Unconventional Leaders

He said as a kid he was “socially awkward” and bullied. He found community in an unconventional way and is now using his personality to build a brand online and create a community for others who may feel outside the box as well. Today we are talking with Jose Garcia who has built a massive audience on TikTok using memes and a well-developed comedic timing. He shares with us about the art of blending multiple interests and leaning into all the unconventional parts of your personality. Connect with him: Tiktok.com/@raidenphotos   WHO IS JOSE? Originally a photographer who just wanted to build a social media presence,  Jose joined TikTok mainly to post behind the scenes videos of photoshoots and tutorials.  Then one day, he was browsing Reddit, laughing to himself and having a blast commenting on posts.  He had the thought,  “You know what?  Why don't I just record the random one-liners and reactions and make a video rather than just killing time? ”  Little did he know that one piece of content would change his

I ran across today’s guest making a cup of Chai on TikTok. No big deal right? I thought at first this was someone simply sharing their favorite recipe and thought nothing of it...until I realized that there was something unconventional going on. Kevin Wilson says that he is a “fanatic” about Chai. Why? He says that it has been a “constant companion” to him and he now uses it as a vehicle to share stories and lessons on TikTok. Today we are digging into some deep topics around our search for meaning, creativity, storytelling, and why Heather will try to stop saying, “Chai Tea”. Connect with Kevin: CrossCultureChristian.com   TOPICS: What the tea plant can teach us about humanity  How our search for meaning ties us together The role of anger in identifying your purpose Using your journals to find content ideas RESOURCES: Text us! +1 (501) 214-4307 Join our Private Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/2lPut5A Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm

I ran across this young man on TikTok, who was popping out his right eyeball, dragging himself on the ground with a car, and putting on these CRAZY skits where he was making fun of himself or so it seemed. His bio read, “My goal is to inspire you all.” As a young 19-year old college student who was born with what he refers to as “The Nathan Disability”, and has undergone 37 surgeries in his life...I had to talk to him. What is his mission? How is he using TikTok in this unique way to inspire others?    Connect with Nathan: https://www.tiktok.com/@nathan_1424   TOPICS COVERED: The importance of family and support in building confidence Tough skin on social media and not allowing negativity to get to you The drive for more and putting in the work to grow your platform Overthinking content and finding inspiration     RESOURCES: Text us! +1 (501) 214-4307 Join our Private Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/2lPut5A Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.

As Unconventional Leaders, we celebrate “going against the grain” from what others are doing. However, a byproduct of that is sometimes isolation, loneliness, and struggling to have healthy relationships. Our guest this week says that she used to be a “trash friend”. She was never interested in this topic, even felt uncomfortable getting too close to people and “leaning in even when it was beneficial”. She now helps others build close friendships-- what made the change? Today we dig into friendships for Unconventional Leaders and why vulnerability and making friendships a priority will help us on our journey of leading well and making a difference through our work.     SHOW NOTES: https://www.heatherparady.com/kbnewton/   WHO IS KRISTEN? Kristen "KB" Newton is no stranger to difficult conversations and understands how you feel which is why she has helped thousands of individuals have the HEART conversation. She provides practical insight, you engage the content and start navigating your connections well. Conn

We all make mistakes. Sometimes we run HARD after something and realize that the thing we were running after was not what it seemed. So many people chance success only to find that it was not what they thought. What do you do when everything you worked so hard for comes crashing down? That’s exactly what happened to our guest this week, Brandon Lee. After experiencing success he found himself in a season where he lost everything and had to “come face to face with his brokenness”.  Now, he says that he wants to help others “live in the sweet spot of life”. He believes that this comes only through  “intentional movement” and owning your mistakes. This is an important conversation for ALL Unconventional Leaders regardless of where you are on your journey because it reminds us to not get caught up in the ‘success” game and to focus on what REALLY matters.   WHO IS BRANDON? Brandon Lee helps coaches GROW their businesses and people GROW their lives.  He owns two marketing tech companies, and has “been a business c

