(Listen on iTunes, stitcher, audioboom, or streaming audio by clicking play on pic below.)

Too Many Opportunities…That’s the Problem

We live in a time and place where opportunities abound…too many actually.
Just pick up your smart phone and you’ll see endless invitations to:

Play
Join
Browse
Buy
Look
Promote
Engage
Comment
Post
Scroll
And a thousand other actions…

Sooner or later though, you’re going to have to make a choice. Are you going to be a consumer, critic, cynic, or creator. Our world is an inch deep and a million miles wide. If you want to stand out then you’re going to need to separate from the pack and differentiate yourself.

To increase your influence, impact, and income you need to get smarter. (Tweet This)

In my 39 years on the planet, after coaching thousands of clients and engaging with hundreds of businesses and business models, I’ve realized a truth. I believe it’s the smartest way to more influence, impact, and income.

Why it Makes Sense to Get SMART

At the end of your life you can look back and see hundreds of half-dug holes. In our illustration these holes represent places where you tried to make an impact.

Most people start digging with the best intentions, but then they stop digging for one reason or another. Fast-forward and then they start digging a brand new hole. As a result, they never take an idea to it’s full potential…and quit right before they get to the good stuff.

Thankfully, there is another option.

You can become an outlier. You can take one of these holes and then dig, dig, and dig—mining it for all it’s worth. Many times these deep holes connect with other deep holes, becoming synergistic and creating even more influence, impact, and income.

Such was the case with my last 3 books: Your Secret Name, The Deeper Path, and Day Job to Dream Job. I sought out to answer 3 questions:

Who am I?
Why am I here?
Where am I going?

We completed the SMART model by turning these 3 books into 6-figure businesses.

Getting SMART by writing, publishing, marketing your book the right way is wise for these 5 reasons:

S = Specialization: A book narrows your focus which increases your irreplaceability and value in the marketplace.

M = Magnification: A book acts a magnifying glass to your entire brand.

A = Articulation: The writing process forces you to be clear, concise, and direct.

R = Revitalization: Publishing a book brings new life to your business.

T = Transformation: The writing, publishing and marketing process always transforms the author first.

Here’s How to Get SMART

In this episode I teach you all about getting SMART.

(Listen here on iTunes, stitcher, audioboom, or via streaming audio by clicking play on the pic below.)

Before or after you listen to the podcast, I’m sure you’ll have more questions. I’ve helped over 40,000 aspiring authors find answers to these questions. This Wednesday August 24 on a FREE live webinar I’d love to help you too. You can secure your spot by registering here or by clicking on the link below. (We’ll send those who register the limited-time recording if you can’t make it live.)

When you register you’ll get a FREE 20 page guide that I’ll teach through on the webinar. The content will help you get SMART about increasing your influence, impact, and income.

If you can’t wait until Wednesday’s webinar and you need come clarity on these topics immediately, then check out these two videos. (Click on the pics to watch.)

Do I need a big platform before I write my book?

Why you should never treat your book like a business card.

Life is too short not to get SMART.

I can’t wait to see your dream in print. And if you need my help, then jump on the webinar.
Let’s make it happen together.

S = Specialization

M = Magnification

A = Articulation

R = Revitalization

T = Transformation

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QUESTION: What would you do with more influence, impact, and income?

(Please comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you know someone who needs to read this, please encourage them by sharing this post) 

(Listen via itunes, audioboom, stitcher, or click on the pic below.)

Today, I’d love to change your mind….mainly about how you think.

This little post and subsequent podcast could be one of the more important things you think about in 2016…and here’s why:

Live long enough on the planet and you’ll hear:

You are what you think.

Live a little longer and you’ll hear this variation:

You don’t get what you want, you get who you are
AND who you are is a direct result of what you think. (Tweet This)

(Read the sentence again 5 times slowly.
If you blow by it, success will blow by you.
But if you soak it in, success will soak into you.)

Bottom line, what you think shapes the results you get in life. So if you’re not content with what you’re getting then you must change what you’re thinking. The image explains why:

So far we’ve talked about the need to change WHAT we think. However, we haven’t talked about the need to change HOW we think.

You can Become More Strategic

In today’s episode I teach you how to become a strategic thinker. Although I lack plenty of gifts, skills, and talents, according to the Gallup Strengths Data, 1 of my top 5 strengths is Strategic.

