Sue and Steve Soucy Interview: The “Social Media Attractionaire” Experts

It is always nice to talk to people who generously share their knowledge and honestly state that becoming successful is a work in progress.

Sue and Steve Soucy Interview You can download the mp3 recording and pdf transcript of this interview by going to http://yourmoneyandyourmindset.com/online-store/

Not only that, Sue and Steve Soucy have documented their journey to wealth and financial independence in a very public way that let’s the rest of us see real people launching real internet based businesses on line, and doing very well, thank you.

This is a couple who believes that by focusing and being clear on what they want and practicing what they preach, they can manifest their goals-Law of Attraction, anyone?

Yes, Sue and Steve stepped out of their comfort zone and in front of a camera and posted their wealth creation journey in real time on FaceBook, Youtube and Twitter. Now that is a bold move if you ask me.

However, do you not feel privileged to witness two seemingly “regular” people having fun along the way in their quest for financial freedom?

Does it not challenge the stereotype that rich people have no sense of humour or are unapproachable?

I sincerely hope that when you listen to this interview, you one day can picture yourself in a similar position.

Do me a favour and drop me an email saying that day you started to believe in yourself and that it made a world of difference to the quality of your life.

Sue and Steve Soucy Teach Passionate Entrepreneurs Worldwide How to Make Their Lives Better with the Law of Attraction, Videos and Social Media.

http://www.sueandsteveshow.com

How to Overcome Self Sabotage: Liana Allison Interview

In this interview I had the pleasure of asking Liana Allison a Breakthrough Coach explain the different modalities she uses to guide her clients through seemingly difficult obstacles that stand between them and career success, happy relationships and limitless wealth.

Liana’s approach taps into the metaphysics of energy patterns or wealth wounds that reside in our subconscious. In essence we unwittingly repeat actions that do not serve us and consequently cause us to self sabotage our attempts at improving our personal and professional circumstances.

She explains how these wealth wounds may be a carry over from karmic patterning. “However, all is not lost as everything can be changed in this lifetime”, says Liana.

I leave it to you to take what you will from that previous statement; listen to my interview with Liana as she describes two real life examples (from coaching her personal clients) illustrating her point.

Liana Allison Interview Liana Allison Interview (unlinked)

She leads them through a process that firstly lets them recognize and then gives them the tools to break their repeating karmic patterns that had kept them stuck in a “holding pattern”.

If you feel have you have hit a ceiling in your earning capacity or cannot seem to shed the unwanted pounds, perhaps it is time to entertain alternative coaching methods. Who knows, you may be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.

Liana Allison is a Beyond Success Qualified Coach, a Master NLP Practioner and Trainer. She is experienced in Remedial Massage and Reiki and is a highly gifted Intuitive Counsellor who draws on Spiritual Teaching when helping her clients breakthrough their blockages.

Her acumen in business saw her holiday houseboat business in the South Australian Riverland area be the first in the world to receive Eco-tourism Accreditation.

Find Liana at

http://www.livingbeyond.com.au

Email: info@livingbeyond.com.au

How To Ask For and Get A Payrise Using The Kiri Waiata Green Method: Kiri Waiata Green Interview

Kiri Waiata Green is not your conventional business and life coach. Professional qualifications aside this remarkable lady has a God given and unique gift to help her clients find their voice (literally).

If you are one of the silent majority who struggles to ask for a payrise or promotion and feel you have hit a glass ceiling (I’m talking to you ladies), perhaps it is time to consider alternative methods of approaching your boss for that pay increase and promotion.

So, in corporate speak you are requesting a review of your remuneration package such that it is commensurate with your current roles and responsibilities.

In reality you don’t feel you have the right to ask.

This problem of massive self doubt is one that Kiri regularly helps her clients banish and shatter using her novel and incredible program called “Breaking the Sound Barrier”.

Kiri Waiata Green Interview (unlinked)

Listen to my interview with Kiri as she explains the physics of using sound and vibrations generated at the molecular level to remove limiting self beliefs and emotional blockages to wealth creation.

Kiri is a Beyond Success Qualified Coach, a NLP Certified Practitioner (Success Dynamics Institute), holds a Diploma in Counselling (Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors), and a Certificate IV in Small Business Management.

Find her at

http://www.kiriwaiata.com

Do You Have The Brains, Brawn and Mindset To Be An Entrepreneur: Carol Roth Interview

In these challenging financial times, President Obama is encouraging Americans to lift the economy and restore the stocks of this proud nation by reinventing themselves as the new wave of can do entrepreneurs.

Great if you are cut out for it and have the appetite for calculated risks, a bright idea and the stamina of a marathon runner, but what if you are not and don’t know that.

