bit about what that kind of journey looks like.

Karsta: Oh! I think first and foremost, it's getting crystal clear. So, I like to walk through it because I did this exercise pretty early in my journey, but I like to walk through, and have you sort of visualize for real what do you want to feel on a day to day basis in your life and that to me always says I want to be happy. Okay! Does That mean you can make it happy? Yeah! My coffee makes me happy every day. Like, what is it? So, I like to dig deep and find some other words almost like creating a mantra of sorts. So, for me, when I did this exercise, I came up with simple, effortless, hello, but a simple, effortless life full of joy, abundance and love like that. For me that's what drives me every day and so, okay! Happy doesn't get you out of bed every day, what's going to get you out of bed and be excited about your day? And because I don't think we can start on any kind of journey; you can't tell Siri or your Google Maps to give you directions if you don't tell it the final destination first. So, we have to find out what's that final destination? And I have a very crystal clear vision in my head of what my epic life looks like, and does everything about what I'm doing right now fit that vision? Absolutely! Not because it's an ongoing process, that vision is ever evolving. And I'm ever evolving, but that vision, and that mantra are what drives me every day. So, step one is always to sort of get at least that vision and get one or two words that are really going to drive. Like, how do you want to show up today?

Marlana: I think being specific number one is very important. I have a friend of mine had sent one day. So many people say oh, I want to make more money. And he said so I can hand you a quarter, you've just made more money, right? Be specific about what you want to when you want to do, because like you were saying, you can only get to a destination that you can you have determined, and I think help or should ask this. How do you feel about being specific about the destination but flexible on the journey?

Karsta: Absolutely! And again, if you use that same metaphor, if I plug a destination into my phone app, it shows me three or four different options of routes, right? It says this one will get you there the fastest. But this one actually is the shortest distance or this one… you know, it gives me options and that's exactly why you need that final destination so that you can make those choices.

Marlana: I liked your point earlier that you don't have to do it like somebody else.

Karsta: Right! Because that's their one way, maybe they're taking the fastest route, but maybe you want to take the shortest route, that might take a little longer. I always say you're never on the wrong path, you're just taking the longer one and that's fine. So, step two, I always tell people, is just really because I think another big obstacle for people is the fear of well, if I admit to myself that I want to different ways, that means I have to throw the baby out with the bathwater, and like tear it all down and start from scratch, which is what I did. And I don't recommend it. I would say, my goal in life is to help people not do what I did. And so really working to say, Okay, if this is the route you're going to choose, let's come up with sort of some checkpoints. And let's what does that look like every single day? What is and bridging that gap and showing up with intention every day and doing it little by little? Because if it doesn't perform for the crowd, that's really overwhelming.

Marlana: yeah. And I think, too, that just by having those little checkpoints, you also can see what progress you've made. You can kind of readjust along the way. All those kinds of things.

Karsta: Absolutely! And yeah, decide, is this route working for me? Do I need to switch, you know, and just stop and celebrate too? Because we don't do enough of that. We spend a lot of time running from what we want. Or I'm sorry, running from what we don't want, instead of moving toward what we do want, and we don't celebrate that we've made progress toward what we want. We just kind of keep running, I want to get away from my old life. So, I'm gonna keep running.

Marlana: What about people that decide partway that you know what, maybe this isn't the route for me? Isn't it okay? Also, to change along the way, just because you have mapped something else out and today you've decided you want this. And you get partway there, and you decide, you know what, maybe it's not this maybe it's really bad. What about shifting gears?

Karsta: Absolutely! I do always say like 100% but I always say just be careful. that you're not shifting gears, because you're getting scared. Be careful that you're not shifting gears because it's getting hard. There's a difference between, because I think like when I ventured on this journey, when I started this, when I left my teaching career, I surrounded myself with a bunch of people who were very, very spiritual, which, which I am. And this is not to like, but it was very much the message I heard was will, if you align with universal energy, it will come to you. And so, I sort of sat back and said, Okay, well, now I know what I want to do. And that's in alignment with who I am, someone's gonna sit back and like, come to me, but there's the work that has to go into it. It's not easy, but it should feel effortless. Right? So, it's, there's hard work you have to put in every single day, to sit down and do some of the tasks that you have to do. But honestly, it feels effortless for me and that's the goal, that's what really, we all want. We want freedom from feeling tied down to something that doesn't bring us joy in we should be seeking a life where I will say where there's at least an equal exchange of energy. Instead of always feeling like you're emptying your cup every day, at least you're getting something back.