Our guest this week, Reena Friedman Watts has heard it all. She started her career as a producer for the Jerry Springer show, eventually moved to other reality TV shows, and finally, she settled into the entrepreneurial world helping influencers build their platforms and tell compelling stories. What has she learned through this process? Well, quite a bit. Now on a new journey of starting her own show co-hosted with her father (Better Call Daddy), Reena is using her years of experience of finding and crafting interesting stories to build a platform via podcasting. Today, she shares with us the tips and tricks of the trade that we can apply in our own storytelling journeys. This is a HILARIOUS conversation that is unlike any I have had on the show so far, so get ready for the ride of finding and telling COMPELLING stories with the Reena Friendman Watts. Connect with her at http://bettercalldaddy.com/   WHO IS REENA? Reena loves a story, and she’s fascinated by the people behind them. In fact, she loves to brin

“Our face has 235 features that you can read.”  Why should we read the human face? Our guest this week says it's super important...and she is going to share exactly how. Speaker, trainer, and internationally recognized human behavior expert, Susan Ibitz is on a mission to help people unlock the science behind human behavior to get more of what they want at work and in life.  Known as the “Human Behavior Hacker," & " Human Polygraph" Susan teaches people how to read nonverbal human behavior—body language, face reading, and micro-expressions—and how to use it to decode other people’s hidden emotions, intentions, and future behavior. She helps people and brands use these same skills to improve sales, team productivity, employee engagement, and more. Some of the organizations she and her team have worked with are PayPal, Target, S.C. Johnson, Kashi, Polaroid, and Darden Restaurant Group.    Susan has studied human behavior for nearly 30 years in the United States, Europe, South America, Mexico, and the Caribb

He said that he was born an empath and “saw the world at a deeper level”. Now as an actor and screenwriter he wants to use his platform to “tell the story” of those in the world that are overlooked and misjudged.  Lorenzo has co-starred on NCIS New Orleans and the CW’s Valor. He was later featured in the CW pilot for “Skinny Dip” and HBO’s “True Detective”. Lorenzo’s role as Lucky in “The 24th” is his breakout film performance, truly capturing his emotional range and unique choices.  Lorenzo is a self-taught musician. He plays the piano and organ at his church . In between jobs, Lorenzo writes and produces drama, thriller, and comedy shorts. He is a serious screenwriter with several high-concept feature scripts in the works.  Lorenzo is looking forward to expanding his range with dramatic roles and multi-layered character roles such as Antwone Fisher, Radio, Ray, and Ozark’s Ben Davis.    CONNECT WITH LORENZO: https://www.facebook.com/LorenzoYearby   TOPICS:  Using empathy as a creative & Staying committ

Today we are talking about how to gain more opportunities through NETWORKING. Our guest this week is Jake Kelfer, a lifestyle entrepreneur, life elevator, and coach to ambitious entrepreneurs and freedom seekers helping people create incredibly impactful and profitable businesses.  We also chatted with Kevin Mctaggart, a stand-up comedian, and heard about his takeaways from the conversation with Jake and how artists can apply this knowledge to grow their creative pursuits. CONNECT WITH JAKE: https://www.jakekelfer.com/ CONNECT WITH KEVIN: https://www.youtube.com/user/kmac3324 SHOW NOTES: www.heatherparady.com/JAKEKELFER     FROM TODAY'S EPISODE: Different strategies for connecting with different people Moving past intimidated and fear of rejection Finding a way to break through the noise RESOURCES: Text us! +1 (501) 214-4307 Join our Private Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/2lPut5A Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unconventionalleader

“There is always something that you will sacrifice when following your dream”, says our guest this week Tiff Tyler. At the age of 23, she left her family and traveled across the country to pursue her dream of becoming a filmmaker. Six years later, she has produced hundreds of interviews for celebrities and massively successful entrepreneurs, but Tiff says she knows she is still in the ‘baby phase” of her journey.  This week we are talking about the REALITIES of following your dream- Although the reward is great, the truth is, there are a lot of sacrifices, seasons of loneliness, and an incredible amount of patience that must be spent along the way.  Tiff Tyler produces videos for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and brands with the goal of changing the world for the better. She creates media for podcasts, online courses, and events. With over 300 podcast interviews produced, She has learned that the most powerful stories are the ones that come from real-life experience. The challenges, victories, failures, an

