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ED Dudley

We Are Connect-ED

ED is a collaborative connector, servant leader, community builder, social entrepreneur and public speaker. With over 20 years in financial services arena in various positions such a Senior Vice President, he left the corporate world and founded We Are Connect-ED, a business consulting and professional networking firm with a mission to be a bridge to form strategic alliances, partnerships and collaboration for all humanity.

ED is very active in the community and serves on several nonprofit boards such as Board Vice President of SwingPals, Intermin Board Chair for United Against Slavery, Co-Founder/Steering Committee member of 100 Men Who Give A Damn, Director of Diversity & Inclusion for the Financial Planners Association of the Triangle and Co-founder of Shining Light In Darkness

www.weareconnect-ed.com

https://www.facebook.com/weareconnected1

https://www.instagram.com/weareconnect_ed/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/weareconnect-ed

I spent so many years in financial services and I loved it…had a good career….but I was so busy chasing the dollar and chasing the title….but when I formed Connect-ED, I found my passion.

I live my life by a very simple phrase…Give and it shall be given unto you. So my part of giving is 'let me know how I can serve you or your network.'

It's all about uplifting people.

It's not about the money for me. Money will eventually come. Money comes and money goes. But…getting a message that says 'Ed, that was an amazing connection.'

I'm all about connecting people to other people, opportunities or resources. Or what I call PROs. And…if I can do that, I feel great.

I was part of a networking group…Nate Brown, Networking with Nate…I want to go somewhere and make it a little more diverse….I completely shifted from the way I was going to do it to the way you see it now.

My spark…was…David Baum….a light went off in me…I've been doing this all my life but I haven't been intentional with it. Now I'm intentional when I connect someone together.

It's always the fear of the unknown. We don't know what's around the corner.

That's the problem. I got real comfortable.

We are all about helping people build strategic alliances. And I don't care if that's in your professional life or you personal life.

It started off as connecting business leaders and entrepreneurs together in a safe space. It was about bringing the quality people together…but slowly…there was a shift in my mindset…what I noticed was…people need to be connected to each other. So we opened it up…

We do it across several cities in several states….and I'm hoping we will be on another continent by the end of the year.

I was having one of those rough days…this entrepreneur called me…I just gotta thank you because you introduced me to this resource that I never knew about and this is going to change the way I do business…what I thought was something small, was huge to her. And that just gave me so much joy.

I get pure joy being able to serve someone else.

I believe the universe will give you what you need when you need it.

I know some people that are very strategic and everything has to be A,B,C & D. Me? I just jumped in and figured it out. And I'm still figuring it out.

If you have an idea or something that you want to do? Just jump in it.

There's so many free resources for anything you want to do….you can go to YouTube, you can Google it, and you can create a business, a side hustle, a hobby, whatever you want to do it's at your fingertips.

Don't worry about trying to plan so much that you miss the boat. I know people that have been planning for years and never done anything.

FEAR: false evidence appearing real.

We've had some of the best meetings with only a handful of people because we were able to dive deep.

I don't let fear stop me from doing anything anymore and I try and tell people, don't let it stop you….fear will paralyze a lot of people and then you'll look a year, three years, five years, ten years have passed and you've been stuck in the same place because you were scared.

I divide my network into 3 categories…my ABC's

My A's are my Advocates…

Next are my Builders…

My Consumers…

I've disconnected from a lot of people simply because they were what I consider 'users'. You don't have to do something for me? I'm ok with that….but if I see that you're not trying to do something for someone else or all you're trying to do is about self-gain…

People will actually put themselves in that group…so I in turn try to be advocates for certain people.

In financial services, it's all about the numbers. The bottom line and the revenue. And I got tired..what about people? Not from a monetary standpoint, but in life as a whole?

I'm not a numbers guy any more. I wake up in the morning….who can I serve today?

I'm on a mission this year to serve 1,000 people…it might be just an introduction, it might be buying somebody a cup of coffee…

At the end of the day, we all have to put a roof over our head and food in our stomach. So a lot of times we do what we can get paid well for as opposed to what we're passionate about. And that's where the struggle happens.

I still struggle with the virtual…I'm looking forward to the day that we can actually sit…shake a hand.

We have Durham, Raleigh, Charlotte, New Orleans, Dallas, Bethesda, I'm working on Arizona, Africa and Pittsburg.

Mostly everyone that is hosting these cities are small business owners, but they have to lead with a servant side.

DEI Done Differently…I partnered with an organization called Love is a Parable…that focuses on love, random acts of kindness…let's talk about it from a lens of where we are today. What can we do to more effectively bring people together…

Bringing people together. It's as simple as that.

Our tag line is : building meaningful and lasting relationships one person at a time.

First, determine what that is. Determine what you want to do…figure out how to do it…start it.

Michael Jordan "Some people dream about it. Some people think about it. But some people just do it." Sometimes ya just gotta do it.

I don't want to be the biggest group. I want to be the most impactful group.

Stay true to yourself.

My wife and I want to build a house in Africa.

A shield and a sword. You can call me centurion Ed if you like.

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio: Ariza Music Productions

Beth Strange

Beth Strange Strategy

As an Elite Performance Strategist, Certified High Performance Coach, speaker, and writer, I help extraordinary top performers and entrepreneurs to BE, DO, and HAVE what they want and need in their professional and personal lives.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate with distinction from Penn State University with a degree in Linguistics, and Harvard Neuroscience Certification, I spent my early career as an educator, administrator, and business owner in the branding and reputation management industry. My guiding principle is to always do the right thing, a principle I believe is a professional's most valuable asset. My bottom line is measured by the satisfaction and success of my clients.

Prior to my full-time strategist role, I spent 25 years assisting high-profile and emerging corporations, academic institutions, groups, and individuals in defining and refining their presence and becoming influential by applying proven principles in reputation, brand, public relations, and image management. I've obtained certification as an internationally Certified Image Professional and Brand Analyst with extensive certifications, education, and experience in Presence Management industries.

