When my son was going to try out for the swim team, his self-talk began laying the groundwork for failure. 

"My legs hurt."

"I am tired."

"I probably won't make the team."

Many of us do this. We say these things to make it easier, or more acceptable if we fail. But what we are doing is laying the groundwork to fail. We believe what we tell ourselves, but our self-talk is often not true. Until we make it true. 

In marketing, the words we use and the stories we tell the matter. The same is true for what we tell ourselves. The words and stories you say to yourself matter. 

Kevin Monroe found clarity through action. On this episode, Kevin will share his story of how taking action and trying new things allowed him to figure out what his higher purpose is. 

Action help Kevin discover that his higher purpose is higher purpose. 

Now, Kevin helps people find a higher purpose in the work they do. Kevin explains having a higher purpose puts meaning in even the most menial tasks. 

You have the opportunity to go deeper into discovering purpose with Kevin on the Higher Purpose Podcast and the Navigating North Summit.  

During our conversation, Kevin will also explain how has turned a No into a Yes to open new opportunities.

"Purpose thrives in community but starves in isolation. " - Kevin Monroe

Kevin Monroe on the Web - kevindmonroe.com

Kevin Monroe on Twitter - @kevin_monroe

Kevin Monroe on Facebook - Higher Purpose Community

This week I will hit a milestone worth talking about. Six Hundred days ago I set out to walk 10,000 steps a day. 

Jared Easley asked me what impact my walking streak has had on my business. At the time, I didn't have a good answer. I hadn't thought about it. 

Thanks to Jared, I have put together thoughts and observations about the impact walking over 6 million steps in 600 days has had on me. 

The most obvious answer is exercise, but it is much bigger than that. 

Discipline. The ability to do something you don't necessarily want to do to get an outcome that is important to you. 

Connection. I've used the time while walking to talk to other people. If I am not listening to an audiobook, I am on the phone with someone. This has allowed me to keep in contact with people more often than I would otherwise. 

Reflection and Anticipation. Daily walks force me to get away and reflect. Some of my toughest problems have been solved on walks. Some of my best ideas of come on walks.

Commitment. Sticking with something for so long, no matter what happens, is powerful. 

Outside of the bigger lessons I have learned, here are some more observations.

-You will get a better connection to the place you live if you explore it every day by foot. 

-Most people come home from work and sit down and watch television for hours. I see it when I walk by their house. 

-It is fun to watch your neighborhood and local parks change during the seasons throughout the year. 

 -One pair of expensive shoes will last three times as long as cheap shoes. 

Hopefully, this episode will inspire you to tie up your shoes and start walking. 

A special thank you to Amy Robles for joining me for the interview portion of this episode. 

Recently, I spent time touring with Lee Cockerell for presentations in Nashville, TN and Coeur d'Alene, ID. 

When I returned, someone asked what were my takeaways from spending so much time with Lee. Until I was asked, I hadn't taken time to document what I learned on the trip. Once I had considered what I had learned, I wanted to share it with you, too. 

Here are the seven lessons I learned about Creating Magic while touring with Lee Cockerell. 

-People need to hear your message. Many people want to do better, but don't know how. They need to hear what you have to say. 

-You have to think different if you want different results. 

-If you know your message, you don't need notes when you talk about it. 

-Everyone wants to feel special and you can help. 

-People are more important than processes. 

-Try new things. If it doesn't work, no big deal. If it does work, you found a new way to serve people. 

-Once you realize you don't know something, you have the opportunity to learn. If you don't, it is your choice not to get more knowledge. 

John Nemo and I first met in the lobby of the Coeur d'Alene Resort. Immediately, we had a solid connection.

I knew I would learn plenty from John, but I did not realize how much I would enjoy spending time with him. John is the author of LinkedIn Riches, but I learned about the value of connection from John before I learned about LinkedIn. Speaking of LinkedIn, check out John's LinkedIn Webinar.

John taught me the more we can relate to each other as human beings, the quicker we can begin to know, like, and trust each other. Once that happens, we can begin to help people.

John admits his online profile doesn't match who he is as a person. Look at his LinkedIn Profile photo...he looks like a banker who spends his day analyzing credit risk. But that is not John Nemo at all. In this episode, John tells us to make sure your online brand matches who you really are.

