Afleveringen
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Add value to your user experience without alienating clients and prospects
Itâs time for the finale of the Leveraging AI series with Mary Fearon! We're wrapping up with a final discussion on improving customer service with AI.
When to Start & Stop with AI Automation
Chatbots and automated messaging systems are the most common AI solutions for customer service and prospecting. These solutions certainly have their place, but at what point do they become harmful to your brand?
In this episode, we discuss the harm of over-relying on AI to be the solution to your (or your customerâs) problem and how to avoid this mistake in your business.
Behind-the-Scene Uses of AI to Benefit Your Customers & Clients
When you think about customer service, the goal is to provide a valuable experience. Tune in as Mary and I discuss how AI can enhance this by acting as a personal assistant, quickly handling labor-intensive tasks like writing customer-facing documents and accelerating research to understand new clients. Want all of our suggestions on how to save yourself time while building a deeper connection with your clients? This is the episode for you.
Interested in attending our AI workshop? Sign up for our waitlist at lisalarter.com/ai to be the first to know about the investment, format, and details. Mary and I can't wait to help you start experimenting with AI in your business.
We had a lot of fun recording this series together, and we hope you're inspired to jump into this next phase of business operation with the help of your AI personal assistant!
Whatâs In This Episode Experimenting with AI for business improvement Personal and business relationships AI cannot replace AI-generated user guides, onboarding documents, etc. Importance of inspection to ensure AI tools maintain brand integrity What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e167 for all resources from this episode.
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The Perks & Risks of AI for Content Creation
Welcome to the fourth episode of our Leveraging AI series! Mary Fearon and I are back to share our perspectives and experiences using AI in our businesses. Missed the introduction to this series? Go back and listen to episodes 163, 164, and 165! In today's episode, we talk about one of AIâs most common usesâcontent creation.
Valuable Content is Never 100% AI
Anyone using AI will usually input the same prompt and receive the same generic response. To turn that response into something that is actually valuable, you must inject your opinion, perspective, and wisdom. Stand out from the massive amount of AI-generated content that is currently saturating digital spaces by using it as a tool to brainstorm and develop strong content faster instead of letting it do all your thinking for you. Using AI should speed up the process but never replace your voice.
AI Is Not An Easy ButtonâHere Are Smart Ways To Use It
Mary and I discuss how we use AI as a springboard to come up with ideas to write about. We ask AI to condense writing into social media posts, bios, or website copy with a set character limit. Sometimes, we ask it to provide different versions of already-written copy using more persuasive or pithy language. Listen in to hear how we even use AI for more effective SEO when writing blogs or web pages!
We'd love for you to join us for the AI in Business workshop Mary and I plan to host. For more information, sign up for our waitlist here: lisalarter.com/ai.
Whatâs In This Episode Strategies for optimizing content length using AI AI for creating website starter copy and headlines Finding the balance between AI and personal voice Warning against overreliance on AI Adding personal value and perspective to AI-generated content What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e166 for all resources from this episode.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Cut Out the Heavy LiftingâUse AI To Gain Momentum For Your Ideas
Welcome back to week 3 of our 5-week series, Leveraging AI: Proven, Practical, & Tactical Approaches to Using AI in Your Business. Today, we're diving into how we use AI for idea generation and our top tips for writing powerful, time-saving prompts.
This series is in collaboration with my friend and colleague, Mary Fearon. Mary, if you have yet to hear in the previous two episodes, is a fellow marketing agency owner. She is the Founder and CEO of OnPrPose, a company that helps entrepreneurs and businesses tell their stories effectively, both internally and externally.
If you just found this series, go back to our introduction episode, AI: Introducing Your New Unpaid Team Member.
Today, we are focusing on how to be the best âcreative directorâ so that whatever AI tool you are using can give you usable, valuable ideas as a brainstorming partner. The magic all lies in your prompts.
How to Talk to AIWhen using AI, you have to shift your mindset around how you request information. With a search engine, you would input strings of keywords and find pretty relevant search results. When using AI, you have to expand your prompt to give context and background for the work you're producing, just like you would to a member of your team.
By taking the time to craft thorough prompts, you're limiting the amount of back-and-forth and getting hyper-relevant copy or ideas in response. Listen in for our top tips on how to frame a thorough prompt for AI!
What Do We Use AI For?As marketing agency owners, Mary and I use AI to do a lot of the heavy lifting that once took hours for our team to do. For example, Mary uses AI for competitive analysis. Instead of having to comb through several websites and social media pages, AI can give you an overview.
In this episode, we go over many more ways we use AI in marketing, including creating and writing in our clients' voices, creating client avatars, and even ideas for increasing engagement on social media.
AI allows you to take an idea, cuts down the drafting time, and gets you to a place where you can apply your expertise, style, and perspective in just a few minutes. Mary and I have had so much fun finding different ways to use AI in our businesses, and we hope you're getting inspired on how to start using it in yours!
If you'd like more information about the AI in Business workshop Mary and I plan to host, sign up for our waitlist here: lisalarter.com/ai.
Whatâs In This Episode Shift from traditional search queries to conversational prompts for AI usage Mary and Lisa's experiences using AI to generate fresh ideas for podcasts, newsletters, and workshops Viewing AI as a tool to deliver more value without replacing individual perspective and expertise Using AI for competitive analysis, establishing a clientâs voice, and creating avatars or personas for targeting content to appropriate audiences What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e165 for all resources from this episode.