According to Gallup all this means is:

I’m able to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows me to see patterns where others simply see complexity. This recurring question helps me see around the next corner. There I can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. Guided by where I see each path leading, I start to make selections. I discard the paths that lead nowhere. I discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. I discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion. 

Whether or not Strategic is 1 of your top 5 too is actually irrelevant. In today’s episode I unpack 5 steps for how to Become a More Strategic Thinker. When I’m hired by individuals or organizations for a day or an hour of consulting, I help them by engaging them in a little framework I call FOCUS.

(Listen via itunes, audioboom, stitcher, or click on the pic below.)

Get better results with FOCUS

Basically it all comes down to FOCUS. I’ll use a metaphor to illustrate what I mean. Imagine that becoming a more strategic thinker is similar to harnessing more of the sun’s power. In our little story, more sun equals more strategy.

So, if you’re lying on a beach, how do you get more sun? For starters, you can lie out in the blazing sun. After doing this for 3 hours, you’ll get a fairly bad burn. But what if you put a magnifying glass over your arm. In a matter of 3 minutes you could burn a hole into your skin.

Weird huh?
What changed?

Although it’s the same sun and the same skin, the magnifying glass FOCUSED the sun’s rays and amplified the energy. The result was dramatic. (See pics of the sun burning though a cheese cube and a tortilla chip and below.)

Imagine if your thinking could have a similar effect.

Imagine if you had the ability to burn through obstacles in your personal and professional life. You can by utilizing a framework I call FOCUS.

In the podcast I take you on a deep dive, but I’ll give you the quick list here:

F = Filter
O = Orient
C = Cut
U = Unhackability
S = Singularity

And if you want me to help you further, then check out the schedule for Igniting Souls Conference in about 60 days.

The attendees in the room will be equipped with a brand new paradigm for innovative, strategic, and productive thinking.

The R.O.I. (Return on Investment) from the Igniting Souls Conference is one you and your business/ministry CAN’T afford to miss. (Just 25 tickets left.) It’s time you discovered how to Become Unhackable.

QUESTION: Do you struggle with FOCUS? Why or why not?

(Please comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you know someone who needs to read this, please encourage them by sharing this.) 

Could you be earning more influence, impact, & income?

If you’re a content creator (speaker, blogger, authors, podcaster, etc.) and you’re not certifying people to speak, coach, and train on your content, then you could be leaving massive amounts of influence, impact, and income on the table.

Over the past 5 years we’ve issued well over 100 certifications for our 3 teams: Your Secret Name, The Deeper Path, and Dream Job Coaches. The crazy thing is, we’ve never publicly promoted our teams. 

Instead, people who went through our coaching programs and experienced massive life change asked us to be certified. They wanted to create life-change in others through their own speaking, coaching, and training.

(Listen via itunes, audioboom, stitcher, or click on the pic below.)

One of the Best Decisions We Ever Made

I had reservations at first. The issues centered around ego, control, and fear. Family members even advised me against it. But then, I woke up and realized the massive benefits for the team members and our mission—Igniting Souls. Today looking back, it’s one of the best decisions we ever made.

In this episode, I share: How to Become a Thought Leader and Certify People on your own Content. I share the quick backstory below.

And for the first time ever, during the next 7 days we’re taking applications for new team members. If you’re interested in learning more, please watch this 2 minute video here. After you do, you can then check out whichever team you’re interested in applying for: Your Secret Name, The Deeper Path, Dream Job Coaches. Here’s just a few of our team members.

Should you Certify People Your Own Content?

I get it. As content creators, we’re often scared to “let go” of our message. It’s our baby after all.  Will people represent our message well? Will they take care of it?  Six years ago issues of ego, fear, and control kept me from ever considering it.

But then I woke up and I’m so glad I did. On the podcast and below I share more about the story and process. However, here’s 7 quick reasons to help make the decision easier.

C – Coaches: You don’t have enough hours in a day to help all the people that need it.

E – Empowerment: Your message won’t reach its potential if you protect it.

R – R.O.I. : Your team increases their impact and income AND yours.

T – Trainers: You can’t train all the people who need your content.

I – Influence: Your influence will grow as you grow your team.

F – Focus: You can only do a few things well and you have more content to create.

Y – Yawp: Your need barbaric YAWPERS that make the message even better.