Native Pennsylvanians, my husband, Michael, and I and our seven children have also lived in Hawaii, Georgia, and Maryland. Now that I've been a North Carolina resident for the past nine years, I never want to leave. I enjoy playing as a concert flautist, cherishing my children and grandchildren, serving in my church, training at the gym, appreciating performance cars, renovating our yacht, and regaining my perspective by the ocean.

https://BethStrange.com

https://www.facebook.com/beth.y.strange/

https://www.instagram.com/beth.strange/

It's numerable small, almost imperceptible elements that weave into a tapestry.

They've arrived by strategy and by default….Some built their brand brick by brick…others just kind of fell into it.

I don't think Kim Kardashian has a brick by brick strategy….Warren Buffett…a lot more strategic.

There is kind of a magic potion and mix…Coco Chanel, professional athletes…

The Branding Pyramid….the bottom is Purpose. What is the brand's purpose? That spills into what are the values, what's the mission?…Your purpose will be wide spread.

What is the Personality of your brand? What are the characteristics? What is the visual identity of your brand?

What's the Promise of the brand? What problem do you solve? What are you giving with your brand?

A lot of brands aren't really providing much value and they are usually a flash and burn.

At the very top…this is where we really need to strategize and constantly be evaluating and controlling the Point of difference. …What makes you one-of-a-kind?

Unique is not the best word…what is the distinction?

You cannot build and iconic brand without any of these steps in the pyramid. It will fall over.

I will submit that we can and must control all of it.

We talk about image, brand, reputation, PR, presence…they all dovetail. Not one of them is an island.

This will be the pre-K version of the distinction between those: every individual has an image, but not every individual has a brand….a person's image is essentially how they seem….generally this is the physical manifestation of a human being. Brand is an individual's representation in the marketplace. As soon as a person appears in a market, they now have a brand….how do they appear…behave…communicate. Reputation are the long standing beliefs of others about your image and your brand.

Image and brand are self focused, self defined..reputation is other defined.

What is the definition of an iconic brand? …a very broad definition is…a person or product that inspires unbreakable loyalty in its people.

Apple….Disney…the most powerful brand in the world by all the metrics…was Lego.

…Unbreakable loyalty…is #1. #2…iconic brands polarize their people.

Nike.

That's not a negative thing. We should all be polarizing. We should have people that are with us or not so much.

Polarizing is one of the smartest brand strategies for up and coming iconic brands.

Think about Coke and Pepsi.

Almond Joy and Mounds.

To build unshakable loyalty….in no particular order…

1. Be Distinct - then protecting that distinction
2. Appeal Emotionally to Our Community - Google's emotional appeal to people is…we're going to be easy for you to use
3. You Must Innovate. You must be able to pivot…realign. Netflix vs. Blockbuster
4. Generate Affinity For a Life/Lifestyle That Your People Want - Harley Davidson
5. Remain True and Committed To Your Purpose and Your Values - Coca Cola changed its formula and nobody liked it
6. Be The One and Only - Amazon…their one click checkout…even if its very small, what is the one and only
7. Concentrate on Your People, Not Your Product - Starbucks kills it with that…coffee was the product, but…it was all about the people
8. Become a Master Storyteller - Girl Scouts of America and their cookie sales…NorthFace is another one
9. Become Elite in at Least Some Area of What Your Brand Represents - Maserati…Coco Chanel
10. Start With the Focus Being on the Audience…and how great they can be or become before how great the brand is. It's about the audience being paramount and how their life can be changed or blessed if they are involved in your brand.

If their brand is created around how great they are, they come and go pretty fast. If the brand is created around how great are my people…that's what makes a long lasting iconic brand.

We drill down on these elements…so that we can serve our people in the best way that we can.

Go to the base of the pyramid and really define 'what's your purpose'? What's your big Why, but what's the big Why of your product? What's the big Why for your people?

My mission…create abundance with good extraordinary people.

Don't take any wooden nickels.

Be really thoughtful about your life. Be thoughtful about your actions. Live your life be design and not default.

If it's important to me, I put it on my schedule, I put it on my calendar, I create a strategy and I do it.

My calendar. I am a calendar ninja…My Maserati.

bethstrange,com

[email protected]

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio : Ariza Music Productions

Manuel Astruc is an experienced psychiatrist.

His own struggles with burnout, addiction and depression inspired him to start Your Next Act, his coaching program for high performing entrepreneurs.

Manuel takes what he's learned working in the field, his work as an entrepreneur and his own life experiences and brings it to entrepreneurs to help them with "the other side of success." The outside world sees one side of a successful entrepreneur, but there is another side to success. From stressed out to burnt out to numbed out, high-achievers pay a price for their success that they keep to themselves.

Dr. Astruc helps others recognize how focusing on their mental fitness translates into greater success, both in life and in business.

https://manuelastruc.com/free/

There are 3 components to burnout. One is the sense of emotional exhaustion. Second is the cynicism that starts to seep into your life…and third is a feeling like you're no longer effective at what you do.

The factors that contribute are…not feeling like you have much autonomy of efficacy, demands that exceed your abilities to produce, and life becomes a bit of a treadmill. One day looks just like the next….

The mental exhaustion is certainly is a fatigue component.

Burnout is not…a medical condition that needs to be treated with medication, but left unchecked, you can certainly move into depression.

Whenever we studied the disease, we all had the disease because everything is a continuum. With burnout, the leading edge indicators are smaller components…no longer feeling satisfied with work, starting to get tired and no longer looking forward to going into work…

Not doing work where we have a sense of purpose (is a big component of it) or that are aligned with our interests.

One of the things I talk about in Your Next Act is life by design. Most of us follow life by default.

We get on this treadmill of expectation that when we get to wherever we are supposed to get, now we are there and there's something good that's supposed to happen.

….on the weekends that same person is the captain of the company's baseball team and that person really loves baseball. That little bit of satisfaction that really is purposeful for them and meaningful to them can mitigate the 4 hours a week that are a bit of a grind.

By intentionally being able to look for and add parts of our life that we find rewarding…and it can be just 10% of your day…you can do a lot to move the needle with burnout.

I was burnt out for a long time…It was right after my twin sister passed away from a brain tumor… I said something's gotta change. I immediately started to make change with things I could control. I focused on one meal a day that I could eat better…I exercised 5 minutes a day…I turned off the news…I put on podcasts…I involved myself in thinking about a bigger future for myself.