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Our favorite AI tools, user tips, and privacy considerations
Mary Fearon and I are back with the second episode of our AI series! In this series of conversations, we deep-dive into how we use AI in our businesses, and today's episode is all about how we use AI in meetings.
If you missed it from last week, Mary is the founder and CEO of On Prpose, a company helping entrepreneurs and businesses tell their stories effectively. With a keen eye for uncovering hidden narratives, Mary and her team excel at distilling complex information into compelling, relatable content.
Mary and I both run marketing agencies, and it goes without saying we attend a lot of meetings every single week. There are lots of meeting notes to keep up with and action items to implement, so it is imperative we have reliable meeting notes. Having AI take those notes and summarize our action items has been a huge time saver, but there has been a learning curve as we get used to using this tool and find our favorite AI notetakers for our needs.
Let's Compare & Contrast
Mary and I go over the AI tools we started with, got rid of, and our overall favorites for making our meetings more productive and our implementation even faster. We hope our experience and advice help you decide which one to try for yourself in your next meeting.
We Cover Privacy & Productivity
Mary and I also go over our thoughts on privacy within our businesses and with our clients when using AI for meeting notes, before we end the episode with a great time-management AI tool suggestion that has helped alleviate stress in Mary's company. We hope this was useful for you to begin seeing the value of using AI in your business!
Next week, we will discuss how AI helps us with idea generation and even how to craft effective prompts. Stay tuned for the rest of the series, which will cover using AI for content creation, customer service, and more!
If you'd like more information about the AI in Business workshop Mary and I plan to host, sign up for our waitlist here: lisalarter.com/ai.
Whatâs In This Episode Overview of AI tools for recording, transcribing, and summarizing meetings Translating meeting information into implementation effectively Establishing protocols for using AI in meetings and respecting privacy and confidentiality agreements What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e164 for all resources from this episode.
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Turns Hours of Work Into Minutes with AI
Welcome to the first episode of a new season in collaboration with Mary Fearon! For this series of conversations, Mary Fearon and I will be talking all about AI.
Mary and I both run marketing agencies, and we've started introducing AI into our team workflows and personal lives. If you're a small business looking to learn how AI can help you save time and effort, this is a great introduction.
With AI, we've been able to streamline our processes, freeing up more time for what we do best!
Mary is the founder and CEO of On Prpose, a company helping entrepreneurs and businesses tell their stories effectively. With a keen eye for uncovering hidden narratives, Mary and her team excel at distilling complex information into compelling, relatable content.
Mary has helped hundreds of companies in complex industrial and technical businesses, including agriculture, manufacturing, mining, construction, engineering, and more. Varied experience has honed her ability to find and communicate the essence of a business or industry, no matter how technical or nuanced. She believes in the power of storytelling to capture complexity while making it interesting and relevant to the audience.
The Number 1 Way We Use AI
AI has saved us from blank-page syndromeâitâs an amazing brainstorming partner. When starting a new project or wanting to create something from scratch, we both have noticed how quickly AI can take us from an abstract idea to something to work with. It eliminates five hours of coming up with a rough draft and instead gives us that time to focus on refining the copy, adding a brand voice, and focusing on the end result.
Where to start with AI?
There are many AI options to choose from and each one has its own benefits and drawbacks. Pick one, get to know it really well, and then you're more able to make a judgement on how you like using AI in your business and what features you may be looking for in other AI options.
In this episode, we also discuss increasing the quality of your prompts. The better your prompts, the better and more effective your results will be. Instead of thinking about how to search for a result, picture how you would give context and instructions to a coworker.
Tune in to hear all about some fun ways we've used AI outside of work! It has helped us come up with dinner ideas, gift ideas, or even how to track macros. There are so many ways to use AI and save valuable time.
The biggest takeaway for business owners who are hesitant to begin working with AI is that it is a tool. While AI helps us do our work faster and more efficiently, it will never be able to replace the wisdom, culture, and perspective humans bring to our work. The relationships, inspiration, and ideas fueling our business will never start with AI but can be developed and come to fruition much faster with its help.
If you'd like more information about the AI in Business workshop Mary and I plan to host, sign up for our waitlist here: lisalarter.com/ai.
Whatâs In This Episode How marketing agencies use AI Enabling speed and reducing refining time Resistance to AI and âAI snobberyâ Fun ways to use AI in your personal life What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e163 for all resources from this episode.
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Dial into your employeesâ superpowers to help them on their journey
Adan was formerly the Marketing Team Manager and Marketing Strategist for the Lisa Larter Group and once served as a special guest host for six episodes of "She Talks Business" with our current Team Manager, Cass Bald. In this episode, Adan puts me in the hot seat for one of my favorite types of episodes where she gets to ask me anything!
Adan co-owns The Small Business Marketers and serves a few businesses as a Fractional Sales Manager. Her mission is to bring corporate-style marketing and sales teams to small businesses.
In 2020, Adan began her marketing career by helping brick-and-mortar stores go digital during the pandemic. Over the past four years, she has helped over 75 small businesses implement effective marketing and sales strategies.
Outside of her professional life, Adan is dedicated to raising awareness about mental health and ADHD in the workplace.