How it All Happened

Almost 6 years ago Your Secret Name—my fourth book—released in September, 2010. In a matter of weeks we realized this book was special without much of our own doing. The book touched on an issue common to many adults and teens alike—identity. I blended my story overcoming self-injury with the reader’s journey of discovering who they were created to be.

My friend Gabe created an interactive website that combined free tools with support from our growing community. My friend Josh produced a beautiful book trailer, and we began getting emails from people of various backgrounds and struggles. They told us about their newfound freedom and how they discovered a connection with their Creator, their community, and their core.

Stories of victory over suicidal thoughts, depression, prostitution, workaholism, anorexia, and low self-esteem poured in. We continued sharing the message as best we could, but we’d clearly reached our capacity. Back then my day job brought its own set of challenges and commitments. And although I entertained thoughts of jumping into my dream job full-time, book sales alone didn’t come close to paying the bills.

Then it happened. I received an email from Desiree Arney, a stranger in New Jersey touched by the message. Long story short, after a couple chats David and I asked her to join our “team.”

The word team was a bit presumptuous. Although we wanted to change the world, we didn’t have a plan, a platform, or a paycheck. We figured passion was enough so we kept moving forward. A few months later we decided to have a conference and over one hundred people showed up. Toward the end of the conference we blocked off an open mic time for participants to share their thoughts about the day.

The stories of transformation people shared blew us away. Feeling momentum and divine favor, we created the Your Secret Name Team. Clearly we needed a way to multiply our impact and fund our efforts. I knew I couldn’t accept every gig, and although I felt a little guilty turning down some opportunities, my family and day job took precedence.

In no time we added a dozen members from all over the world, including Europe and New Zealand. Additional team members trickled in, and our impact and income increased slowly but steadily.

Benefits of Passive Impact

Even better than the passive income was the passive impact.

I remember one chilly Ohio afternoon playing with my three children on the living room floor. I think Isabel won out with her game choice—sleeping giant. Our stomachs were full from a scrumptious Sunday lunch and the wood in the fireplace crackled and popped. Snowflakes fell softly outside and my wife and I smiled at each other as we tried to keep up with three active kids.

Later that evening I checked our Secret Name Facebook group. Thrilled to read the posts, I learned how that weekend three separate team members had conducted Your Secret Name events in their own cities.

I smiled. While I enjoyed my loved ones in the comfort of my home, our passive impact business was igniting. Our team was communicating this message of hope to people who needed healing. It hasn’t stopped since.

 Want to Join our Team of World Changers?

What about you? Do you want a business or ministry in a box? Do you want to join a Team of World Changers and increase your influence, impact, and income?

For the first time ever, during the next 7 days we’re taking applications for new team members. If you’re interested in learning more, please watch this 2 minute video here. After you do, you can then check out whichever team you’re interested in applying for: Your Secret Name, The Deeper Path, Dream Job Coaches.

Here are just a few of our team members. I’d love to read your application and see if we’re a good fit. It’s time to Ignite Souls.

—————-

QUESTION: Have you ever been in a desert?

(Please comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. ) 

They call it the Entrepreneur’s Rollercoaster for a reason. And if you’re not careful, you can become “just another statistic.”

In this episode I take a deep dive with Joanne Miller, wife of NY Times bestselling author Dan Miller. Together they’ve been married for nearly half a century.

Joanne Miller says her #1 secret for surviving and thriving being married to an entrepreneur is Creating a Haven of Peace.

As someone who’s been in their home and their space many times over the years, I couldn’t agree more. But what is a Haven of Peace in practical terms? And how do you go about creating one, whatever stage you’re at in life?

This is the core of our interview today. Enjoy and be sure to check out her brand new book (Creating a Haven of Peace). It dives into even more fantastic content on this topic. (Listen via itunes, audioboom, stitcher, or click on the pic below.

The inspiration behind Joanne’s book:

I learned at a very young age that a home full of anger, divorce and disrespect was not the way I wanted to begin my marriage, so at age 19 I drew a line in the sand and declared I would change my family tree. But that took determination and intentional living. I had a lot to learn and I eagerly sought out resources to head me in the right direction.

Creating a Haven of Peace doesn’t take a lot of money. It doesn’t take a beautiful new home or all the stuff we think we need in order to be happy. You can begin building a peaceful and loving environment immediately by following the principles and insights I lay out in the chapters in this book.