The idea of how to be happy…is not something that we're taught. I've come up with a way…and teach folks how to do that.

The first part of happiness is starting to ramp up your energy. Move more. Eat better. Focus on your sleep. Gratitude practice.

4 Pillars:

1. We are never finished products. Learning and growing is part of what keeps us alive and engaged.
2. Connect. Our human relationships, our community, our tribe is so important.
3. Blazing your own trail. …we want to make sure we are intentionally…following our curiosity, figuring out what we're good at, our purpose. It can be daunting but it can also be really simple….give yourself the grace of time to figure it out.
4. The commitment to enjoying the ride no matter what. …from Victor Frankel Man's Search for Meaning, we always have the ability to choose our attitude no matter what the circumstances.

What I have found is the more focused I become on 'it's up to me to create the environment that sustains me and that let's me enjoy the ride, the less tolerance I have for toxicity.

Finding connection, finding the community and the tribe that sustain us and that are like minded is really important.

I've got a group of people that say they've been in training for the shutdown their entire lives…

I've got some people who are really suffering…

The language shapes so much of the meaning and the story in our head.

There was a really big discussion around that term social distancing and that we are really talking about it wrong. We should be saying physical distancing.

The language that we use is going to shape the experience.

If we don't address burnout…you get sick. At the very best, you're miserable…in the long run people get depressed, people suffer, people are lonely and…ultimately the impact on our physical health and mental health is huge.

We look for that 10% often that's something that comes in with a neon sign….but there are so many things that are awe inspiring…that can just bring delight to us.

Driving into work, the sun, the clouds, things turning green…these are things that are everyday sources of joy and inspiration that when I'm looking for them, is much easier to find.

3 things in the morning that you're grateful for. Write them out. Hold yourself accountable in some shape or form.

Don't break the chain.

When you're writing down…you're going to look for things every day that you're grateful for.

It's not always this big neon sign of enjoyment we get. It's in the little things every day that are around for us.

It's part of the distinction between a case of burn out and a case of something that's more of an illness like depression…it's the proper prescription for the proper condition that we're looking at.

It can be helpful to have somebody to talk to about those things.

Sometimes it's someone holding on to something that they really need to let go of. Sometimes it's one little piece of information, one little nuance in terms of a mindset that can be helpful.

A trick that I'll use is…going from being 'trapped'…just imagine that you're not trapped….allowing yourself to really play with that and see how that's true for you can really be helpful while you're trying to figure things out.

When was the best time to plant a tree? 20 years ago. 30 years ago. The second best time is today.

Regrets can be clues…

To avoid it, focus on that energy on ramp…those are the big pieces. You're taking your power back and designing your life around those pieces.

Change is possible…you don't have to figure this out by yourself.

Stress is so common…remember what stress is…it's a physiological reaction that all animals have when they're put into dangerous situations. The body's reaction is preprogrammed…to deal with life threatening situations. Today we get stressed out…my boss calls,…taxes are due..one of the things that can just be tremendously helpful is to get a little bit more granular with what the feeling actually is….I'm scared, I'm angry, I'm worried…then don't make yourself "I am" stressed. Identify "I feel" stressed….a little emotional distance is super helpful.

David Evans and Bill Barnett Be curious, talk to people try stuff, tell your story.

I want to see things that are really old…and be inspired by that.

A book and my iPhone where I listen to my podcasts.

www.manuelastruc.com/free

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio : Ariza Music Productions

Travis Chappell is the founder and CEO of Guestio, a new software that connects high level guests with high level content creators, and he is the host of the top rated show, Build Your Network. In addition to being featured in Entrepreneur, NASDAQ, Yahoo Finance, and ReadWrite, Travis has also been featured in Forbes as a top ten podcast that will change your life alongside Joe Rogan, Gary Vaynerchuck, Tim Ferriss, and others.

Most people never took the time out to realize how important it is. So, they don't have any systems…it's very much on accident…they leave it up to chance.

For me, it's everything. For everything that I've been able to do, it's all reliant on my network.

I can now shave or months or potentially years off a learning curve or save myself a lot of money.

Like when we were building this new software company called Guestio. I had no idea how to run a software company. I still don't….but because I had people in my network…that advice is always better than a quick Google search.

You are the people that you hang out with the most. So, choose them wisely.

Start a podcast and interview those people. It's the best way to get your foot in the door. It's the best way to have a conversation with somebody that normally doesn't have time.

I'd love to connect with everyone that reaches out to me…but if there's no reason for the call, it's hard for me to find time in my schedule to make that happen. But, if it's a podcast interview then it's easier for me to find time to make that happen.

I would ask myself, what would be a content channel I could start that would allow me to connect with these people? Whether it's a podcast, a Meet Up group, a live event, a virtual event, a YouTube channel, IGTV show, whatever it is you want to do. Build some sort of content platform that allows you to be able to connect with those people a little bit easier.

At first I was open to anybody…which I think there's merit to that when you're first getting started. Be willing and open to having a conversation with everybody.

I think people when they start something don't know what to do so they choose to do nothing instead of choosing to do something and I was always in the boat of 'better do something' 'fill up my schedule with something…I don't know what it is, but I'll fill up my schedule..'

Then I started getting to where my schedule was full all the time..and now I just have to be a little bit more picky…because I literally don't have the time.

You have to become a more valuable person. Your network will increase in direct proportion to the amount of value you can add to other people.

With me it's a little more exaggerated because the asset I've been able to build is a public facing asset….that's not always the case…

If you are that low key person…it may take longer, but it will happen…to me it's thinking about it in simple supply and demand economics. If you want your time to be worth more then you have to make it more in demand.

Why would somebody else want my time? That's really the question you need to answer. Because I have some sort of knowledge to offer? Because I have some sort of content to offer? Do I have some sort of connection to offer? Do I have finances or money I can offer?

Your time is the only thing that's completely scarce…It's the only real asset that we have in life. Money can be replenished. Time can never be replenished. So it's by definition in low supply. So if you make it in high demand…it's worth more.

If you're talking about adding value to a specific person, then you can't just do a blanket statement of what could bring value….people with a lot of money? They really don't care that you're going to pay them $100 to jump on a phone call, they're still going to say 'no.'…but I guarantee you that something is valuable to them. You just have to figure out what that thing could be.