Marlana: So, it's not how do we know? But all right, I have my brain going in all kinds of directions. So, I keep jumping in. At what point? Is there any kind of way to check ourselves to see if we are switching gears out of fear? Or we just don't want to put in the effort? Or if it really is just not, what's lighting us up?

Karsta: Yeah, and this could be. Actually, I do have an excellent, really short quick exercise, I'll share with your listeners that you can even do this, prior to beginning your journey if you're sort of feeling like something feels unsettled, like what should I do about it, I do this really quick exercise, sometimes if I'm feeling a little bit like. I take one hand, and I set it on my chest, I do this lying down, it's just easier because I'm more comfortable. And I actually kind of let myself get very restful, right. And I put the other hand down, kind of on my womb space, right under my belly button. I take three long, slow, deep breaths. And I always start. So, this might take a day or two, you might have to do this a couple of times over a couple of days just to get comfortable with it, especially if this is not something you've ever done. But the first time I do this, I get sort of calm and quiet with myself. And I start asking myself yes or no questions that I already know the answer to. So, do I have two daughters? And as I asked myself the question, I started taking my inhale. And as I answer on the exhale, the answer sort of comes out. So, it's like, do I have two daughters? Yes. And that's what comes out. And you just sort of let it happen freely. And I would say anywhere from like five to 10 questions that you already know the answer to. And then it makes sure it's an equal balance of both right? So, like, I have a cat, maybe I would ask myself, Do I have a dog? So that I'm making sure I have? Yes. And what you're looking for is not only to start letting your mind answer, free leave when you have questions about your life, but then also start to notice where you feel it in your body. I know, when I'm feeling very out of alignment or something is what I was in at the bad kind of scary, like, we're not going there, I feel it in a certain place in my gut. But if it's like, exciting, it's in a slightly different place in my gut moving up into my chest, like I get excited. And I can feel my heart beating in a good way. So just starting to take notice of where you feel that it just puts you back into touch with yourself so that you can start trusting yourself. Again, like we talked about earlier here. You have to rebuild that relationship with yourself. So, transfer just taking stock of, how do I really feel about this?

Marlana: So almost like your own internal lie detector test.

Karsta: Yeah, exactly. That's exactly what it is. And then obviously, then over time you're going to graduate into… I like to keep it to yes or no questions because they're easy. But just asking yourself questions about like, is this the right path for me? And just seeing where you feel, but that doesn't mean that's the definite answer that you have to like, all of a sudden, Oh! I need to switch gears right now. It's just taking notice and saying, Okay, well, maybe it isn't. And let me explore it some more. And I think that that's the other big piece is just being patient with yourself, even if you're going to switch gears. You don't have to switch gears today or tomorrow. Again, don't burn it down to the ground, just start making shifts until you feel more settled again. So, we don't necessarily have to bring it back to careers, we don't have to leave what we're doing to start to pursue something else because...

My name is Kacia Fitzgerald, and I am the host of EmpowerHER Podcast & Founder and CEO of SheGoes Co.

Kacia is a multi-passionate entrepreneur, speaker and podcaster who's on a mission to help women unapologetically share their voice & message with the world.

She is the host of the top rated podcast EmpowerHER with over 3 million downloads the first 2 years!

She's also the Founder & CEO of She Goes company, which is focused on cultivating a global community of personal growth obsessed women, and helping women who want to launch or grow their podcasts!

She's found that what's often holding women back is the thoughts that they think about who they are & what they are capable of so she takes her knowledge from working with hundreds of entrepreneurs over the years, paired with her high energy bubbly personality and a "Come with me, let's figure this out together" approach to light a fire under their booty to get out of their own way and go.