You will be impressed with John's story of leaving behind a successful job to launch his own business. Once he mastered LinkedIn, he began to reach out to help A-List entrepreneurs with their LinkedIn profiles. John has personally rewritten LinkedIn profiles for Chris Brogan, John Lee Dumas, Bob Burg, Jairek Robbins, Dan Miller, Ray Edwards and many others.

Pay attention to how John approached these people to show he was worth their time and attention. Once he had written winning profiles for the A-List Entrepreneurs, they began to promote him. 

Now, John helps people like you and me win on Linkedin. 

Don't miss the opportunity to join John on this FREE webinar to learn more about how to win with LinkedIn. You can SIGN UP here. 

You can get a free copy of John's book, LinkedIn Riches HERE. This book is so helpful to get you started on the right path for a better LinkedIn profile. 

John Nemo on Twitter - @JohnNemoPR

John Nemo on LinkedIn - John Nemo

John Nemo on the Web - www.linkedinriches.com

John Nemo on Facebook - NemoMediaGroup

Have you ever noticed how most organizations treat every customer the same?

Even if the service is good, it is the same for everyone. Treating all customers the same is a missed opportunity. 

Jeff Noel gives us ideas from Disney so we can begin to deliver excellent service to every customer.  

-The customer will give you feedback on whether or not you are doing a good job. 

-Treat every customer like a VIP - Very Individual Person. 

-Ten seconds of unexpected service will create a moment a customer will talk about. 

-Understand what it will take to WOW every customer. 

-Go the extra inch and do something small and special for each customer. 

-Focus on the extra inch, forget the extra mile. 

Sometimes it is worthwhile to step away from business talk and just enjoy what we are doing. 

For this episode, I team up with Bryan Orr to create a story for you to enjoy. 

No business. 

No homework. 

No deep thoughts. 

Just a good story. 

Enjoy the Legend of the Spark Ranger. 

It is common to want to avoid failure. Most people will opt for comfortable and safe rather than put themselves in a position where they might fail. 

But failure is a shortcut to success. It is not the only shortcut to success, but it is the best shortcut. 

Here are the four reasons you need to fail more often;

1. You won't believe you can create until you have created. Even if your creation is a flop. 
2. You will appreciate success more when it comes if you have experienced a failure. 
3. You learn more from failure than you do success. You try to figure out what happened when you fail but rarely do people try to figure out what happened with a success. 
4. It builds a better story. That story will build influence with others. 

During the discussion about failure in this episode, I share two personal stories of failure. Listen in to find out what happened

After a recent trip to Disneyland, I have been thinking about how to delight repeat customers. 

It is one thing to make sure someone has a great experience the first time they do business with you, but how do you continue to create a great experience for repeat customers?

No one delights the way Disney does, so I asked Jeff Noel how to make sure a returning customer still has a great experience. 

Here are the three points you need to know about creating a great experience for your customers. 

1. All organizations have people, physical resources, and processes. What you do with these three resources will set you apart from others and make sure your customers are delighted. 
2. If you believe it can't be done, it can't. You may be the biggest roadblock to making sure your customers have a great experience. 
3. Find the stereotypes in your industry and use the three resources from point 1 to bust through them.  

Write out one stereotype for your industry. Below this, write People - Physical Resources - Processes. List out how you can use these three resources to bust through the stereotype. 

To learn more from Jeff Noel, you can follow him on Twitter at @JeffNoelMidlife.

Mike Kim had a tremendous speaker line up for his Influence and Impact Conference. Sure, I was one of the speakers, but that is not the only reason it was a great line up.

Mike was deliberate in bringing in a speaker to cover specific aspects of building a personal brand. Val Brown talked about looking great on camera. Michael Hudson gave insight into being a paid consultant. Jennifer McClure gave us a glimpse of the speaker life and how we can do it. Kary Oberbrunner talked about building a business off of a book. I talked about podcasting. Jason Clement talked about design.

Throughout the conference, I jotted down some of the great things the speakers said. On this episode of the show, I share some of my favorite quotes from the conference with you.

Here are where you can find out more about all of the speakers from Influence & Impact.

