Unconventional Leaders

Do you ever feel the need to play small in fear of what other people might think of you? Have a great book idea but you fear rejection or not being heard by the public? Maybe you have a successful side business but you are afraid of what other people might think of you dared to dream bigger? The truth is, we all have something great inside of us, but a lot of times we are afraid of being rejected or misunderstood so we play it safe.   Our guest this week, self-published best selling author, Laura Petersen explains that if you have a great idea for a book or want to take your business to the next level, playing small only hurts you in the long run. According to Laura, the number of book sales you have or the amount of zeros you have in your bank account shouldn’t be a factor in your success or happiness. If you love what you do and thoroughly enjoy working towards your dreams, we don’t have to always take things so seriously. Laura helps us understand the bigger picture of our dreams and how not to get caught

Have you ever wondered how to get the most out of your daily routine? Maybe you feel swamped with deadlines but you don’t know where to start. Or maybe you know what your goals are for your brand or business, but you don’t know how to execute those goals. Of course, we all feel like we could use a little more in our day to truly focus on our passions and projects. Our guest this week, Raj Jana, founder of JavaPresse Coffee Company, shares with us how to execute our goals by utilizing the time we already have. Raj explains that when we allow ourselves to take time to sit and focus on our goals, we are able to achieve our goals at a higher frequency. By sharing how Raj is able to take ahold of his morning routine and schedule out just a couple hours of work time in the afternoons, Raj is able to achieve his goals in a much quicker timeframe than expected. With a little help from we mentors we trust, we find that we shift our mindset away from the distractions that are holding us back.   --  

Do you struggle with "Who am I to do...?" Today's episode with Calvin Wayman is a POWERFUL reminder of why it is important for you and me to move past our fear and step into who we know we are called to be. Calvin shares with us practical tips and exercises we can use to overcome fear and procrastination and move past imposter syndrome.    --  

Have you ever felt a desire to make a change only to realize that the industry you’re pursuing seems over saturated? Maybe you have a great mission statement and maybe you have created a culture of high-functioning employees. You know what your goals are for your business but ultimately you feel stuck. Sometimes it feels like we are simply trying to scream a little louder than our competitors. But, the good news is that there a couple of things we can change in order to make a statement within our market.   Our guest this week, Alex Kuhn, founder of the Vault Team, helps understand us how we can set ourselves apart from within our businesses. Alex shows us how to think ahead of our competitors. While most people are trying to solve problems within their industry, it’s always a great idea to try and think about future problems. Alex tells us that in order to stand out, we need to think outside of the box and focus on problems that most people aren’t actually addressing. Though this isn’t always the easy route,

Have you ever felt passionate about something but weren’t sure if you should take the jump? Maybe you’re about to graduate college but you feel the pull of something greater within you. Or maybe you started working on your career but you have received major backlash from your friends and family. If you have ever experienced the uncertainty of pursuing your passions, you are not alone. Our guest this week, Stephanie Parsley shares with us her story of pursuing photography and how it has changed her life. As a national and international photographer, Stephanie tells us that ever since she received her first camera in High School, she knew that this was something she wanted to do for the rest of her life. By creating a successful business ever before graduating from college, Stephanie decided to take the jump into her new career. Though it hasn't always been easy dealing with conflict and tension, she knew she ultimately wanted to travel and work with her ideal clients. Topics Discussed: How to cultivate relat

Interested in turning your art or creative work into a business? I spoke with Camilla D'Errico an urban contemporary painter, illustrator, character creator and comic artist. Camilla encouraged us to create work from within our “soul” and to remain authentic to what we want to create. People resonate with that. Specifically, with creatives, she said that people can tell when you are delivering work just to “checkboxes” or if you are creating from a place of joy and purpose. I know this is a recurring thing with the show, but again people want connection. They want to know you. They want to experience something real. The more you can put yourself into your work, they more likely the RIGHT tribes will gather. Like Camilla says, “People know what’s real and what isn’t”.   Connect with Camillia: https://camilladerrico.com/ Topics Discussed: The importance of intuition Being authentic to your work Connecting with your audience outside of social   Connect with Camilla D'Errico: Website Facebook Twitter Instagram

Have you ever felt like an outcast for going against the grain? Maybe your parents wanted you to follow in their footsteps by graduating from an elite college and working yourself up the corporate ladder. Maybe all your peers have found themselves fancy jobs while you are thinking of taking an unconventional route. Maybe you are the 1% of your graduating class that wants to start something new. The truth is, you may have a calling on your heart to pursue your passions despite what everyone else is telling you.   Our guest this week, host of Purpose in the Youth, Bobby Hobart knew he had to take the plunge after finding himself wanting something different than all of his classmates. After being told he was the 1% without a job outside of college, Bobby knew he had to do something different. In our conversation, we talk about why it’s important to follow your heart rather than what everyone else is doing. When you show up every day as well as utilize your surroundings and the people around you, your passions wi