Depending on what would be the best fit, some ways people can connect with me are through:

My IG Handles: @kacia.fitzgerald & @shegoes.company

My Website: https://www.kaciafitzgerald.com/

My Podcast: www.empowerherpodcast.com

My Free Pump Up Text List: Text ICONIC to 5125482728

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio : Ariza Music Productions

Transcription : Vision in Word

Marlana: Kacia Fitzgerald is a multi-passionate entrepreneur, speaker, and podcaster, who's on a mission to help women unapologetically share their voice and message with the world. Welcome Kecia!

Kacia: I'm so excited to be here. Thank you for having me.

Marlana: So, today we're gonna talk about playing too small. And which really serves no one.

Kacia: Yeah.

Marlana: Why do you think we do it?

Kacia: I think we're socialized, especially as women to take up less space and to have these people pleasing tendencies because we're told we're good if we fit into certain standards of other people's expectations of us. And then I think we're constantly bombarded with a lot of stimulus that saying, you should be this, at this age, at this stage of life, you should be going down this career path, you should want this, you should wanna look like this, you should act like this. And that constant stimulus has us looking for external validation, rather than going internal and asking ourselves, like, what's true to me? And what do I actually want and what feels aligned, and what's gonna make me feel fulfilled, and what's gonna make me get to the end of my TBD amount of days here, and be like, Yeah, I showed up, and I did it my way. And it's scary. It's a slippery slope when we play too small, because I truly do believe that every single one of us as individuals, is gifted a vision for our life, that's not going to look like anybody else's. And that's like, our gift back to the world is to give our gifts to the world. I think it's really important that when we catch ourselves playing small, wanting to just even water ourselves down, I got a really big personality. So, I've had to work on that, like, I'm not gonna water myself down, in order to fit somebody else's expectations of what I should be like, or what a woman should be like. And so, it's really important that we catch ourselves on that. I love just going straight to the juice because that's good.

Marlana: Yeah. And I tell clients that all the time too because if you don't share what, who you are and what you do, first of all, somebody needs to hear it the way you're going to say it.

Kacia: Yep!

Marlana: And needs it the way you're going to do it. And if you don't do that, that's actually selfish, because you're not them with the gift you have.

Kacia: Yeah! Yep! Well, and it's like, your life to your point, you know, is a testimony of what's possible for other people. So, it's the person who's like, but I struggle with anxiety, or I'm an introvert, or I'm struggling with this certain thing. Well, somebody needs to see you and your exact situation do that, because they need to see what's proof of pot, you know, proof of what's possible for them. And so often we forget about who else is going to benefit as a byproduct of us, you know, going for our dreams, not just in terms of, in the entrepreneurial space, like sales or income or, or even impact, but really just, we don't know who's watching us, who doesn't want to do the same thing that we want to do. But they need to see someone who's unapologetic about owning who they are, taking up space and chasing whatever those dreams are. I'm so with you on that.

Marlana: Yeah. And you know, it's funny because I am that person by having anxiety. And I'm an introvert.

Kacia: Yep! And there are people that are like, yes, I need to see you show up, because that is showing me that I could do it. If she could do it, why can't I do it? Right? It's so important.

Marlana: Can you recognize by looking at somebody if they are playing too small?

Kacia: I can recognize it by body language, often, if they feel as if they're unsure of themselves. And they're second guessing themselves. I can tell pretty quickly when I'm talking to someone, if they have people pleasing tendencies, where they're not able to make their own decisions. And I can pick up on the vibe of it, but it's when I ask them like, what do you want? Or what are you excited about right now? What follows that question, what the answer is, that's when I can really tell if they're even letting themselves think about what's possible for them. And a lot of times, it's coming down to this worth piece, right? Like, am I worthy, someone told me that I could do this? And that's all I've decided I'm able to do, right? I can't push beyond that scope. And then it's the environment that they're in. Because we often become a byproduct of the expectations of our peer group, right? Because all of your friends and every all your family and everyone you're hanging out with all the content you're consuming is people that aren't really going for it with whatever going for it looks like for them. Your expectation is that's what I should do. That's just what it's like, that's normal. I don't want to be abnormal. And because as humans, we are wired to want to stay in community. We want to protect ourselves. We want those familiar thought patterns. It's understandable that we do it. It's understandable that we play small it's then having to go back and challenge that that primal programming that we have to say like what's a different course of action? What's that going to look like for me and how good could it get? Right?