Mike Kim - website - Twitter -  Facebook - Episode of The Jody Maberry Show

Val Brown- website - Twitter - Facebook - Episode of The Jody Maberry Show

Michael Hudson -website - Twitter - Facebook - Episode of The Jody Maberry Show

Jennifer McClure - website - Twitter

Kary Oberbrunner - website - Twitter - Facebook - Episode of The Jody Maberry Show

Jason Clement - website - Twitter

Click here to hear Mike Kim and I discuss Influence & Impact on his Brand You podcast.

When Mike Conner and Mike Simmons launched their company, Catalyst Sale, they decided to use a podcast as part of their marketing and promotion. 

In this episode of the Jody Maberry Show, Mike and Mike discuss their business, why they chose to use a podcast, and how a podcast can help with sales. 

Catalyst Sale website - catalystsale.com

Catalyst Sale on Twitter - @catalystsale

Catalyst Sale Podcast - Catalyst Sale

Lessons from a day at Disney Land. 

I spent the day at Disney's California Adventure in Anaheim, CA. Here are the lessons I learned;

1. It is better to experience with other people. I did California Adventure by myself, but just like most things in life, it is better to have other people with you. 
2. Look the part. At Disney Land, cast members have uniforms depending on where they work in the park. Uniforms help them look the part of the role they are playing. The way you dress and present yourself should have the same consideration. 
3. Be "On" when it is time to be "On". When I saw Buzz Lightyear meeting and greeting kids, he was completely Buzz Lightyear. He was "On". You need to know when it is time to act like Buzz and fully be in character. 
4. Do little things to delight people. At California Adventure, a cast member draws Disney Character on the pavement with water. They don't last long, but guests who see it are delighted. Do you do little things like this to delight people?
5. We are just getting started. Walt Disney felt like he was just getting started. You should approach life in the same manner. What you are about to do is more important than what you have already done. 
6. Celebrate milestones. 

Not long ago I had the opportunity to interview Dan Tyre. Dan is the Sales Director of Hubspot. Dan was a guest on the Catalyst Sale Podcast, which I host with Mike Simmons and Mike Conner. Mike Simmons and I did an interview with Dan about sales and during the conversation before we recorded, and sometimes during the interview, I noticed how Dan would insert silence into the conversation.

Mike Simmons and I did an interview with Dan about sales and during the conversation before we recorded, and sometimes during the interview, I noticed how Dan would insert silence into the conversation. Usually, after he asked a question is when he would be silent.

I had to find out more, so this episode of the Jody Maberry Show is all about silence. Dan Tyre explains why he goes silent. 

How comfortable are you with silence? 

Here are the reasons Dan Tyre uses silence in a conversation;

1. Silence shows you are interested in the response of the person you are talking to.
2. Silence is part of active listening.
3. Silence prevents you from rambling about stuff the other person doesn’t care about.

Dan suggests you should be talking only 30% of the time when you are talking to a prospect.

One of my favorite business books is QBQ by John Miller. There are few books that have had such a direct impact on my career. 

QBQ stands for Question Behind the Question and it focuses on personal accountability. When I apply what John suggest in the book, good things happen. It is that simple. 

In my park ranger days, I used to give this book to people who worked with me. Their response to the book told me plenty about their personality and work habits. 

I had the opportunity to ask John Miller how we can have an impact. 

Here are the things you need to know from John Miller's comments about impact; 

-When something goes wrong, leaders figure out their role and find a way to do better. 

-You have to be good enough to out perform the situation and circumstances that get in your way. 

-Deep down, nobody likes a complainer. You have to make a decision to resist the temptation to complain and step away from personal accountability. 

-The quickest way to have an impact is to practice personal accountability.  

Personal Accountability is the foundation of leadership.

If you have not yet read QBQ, you can get it here.  You can find John Miller here. 

As a former park ranger, it was a delight when I had the opportunity to have dinner with the Director of the National Park Service. Jon Jarvis, now retired, also took the time to sit with me and discuss parks and leadership 

One of the questions I asked Director Jarvis was how to have an impact. No matter the work you do, you should be more concerned with having an impact than you are with success. 

Director Jarvis how you should take the initiative to step up and take on hard issues. Pick an issue that matters to you and step up to be a leader. 

Here are other things you need to know;

-Most organization are conservative in the amount of risk they are willing to let you take. Once you understand how to make things happen within the parameters of processes, procedures, and guidelines (as well as how much autonomy you have), you can begin to get. 