If you can master adding value…you can master networking….because that's all it is. Adding value to people at scale.

It's going to vary from person to person because people value different things.

The only way I would know is if I followed your stuff meticulously or if I asked you a ton of questions or if I knew somebody in your circle…you're probably going to have to do a bit of investigative work to figure out what's valuable to some people.

A continuous relationship is based on continual value exchanges.

Every relationship is based on mutual reciprocation of value in some way.

In general, no matter who you're trying to connect with, if you're always focusing on making yourself a better person, then you're probably going to be more valuable to just about everybody you connect with because you have more things to offer more people.

The Apostle Paul…Paul was one of the best sales people of all time…said 'I'm all things to all people so that I might by some means win some' or something like that. It's the best networking advice I could give to anybody which is learn how to be able to be valuable in multiple circles and not just one.

If I can be the bridge (between circles) then there is a big value piece for both of those people because they're both extremely high quality, they just don't happen to know each other because they're not in the same space.

Be interested not interesting….more recently, the advice that I try to give is be interested And interesting because the interested part helps you to connect with other people. The interesting part, makes other people connect with you.

You always want to be other person facing. That's what interested means. Don't hog the conversation…talk to that person. Ask them questions. Have some empathy. Try to understand how they see the world. Try to put on their glasses for a second and view the world through their lens. That's what I mean by be interested. But by be interesting…when the conversation finally turns back over to you, have some interesting stuff to talk about. Get out of your comfort zone. Go travel. Go see the world….get some stories.

Guestio came out of people asking me all the time how I was able to get the good guests on my show that I got….It takes a lot of hard work and persistence. And either people don't want to do the work or they don't have time to do the work.

At the end of the day, there needed to be some innovation there. How do we shorten the gap?…that's what Guestio was born out of.

We have an entire marketplace full of guests…you can go on there and search for people you'd want to bring on as a guest …anything you need an expert guest for….you can go on there and book them. We have a free marketplace…but we also have a paid marketplace for some of those people that are really hard to get in touch with.

At the end of every interview I would ask them…is there anybody that you think would be a really good fit for an interview on the show? And then I'd follow up with those people.

The answer to that is my family which is why I do everything that I do….in terms of what we're working on…it's definitely the software company.

We have our Podcast Profit Academy and coaching program….to help busy entrepreneurs build profitable podcasts.

podcastprofitcourse.com

Free training…We go into the 3 secrets that you may not know that will help you build a profitable podcast in 2021.

I basically just look for a level of professionalism. The downloads don't really matter to me as much at this point. It's just like 'are you gonna waste my time?' is really the only thing that I'm curious about.

I used to say 'yes' to every interview request. Then I got on some where they…didn't know anything about me….why did you even invite me to be on your show? No. I'm not going to do your job for you. It's literally a Google search.

If something is outside of alignment with your core values and your brand messaging then it's probably not a good fit.

I tend to release every episode I record because you never know who's going to get value out of it.

The question shouldn't be 'Do I think this is good?' The question should be 'Does my ideal listener think this is good?'

Done is better than perfect.

Learn from your mistakes. Don't do it again next time. But, put it out there.

At some point it just becomes an excuse to not release the content you're creating.

If you're stating out building your network, then I would recommend starting a podcast.

Every piece of my network in the past 3 years has come…from the podcast.

Only take advice from people you're willing to trade places with.

Seeing half the world.

Microphone and some cash. Maybe an AmEx black card.

travischappell.com

podcastprofitcourse.com

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio : Ariza Music Productions

Jane Tabachnick is a content and PR strategist who works with mission-driven authors, coaches and consultants who are frustrated they're not better known.

She helps them become highly visible and seen as the authority in their industry so they attract more pre-sold clients and can grow their business more and easily.

Founder of Simply Good Press, a book publishing and PR company, Jane has helped over 200 authors achieve bestseller status.

Named one of the top 100 people online by Fast Company, Jane is often quoted in the media.

PR in the textbook definition is communicating with your stakeholders…but the way most of us use it is public relations or the result of it which is publicity.

In a model called PESO (paid, earned, shared owned) it's the highest form of content.

Owned content would be your website, social media profiles…you control the content.

With earned media, you earn the right to be featured….when they invite you to be in front of their audience, they're saying you've reached this level and they've basically vetted you. And it gives the impression…of being an endorsement from the media.

No one cares what you say about you. What matters is what other people say about you.

Start right away. Every day you can do something simple.

Follow or like and share the content of certain writers and editors so you get on their radar.

It feels good to help support someone in this way.

Show that you are listening, reading, watching.

Their content being seen is important on a lot of levels to them….it can help them get their work seen so that they get more work.

Understand your audience…and know where they spend time. Know what media outlets they're interested in.

You want to be strategic about it….build relationships on platforms where your audience already spends time…and try and understand what kind of content they like.

There are really 3 ways you can get publicity. 1.Doing it yourself. There are a lot of great free tools. 2. You can hire a firm, which can be expensive or 3. The hybrid method. You can do your own PR and then outsource pieces of it.

You can't hope. If you want something to happen, you need to proactive about it.

It's when preparation meets opportunity….you have to create those opportunities.

Find out who the right people are….staffers will often have in their bio exactly what topics they cover.

Don't pitch them off-topic.

Create your pitch in a way that you let the media know that you have something that their audience will value….because of 'this'.

Sometimes you have to connect the dots.

Don't be afraid to spell it out…but focus on the value of what's in it for the audience…what's in it for them.

When you pitch a traditional media outlet, they would be writing about you.

There is a form of content marketing….where you could pitch..on contributing an article.

Writing the articles, even if you don't consider yourself to be a writer, can be valuable.

You have to check out the outlet and see what their requirements are.

Again. you're getting that perceived endorsement…and it's third party credibility…and it can show up in the search engines.

You can use social media to build those relationships…I call it hugging an influencer.

Just by doing this and building this relationship, she got invited onto one of the top podcasts that there is.

Share the press that you get. I call it re-promoting.

We want to make sure everybody sees and knows that we've got that press.

Mostly all press is good press.

Their job is to write things as they see them.