Navigating Mental Health Conditions in the Workplace
In this episode, Adan and I discuss how an employer should approach working with an employee with ADHD, anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions.
Adan thinks of her ADHD as her superpowerâshe loves talking to clients, and that's what she does best. We agree that open communication is a must for deciding where an employee can excel based on their individual superpowers. What do you think?
Cultivate a Winning Environment for Your Employees
Do you view your role as an employer as being part of your employeesâ journeys? When you give your people an environment where they can be honest about their goals to move on to entrepreneurship, or whatever the next step is in their journey, you will foster a relationship of trust and empowerment.
In this episode, we also cover the importance of marketing, whether it's for lead generation or credibility, and focus on sales skills. We end off with a fun discussion on which designer bag means youâve âmade it.â Thanks for listening in!
Whatâs In This Episode How to accommodate employees with ADHD or other mental health conditions Sale skills for small businesses Best way to view employer/employee relationship The role of marketing in your business Which designer bag means youâve "made it?" What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e162 for all resources from this episode.
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Gut Instincts and Common Sense Over an MBA Any Day
We are so lucky to have an amazing woman who also happens to be an incredible businesswoman join us on the show this week! Amber Vilhauer and I started our businesses only one year apart in 2007 and 2008, so I wanted to ask her some questions focused on longevity and what she believes are the reasons she's stayed in business for 17 years and counting.
Amber is a Books & Business strategist, multi-bestselling author, speaker, and Founder of NGNG Enterprises (No Guts No Glory), an Inc. 5000 top marketing agency. She is the author of Infinite Impact and co-author of The Long Forest Trail with her son, Clay.
Since starting NGNG in 2007, Amber has helped thousands of entrepreneurs align their businesses with their core talents and desires, empowering them to build the business and life of their dreams while naturally scaling revenue and impact.
Among her clients, Amber has a reputation for getting quality work done quickly. She and her team routinely get in the trenches, implementing custom marketing strategies that attract qualified leads, launching bestselling books, and growing engaged followings that convert. Her strategies are comprehensive, deep, and built to align every aspect of her clients' businesses with their ultimate visions.
No MBA? No Problem.
Amber and I do not have MBAs and we didn't plan to have our own businesses when we first entered the workforce. We learned the skills necessary to keep our business growing and profitable, but it's not finance, marketing, or other technical skills keeping us in business. Amber believes consistency and her non-negotiables around how she treats clients and the quality of her work truly make a difference.
Get Over Perfectionism & Get Scrappy
Amber has great advice on how to shift your perspective on getting work done. By letting go of perfectionism, we can better help people in need of our services.
Don't underestimate the value of being scrappy as an entrepreneur. When we live in an age where we can learn about anything with just a few searches and countless resources, there is no excuse to let, "I haven't done that before" or "I don't know how to do that," stand in your way.
Find A Balance and the Right Fit
As a single mom, Amber lets us in on how she's able to be a present mom AND a successful businesswoman. Her priorities are always top of mind. She even lets us in on her process of deciding if a client is still in alignment with her values and if they still light her up when working with them. If they don't, she lets them go in a gentle but straightforward way.
As you'll hear in our discussion, Amber and I agree that treating your clients well, prioritizing your energy as a business owner, and confronting your perfectionism will help you go the distance. Happy Listening!
Whatâs In This Episode Non-negotiables and consistency lead to longevity in business Prioritize effort, energy, and intention over perfectionism How to let a client go Running a business as a single mother Word of mouth is the most powerful piece of marketing What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e161 for all resources from this episode.
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Business, Legacy, & Bucket ListsâWe Cover It All
I am beyond thrilled to have my long-time friend, colleague, client, and co-conspirator, Samantha Moonsammy, acting as our guest host in this edition of Ask Me Anything!
If you remember the Oprah in Ottawa event I referenced a few episodes back, Samantha is the woman who I worked with to bring that event about. She is a great person with an amazing heart, and since weâve worked together on many events and used to live only 20 minutes from each other, she came up with some great personal and professional questions. She even asked me a really big question about why I left Canada. Thatâs something Iâve never talked about before, so Iâm glad she asked!
Samantha works with authors through Lucky Book Publishingâs signature VIP programs that include writing, publishing, and marketing. She provides strategic coaching to authors and helps them craft the best-selling title, subtitle, book outlines, story-telling, and wow-factor branding that makes you stand out from the crowd.
Before running Lucky Book Publishing, Samantha was an award-winning celebrity event planner, television host, media personality, and public servant. She has been on book marketing event teams for many award-winning thought leaders including Elizabeth Gilbert, Deepak Chopra, the late Wayne Dyer, Caroline Myss, Marianne Williamson, and Eckhart Tolle.
In this episode, we go from morning routines, habits, professional tools, and favorite books to bucket-list items. We even discuss some memorable Lisa Larter quotes, including, âFree is too expensive,â and âYou canât ride two horses with one ass.â
This was so much fun to record with Samantha, and Iâm so glad she was able to take the mic and guest host for us this week!
Whatâs In This Episode Lisaâs professional and personal habits Why Lisa left Canada and moved to the United States Professional tools for productivity with a remote team Legacy and impact What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e160 for all resources from this episode.
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Not all business owners are.