She said she “built her business online so she could work from home in her pants…” Branding expert and Forbes contributor, Sophie Bowman joins us to share about brand development for unconventional leaders.   Sophie is a multi-award-winning social media influencer, creative agency director and Forbes published tech writer. In today’s episode, she shares with us how she plans to “take over the business world with a NextGen army prepped To outthink competitors.”    Connect with Sophia: https://www.businessownersociety.com/ Show Notes (including the previous episode): www.heatherparady.com/sophiebowman FROM TODAY'S EPISODE: Why she brought a genZer to a business meeting Why cutting corners is one of the biggest mistakes you can make in branding Showing your humanity while staying true to your brand Why some advertising sticks in your mind and others do not Being creative and finding inspiration instead of copying other people The importance of taking RISK in your brand   RESOURCES: Text us! +1 (501) 214-430

Marley Jaxx is the perfect mix of HEART and HUMOR with her online brand and content. Today we had a super honest conversation about the process of creativity, using alter egos and the role of spirituality in the unconventional journey.  Working with top dogs like Daymond John, Cristy Code Red, Alex Charfen, Rachel Pedersen, Stephen Larsen, and having worked events with Gary Vaynerchuck, Seth Godin, Randi Zuckerberg, and Robin Sharma – Marley leads her dream team specializing in impact-driven and profit-focused video strategy using The VIP Code.  Waging war against short-term influencers and creating an army of visionary leaders who refuse mediocre, mundane, and average video strategy, Jaxx Productions builds a production team around their movement through omnipresent video assets. Interested only in massive ROI and extraordinary impact, Marley and her team work to provide support around their private clients so they can focus on what their movement is meant for - changing their family, business, community, an

After reading, Rich dad poor dad, he said he "took a risk" and bought a vending machine. Although that didn't quite work out, our guest this week, (name) started a marketing agency and scaled it to six figures. Did I mention he was in high school? Don’t be fooled by his age! Jared Curry, at 18 years old, is already the CEO of Scope Marketing where he oversees a team of completely remote digital marketing geniuses. They are helping new companies double their ROAs within weeks. At 16, Jared Curry read Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and it changed his life. Now, Jared is changing the face of eComm marketing.    CONNECT WITH JARED: https://www.scope16.com/   FROM TODAY'S EPISODE: Taking massive action and identifying "what's the next step" Why he writes his goals down and has a stone mansion on his wall. How he was able to gain clients (despite being 17) Why he believes focusing on ONE thing is the key to success RESOURCES: Text us! +1 (501) 214-4307 Join our Private Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/2lPut

As a senior in college, she almost lost her life. But our guests this week, Alexa Carlton says she doesn't believe in coincidences. After surviving a 1% chance of living, Alexa took an unconventional path… Alexa Carlin is a nationally-renowned public speaker and Founder & CEO of Women Empower X. Inspired by her own entrepreneurial pursuits, Alexa founded WEX with the mission to help more women pursue their passions and get to the next level in their career and life. Alexa founded her first business in high school becoming the sole licensee to design jewelry for an L.A. based fashion company. This entrepreneurial spirit led her to start a blog in college, Hello Perfect, which served the purpose of helping young women gain confidence in themselves and attracted the likes of Mark Cuban, Shaquille O’Neal, Steve Madden, Marc Jacobs, and other influential celebrities. In college, only months before graduation, Alexa found herself in a coma with a 1% chance of living. This near-death experience led to a number o

Do you struggle sometimes to find meaning in your work? Do you wonder if you are making a difference? In today’s episode I got to connect with the “Credible Teacher”, Mike Huebner about what it means to find significance in your work and connect deeper with those around you. Mike says that he is “a human that happens to be a 6th-grade teacher.” He started The Credible Teacher to help teachers build the legacy they deserve through doing the inner work we all must do to impact those around us. Connect with Mike: https://www.thecredibleteacher.com/   FROM TODAY’s EPISODE: What makes us more human and more relatable? Why the key to credibility is being MORE of yourself Meditation and Creating intentional content Find the significance in our work when there isn't a lot of feedback RESOURCES: Text us! +1 (501) 214-4307 Join our Private Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/2lPut5A Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/heatherparady --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unconventionalleaders/message