Create some really good press…to push that down. You can't hide it…but you can create a lot of good things that will show up so that's less visible.

It hits hard when we get negative press.

1. Set up a media room on your website….and link it from the top navigation so it's easy to find…it's often read as much as your 'about' page. 2. Repurpose it. Tag the media outlet and tag the writer. 3. Share it. You can break it into smaller pieces.

The easiest are probably local media outlets.

There's a lot of syndication amongst newspapers.

I know people who's stories got picked up because they were featured in the local paper and the anchor saw it.

Unless an outlet doesn't align with your values…I would say don't poo-poo an outlet and think that it's too small.

Mistakes : pitching off topic…focus on you

You want to custom tailor your pitch.

A few targeted, automized pitches are more effective than just blasting out a lot of generic ones.

Visibility Assessment : Online Visibility Assessment

https://janetabachnick.com/assessment

Hire it out when….your company has some news that's a pivot point…or when the company hits a growth point…it's not just about the money, you have have the internal resources to work with a PR consultant or team to get the best results.

Mark Cuban has said he believes we are the best person to pitch ourselves….a PR professional will know how to pitch and they won't feel as personal about it…and have some of the relationships already. It's 50/50

There very rarely is feedback. You're often very lucky if you even get a 'no.'

Sometimes..the timing isn't right, but they've got it in a folder to reach out in the future…I usually give things 6 weeks to two months, then figure it's dead.

Take the same pitch and try a different outlet.

You're not asking for enough. Go back and figure out what you really need.

https://janetabachnick.com

https://janetabachnick.com/assessment

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaneTabachnick

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetabachnick/

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio : Ariza Music Productions

Michelle Griffin is a certified personal brand strategist, StoryBrand Certified Guide and marketing/PR mentor for experts and entrepreneurs who want to become the face of their business with authentic, memorable and in-demand personal brands.

She is the Founder BRANDThority, a personal branding consultancy that helps entrepreneurs present their best selves online.

Michelle is also the host of the upcoming Personal Brand Matters podcast and a frequent podcast guest, LinkedIn content creator and weekly Clubhouse moderator.

When she's not helping people stand out online, you can find Michelle enjoying the outdoors of sunny Florida, discovering the latest gluten/dairy-free offerings or planning her next home renovation project.

Learn more about Michelle at MichelleBGriffin.com and follow her on LinkedIn for daily personal brand building tips or with her drop by her weekly Personal Brand Building Room on Clubhouse.

[email protected]

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

Clubhouse: @MichelleGrififn

MichelleGriffinMedia.com

It starts with us on the inside….define their values, mission, purpose…all of that…we have to know who we are on the inside before we go to the external, which is all about your customer.

That's one of the biggest misconceptions.

I have something called Own Your Message, which is a 7-8 step process that I take people through all the way from their power to their purpose.

Everyone has something unique…we either have a story that you went through, a perspective, a belief..and so when you marry your uniqueness, your beliefs, your perspective, the people you're serving, the industry…it is unique.

It's just because we haven't dug deep to realize what it is yet.

First we have to know who we are, but in context it's going to be about (who we are talking to)

Show up as yourself to help some One. No everyone. Someone.

It's psychographics. You have to know who they are, their pain point…it should be about a problem, not so much a niche…their challenges, needs, interests, desires..and start speaking to them in their language, that's exactly how you're going to break through and be un-copyable and have a competitive advantage.

…and then we bring it into your messaging. So it's branding, messaging, then the marketing because you have to get out there and build awareness and then, my last stage is visibility.

That's a constant thing. We can't just show up once. We have to show up consistently.

The visibility is also about listening to your customers and keep serving them with amazing content, whatever you are comfortable with.

The story is always going to be about them. But as as personal brand, you're showing up as your story so there's a connection. You're going to be the guide. We're talking about their problem and…most often, we've experienced this problem…your story is how you've had this same problem that they are trying to overcome…

Lead with the story in their heads. Show up as that person that understand them….80% of the time, you are talking about them….you can show that personal side, which then makes it like a friend to friend situation.

To a certain degree that you've overcome something that they are trying to solve…you're a helpful guide who's been there, done that…you show your humanness and your realness, which is relatable. No one wants perfect.

There's a fine line. If you show up as 'I get you', 'I've had first-hand experience',…'I've overcome this', 'I have a way. Let me how you how'..then that's the way to do it. You balance the realness with the reality.

As a personal brand, first you need to identify…why am I showing up? I need to know your why, what you're all about, you mission…there's usually some backstory.

Well, who do you want to help?…there's different ways to position them…we will craft the branding and messaging around the problems. Then we will show up as the guide….and then tie it into their personal story.

Trust is everything.

Lead with the problem and alleviate that problem.

Always look for the thing that makes you stand out.

Branding is what other people think of you. Marketing is what you tell people. Branding is what other people think of you.

Branding is your stamp of who you are, what you stand for, your how….it's the perception you're creating around yourself.

A mother with a dog, a senior with a dog….they all love their dogs but they have different problems surrounding that dog…connect your why to their problem.

You always want to be in control of your narrative. People are going to mis-assume…unless you control the narrative.

It's not about how you want to be. It's about how you want to be to serve others.

Personal branding isn't about 'Me', it's just about me as the product….show up as the real you to help others.

Some people show up and don't really know who they are, then their fail in their marketing or in connecting to the right clients…because they haven't really aligned with who they want to serve and how they want to show up.

If you want visibility, people need to know the message.

Say it as often as possible.

You need to keep saying that one message so you're known for it. Don't keep switching it up. Stay in your lane.

Don't dilute the message.

Pick two social media platforms that you're comfortable with and where your audience lives.

You don't need a lot of big numbers. We can only serve so many…

Clubhouse is such a great example….

Its the comparison trap that gets us.

Would you rather have likes or leads?

Look inside and see…are you doing exactly what you want to do and do you have the narrative crafted around that?

When you don't have the clarity, you're not going to have the confidence and you're not going to have all the clients you could get.

Is it hard for you to say who you are and what you do?

If you can't do it, you can't expect others to.

We all get hung up in our own head…and don't see the brilliance of who we really are….you need someone to help show you the way.

…People come to you…because people get you.