Marlana: It's interesting because I read once that if you look around your circle and you aren't inspired, you don't have a circle, you have a cage.

Kacia: Yeah! Yeah. It's so true.

Marlana: So how do we break out of that? How do we learn to play bigger? space?

Kacia: I think some people that are very analytical driven, it's actually helpful to just sit down and take inventory of the people that you're spending time with like, are you the one that's the most ambitious one? Are you the one that's the healthiest? Are you the one that has the strongest relationships? Because even take it down to relationships, I don't want to hang out with people that aren't in marriages where they are happy with each other. Right? I just don't want that energy around me, if I want to have the foundation of my marriage be something that excited about, I also don't want to be the biggest thinker in the room in all rooms, right? I don't want to be the person who's constantly like pushing the envelope. So, it's really starting with first taking inventory and saying, "who physically around me, am I actually spending time with? What is their influence on me?" because everybody's influencing us in some way. And it's not to say you have to have your entire circle be people that are, you know, big thinkers chasing their dreams going for it. There's a need for all different types of people in our circle. But it's really understanding, do I only have people that are comfortable? Do I only have people that are counting down the days til Friday? Do I only have people saying it just is what it is? Or I'm not that state saying a lot of conditional statements, first taking inventory, and then asking yourself, if I can't get the people that I want in my circle physically, how can I start getting really intentional about consuming content from them, trying to get in rooms, being around other people that is directly going to change the trajectory of your entire life, and then what you believe you're worthy of, and what you believe is possible for you. It's like, so often we say, people that are maybe listening to this podcast, they live in like a small town, they're like, why don't have anyone around me like that? Well! good thing! There's YouTube, and there's podcast. There's people that you can really borrow belief from them that have gone a couple of steps before you have what's possible for you. Which goes back to your original question of like, why we got to take up more space. Because we need people that are living, breathing proof, a testimony of saying, "hey! Come with me, I'm only a couple steps ahead of you, I can show you this as possible for you too." But it really comes down very tactically, I think asking yourself, who do I actually spend time with? Whose content do I actually consume? What am I filling my mind with? And is that actually conducive to where I want to go? Is that contributing to the thought patterns that are going to help me just elevate to that next level with whatever it is that you're working on? And starting there can be really informative of like, Whoa! I don't have anybody in my circle. I mean, I got to that in my entrepreneurial journey, I got to that at a certain place my business where I had never, I hadn't been around anyone that had earned more income that I had just run into in my business. I was like, I don't physically know anyone, my parents, like I don't have anyone that has made the amount of income that I was making. And I had to quickly take inventory. I was like, well, I don't have these people around me physically yet. But I need to go borrow belief from someone that's gone before me, I need to check in on the narratives that I'm telling myself about people that make a certain amount of money, right? Like that type of stuff. It's really powerful. And it's actually… it's really simple. It's not easy, because we tell ourselves the story of, I don't want to let people down. I don't want people to think that I'm quote unquote, better than them or that I don't care about them. And that story is just a narrative that you're playing, right?

Marlana: And that's our job to take inventory on those thoughts, too.

Kacia: Yeah.

Marlana: Because I know, with various thoughts and things, if we bring it back to who told you that? Sometimes nobody told us that. It's just a scenario we have made up in our head that we can happen over and over.

Kacia: Yeah! And other people's it's so often it comes back to like, even just your upbringing, or like a random thing that you a belief that somebody else put on you that you did not even question, and you've adopted as your own. I've had to ask myself that a lot of times, and even the last five years have been like, it's not actually my belief, or did somebody told me that, and I just took it as my own. I don't even believe that's true. Like, I don't believe that people that make a lot of money are quote unquote, bad people. Like, I don't believe that at all. I'm like, where did I learn that? You know, and maybe it does come down to who told me that or what situation came up that I then created that meaning, right? Because humans were like these, meaning creating machines, I'm like, we're gonna make that up for like, that's how we're gonna be. So I need to leave they're like, completely changed that belief. Or if it makes sense, adopted in a different way. But in that case, you know, it doesn't.