This episode of She Talks Business is out of the ordinary because it's not for the average person. In fact, I'm going to tell you right nowâthis episode isn't for 99.9% of you. Today, our guest, Justin Breen, is only talking to true visionariesâa special group that makes up only 0.1% of the population.
Justin's purpose in life is to connect visionaries for the benefit of humanity, and he founded his business, BrEpic Network, to do precisely that.
We talk about what it means to be a true visionary and even if I am a true visionary. Talking with Justin, I found out there are three qualities a true visionary will always have, with no exceptions.
Quality #1: Prioritize serving others even after their lifetime. Business, profit, and money are never the focus of a visionary. Instead, those things are a by-product of their primary focus as they create a service and system that will outlive even the visionary who created it.
Quality #2: Live without limits in full abundance. Visionaries don't have a scarcity mindset, and because of that, they don't worry about whether they will achieve their goals but instead dive into the third quality, taking action toward how they will achieve their goal.
Quality #3: Take action to implement their plan to serve others. Because they have an abundance mindset, they focus on investment, not cost. The faith they have in their idea of helping others will propel them to move forward with their plan without hesitating or second-guessing.
Do you have these qualities, and do you relate to Justin and his worldview? If so, you're a visionary!
Listen to this episode as we explore each of these traits. We even get Justin's opinion on famous entrepreneurs such as Richard Branson and Elon Musk. This was a fascinating conversationâI hope you enjoy it!
Whatâs In This EpisodeConversation with Founder and CEO of BrEpic network
Qualities of true visionaries
Visionaries make up only 0.1% of the population
Find your gift in life
What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e159 for all resources from this episode.
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Exponentially Increase Your Impact with Genuine Connections
Welcome back to She Talks Business! Today, we are sitting down with someone I look up to so much, Giovanni Marsico.
I've been attending his event, Archangel Summit, since 2016, and Iâm so glad he is joining me today. We have so much to learn from someone who values relationships more than anything, and it's with this mindset that he has achieved all of his success.
Giovanni is a two-time Emmy award-winning producer and the CEO and founder of Archangel, a global community of entrepreneurs on a mission to impact millions of people together. As a producer, he's creating a new genre he calls real-life superhero movies with films like Dreamer and Hero to inspire millions of people to dream bigger, unleash their gifts, and change the world.
The Secret to a Devoted Community
Giovanni has cultivated a network of high-profile connections who show up for him at his events as speakers and who are loyal to him when he may need to ask a favor in the future.
The success of these connections never starts with a transaction or with business in mind, but instead, Giovanni views his role with a new individual as, "How can I help you on your journey?"
This selfless commitment to their betterment instead of his own results in much deeper connections than a business transaction ever could.
Mitigate Risk Like a Pro
When Giovanni thinks about his events and working with clients, he doesn't focus on selling but on a long-term investment in a relationship. He views his events as a journey he takes the audience on, and he aims to create an experience so awesome and valuable that people can't wait to come to the next one. When working with clients, he wants the experience to be so amazing his clients continue to work with him.
We cover a lot of different topics from identity, confidence, mitigating risks, and how to culitvate deep relationships. Giovanni offers such valuable insights, so I can't wait to hear what you get out of this episode.
If you're interested in attending Giovanni's event, Archangel, with me in September, 2024, and want to amplify your learning, reach out by emailing [email protected]. I can't wait to get back to this event and see what Giovanni has planned for this year!
Whatâs In This EpisodeNetwork by investing in relationships without keeping score
Importance of surrounding oneself with the right people
Focus on creating an experience with your event, not traditional hard-sell tactics
Overcoming Criticism and Embracing New Roles
What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e158 for all resources from this episode.
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From Wiener Dogs to Dropping Out of High School to Going into Business 100% for Myself
This edition of Ask Me Anything was such a blast to do with my new podcasting BFF, Richard Citrin.
Richard, if you don't remember from my previous episode with him, helps people successfully navigate the inevitable happenings of life. Whether they are wins or failures, he helps his clients learn essential lessons and see opportunities for growth.
Richard's study of resilience and leadership, along with his many years as a psychologist, business entrepreneur, and corporate healthcare leader, prepared him to advise and support global and local corporate and nonprofit organizations, educators, medical professionals, and individuals to find their most extraordinary talents and use them for their success and to better the world.
Richard did an excellent job preparing a balance of personal and business questions for this Ask Me Anything. This episode is sure to be as much fun to listen to as it was to record!
It starts off with a bang as we discuss how I discovered my love for weiner dogs, why I dropped out of high school, and how I decided to fully bet on myself and go all-in with my own business.
Resilient from the Very Start
I have no idea why my kindergarten teacher said this to my mom, but she said, "You could put Lisa out in the world by herself right now, and she would survive." I have this innate resilience to just figure stuff out when I want to do something or don't want to do something. That trait was present when I was 5, and it really showed itself again when I needed to start working at 18. Another example was when I wanted to open my first Telus dealership and further my career. That figure-it-out-no-matter-what attitude is really what makes or breaks an entrepreneur.
Art: The 1 Credit Keeping Me from a High School Diploma
For the longest time, I thought I wasn't creative because the one credit I never took to finish high school was art. It's not that I'm not creative. I call creativity strategy. Strategy is about figuring out the best way to shorten the distance to help somebody get to where they want to be. I see how to position and package someone's potential and bring it to life for them.
Is AI a Threat to Creative Businesses?