We don't see the frame of the picture we're in.

Live in the moment.

Brand Your Brilliance podcast.

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio : Ariza Music Productions

Jerome Myers is the preeminent authority of dream realization. A believer that dreams can, and should be real, Jerome left corporate America when he realized that his role offered financial gain, but little significance. He is the founder and head coach of Myers Methods and has been featured in Black Enterprise, Business Insider and numerous podcasts. After building a highly profitable division of a fortune 550 company, Jerome decided to leave the rat race to get away from what seemed to be the endless slew of layoffs. He has developed a system for exiting corporate America and creating a life of impact. Today, he and his company help other apex performers find their calling and live every day on purpose by harnessing the power of his model for a Centered Life, what he calls "the Red Pill". Jerome and his firms can guide any individual from a monotonous uninspiring existence to a life of fulfillment and impact.

jerome myers

Myers Methods

https://www.jeromemyers.co

#coaching

They're taught to be practical. Typically the people around them want to protect them from having disappointment…so they keep them from stretching and growing and potentially 'failing'.

The mindset we adopt usually comes from what's given to us.

Until we make a deliberate decision to set our reality, our reality is programmed for us.

Unless they've had a tough moment in their life where they started to question everything…they haven't done the reflection to know what they really feel and believe and hold to be true.

We break that by starting to ask some really tough questions.

I think that what happens very often is we just adopt the things that were done around us. And we never question them.

What happens when somebody sneezes? Most people say 'Bless You.' Well, why..? I personally don't bless people when they sneeze because….

When you get ready to make the transformation, the first piece is awareness. Being aware that there is something different.

Is this it? Is this really what I'm supposed to be doing? Do I really believe that? And there is a disconnect…and we traditionally ignore that.

If you go down the rabbit hole…and start pulling on the wires and see what's really hard wired and what's loosely connected, you'll find a lot of the things that appear to be locked in and hardwired are really loose.

People wrap a chain around a gate, but won't put a lock on the end. People will assume it's locked…But there are people who will go up and see that we can just unravel the chain and go in. And that right there is the secret to those who achieve crazy success and those who wind up living a pretty mediocre life. They just assume something is locked and don't even try to figure out if they can get in.

We don't ever really understand our power until we choose to explore it.

The elephant…has already made up its mind that it won't be successful at that, so it doesn't even try.

Self worth is level one of The Red Pill….it really just goes back to your ability to keep promises to yourself….it's like a deposit in the bank….there's nothing left to pull from. So when they're counting on themselves to do something and there's nothing left to pull from, they decide that they can't or won't do it. Keep stacking that up? And it will make you feel like you're worthless.

You wind up building this prison for yourself that you can't get out of without a little bit of help.

Set up your day where you can have a win as soon as possible. You build momentum and that momentum keeps going.

When you're accountable to yourself, your ability to hold other people accountable is really easy.

Other people will be more accountable to you when they know that you're an accountable person because they don't want to let you down.

The thing with forgiveness for ourself is we actually know how hard we tried and what our true intention was. There is no ability to lie to yourself because you are the decision maker in the process. With other people, we can give them the benefit of the doubt.

The forgiveness is for you. It's not for them.

People like being the victim because they feel that it puts them in a position of power against the other person. "Well, you owe me because you did X." But at the end of the day, you're giving your power away to everybody else.

The second layer of the Red Pill is relationships. You fix the way you relate with yourself and that changes the way you relate with others.

You want mutually beneficial relationships.

People with low self esteem are giving everything away in the hopes that people will find them worthy.

In a mutually beneficial relationship…you wind up in a place of abundance.

Liz Gilbert…wrote a book…a lot of the creatives had these tough situations..because the weight…was so heavy that they couldn't handle it…channeling the creative through them….so not responsible for the work.

Jacko Willink talks about extreme ownership

I think the truth is somewhere in between.

In order for something to have value, there has to be an exchange.

Sit in the quiet. If you're spending quiet time with yourself every day… you don't have the chance to hear the inner voice….walk in and right away turn the tv on…scared to be alone with their thoughts.

If you spend enough time with yourself, the voice will make it very clear. I suspect that everyone really knows what it is, they just don't want to hear it.

We live in a world where the majority of folks are ok with being mediocre.

It starts with the end. You know where that place is, then you figure out how you're going to get there and you have the milestones along the way…to show that you're making progress.

Those milestones are extremely important because…

Do I think enough people do it? No. Because I think everybody should do it.

When you're reflective, you're able to slow it down…and be strategic…and a whole lot more deliberate in your action.

It's either Hell, Yes! or No.

When you get clear on the place that you're going…it gets so much easier to decide what you should be doing and what you shouldn't. And that right there is magical because you're now free. Making this one decision frees up a thousand other decisions.

Multi tasking typically doesn't work and sequence is extremely important.

The dreams will stack on top of each other…the person that you have to become to fulfill that first dream is going to be necessary for you to do the other one.

No is the beginning of the negotiation.

The conflict is the beauty of life….you're convinced you're getting to the best solution instead of being right.

Back in 2010, I realized I wasn't living the life I should have been living…I hadn't utilized the second chance I'd been given to live. It began to weigh on me and I had to redefine…my experience and how people were going to experience me.

Get to the quiet space and listen.

Dreams should be real.

I believe there is one law and the law is love.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeromemyers/

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio : Ariza Music Productions

Noa Ronen is your out of the box coach. She is also an author, vlogger, disruptor, and coffee lover.

She brings more than 20 years of experience in Change Management, Human Resources, Project Management, and coaching.

She encourages progressive and social business leaders and their teams to challenge the norms so they can create the change they desire.

Noa's personal relocation experience resulted in a refreshing view of the world that invites you rather than looking for others' differences to open your mind and heart to see people and situations differently. This is what Noa calls BEyond Leadership where your new way of being inspires and influences others. If you would like to go to BEyond: Leadership check her book: BEyond: Leadership from AwareLess to AwareNess.

I moved to the US from Israel…and before the move, I worked in human resources, change management consulting and was in executive roles…I knew it would take some time but I thought things would be easy and I would find a job and everything will be fine.