One month before her wedding, her partner of six years left her, and that same week her college closed the opportunity for her to finish her degree. In just a few days our guest Hayley Luckadoo had to reimage what her life would look like moving forward, and she never would have guessed the Unconventional path she would soon take. Hayley is a money and marketing coach and motivational speaker who empowers entrepreneurs to let go of the things holding them back and take the steps toward bigger dreams and a better life. She is an audacious dreamer who started with a hobby wedding planning business born out of her college apartment and turned it into a serial entrepreneur success story fueled by determination and Dr. Pepper.  Through her company, Luckadoo Media, and her passion project, the Females on Fire podcast, Hayley spends most days in her very pink office, creating content and resources to educate and motivate entrepreneurs to change their lives by taking risks, dreaming bigger, and stepping into action i

Atdhe Trepca is a director working in Los Angeles and New York. His narrative and photography projects have been curated by popular publications and festivals across the country. Likewise, his commercial work has been serviced to major studios, television networks, and popular brands. The common thread between these works is a dedication to human behavior, a design-oriented vision with an affinity to celluloid film, and a high standard for compelling storytelling.  Are You Happy is a docu-series in which Atdhe Trepca travels around the world and asks strangers if they're happy. CONNECT WITH ATDHE:  https://www.happypeople.me/ https://www.happypeople.me/bus https://www.instagram.com/are_you_happpy/ FROM TODAY'S EPISODE: Tapping into the "Real life frequency" in creation Creating a space for truth in interviews/documentaries  His experience traveling and what he has learned about happiness across cultures Simplifying our messages to make them more powerful Letting go of expectation in our creative pursuit

Do you feel like you need permission to use your voice or step into your calling? Do you ever hesitate to use your creativity or share your message because you are waiting on approval?  Today’s guest Gavin Dees says that his goal is to use comedy to change the world. He shares with us how he is using his platforms to spread Hope and give voice to those who need to be heard.    Connect with Gavin: https://www.instagram.com/thegavindees/ Books Mentioned: Steal Like an Artist: https://amzn.to/3hIErQx The Body Keeps The Score: https://amzn.to/2RJKoSI FROM TODAY’s EPISODE: Seeing laughter and JOY as a contribution that matters in this world Doing something that brings you fulfillment in your life. Giving yourself PERMISSION and not waiting on someone’s approval Debunking myths about creativity and not judging your work Understanding what “privilege” means in terms of systems Finding and sharing HOPE while fanning the flame of your passion Is our content speaking up FOR something or AGAINST something? RESOURC

Can we make money doing what we love? No, really. Like the thing that fires you up and you would do for absolutely FREE, can you reasonably create a life doing THAT? Our guest this week found herself as an overworked single mother who discovered that she could recreate her life and business to be more enjoyable, free, and fruitful,  BY finding her unique gift and leaning into her passion. Megan Tull is an Entrepreneur Success Strategist, Transformational Leader in Business and Life, a Best-Selling Author and an International Speaker. Megan is CEO and Founder of Silverlining Concepts, LLC, an innovative business coaching and consulting firm. Megan's passion and expertise is to help high-achieving, success-conscious business professionals and entrepreneurs to eliminate the struggle and overwhelm by re-designing their career or business to align with their unique value and true-self. She helps them to discover their "Brilliance" allowing them to authentically attract their ideal clients with ease generating more

What I love most about today’s episode is that our guests remind us to put our MISSION at the forefront of everything we do. We need to remember the people we are trying to serve, the impact that we are called to make, and center everything we do around THAT. We have two unconventional leaders with us today who are making waves not only in the clothing industry but are giving voice to a community in a unique way. Bradford and Bryan Manning are two blind brothers on a mission to cure blindness. At a young age, they were diagnosed with an eye disease that causes blindness over time. To fight back, they left their former careers to start Two Blind Brothers, a small charitable clothing company that donates 100% of its profits to drive life-changing research for a cure for blindness. Their condition inspired special attention to details, a passion that carries over into the construction of their clothing line. Two Blind Brothers focus on quality, comfort, and "sense of touch."    TRY IT! Shop Blind: https://twobli