Richard asks about how I expect AI to affect business and entrepreneurs. As someone who has adopted a few AI programs already into my business, I believe that AI is not going away, but it will not replace human connection or human creativity. AI is only as useful as the prompts and guidance someone gives the program. Plus, just as we all got Zoom fatigue during and after the pandemic, we're still going to crave human connection, creativity, and guidance that AI will never replace.
This was such a fun and valuable episode! Give it a listen, and be sure to subscribe and share.
Whatâs In This EpisodeHow Lisa came to be obsessed with dachshunds
Why Lisa dropped out of school and her start in retail
Lisa's successful career in business, including owning a Telus dealership
Creativity as strategy and its value in entrepreneurship
Why Lisa started She Talks Business
What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e157 for all resources from this episode.
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Be the Best You Can Be
Joining us this week on She Talks Business is a very special guest, Phil Holberton. He is an incredible example of how mental agility can help you overcome some of the biggest physical and mental challenges you face in life.
With many decades of specialized expertise in strategic planning, business development, operations, and executive coaching for senior executives, business owners, and CEOs, he has consistently stayed at the forefront of his field. He has successfully guided and developed senior management teams in various companies, a testament to his ability to drive organizational growth and success through effective leadership.
Stop Comparing Yourself
After suffering from a massive seizure, Phil shares with us how he grew the most in his own mental agility. He went from doing basic stretches and needing help getting up and down from the floor in the gym to doing 90-pound weighted goblet squats in just five years.
His physical shape now is in the top one-half of 1% of people his age, but the way Phil achieved that is not by aiming to be in the top 1% but by focusing on being the healthiest version of himself he can be.
3 Steps to Better Mental Agility
Phil believes mental agility is preparing yourself to be the best you can be. You're setting yourself up to live your life well and handle whatever is thrown at you.
There are 3 things he does to be on his A-game: get enough sleep, eat well, and exercise.
Be Who You Want To Be
Habits and routines set you up for success and get you ready to face the day, but they also help you become who you want to be.
Mental agility is about mindset and how you react to different challenges and situations. Prepare yourself by adopting healthy habits for your body, and you'll achieve the mental agility you want in your mind.
We have a great discussion where we focus on continuing to learn and being open and vulnerable to grow as a leader and as a person. I know you'll find some great inspiration and takeaways from this episode, so be sure to share it on social media or with a friend!
Whatâs In This EpisodeManaging sleep, diet, and exercise for mental agility
Commitment to continuous learning and personal development
Benefits of openness and vulnerability in peer groups
Impact of personal attributes on leadership and performance
Promotion of Positive Company Culture
What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e156 for all resources from this episode.
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It's Hardwired Into You.
If you've ever felt defeated, like you shouldn't have even started your business or taken on that project, or maybe you just can't get over grief in your personal life, then you need to listen to this week's special guest, Richard Citrin, an expert on resilience. Richard views and talks about resilience in a way I hadn't considered before, where resilience isn't a skill to acquire but rather a muscle all of us already possess. We discuss how to practice growing this resilience muscle and how to overcome and prepare for those challenging situations life inevitably throws at us.
Richard Citron is a psychologist, business entrepreneur, and corporate healthcare leader with a PhD and an MBA. He helps people successfully navigate challenging seasons in their lives. Richard helps his clients learn the essential lessons and opportunities for growth in wins or failures in their lives. Richard's study of resilience and leadership prepared him to advise and support global and local, corporate and nonprofit organizations, educators, medical professionals, and individuals to find their most extraordinary talents and use them for their success and to better the world.
The 4 Components of Resilience
When considering resilience in terms of human behavior and how we address stressful situations, Richard considers it our ability to effectively plan for, navigate successfully in real-time, and bounce forward from challenging and difficult events, so we learn and grow from them.
Practical Tips to Do More Than Survive
Richard and his wife lost two adult children in a relatively short timeframe, so they know personally what it's like to face grief and embrace resilience. Richard's advice when it comes to feeling like you're only surviving is to embrace your community and get professional help. Let your friends, family, and everyone else in your support system help you and don't isolate yourself. Getting professional help, such as therapy, will also help you understand your mental state more and help you move toward a healthier, manageable balance of emotions.
The silver bullet for resilience and overcoming extreme emotions is mindset, Richard says. Prepare for adversity by having a positive mindset and intentionally spending time doing what makes you happy.
I am so grateful to Richard and his wife for overcoming their tragedy and finding ways to help others deal with tragedies and challenges in their own lives. If this episode was insightful and eye-opening to you, please leave us a review and share it with those who may need it right now.
Whatâs In This EpisodeAnticipating and preparing for triggers
Handling overwhelming life changes
Surviving as a critical aspect of resilience
Community and professional support
Importance of mindset
What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e155 for all resources from this episode.
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From Directionless to Navigating Deserts & Frozen Tundra
This might be the best episode we've ever done of She Talks Business. I'm stoked to have special guest and old friend Ray Zahab on the show to talk about his incredible transformation from a pack-a-day smoker to an ultra-distance runner and explorer. We even dive into how he applied the same mindset he had around transforming his life the first time to how he approached battling cancer.
Who is Ray Zahab?