A big chunk of it was that speaking was my forte. I knew at a very early age that when I open my mouth and I speak, I can influence people. And suddenly when I open my mouth, people see that I'm not from here. And they can see the gap in language skills and most important, in my head, I felt like my English was not good enough.

And that voice in my head….telling me I'm not good enough and I'll never be able to close the gap? That was not helpful.

Most of us walk with that voice that we're not good enough….or why bother? And when we are…aware less…we keep self sabotaging ourselves without even knowing.

The saboteur voice, the inner critic. The role of that voice is to tell you stay where you are…here you will not fail.

"Yet"…..

I went for a lot of little failures.

I failed trying to replicate the life I had in the US.

I was too much in my 'doing'.

I started blogging. Blogging then was like podcasting today. It was for me playing and having fun.

I am going through grief. I had to let go of the Noa I had in Israel and find myself.

How come that woman that was always able to bring results cannot bring results?

That was the part that brought me to coaching. From reading my blog.

I still had that inner voice.

I went to Toastmasters

I started speaking and then people said 'Where is the book?' That was the first time I was able to conquer that voice and say I'm done with you. I wrote the book in English…so we are done!

Because of the way you speak…when we need to listen to you…we need to listen to you differently. And that's what makes it so special about you.

I represent different. I speak different. I always had a different voice. I was raised to have a different voice.

I believe the pivot started was I was able to deal and people were able to connect with me.

Sharing my experience and perspective brought connection.

The connection reminds us that we are resourceful and that's when things start to happen.

When we look at grief, we always look at it from the perspective of someone who passed away, but if we look at the emotional process…the main experience we are having is who am I going to be without that person? How am I going to redefine myself without that person?

If you look at any transition in your life…in all those situations, the questions are the same. How do I redefine myself in this new situation?

It's that ability to trust.

We have two energies. The doing energy and the being energy. The doing is the focus on action. The being is the thoughts, emotions, fears and hopes..

When we focus on the action….we make the process longer. We stay longer in that tunnel…

When you learn to process, there is not a lot of action but you are doing that work…

There are some weaknesses that maybe we don't need to pay attention to.

Those little holes don't make the boat sink.

Part of the burden we walk with is that we need to fix everything. And sometimes giving ourselves that permission to say "no, this is okay"…I don't want to…

Give ourselves the permission not to touch it at all or not to touch it now.

It can be 'yes, but not now.'

There are some areas that we need to struggle with ourselves.

If I make other people miserable, I need to do that work.

Find the purpose behind.

When you own a value like authenticity…I was not able to say I'm going to show up as someone different just to make others feel that I need to look like them….it's part of my uniqueness and who I am.

Find peace. Have those open conversations with that part in us….what's the resistance about? What makes me not willing to have you as part of me?

Peace within comes from 'I'm welcoming everything inside me.'

Always questions the professionals, the smart people. If they something, always go and check it out. Just because they have the title, doesn't mean that they know everything.

We are not stuck with the problem. We are stuck with the solution. What if we can see a different solution? What would be possible?

Social media links @NoaRCoach

https://www.facebook.com/NoaRCoach/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/noarcoach/

https://twitter.com/NoaRcoach

https://instagram.com/noarcoach/

Website: https://www.noaronencoaching.com/

Blog: https://www.noaronencoaching.com/messy-blog

Buy Noa's Book on Amazon:

BEyond: Leadership from AwareLess to AwareNess

Dare to BE the Leader You Can Be.

https://www.amazon.com/BEyond-Leadership-AwareLess-AwareNess-Leader-ebook/dp/B0858VXPFW?SubscriptionId=AKIAIL4RM4LBA573ICLA&tag=&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B0858VXPFW

www.marlanasemenza.com

Audio: Ariza Music Productions

Rafat Fields is an international executive leader brand strategist and values-based sales performance coach for Fortune 100 companies. Leveraging her branding expertise, and almost two decades of experience generating 7-figure sales revenue, Rafat connects C-Suite executives to their consumers to generate long-term loyalty.

Founder of Powered to Rise Consulting, Rafat helps management align company, customer, and employee core values to grow sustainable results.

A National Academy of Sports Medicine CPT and USA Olympic Weightlifter, she applies her athletic discipline to coaching emerging leaders.

Through personalized coaching, workshops, and immersive strategy sessions, Rafat empowers corporate professionals to convert their relationships to revenue.

Your personal brand is who you are. It is a physical representation of the values and the things you believe in. The day to day of your life represented outwardly to the world. A corporate brand is far more about the company or the product.

Just like every company has a mission statement, a vision statement, a set of core values…so should every human being.

You really want to have clear definition between the two and where they overlap.

When we are in alignment with our values, we do our best work.

When you are out of alignment…you are going to have to work much harder at having…productive relationships.

At the core root of it all, I think it's about living a shared story.

The best thing to do is to figure out what is the separation of each person's unique mission and how can you blend it together to tell a cohesive story.

I think that every person should be building their own brand and here's why…influence is really the new currency…to the degree that you have your own platform is the degree that you will be able to generate and create your own influence.

Influence is a two way currency. It helps advance your initiatives and purposes but it's also a valuable asset to the company you work for when you find a way to share a story together.

In the case of a solopreneur, it's so much simpler. You are the brand. Live your brand.

So many people think personal brand strategy is about creating something that doesn't exist when really its about getting to the root of what makes you, you, what makes you go and bringing that to the surface for the world to see.

Until you break through that wall and become known, you should be the face of the brand. People connect best with people. Not products. Not things.

If you lead with…the person you serve and start with the why, that's going to be the simplest entry point.

99% of the time, it's a human connection point that really advances the relationship.

I would not be looking to flip and switch and make the cut in 60 days. A year…two…might be best case when look at leadership transition models.

The question is….how much preparation does your audience need?

Champion the customer. Get deep into the details of what does it take to affect change and transformation in your customer's life?

The thing that you do or the product that you sell is a small component of the process.

When it comes to points of vulnerability it's how closely connected do you want your customer to be with you?

You can build customer relationships without vulnerability, but…you are not doing your customer the best service because you're limiting the depth of your relationship.

We can leverage it by….what are the unique challenges in your business that you are well positioned to serve?

A hip pocket skill.