Creating the proper ambience, practicing being kind rather than right and maintaining the proper hierarchy in the family are only a few of the many ways to loving and lasting relationships.

Distraction and disconnect, chaos and busyness, disappointment and frustration are realities that cover our days like a blanket of smog. Intentionally wiping the cares of the world from our shoes at the front gate and stepping into a sanctuary where love is unconditional, peace is the norm and laughter is abundant can make life a grand adventure in spite of what is happening in the world at large.

Action Items:

—————-

QUESTION: Do you think it’s more difficult to be married to an entrepreneur? Why or why not?

(Please comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you know someone who needs to read this, please encourage them by sharing this.) 

Joel Kessel is a 20+ veteran on media relations. Joel’s focus as a communications advisor is to help people who are doing meaningful work get their story out in a meaningful way so they can have a larger impact on the people they serve.

Throughout his career, he has developed a specialization in strategy and media relations, which has garnered attention for his clients in numerous publications and outlets from USA Today, New York Times and the Associated Press, to the CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News and Columbus Business First, among others.

Talk. Talk. Talk.

This is what I used to do…all the time. I didn’t DO my dream. I TALKED about my dream— because I was scared. Scared of failing. Scared of disappointing others. And scared of disappointing God.

So I sat and talked, talked, talked. Because it gave me the illusion I was making progress on my dream.

Looking back, I now know what I was waiting for—other people’s permission. Maybe if they gave me their permission it would lessen the sting if I failed or give me the confidence I needed to succeed. Either way it made me feel powerless because everyone else was in the driver’s seat of my dream…not me.

Then something changed. I realized my dream was my responsibility—nobody else’s. When that switch flipped, everything changed BECAUSE I CHANGED.

If you need to flip the switch in your own life, then I’m making it super easy. In this week’s email I’ve listed 4 action items below. Don’t try to do all of them. Just do one of them…today. Once you do one, you’ll see how good it feels. And if you want to do another after that, fantastic.

(You might have even done one or more already. If so, good for you.) But regardless, you’ll see how one small action toward the direction of your dream can pull you out of any funk you might be stuck in.

And remember, in spite of everything else, I believe in you. You’re the reason I invest my heart in creating these tools. NOW GO TAKE ACTION BELOW.

Action Items:

—————-

QUESTION: Would you benefit from a bigger stage?

(Please comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you know someone who needs to read this, please encourage them by sharing this.) 

—————-

QUESTION: Are you planning to launch a book, brand, or business sometime in the next 5 years?

(Please comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you know someone who needs to read this, please encourage them by sharing this post) 

In the episode I reference a wonderful tool called Focus@will which combines neuroscience + music to boost productivity and tune out distractions. Click here for your FREE trial.

—————-

QUESTION: Do you have an email and/or social media addiction?

(Please comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you know someone who needs to read this, please encourage them by sharing this post) 

I believe you have what it takes. You may just not have the tools…at least not yet. Click on the pic below to discover more about Becoming Unhackable. We have multiple sessions on how to finish what you start and shorten the gap between ideation and implementation.

What happens when your own friends or family don’t support your dream? 

Is that a sign you have a bad dream or a that you have bad friends?

Maybe neither.

I recently recorded a 3 minute video on this topic. Immediately, I knew it struck a nerve, based upon all the shares, likes, and comments. You can watch the video here or by clicking the pic.

Many of you wanted more than a 3 minute video. You asked for more insight on this topic. You asked questions like:

• Should I abandon my dream?
• Should I refine my dream?
• Should I get new friends?

In episode 74, I cover these questions and many more. I think my advice and experience on this issue will encourage you in your own journey.

I also share how other people’s lack of support was sometimes my own perception. Often their feedback made my dream stronger and better. Often it made ME stronger and better.

I share a cool story about an ancient leader that had friends and families who didn’t support him. Discover what he did to turn the tables and achieve his dream.

Prepare to be encouraged, equipped, and empowered.

(Listen here via itunes, audioboom, stitcher, or click play on the pic below.)

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QUESTION: Do you have people who support you and your dream?

(Please comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you know someone who needs to read this, please encourage them by sharing this post) 

LINKS:
Igniting Souls Conference
Kary Oberbrunner Author FB Page 

I believe you have what it takes. You may just not have the tools…at least not yet. Click on the pic below to discover more about Becoming Unhackable. We have multiple sessions on how to become a better version of yourself.

How to Take Back Control of your Life