I suggest you listen to Carol Roth who has sage advice for would be tycoons too in lust with their million dollar idea but have not enough business sense to execute their plans.
Click here to listen Carol Roth Interview (unlinked)

She is an investment banker who used her business strategies to secure more than $1 billion for her clients and complete hundreds of millions of dollars in mergers and acquisitions.

Carol knows a thing or two about this subject and recently authored “The Entrepreneur Equation-Evaluating the Realities, Risks and Rewards of Having Your Own Business” a must read for anyone who is tempted to tell their boss to do the anatomically impossible, quit and assume they can create a fortune from their first business venture.

Carol uses her “Spinach In Your Teeth” method of communication that is both truthful and compassionate to let you know if you have the brains, brawn and mindset for the brief. As painful as it is, the uncomfortable fact for some is that being employed may be the best option for all concerned.

With refreshing candour, Carol encourages women entrepreneurs to acknowledge but not buy into the real or perceived gender divide in the world of big business. She tells with grace and good humour her own experience in this regard when she inadvertently found herself the recipient of the “Best Legs in the Business” award.

Get more information and no nonsense advice on www.CarolRoth.com

Robert Jordan Interview: Six Success Tips for Aspiring Billionaires (How They Did It)

If you are like me, you too will wonder about what sets these seemingly ordinary people apart from the rest in terms of their capacity to recognize and identify a need, develop a service or a widget that addresses that need and then go on realize their goal of turning their ideas into millions of dollars.

I asked Robert Jordan who has compiled interviews with 45 billionaire entrepreneurs and published his book telling us how they did it. Below are six indispensable tips that helped them succeed.

Click here to listen Robert Jordan Interview (unlinked)

Robert Jordan is an entrepreneur and author who has made it his mission to discover the “secret sauce” used by self made billionaires to launch themselves from growing an idea into $100 million dollar companies or if it suits, taking their pride and joy public to the tune of $300 million or more.

Robert’s entrée into their world is paved by his own success when he launched and grew his startup company, Online Access, the first Internet-coverage magazine that made it on the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing companies.

As is quintessential a characteristic of all serial entrepreneurs, he then sold his highly profitable Online Access and proceeded to start up a couple more companies, RedFlash, a project implementation team, and interimCEOinterimCFO, a worldwide network of interim, contract, and project executives.

Robert’s gift for getting consensus saw 21 of the eventual 45 founders agreeing to meet and freely share their insights, occasional pain and billion dollar experiences.

Their collective wisdom has been distilled into his latest book, How they did it: Billion Dollar Insights from the Heart of America.

He freely admits this book was a labor of love, driven by an insatiable curiosity to know the minds and passions of this select group of diverse individuals.

All aspiring entrepreneurs who believe they are billionaires in the making will do well to heed the advice of the 45 who have gone before them. Here are just six tips to steer you to success:

1. Do not be afraid to fail; if and when you do, make sure you fail fast.
2. Do not be precious about your idea, be willing to tweak it
3. Leave your ego at the door; be astute enough to hire people smarter than you
4. However, make sure they are nice not just smart.
5. Honestly is still the best policy, so be on the level when communicating with the people who work for you because no one becomes a billionaire on their own.
6. Believe in the goodness of your angel investors but have Plans B, C and D just in case they decide to bail
Find Robert Jordan on http://www.HowTheyDidItBook.com

What has leadership got to do with becoming wealthy: Part 2

In Part 1 of this series, I finished with the statement that a good leader demonstrates emotional intelligence in his/her daily dealings with their staff.

A good leader realizes and publicly acknowledges that they cannot achieve their goals on their own, and a good leader learns to place their well-founded trust in their staff.

This folks, is another form of leveraging of your time (as in time equals money) to succeed in whatever business you are in.

So, how do you recruit good staff who share the same values, ie work ethic and general outlook in life. In other words, how do you find the best people who will fit nicely into your business organization.

Well, I am a firm believer in asking questions beyond the standard run of the mill enquiries so beloved of human resource types, during a formal interview process.

Without straying into the “no go” zone about their personal life, and orientation which is none of my business, I want to know what makes them tick, what inspires them to get out of bed in the morning to come and work for me.

This is because I can then get a better sense of the person. To me they are not a number or a drone but real people who have real feelings, fears and aspirations and hopefully a burning ambition and a bit of fire in their belly.

It’s a bit like being on a first date, a lot of this time is spent talking, shooting the breeze and when a person is at ease, they reveal themselves.

All I have to do is shut up and listen and observe. So, a good leader knows when to speak and when to be quiet. I’d hazard the ratio is a 20:80 split. Do you get my drift?

Do yourself a favor and read up on body language; believe me that speaks volumes when it comes to getting an honest response from your interview candidate.

As I previously said, people are not motivated by money as much as feeling that their contribution is worthwhile and publicly acknowledged.