Social entrepreneur, musician, lawyer. By day, Steven is a corporate attorney specializing in mergers and acquisitions in Canada and now in Southeast Asia. By night, he is a social entrepreneur and is passionate about creating communities around the world. In the past five years, he created three non-profit organizations (Healing Using Music, Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers and the Living Room Series). His work in the community has been featured extensively in mainstream media in Canada and he has presented at TEDx and PechaKucha. Steven is also an avid musician and enjoys a bit of ballroom and swing dance on the side. Living Room Series is the current project that I am working on. Started in 2017, Living Room Series has since expanded to five cities (Vancouver, Calgary, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh City) with more than 25 events.  It is a modern day take on 118th-century French salons where people would gather to share stories and ideas in intimate spaces like a living room. If anyone is inte

Do you ever feel like you don’t have a loud enough voice in the social media world? Maybe you feel like there are so many other people with the same vision as you that there isn’t room for your brand. If you have ever felt like you needed tone down your goals because of a certain number next to your name or that you don’t have a big enough following, stop right there. It doesn’t matter whether you have 5 followers or 5,000 followers. If you feel like your calling is to share your heart with others and influence others to create the life that they want to live, keep going. Our guests this week, Nikki Bondura and Tisha Abrea, founders of FOREhersports, talk about the importance of authentic realtionships through social media. According to Nikki and Tisha, if you want to empower others and inspire your followers, you can still make a great impact. Sure, it may seem like a lot of work sometimes. There may be times where you question yourself and what your purpose is. But if you focus on your audience and cultivat

Kristi Dosh is a publicist who founded Guide My Brand to work with entrepreneurs and nonfiction authors to establish themselves as experts in their niches and become more visible for their expertise through opportunities such as guest blogs, podcast interviews, public speaking engagements, feature article, and media appearances. Kristi is her own best case study, beginning her career as a corporate attorney and used a combination of blogging, social media, public speaking, and media appearances to become a nationally-recognized expert on the business of sports. She left the corporate world to work for such outlets as Forbes and ESPN, and today she works with busy entrepreneurs and nonfiction authors who want to become experts themselves and step into the spotlight so they can grow their businesses. Check out Kristi’s small group program, From the Shadows to the Spotlight: www.fromtheshadowstothespotlight.com   Topics Discussed: How to write an “Expert Statement” Why you shouldn’t decide your niche day one. H

Is there someone you know that has the authority to speak into your life? Maybe you have an old High School mentor that you still keep up with. Or maybe you’ve recently just hired a coach to get more proactive on your goals. Regardless of who is in your circle, there is power in accountability. When you have people you can rely on to tell it to your straight and completely out of love, you will flourish. Not only will your business or personal brand flourish, but you will also have a higher sense of self-awareness.   Our guest this week, entrepreneur and CEO of The Sport and Speed Institute, Justin Kavanaugh believes that good energy finds good energy. In other words, accountability is the key to success within your business. When we are surrounded by people who will not only help guide us through our shortcomings but also celebrate our victories alongside us, we are able to thrive. But it’s not just about pep talks and feel good speeches either. According to Justin, accountability is what helps us refocus on

Have you ever wondered why your business isn’t growing the way you want it to? Maybe you have the best business plan and you’re putting the time in daily but you’re still not getting the results you want. Or maybe your business feels stagnant. You’re not losing your loyal customers but you’re not attracting new customers either. You might even have something stirring in your heart but you feel intimidated by the word “business”. Well, what if I told you that once you focus on a few key resources, your business would actually flourish? Our guest this week, Heather DeSantis, CEO of Publicity for Good, discussed how creating a business doesn’t have to be a complicated and flashy thing. Heather spoke with us about how understanding your metrics and marketing plan, as well as understanding your clients creates room for success for your business. She tells us that one of the biggest problems business owners face is that they aren’t doing enough market research. When we start reading the news and understanding the s

After raising seven figures in revenue for a non-profit organization through powerful messaging, copywriting and marketing, Kate Boyd started her own business Cobblestone Creative Co. to focus on bringing more creativity and genuine connection to the digital marketing space. In the three years since she has built three profitable online businesses and created live and automated marketing and sales experiences that convert up to five times the normal rates. Kate developed her signature system, Conversion with Compassion, to help solopreneurs use human-driven communication and behavior-based targeting to get the right message to the right people at the right time in order to create conversion opportunities. This method focuses on high conversion rates that can effectively leverage audiences large or small.CEO Success Resource Vault, cobblestonecreativeco.com/vault   Topics Discussed: Becoming clearer on the problem you are solving. Overcoming the fear of selling Not using social as a “broadcasting” tool.   C

Do you struggle with trying to find the time to balance the different areas of your life? Maybe you struggle with not having the time for all the things you want to do. I get it. I mean, there are only so many hours in a day, right? Well, what if I told you that you have all the time in the world to do the things that matter the most to you, you just have to dig a little deeper? Our guest this week, music coach, singer/songwriter, and entrepreneur, Joshua Turner believes that if we focus on the things that are most important to us, then we will be able to make the time for our goals. Joshua tells us that when we focus on our “why”, we stop making excuses for ourselves and truly dive into our full potential. It’s not about being the very best at your gift but persevering through the hard times in order to share your gift with others.   Topics Discussed: How to break down the mental barriers that hinder your full potential. How to find a balance between family and work life at home. How to use the skills you a

