I was FaceTiming with my nephew Eric, a college senior preparing to take on the world and make his mark.

Eric loves writing and has a strong sense of himself. He's bold, fun and funny.  But he scared me beyond words. 

Eric told me about his papers and professors. I'm sure he saw me twitch as he described his writing style and expression within the confines of a college classroom.  

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I told Eric point-blank: For the most part, everything you've had to write in college—style, formats and opinions.—will all go out the window.

The writing most of us have learned in school and have been using in business all these years is rarely effective these days.

Why? 

Long, dry and stuffy writing is equivalent to a sleeping pill. People want personality and pizzazz.   

Please don't  misunderstand: College writing is essential in developing cri...

I keep hearing people talking about their coaches—business, marketing, Mastermind groups, sales…on and on. “I’m working on my online presence and SEO…” and “I’ve got accountability partners in my sales coaching…” and “I’m in a high-level group with ---"  

If you’ve been working with coaches either privately or in groups, I wanna let you in on a little secret.  

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Actually, it's not a little secret- it's a HUGE secret that will make ALL the difference when it comes to your ability to get amazing, like-minded ideal clients excited to invest with you.

The secret is: You don’t need more Instagram posts or lead gen to grow your business and live your dream life. YOU are the message and you're likely repelling prospects and it has nothing to do with your posts OR the quality of your leads. 

Here's the deal:

The key to PREVENTING confusing stories all together is having a ...

I was driving in a new area a few days ago and got lost...despite the GPS.

So I approached another human being who was walking his dog and he gave me on-point directions. "Go 2 miles; you'll pass the library and a gas station. At the light, turn left onto Broadway. There's a Walgreens on the corner. Take Broadway about half-a-mile and you'll see signs for the highway on the right. Bear right and then stay left towards Highway 10."

The various places and signs he told me to look for were super helpful in me finding my way. Being specific in our communication is critical, especially when we "talk to ourselves"...you know the internal soundtrack that's constantly looping in our heads. Our brains are wired to be specific. When we write down clear goals, our brains become laser-focused and move us towards what we want.

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A key take-away from students in one of my recent online coaching programs wa...

Hundreds of people over the years have asked me why reporters and podcasters are so dang hard to reach.

Why are they grumpy, uninterested and non-responsive?

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Here’s the secret:

Ninety-five percent of the pitches and “great story ideas” that are sent are irrelevant. They aren't newsworthy. They aren't valuable and “worthy” of an audience’s attention and interest.

It's that simple.

I was a radio news reporter and on-air anchor. I received thousands of pitches during my 10-year career in newsrooms in New Jersey and New York.

I decided what was newsworthy. I was the gatekeeper.

My audience depended on my sound judgement to share important, compelling and interesting stories that affected them.  The same is true today with reporters—and podcasters. They want subject matter experts—people like YOU!  

So, are you relevant to their audience??? 

Just a Lil' Tweak

One of my...

Craving more respect so you can be seen as a trusted authority in your field?  

You can land interviews on podcasts and in the media, and get hired to speak so you can share your knowledge and stories.

The result? You'll get in front of more prospects and close more sales. 

What''s stopping you? I share the biggest obstacle and how to overcome it in this short video. (2:30 ) 

You can already order a pumpkin spice latte at your favorite coffee shop and go apple picking at your local orchard. Labor Day weekend in the U.S. simply seals the deal—the unofficial start of fall is here.

Almost right on cue, National Read a Book Day is Sunday, September 6. What better way to relax and de-stress this time of year than by curling up with a good book?

Whether you’re soaking up the last days of summer or jumping right into fall, you’ll want to add one of these books to your reading list.

Here are a few...and click here to see the entire list: 

• “Doesn't Hurt to Ask: Using the Power of Questions to Communicate, Connect, and Persuade” by Trey Gowdy. Learn how to seize opportunities and make a case for yourself.
• “The Middle Finger Project” by Ash Ambirge. My favorite entrepreneurial journey book. The title says it all!
• "Radical Self Love: A Guide to Loving Yourself and Living Your Dreams" by Gala Darling. Discover how to create the life you want and become your own
...

As we wrap up the summer, take time to catch up on some of the goofy business things that may be nagging at you day-to-day. #Energydrains

If you're ready to recharge your battery and kick-start your success, this list will help.

These small tasks can make your life less stressful and easier to manage day-to-day. You may even develop a new habit.

1. Clean up your contact lists and database.

2. Sort through your Favorites and Bookmarks. Categorize them and delete the ones that are no longer relevant.

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3. Go paperless when possible. Shred or toss old papers you don’t need.

4. Read the magazines you’ve been saving for the past three months.

5. Get rid of the magazines you’ve been saving for the past three months.

6. Contact someone you admire and ask to interview them for a post or video.

7. Volunteer with a local nonprofit that can benefit from your business expertise.

8...

Do you feel like you can write or talk about anything and everything, except for your own experience and journey?  

You’re not alone.

You may feel like you need to cram your whole life story into one sentence. Other times you need to hand over a novel.

Writing a professional bio can be challenging because these days, one size does not fit all.

Take the time to prep these four variations of your bio so that you're prepared and confident anytime, anywhere.

Full Bio

Start big! Write (or update) your professional bio similar to a LinkedIn profile. Think 300 words or so.

• Write in first person
• Balance professional with personality
• Focus on results; not tasks
• Use short punchy sentences
• Include keywords for SEO but don’t force them

Use the full bio as a baseline for the next few.

Short Paragraphs for Speaking Engagements + Interviews

You’ll probably find yourself using this one most often. I recommend pulling 8-10 short sentences from your full bio. They don’t have to be in t...

I used to say that business cards weren’t going out of style anytime soon. With COVID-19, we're clearly not handing them out at meetings like we were pre-pandemic.

No worries. There are still plenty of meaningful ways to network in a virtual environment. The best news — no extra Zoom meetings required!

You can build a quality network to grow your business with the platforms right at your fingertips.

Consider Facebook.

These days there’s a Facebook group for just about everything.

Here's the key to finding the right one to grow your business. Join the groups and chats where your ideal client spends time.Know where they are...and GO THERE.  In my brilliance, I call this the "Know and Go " strategy. 💥

Then, jump into discussions to connect with others who have pain points around your expertise. Build rapport and a connection...and Be the Solution. More brilliance: 😎This is the B.S. strategy. 

When networking online: 

• Don’t go in "sales-first"
• Be genuine
• Treat every encounter a
...

The other day I got an email from author and entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz with the shortest marketing lesson ever: Be different. 

Easy, right?

 Not quite.

Michalowicz  shared a video explaining an offer he got in the mail from a company specializing in replacement windows and doors. It wasn’t typical junk mail. It was a handwritten letter on heavy stock paper.

It was different.

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According to Michalowicz, once you stand out by doing something different, you need to take it two steps further. Your content or marketing must be attractive with a strong call-to-action. 

The mailer looked enticing...at first.

But as Michalowicz  took a deeper dive, things didn’t add up.

First, the sender identified himself as Larry, yet the letter was written in bubbly cursive handwriting.  Michalowicz says the writing was more feminine than what he's seen from most men. Maybe it's a generalizat...