Let me tell you a little bit about Ray. He is a Canadian explorer, an ultra-distance runner, and the founder of the nonprofit Impossible to Possible. In addition to being an adventurer, author, youth advocate, and runner, Ray speaks around the world. He has appeared on several talk and news programs and in print media globally. He continues today with life as an adventurer and as a volunteer. With Impossible to Possible, his first race would begin a lifelong journey of discovery and learning that some of the greatest barriers to achieving our goals are the ones we put upon ourselves. By breaking these down, Ray has learned that we are all capable of achieving truly extraordinary things.
The Catalyst
On the show, I ask Ray what the spark was that inspired him to go from sitting on his couch day after day to believing he could run across the Sahara Desert. Like most of us, Ray saw someone, his brother, who seemed happier and doing well in his life, and Ray wanted to feel good, confident, and passionate just like his brother. He started doing what his brother was doing. He got in shape. He started racing mountain bikes and running, and then, after a few years of trying new things, he started doing and winning ultramarathons. And that's how he found his sport.
This idea of wanting what someone else has is something I see all the time with business owners who align themselves with coaches and advisors. The hardest thing to do once you've found your role model is to commit to doing what needs to be done to accomplish the same goals.
Explorer Mindset = Entrepreneurial Mindset
You will be so inspired by our conversations about motivation, resilience, the importance of continuing to learn, and Ray's views on mindset and limitations. This episode is really, really interesting because we go from Ray overcoming dissatisfaction in his everyday life to learning how to navigate life with cancer and undergoing cancer treatments to the mindset needed to undergo and keep going on an expedition. It's just really fascinating, inspiring stuff!
I know you'll find this episode as incredible as I did, so please give it a listen and then share it with your people!
Whatâs In This EpisodeRay's journey from being a pack-a-day smoker to an adventurous ultra-marathon runner
Redefining human potential and limitations
Rayâs approach to staying active during chemotherapy
Importance of remaining humble and open-minded for personal growth
The entrepreneurial spirit is believing that with enough time and effort, you will succeed
What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e154 for all resources from this episode.
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Women Lead Differently In the Best Way Possible
Our special guest on She Talks Business this week has had a profound impact on some of the most accomplished female entrepreneurs of our time, guiding them to reach new heights in their businesses.
We are incredibly lucky to have Kris Plachy on the show, as she is busy doing so many amazing things and is in such high demand.
She does so many great things, including being the founder of The Visionary CEO and the host of the "Leadership is Feminine" podcast.
Kris has supported powerful women in generating millions of dollars by hiring, leading, and firing hundreds of team members and navigating countless difficult moments, circumstances, and conversations.
Which Qualities Make the Best Leaders?
To start the show, we discuss which traits women have that make them exceptional leaders. If you think about it, leaders are usually described as powerful and authoritative with a lot of gravitas, but I want you to think about the leader you've admired most in your own experience.
More than likely, they weren't the stern, demanding, and commanding figures we picture when we think of leaders. The best leaders cultivate culture; they listen to us, support our efforts, and make us feel motivated and excited to do well. And do you know who excels at creating that kind of environment? Women.
Define Your Mission, Vision, & Values
Hiring, firing, and running your team will get infinitely easier once you clearly define your expectationsâyour mission, vision, and valuesâwithin your business. Identifying your values then helps you define each team member's roles and expected performance. By aligning your team with those qualities and goals, you are aligning yourself and your team for success in achieving your next milestone.
Your Team Members Are Not Your Allies
In this episode, we also dive into the challenges women must overcome to lead their teams effectively and to keep their goals in focus.
These challenges include having difficult conversations with team members who may be underperforming or are no longer the right fit. Another common struggle is women finding allies on their team.
Discussing your roadblocks with someone for their perspective is important, but your allies are not your employees. Your allies will be mentors and third parties with an outside perspective of your business who, more than likely, have already done what you're aiming to do.
I think you're really going to enjoy this episode! Kris gives you great, actionable tips on how to be more comfortable with difficult conversations and how to approach them with confidence.
Be sure to subscribe and share this episode if it is valuable to you!
Whatâs In This EpisodeCommon challenges faced by women leaders
How to have difficult conversations
The importance of defining your businessâs mission, vision, & values
Monetize intellectual property
What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e153 for all resources from this episode.
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Heal Your Mind to Heal Your Business
This week, we're talking with special guest Annie Wright, LMFT, a psychotherapist, about relational trauma and mental wellness and how it affects your business.
Annie founded and runs Evergreen Counseling, a boutique trauma-informed therapy center in Berkeley, California, where she practices therapy and oversees a staff of 20 trauma therapists. In addition to her direct clinical work, she runs an online course called Hard Families Good Boundaries. This transformative video-based program helps folks deal more effectively with the difficult family members who may be in their livesâI'm sure we all have some of those.
She is also a published mental health author, with her opinions appearing in Business Insider, Forbes, NBC, the Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, and more.
Every bit of Annie's work in the world, her clinical work, the center she founded, the courses she runs, and every article she writes is designed to support ambitious, upwardly mobile women from relational trauma backgrounds.
We talk about mental health, emotional dysregulation, the importance of business owners having a healthy mental perspective, and how to recognize when they might need additional support.
In this episode, Annie and I have a great conversation about relational trauma and how two people can experience the same relational trauma and have two very different experiences and outcomes. We then discuss resilience and what you can do to create more resilience in your life.