It starts with deeply understanding what that problem is going to be and then it's about cultivating the relationships and building that wealth of knowledge and getting it out into the industry in your own voice so that that build a sphere of influence around you.

When you are sharing information out into the industry, also remember…what is the lens of your company.

Your personal brand is not about you. It's what you can do for them.

It's facilitating relationships that are two way.

Customers have done roughly 60% of their research online before they ever reach out…when a customer is entering a consideration period, what are they going to find?

People are moving away from investing in a company brand. They connect so much better with a person. So CEOs that have active and robust social media profiles, you can see a correlation in the data between their sales revenue and growth.

Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Sir Richard Branson

Once you start looking intentionally, you'll start finding clues. The things people come to you for over and over again are one of your areas of strength.

Where are the places in your day where the work doesn't feel like work?

Where can you be an aspirin in their day?

Please show your flaws!

Gary V…unapologetically him at all times.

If you're looking to sell a product good or service, it's a commerce driven business model… Speak to the one….I'm going to bring you on the journey…still speaking to the One but far broader context…more building a following.

It's far faster to monetize a personal brand that points to a product, good or service.

You have a personal brand whether you want to acknowledge it or not. The only question is, are you being intentional about telling your own story or are you allowing others to tell it for you?

Even in high school…if you have a social media account…you are running a media company….so think carefully about what you're showing to the world.

Own your story. Hold the red pen. Edit ruthlessly and don't be afraid of adding in recent plot twists.

YourPowerAccelerator.com

https://www.instagram.com/rafatfields/

www.marlanasemenza.com

Justin Breen is CEO of the PR firm BrEpic Communications and author of the No. 1 International Best-Selling Book, Epic Business. Justin is hard-wired to seek out and create viral, thought-provoking stories that the media craves. And he finds the best stories when he networks with visionary entrepreneurs and executives who understand the value of investing in themselves and their businesses. Justin believes strongly in the power of introductions and creates important relationships through those introductions. He is an extremely active member of Entrepreneurs' Organization, Strategic Coach and Abundance 360, and he has an incredible global network of visionaries and exceptional businesses.

Bill Gross at the end of his presentation, one of the most successful entrepreneurs on the planet, said "You know, just on a side note, I just really want to add that entrepreneurs really need to do a better job of telling their own story."…so here is one of the most successful people on the planet saying how important storytelling is because it attracts investors, it gets you in front of the right people, it enhances your brand, it helps your core messaging when you're talking to people.

There are two things that never change, ever, since humans have existed. 1. is the power of storytelling 2. is the power of relationships. So we've been storytellers since we've been doing paintings on cave walls…we're just a world of storytelling…all this other stuff is just landing the plane.

Things that a trained monkey can do…I'm useless at those…but in terms of connecting people on a global level and getting people news at a highest level and immediately knowing what someone's story is? There are very few people in the world that are better at it than I am. So that's a gift that you're born with. So most people don't think that they have a story because most people don't think like that.

I hear blah, blah, blah, blah, blah and can immediately turn that into a 300 word story that media really wants to do and the general public cares about. And everyone has that story. Everyone. Everyone.

I don't get excited about anything unless there is something to get excited about….if something is interesting…ding, ding, ding, ding and I just put all those dings together.

So media needs two things. One is a good story…and then two is a news peg. A news peg is why is it a story now?…The people with the right mindset will hire the right person to do that because why would you try to do something yourself that you're not good at or you don't like to do? That makes no sense to me.

I was a journalist for 20 years, created my entire business model based on how PR firms annoyed me for 20 years. So I just saw a problem, created a solution…my company's entire process is literally on the website. No hidden tricks.

4 step process. We come up with the story ideas, my firm writes the story, it becomes a link on the client's website…take that link, pitch it to media all over the world. Media's interested? Put them in touch with the client.

All my company does is solve the problem.

Nobody cares about what you do. They care about who you are. But if they do care about who you are they will care about what you do.

What I hear over and over…is it's a very simple formula to creating a very successful global company. Here's the formula…you see a problem. You create solution to problem. Problem solved. Successful global company.

My entire purpose in life is to be a connecting superhero for every visionary, abundance investment mindset entrepreneur and share their stories with the world. So I am so clear on who my audience is. All that does is attract my audience.

A lot of …entrepreneurs try to be everything for everyone, my company and me and everything I stand for it's the exact opposite.

When I started my company…I reached out to 5000 people to get my first 5 clients. I was reaching out to everybody because I didn't know what I was doing. I was yelling in a crowded room hoping someone would hear me….but eventually you realize who you are, but more importantly who you are not.

Companies hire my firm for two reasons 1. My team and me, we know what a story is that's actually newsworthy, not a dumb press release 2. I'm not sending my media contacts around the world a bad story.

People at the highest level don't want BS fluff discussion, they just want results.

Directness weeds out nonsense and attracts greatness.

Headlines should be clear and provocative and direct.

I was born with a story. My father was 61 and my mom was 27…you combine genius writer, battlefield, president of company, Nuremberg trial attorney with endless hustle…

I'm just listening for a story.

That's an incredible story. Really? That's just my life….most people don't understand that they have a story and some, they are so close to it they don't think it's that big of a deal but in fact it's a huge deal.

My gallup strength finders…my top two activator, maximizer….my brain is a CRM of connectivity.

I treat my brain like a muscle. I'm constantly working on my mindset.

I wrote an international best seller last year….and I'm thankful for that…but all that's done is created a key that's opened endless doors and lots of those doors are through podcasts.

Podcasts are replacing mainstream media in terms of relevance and importance for 3 reasons..1. the host is an entrepreneur not a journalist so they're coming from a place of abundance not scarcity 2. you can do a deep dive on someone…so you actually get to know the subject and the host…3. and I think this is the most important…the audience isn't as large quantity-wise, but it's a far more qualified audience.

I've been on 7 podcasts where the host has become my firm's client because all podcasts are …a transactional and transformational platform for entrepreneurs.

Epic Business …forward by Chris Voss who wrote Never Split The Difference

it's 30 things I learned in the company's first 30 months…inform and entertain.

The cream rises to the top

https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinbreen1/

https://www.brepicllc.com/

https://brepicbusiness.com/

www.marlanasemenza.com