This is the human connection that you are looking for. If you get this right, your people will go the extra mile for you, simply because you have gotten them wholly involved in your vision.

And it all comes down to the “C” word, communication.

For the old school types, communication consists of me (the boss) talking and you (the minion) listening and carrying out my wishes. It does remind me of one of those typical army movies where the drill sergeant yells at the recruit, “Hey, meathead, if I want your opinion, I will give it to you”.

For the rest of us who do not subscribe to this method of communication, stay tuned and I will share with you some worthwhile ideas.

Yours in health, wealth and happiness

What has leadership got to do with becoming wealthy: Part 1

Answer: Everything!

Leadership, or more importantly good leadership underpins your ability to succeed.

As a great leader, you are the inspiration, visionary and literally the soul of your business.

Click here to listen to the full recording Leadership and Wealth Part 1

It applies equally across the spectrum should you be the CEO of a multi national corporation or a solopreneur with a red hot idea.

The most reliable way to creating wealth is to build up a business that turns over significant dollars and selling it as a viable concern, or have a business model that can be replicated many times over, then licensing these as franchises.

The caveat here is that your business must provide exemplary value for a service and/or product that is second to none, and that the consumer is willing to pay top dollar for what you offer.

I use the example of your toothache and your smiling dentist, Dr Fang.

If you had a toothache you’d probably ignore it for as long as it is possible. Show me a person who enjoys sitting in the dentist’s chair with a high speed drill on their teeth and I will show you someone who is flat lining.

However, there will come a time when all the pain killer tablets in your bathroom cabinet will not stop the sharp shooting pain that makes you want to grab a hammer and hit your toes with it because that is the only thing that will take your attention away from your toothache. This usually occurs round about 9 PM on a Sunday evening.

At this stage you will not care if you have to take a second mortgage on your house to have your toothache dealt with.

Dr Fang is more than happy to oblige, fixes your toothache and makes the pain go away (for a fee).

Dr Fang knows that toothaches do not occur between the hours of 9-5 on weekdays only. In fact, he/she has noticed that if their dental surgery was open 24 hours a day 7 days a week, there would not be a shortage of patients in their waiting room.

Because Dr Fang cannot be at more than one place at a time, they hire other dentists and support staff to replicate their service across town or even the country.

Their secret weapon is that they are able to leverage their time. Another equally important component is that they aim for staff members to have the same passion and work ethic.

If you are a heart centered businessperson, not only will you be looking at a bottom line of increased profits or revenue, but as importantly, that increased productivity has not come at the expense of your employees’ well being.

Put yourself in Dr Fang’s shoes and ask yourself, how do I get my staff to share my big picture goals and visions for my business?

Here’s where effective, strong and good leadership becomes vital to a business not only surviving but thriving, GFC or no GFC.

Just reiterating, as a great leader, you are the inspiration, visionary and literally the soul of your business.

Essentially, leadership is firstly knowing yourself (and being wholly comfortable and accepting of who you are).

Secondly having a clear vision of what your (business) goals are.

Thirdly, it is being able to clearly communicate this vision to your staff and getting total buy in from them. They have to do this voluntarily or else it will not work (think Captain Bligh and the mutiny on the HMS Bounty).

This includes building trust, getting your workers to function as a cohesive unit and motivating them to perform at their highest level, and to do so on a consistent basis.

Impossible, you say?

Not if you are an emotionally intelligent leader.

People are not motivated by money as much as feeling that their contribution is worthwhile and publicly acknowledged.

More on this in my next post; until then

Yours in health, wealth and happiness

Women Executives: Leadership Role Models (Part 4)

So, you have arrived at a position within your organisation that has some degree of autonomy and responsibility. In fact, you now lead a team of individuals, with unique talents.

Your boss has handed you a brief that requires your team to deliver on an important project on time and on budget. You know that it is the make or break opportunity and you really want to prove that you have what it takes.

This is your springboard to making it at the executive management level, your holy grail.

However, you also notice that you are going boldly to where no other woman has been, in fact your company is devoid of women executives. So, nada and zip in terms of finding a role model or a mentor in a skirt and killer heels. Bummer!

You are a modern woman (read resourceful, and confident), and you take it upon yourself to hire a career or executive coach to fast track your ambitions.

Any coach worth their salt will start with working out what makes you tick.

I am fond of quoting this line from Sun Tzu, “If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle”Art of War

In other words, if you want to achieve (and earn) more, you have to become more.

You cannot expect to operate on a higher level without first making the necessary changes in the way you think, behave and conduct yourself. If you are expecting circumstances to adapt to suit you (as you are now), you are going to be waiting a very long time to become successful.

Have you given some serious though about what it means to be a well respected and effective leader?

In your present role where you work for your immediate boss, ask yourself what is it that you admire about him/her. Conversely what do not like very much about the way they run their unit or department especially in their daily interaction with their team.