Finally, we wrap up the show by talking about the impact of mobile devices on your mental health.
I hope you enjoy this episodeâI think it's really important because one of the best things you can do for yourself as a business owner is to really understand your own mental health.
The more healthy and well you are from a mental health perspective, the better equipped you are to serve your customers, support your team, and take care of yourself.
Whatâs In This EpisodeHow to identify when you should try therapy
Defining relational trauma and identifying its effects
How to become more resilient
The importance of sleep, limited screen time, and exercise to our mental wellness
What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e152 for all resources from this episode.
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Sharpen Your Business Systems for Success
This week on She Talks Business, Iâll be recording the second âMy Takeâ series where I will give you my opinion and what I took away from my most recent read. Weâll be talking about Nick Sonnenbergâs Come Up for Air: How Teams Can Leverage Systems and Tools to Stop Drowning in Work.
The short version: This is excellent. Itâs a fantastic, super smart book. I highly recommend you read it and apply its principles to your team.
Essentially, this whole book is about doing more efficient work so you can literally come up for air. This includes taking your communication and separating it between internal and external, taking your planning for projects and ensuring that you have the right work management tools, and then taking your resources and making sure you have an efficient knowledge base and the right process management tools.
Your Business is Only as Effective as Your Systems
I open the episode with Dr. W. Edward Demingâs 94% Rule, which basically says 94% of the results you experience in your business all stem from your processes and systems, not the individuals making up your team.
When operating in your business and setting up systems for your team, there is a tendency to outgrow your system or identify how a system isnât working the way youâd hoped. Instead of reassessing and starting from scratch with a new system, we tend to put bandaids and make exceptions so we can continue using this already established but not very effective system.
What really needs to happen, and Nick really sheds light on this, is we need to assess all of our systems in their entirety to ensure that they are serving their purpose and making your life and your teamâs life easier.
CPR: Communication, Planning, Resources
Nick Sonnenberg's CPR framework lays the foundation for categorizing and optimizing business processes. Breaking down internal and external communication, streamlining planning tools, and effectively managing resources can prevent your team from "drowning in work." This method strategically simplifies processes, enabling teams to focus on what they do best: driving the business forward.
Effective Systems Improve Your Culture
I even argue that good systems not only increase efficiency and your teamâs bandwidth but they can also enhance your company's culture. Clear guidelines can reduce frustration and allow employees to focus on their work without unnecessary interruptions or too much time trying to find what they need to do their work. Effective systems show your team that you value their time and well-being and that you want to make it as easy as possible for them to succeed.
Nickâs book, Come Up For Air, helps you figure out your communication processes, your project management system, and how to manage your resources. It even goes into how to better your onboarding and shows you how to buy back time with more efficient systems. Itâs an excellent book that will have you setting your team and your business up for success.
I hope this take was useful for you and that you grab your own copy. If you do, be sure to tag me and Nick on social media so we know you were inspired by this episode.
Whatâs In This EpisodeThe 94% Rule by W. Edwards Deming states most workplace results are due to systems and processes, not individual efforts.
Defaulting to temporary solutions rather than evaluating the system as a whole cuts down on efficiency.
CPR stands for Communication, Planning, and Resources.
âStop the scavenger hunt" for information by implementing effective systems that cut down on time and increase productivity.
What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e151 for all resources from this episode.
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Energy & Emotional Wellness in Your Business
Let's sit down with Tracy Litt, a renowned teacher of science and spirituality and the founder of The School of Becoming. In this episode, we're talking about science and spirituality on a business podcast because I believe the more connected to yourself you become, the more work you do on yourself, and the better you become as an entrepreneur, business owner, and leader.
Tracy is an international bestselling author, podcast host, and emotional healing healer. She holds her license in professional coaching, neurology, somatics, and hypnotherapy. Her institute, the School of Becoming, integrates consciousness, neuroscience, healing, and energetics to help students evolve into the next-level version of themselves.
From Victim to Victor
Tracy describes her journey as going from completely asleep as a single mother on food stamps to completely awake as the CEO of her own personal growth company, which helps individuals along the same journey.
Tracy evolved significantlyâfrom perceiving herself as a victim of her circumstances to fully embracing personal responsibility. This shift played a pivotal role in changing her life trajectory and shaping her methodology, which she now shares with countless individuals seeking personal and professional growth.
Shift Your Mindset & Feel Your Emotions
Tracy presents four tactical recommendations to nurture professional growth, which can help individuals shift states and foster personal development. These include engaging in regular breathing exercises, creating space for processing emotions, embracing gratitude and mindfulness, and relying on spiritual support.
Her advice is actionable and grounded in a pragmatic understanding of the challenges faced by professionals today.
Remove "Woo" from Your Vernacular
We discuss the often-derogatory label of "woo," and Tracy urges for a more inclusive understanding that brings together scientific evidence and spiritual practices. This merger is not about esoteric beliefs but about understanding the role of energy and the universe in our everyday livesâredefining the essence of existence as spirit in human form.
Feel, Process, and Evolve
Tracy stresses the importance of acknowledging and truly feeling your emotions in order for them to guide us through our personal evolution. This emotional processing is critical to dealing with the increasing rates of anxiety and depression in society.