Marlana: And, you know, I also am a strong believer that each level may require a different set of people around you.

Kacia : Yes.

Marlana: And that's okay. You're not leaving anybody behind. You're not letting anybody down. You're just trying to continue to get knowledge from people that are doing it bigger, better, and are at the point where you want to be.

Kacia: Yeah! And it's really interesting because so often we have this narrative of like not wanting to leave people behind. But it's really you are a living, breathing proof of a testimony of someone who is going after whatever their version of great is, right, a lot of people settle in this good and they've got this gut feeling that they want more and more meaning, more alignment, it doesn't have to be being an entrepreneur, being a podcast, or putting your message out into the world, it doesn't have to be that. It's just what actually feels right for you. And then understanding that you've got to have people around you that are also working on those things. And, you know, even like, health wise, take inventory of your circle, it's like if you are the most health conscious person, and you're working on a health based goal, can't just hang out with people that are also wanting to like eat Doritos right before bed every night. That's not gonna serve you, and it's just so simple. I love this conversation. I love this logic, because it is so practical, and tactical that you can just implement who is around me. That's it, right? If I want to go this direction, I have got to find someone that has gone before me. And then we have to then understand that that's our responsibility to be that person that's gone before someone else. And I love this. I love it.

Marlana: So, how did you find your people?

Kacia: First through podcasts, which is actually why I wanted to start a podcast in the first place, is when I started to take inventory. And I had really big goals in the entrepreneurial space, and the type of impact and income and fulfillment that I wanted to have and just the direction that I wanted to go. I was like, I don't have a lot of these people around me that are showing me what's possible. So, I started to find podcasts, and YouTube videos and consuming content, I'm getting really intentional about the people that I was following on social media and making sure that it was people that I could borrow belief from of what's possible for me until I had that belief in myself. And because of that, I learned so much from listening into people's conversations that were a couple steps ahead of me. And their business journey and their mindset and what they believed was possible. And that made me want to start a podcast myself, because I was like, gosh! I've learned so much from podcasters, I've learned so much from just like peeking in, creeping in on these conversations, and really like, wow! That would be really, really impactful. So, I started my podcast almost three years ago, partially based off of thinking, if I've learned for that, maybe I could give that gift to someone else who can connect with me. And I may be just a couple steps ahead of them and be like girl, like, come with me, we got this, we can do it together. Right?

Marlana: And you know, I think it's also important to note to people that you don't have to take the exact same steps or follow the exact same path as somebody else. I know, one of my favorite quotes was by Bruce Lee. He said, "take what is useful, reject what is not and make it uniquely your own." And when we do that, that's when we start to really find who we are.

Kacia: Yeah! And it's really interesting, because there's no possible way as completely different humans that will ever have the same path as somebody else. Right? Like, it's absolutely impossible that with the different strengths and weaknesses that I've gifted in the curveballs that I've thrown that are teaching me how to learn and process through, it's like, there's no way that any path is going to be linear in the first place alone, even trying to copy somebody else's path, because we have no idea what's going on behind closed doors for any other human in general. And we're responsible for curating an environment in our head that's conducive to getting us where we want to go. So, the conversations that we're having in our head, are, we're never going to understand what somebody else, what other conversations, somebody else had to have their head to get them there, right, we have to kind of, I think it's really interesting, because you hear a lot like, don't compare yourself to other people. And I think that's important. But at the same time, it's like, if you can have this healthy lens of comparison of saying like, this person's done something, and I want to do that, let me just see them and clap for them, because they've literally showed me what's possible, rather than, that person has something that I don't know. That person doesn't have anything that you don't, their path is going to look different, but they often have just tried more times than you've tried. They've just been around the block a little bit longer, they've had more time to get their reps in and get better because obviously, we started something new, we're not going to be very good. In fact, we're probably going to suck a little bit at the beginning, and you put your reps in, you're gonna get a little better. Then you're gonna get good if you actually keep showing up, you're gonna get great and that person that we're comparing our behind the scenes. Like, no makeup messy, but just got into a fight with our significant other to they're like perfectly curated Instagram posts. It's like we wonder why we're...