Richard Moore originally worked 60 hour weeks in the City of London, before deciding to build his own businesses and help others do the same. After building companies from the trenches up, by taking ownership of sales teams, coaching leadership roles and consulting with multi-hundred million-pound organizations, Richard created his own company to help others get massive traction as they launched their businesses. As he did this, Richard invested in many of the companies he helped to create and shared with the world his views on business, through the weekly live Q&As he runs online, to speaking gigs in front of business owners in his space and his weekly blog. Richard also created products such as the Monetize You course, the Basics of Sales course and direct mentoring of established businesses.   Topics Discussed: Why "Just keep going" can be dangerous advice How to get feedback from your audience The importance of the DM   Resources Mentioned: Gary Vanynerchuk "Jab Jab Jab Right Hook   Connect with Ri

Have you ever struggled with getting behind a brand because you weren’t able to truly connect with the face behind it? Do you feel drawn to a specific brand because of the personable relationships the brand has with its clients? Or maybe you are a personal brand but struggle with connecting with your customers. The truth is, we all strive for connection and real authenticity but it can be so hard to find in an oversaturated market.   Our guest this week, founder of Something Massive creative agency, Rebecca Coleman believes that in order to grow your personal brand, you must first build authentic relationships with your audience. Building a relationship with your customer is extremely vital for growth and success. Not only is it important to connect with your audience, but it is also important to connect with those around you. The strongest influence you have on your brand, business, or service is your network. Sure, it’s important to provide great content but if you aren’t first connecting with the people yo

Rachel Ngom is a Pinterest strategist who’s used Pinterest to generate over 20,000 free leads into her business. Her Pinterest account gets over 1,000,000 monthly viewers and increased her blog traffic by 34,000 per month. She went from being on food stamps with negative $400 in her checking account to a multiple 6 figure online business. It’s now her mission to share her pinning secrets with other female entrepreneurs so they can monetize their passion and live out their purpose. Rachel has lived in Kenya, met her husband in Senegal, got married in Morocco, and now lives in France.   Free Pinterest master class: freepinterestclass.com   Topics Discussed: The importance of testing and tweaking Biggest mistakes made on Pinterest Creating Content on Pinterest   Resources Mentioned: Donald Miller: Building a Story Brand   Stay in touch with Rachel: Website Pinterest Facebook Youtube Instagram   ---   Apply for our content creators mastermind group! https://www.heatherparady.com/masterminds/   ---  

Have you ever been afraid of showing up because of what other people may think of you? Have you ever held back from reaching your greatest potential because you’re afraid of others judging your worth? Odds are, we all have sold ourselves short at some point because we were afraid of what others might say. Being afraid of other people’s judgment isn’t limited to just men or just women. We all tend to put a halt on our greatness in order to fit into someone else’s mold. But, we weren’t meant to be what someone else thinks we should be. Our guest this week, professional athlete and golf competitor, Christina Lecuyer believes that we all have something to share. We shouldn’t be afraid of what other people think of us because whatever we look like or whatever we do in life, these things don’t define our worth. What defines our worth and our success is the willingness of showing. If we aren’t showing up as our true selves and working towards our true purposes in life, we are robbing ourselves and the people we are

When was the last time you tried something new? As an adult, it's super easy to get caught up in “all that there is to do” and be SO focused on tasks that we don't actually enjoy life anymore. Even if you are like me and LOVE your work, it can be easy to burn out and lose sight of why you started in the first place. This week I interviewed Dominika Hanc founder of 100 New Things to Try and we talk about the importance of making time to try new things and allow playback in our lives. We also talk about how to overcome feeling overwhelmed when there seems to be pressure to perform and achieve and how introducing new activities into our lives can actually enrich our personal life and work.   Topics covered: ▪️ How to overcome the masks we feel pressured to wear. ▪️ How to come up with ideas of new things to try. ▪️ How to overcome the fear of doing new things (no matter what others may think) -- Apply for our Content Creators Mastermind APPLY HERE -- Want to create more content but do not know what to share? Gra

Imagine speaking in front of a thousand people for the first time. You practiced your speech over a dozen times but the moment you walk across that stage, you freeze. Your palms are sweaty, you can feel your heart beat fast, and your hands are slightly shaking. What you’re feeling is the adrenaline rush kicking in. You may start to feel awkward and uncomfortable at first, but that’s not a bad thing! There is power in embracing who you are and honing in on the art of telling your story. Our guest this week, Sally Zimney, presentation coach, speaker, and host at This Moved Me podcast, believes in the power of storytelling. Sally believes that your audience wants to connect with you, the vulnerable, raw, and real you. Being nervous is a completely normal human trait, everyone gets nervous about the things that are most important to them. When we embrace who we are and hone in on our storytelling, our audience won’t care if we forgot part of our routine. Our audience want to trust us and empathize with us. The mo