The Power of Intentional Evolution
Tracy emphasized the concept of intentional evolutionâthe idea that we can rewire our brains to influence our future, countering the belief that past performance predicts future outcomes. This empowering perspective gives us the agency to evolve our habits and practices to change the trajectory of our lives.
Tracy is a light in this world. You can feel her passion and her knowledge come through in this episode. The journey towards personal and professional growth is complex but attainable. I really enjoyed having her on my show this week, and I canât wait to see how you like this show!
Be sure to listen, subscribe, and share this episode!
Whatâs In This EpisodeTracy Litt's personal journey from victimhood to empowerment
The significance of tuning into the body's signals over mental chatter
Four tactical approaches to improve growth and handle anxiety, depression, and burnout
Exploring the integration of emotions in achieving personal growth
The negative impact of technology and distractions on mental well-being
What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e150 for all resources from this episode.
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Strategies for Powerful Communication
This weekâs special guest, Kathryn Janicek, helps people overcome something many of us fear more than death - public speaking. I loved this conversation because she shared so many valuable tips to improve in so many speaking scenarios, including presentations, interviews, and meetings - so much more than just speaking on a stage.
After being laid off by a network when she was working as their VP of News, Kathryn leveraged her expertise in coaching news personnel and pivoted to create a niche for herself. Today, she has found great success in media training and public speaking coaching for professionals.
Kathryn is a three-time Emmy award-winning media and public speaking trainer with over 25 years of experience. She has shaped the communication and presentation skills of executives across diverse industries, from small businesses to a hundred billion dollar companies.
Kathrynâs company, Janicek Performance Group, specializes in media interactions, board presentations, high-stakes communications, stage presence, and impactful messaging.
In this episode, we talk a lot about what it takes to overcome your fear of speaking, how to eliminate filler words, and how to self-coach yourself to show up and present better on stage or Zoom.
We learn that professionalism is about more than the substance of our work. It's also about how we present our ideas, negotiate at the table, and build supportive networks.
Kathryn believes in the power of a compelling narrative, whether you're in front of a camera or addressing a boardroom. Her personalized coaching sessions help clients master the art of storytelling and the nuances of effective communication that resonate with their audience.
Feel Your Best to Perform Your Best
Something as simple as ensuring you wear comfortable clothes and shoes can make a dramatic difference in your performance and presentation. When you feel good and confident in clothes that fit or know your makeup or hair was done by a professional, it is worth the extra money or effort because it will show in your delivery and presentation.
Scaling Your Business with Sustainable Growth
Scaling a service-based company isn't just about increasing client numbers; it's about creating a business model that generates a steady source of income, even in the owner's absence.
Kathryn shares her wisdom on structuring services, ensuring client retention, and focusing on monthly recurring revenue.
Enhancing Communication Skills
Kathryn insists that self-awareness, pausing effectively, and eliminating unnecessary filler words can significantly improve one's public speaking endeavors.
This was a fun episode to record, and I can't wait to have Kathryn back! She left us with incredible, actionable advice that any of us can implement to improve our presence when addressing audiences in a one-on-one or one-to-many setting. Thanks for listening!
Whatâs In This EpisodeTips for improving stage presence and effective messaging
The impact of societal expectations on women's stage appearance
Strategies for addressing common speaking issues like posture and filler words
Scaling a service-based business through diverse service offerings
What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e149 for all resources from this episode.
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Your Business Doesn't Have to Suck the Energy Out of You
Exhausted from running your business? You're not alone. Successful entrepreneur Jamie Palmer discovered Human Design and transformed her work. Curious how?
This week, you'll explore human design, a tool that can help you build a fulfilling business based on your unique design. Learn how human design empowers strategic decisions and builds a business that truly works for you. Ready to ditch burnout? Let's go!
What Is Human Design?
Ever heard someone ask if you've "done your HD"? Human Design is a system for understanding yourself. It uses your birth date to create a chart that reveals your type (how you interact with the world), profile (the persona you project), strengths (centers), and energy levels (gates and channels). This can help you discover ideal work environments, who you collaborate best with, and even if you're wired for multitasking or methodical work. You only need your birth date, time, and location to get your free chart and insights into your unique human design.
How Does Human Design Help You?
Human Design can help you break societal expectations and live a more fulfilling life. By understanding your unique energy type through a Human Design chart, you can discover what you're naturally here to do. This can be especially helpful in business, where you're often bombarded with advice on how to be successful. Human Design can help you identify your most effective strategies based on your strengths and weaknesses. The key is to take action on the insights you gain from your Human Design chart.
Approaching Human Design in Business
Human Design is often used as a basic personality test, but it goes much deeper than that. Jamie's approach focuses on practical applications. She uses real-life examples to educate people on how Human Design can inform business decisions. This includes business models, offers, launch strategies, and marketing. By understanding your Human Design type, you can discover what strategies actually work best for you. Ultimately, the goal is to empower people to make their own business decisions and not blindly follow generic advice.
Whatâs In This Episode
Human Design isn't about generic adviceâit's about understanding YOU and what works best for your natural design. Ready to stop hustling and start thriving? Check out Jamie's website to grab your free Human Design chart and explore more resources to help you design the business of your dreams. You can also get a copy of Jamie's book Human Design For Business free by using the code SHETALKSBUSINESS.Embracing change in business
Human design for business owners
Building a business with a purpose
What To Do NextVisit lisalarter.com/e148 for all resources from this episode.
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