-Most organizations embrace innovation and initiative. Being aware of the problems your organization faces allows you to show innovation in finding a solution. 

-You don't have to wait for someone to tell you that you are a leader. 

-Don't just participate. Lead instead. Word will spread about your initiative. 

-Find the issues your organization needs to take on. Pick your issue and become a champion to solve the problem. 

How to READ a solution to any problem

R - Recognizee

E - Execute

A - Assess

D - Deliver

Recently, I was a coach at Ray Edwards' Copywriting Academy Live. As a coach, I had the opportunity to get first-hand experience with the questions and concerns people have about their business. 

In this episode of the Jody Maberry Show, I give you some of the advice I may have given you if you were at Copywriting Academy Live. You will get eight coaching sessions in a single podcast episode. 

1. Your story is the only thing that sets you apart. 
2. Everyone else is just as scared as you are. 
3. Cut out anything confusing, unbelievable, or boring. 
4. Most people know the answer, but don’t believe it until someone else guides them there. 
5. The only way to get ahead is to do the work.
6. There is a thread woven throughout your background that connects your offer to the world to your personal story. 
7. Break down a complex task into as many pieces of possible.
8. Read your work out loud. 

I spent 8 years as a Park Ranger. During that time I gave dozens of interpretive talks. Interpretation is a skill every park ranger works at, but interpretation can help you grow your business. 

When giving an interpretative talk, there is a three-step formula to help you connect with the audience. 

1. Tell a Story
2. Tell why it matters 
3. Call to Action

This is the same formula I use for most podcast episodes, speeches, and many sales pitches. 

Understanding interpretation, and adopting this simple formula can help you build your business. 

Jennifer Dunham is happy because she has learned how to skip the dark side of success. 

The truth is, many of us trade out happiness for success. We don't celebrate when things go well. Sometimes we don't even notice. We just keep pushing. 

Happiness matters. Jennifer Dunham will give us some insight to how we can be successful and happy. 

Don't miss The Dark Side of Success Summit. You can find more information here.

Jennifer Dunham's website - HappinessMatters.com

Jennifer Dunham on Twitter - @jen_dunham

Jennifer Dunham on Facebook - Happiness Matters with Jennifer Dunham

Jennifer Dunham on Instagram - @jendunhamstarr

In this episode of the Jody Maberry Show, I share a personal story to highlight how people are worth more than your time or your money. 

If you are a leader, you have to be willing to give up time and money to make people feel special. Take care of your people and they will take care of the customer. 

The story you tell builds influence. Your story, the information you share about yourself, will either influence people to want to learn more or it will influence people to move on. 

In this episode of the Jody Maberry Show, I share personal examples to illustrate how you can draw the right elements out of your story to intrigue other people.

Michael Hudson wants you to get your message heard.
In this episode, Michael explains how and why to get your message out to the world. He also shares why you need a talk specifically tailored towards selling you and the work you do.
Michael's website - MichaelHudson.com
Michael on Twitter - @DrMichaelHudson
Michael on Facebook - DrMichaelHudson

Here is Michael's exercise to map your significant life experiences;

Recently, I watched the film Ice Guardians. The film is about enforcers in the National Hockey League. 

 At the end of the movie, when asked if he would do it over again, Kelly Chase said, "with more fire".

I couldn't stop thinking about what he said. 

When I look back on my career as a Park Ranger, I would do it with a little more fire if I could do it over again. As an entrepreneur, I would do the first three years with a little more fire. 

Heck, I would redo today with a little more fire if I could do it over again. 

Don't fall into that trip. Don't get to a point in the future and wish you had lived today with more fire. Start the fire now. 

Josh Elledge used publicity to grow savingsangel.com into a profitable business. Now, he helps entrepreneurs and businesses figure out the best public relations approach and begin to show up in the right places to become an authority. 

Josh is a regular contributor on television and in newspapers. 

In this episode, Josh will explain how to use what you know to become an authority through publicity. 

Don't miss Josh's Twitter Publicity Master Course. Usually, it costs $100, but you can sign up for free HERE. 

Josh's website - UpEndPR.com

Josh on Twitter - @joshelledge

Josh on Facebook - UpendPR