List what you consider as the traits of your ideal leader, a person that you’d happily become. What are the interpersonal skills that you would like that person to possess?

Remember, to be an effective leader means getting your team to carry out a piece of work to a standard and level above what they would normally deliver. More importantly, it is getting them to do this willingly without cajoling or the threat of unemployment!

Bottom line: It means being influential and having your people opt in to your vision and goals.

I shall leave you to ponder this for the time being.

Yours in health, wealth and happiness

Owning Up and Learning from My Mistakes

Our education system does not encourage us to admit our errors and effectively punishes us when we get it wrong.

This is reinforced by the assessment strategy of grading us down in tests and formal examinations when we do not produce the “right’ answers.

The system is designed to turn out cookie cutter lookalikes with not a whit of individuality.

It stymies creativity, inventiveness and discourages exploration; in effect we get a slap on the wrist every time we colour outside the lines.

So does the title of this article stir up a bit of discomfort?

I certainly hope so, only because I want you to challenge conventional thinking and behaviour.

What if, for a change, we celebrated instead of shaming kids in grade school for giving the incorrect answer?

Rather than making them feel like a failure we gave them elephant stamps and gold stars for having a go, for attempting an answer.

Brian Tracy, one of my favourite motivational speakers and amazing business coach said it best:

Learning from your mistakes is an essential skill that enables you to develop the resilience to be a master of change rather than a victim of change.

The person who recognizes that he has made a mistake and changes direction the fastest is the one who will win in an age of increasing information, technology and competition.

By remaining fast on your feet, you will be able to out-play and out-position your competition.

You will become a creator of circumstances rather than a creature of circumstances.

In other words: Adaptability is the name of the game.

In every episode of Star Trek Dr Spock may have said, “Live long and prosper”, but Dr Tan says “Live smart and prosper”.

So, the faster you fail, the quicker you get to your goals.

You might as well get through it sooner than later because that lets you gain momentum as you hurtle towards success.

Yours in health, wealth and happiness

Women Executives: Leadership Role Models (Part 3)

If my 2 previous posts have seemed less than optimistic, let me assure you that there is hope (for us all!).

Below is an article by Professor Ginka Toegel the Director of Strategies for Leadership Program, International Institute of Management Development, Switzerland.

Companies are not setting themselves these targets out of some generalized notion of equality but because there is a strong business case for them to do so.

There has been a great deal of research in this area that suggests the value of having gender diverse management teams.

For example, companies that have more than three women in management positions tend to have better return on equity and assets than do those with fewer women.

They also tend to score higher on organizational effectiveness criteria. Equally, women board members tend to be very well-prepared for meetings, which raises the benchmark for others.

This subsequently leads to better discussions, and better decisions.

So, there is a clear business case for companies hiring and promoting more senior women. But what is life like for the women who are already in these roles?

When we have less than 15 percent of a minority in a social category, we talk about tokens.

And anyone who is in that position is likely to be under a huge amount of pressure, as they are highly visible, and frequently will feel that they represent not just themselves, but their entire category.

At 25 percent – in many companies this is currently the target – they are still in a minority, but they are no longer tokens.

The tipping point is 35 percent: once we reach this level, visibility becomes less of an issue and women’s identity as women becomes less salient.

Past this point, when women speak, they are heard as individuals with their own separate backgrounds, values and personalities, not as “the woman”.

Her opinions and views are not reduced to her gender.

The problem at the moment is that we have so few senior women in management positions that they are perceived as outsiders.

This creates a kind of legitimacy gap, in that they do not fit the (male) stereotype of what it is to be a leader.

This leads in turn to another problem, which is that male leaders tend to be associated with “agentic” behavior: they are more likely to be proactive, assertive, dominant, in control of the situation.

Female leaders, by contrast, show what we call “communal values”: friendliness, support, warmth and a caring attitude.

When we look at these two sets of values, it becomes clear that it is the agentic approach that we associate with leadership.

Many women come to the conclusion that, as a result of these stereotypes, the only way for them to be perceived to be legitimate leaders is to emulate male leaders.

However, the real answer is not so straightforward.

If women simply emulate men, they violate the gender stereotype, which creates a perception that they are being phony.

This creates a real problem, and can lead to them being penalized for being inauthentic leaders.

Women should instead blend both sets of characteristics.

Indra Nooyi, the Chief Executive and Chairwoman of PepsiCo, does this very successfully; she can make tough decisions and is very assertive in negotiations, but her direct reports also describe her as extremely warm and caring.

What then of the future? Well, despite the disappointing statistics there are many good reasons to be positive.

The next 5 to 10 years will see a dramatic change for the better.

Women managers can contribute to this by understanding that there are certain expectations related to organizational leadership, and developing their skills accordingly.