Creative Warriors

To be self-employed, we need to be visionaries.  Our ideas guide us and lead us to do big things. It’s also important to ground the visions in evidence-based action steps.  Today we’re talking about the science side of business – an evidence-based approach to achieving exceptional outcomes. Today I speak to Christina Curtis about her new book, Choosing Greatness. She explains that our brains keep us on autopilot because they are designed to conserve energy. High-achieving people can choose whether or not to follow those patterns, and Christina gives us strategies to lean into the strengths of our patterns and interrupt them when they don’t serve us. As Christina says, the more self-aware we are about the brain activities that are behind the scenes, the more we can choose how we want to engage with our habits instead of letting them run the show. Christina Curtis is the Founder of Curtis Leadership Consulting based in Denver, Colorado. A thought leader on motivation and goal attainment, she regularly contribu

This is the 7th and final blind spot in the series of Self-Employed Blindspots and I've saved the biggest for last. Seeing coaching clients and students overcome this blind spot is what success looks like to me. Don't be left in a fog. Be sure you overcome this critical blind spot.   Contact Jeffrey – Self-Employed Newsletter Website Books Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Take the Self-Doubt Survey   Valuable resources to help you – The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exactly what you need. Check it out!   Take The

As self-employed business owners, we often have to consider our consumers’ mindsets and beliefs in order to sell a product or service.  But there is a different way to think about consumers. Once you do – especially if you’re a coach, consultant, trainer, or health expert – this could really change your business. Today, I speak with Tara Nicholle Kirke about transformational consumers and transformational makers. She explains that the majority of consumers are in a transformational state, facing big-picture problems but struggling to make changes to solve them. The number one challenge they have is not understanding what they need to do to change the problems in their lives. But if we consider ourselves “transformational makers” as much as “business owners,” we can provide ways to help consumers make the transformation from their pain to their bliss. Tara-Nicholle Kirke is a globally-recognized author, transformation expert, and spiritual strategist. She helps smart, successful people reach their potential a

In this, the 6th of 7 in a series of Self-Employed Blindspots, I share a critical blind spot that you really want to get out of your way. Business owners often stick their head in the sand about this one, but that is not a good strategy. Have a listen, get to work on closing this blind spot and practically guarantee your success. Contact Jeffrey – Self-Employed Newsletter Website Books Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Take the Self-Doubt Survey   Valuable resources to help you – The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exactly

Robert Glazer – A Soulful Approach to Elevating Your Team   I’ve been saying lately that building a team is the plateau-buster. You may have taken your self-employed business as far as you can on your own, and the only way to break through your current level is to build a team around you.  For many self-employed business owners, being an employer is not a natural inclination.  My guest today, Robert Glazer, is going to help us look at not just building a team, but also elevating a team. Robert explains his concept of capacity: spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical capacity.  Once an individual has reached their personal capacity, that’s when they need to start expanding their team.  As self-employed business owners, we are inherently independent, but sometimes, expanding our teams is necessary for us to increase our business’ capacity. Join Robert and I as we discuss a more soulful approach to building a team around you to get the support and capacity you need.   Robert Glazer is the Founder and C

Traci Schubert Barrett – Beyond Success: What if There’s More?   As self-employed people, we set out to run our own businesses, take charge of our lives, create some freedom, and do big things.  We set out to make ourselves successful and happy, yet when we achieve this success, sometimes we find ourselves wondering, “is this it?” We find ourselves wanting even more. I speak with Traci Schubert Barrett today to find out how to find contentment in our lives even after we’ve met our goals. As Traci and I discuss, we often measure our success using external factors such as wealth, fame, and power, but true happiness and fulfillment come from finding meaning and purpose beyond these external markers.  As self-employed business owners, it is important for us to have a vision for our lives, including professional and personal goals, so we can avoid feeling discontented by identifying the significance beyond our success. Traci Schubert Barrett was one of the founding team members of national cable television netw

This is the 4th of a 7-part series that I'm calling 7 Blind Spots in Your Self-Employed Business. By definition, blind spots are what you can't see. In this episode, we're going to look at what might be holding you back from marketing efficiently and effectively.   Contact Jeffrey – Self-Employed Newsletter Website Books Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Take the Self-Doubt Survey  Valuable resources to help you –   The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exactly what you need. Check it out! Take The Self-Employed Assessment!

One of the most positive trends I’ve seen over the decades is the idea of working from the inside out.  In my work, that means focusing on the importance of personal development. But in my opinion, the concept of working from the inside out has evolved from a mere philosophy to a practical strategy for achieving the lives we desire. That’s what we’re talking about today with my guest Tammy Gooler Loeb.  Working from the inside out means being mindful of one's personal satisfaction and happiness in their career, rather than solely focusing on external factors such as job duties or pay. Even self-employed business owners can wake up to the fact that they are not, in fact, guiding their lives in a fulfilling direction. I’m certain my conversation with Tammy will give you strategies to unlock happiness in your career. Tammy Gooler Loeb is the author of Work from the Inside Out: Break Through Nine Common Obstacles and Design a Career That Fulfills You. She is a career and executive coach, speaker and facilita

In a world that can get far too complicated, there’s nothing quite like simple wisdom handed down. With all that’s new in business, there are also core principles that were true in the past, are still true today, and will likely be true tomorrow. That’s what we’re exploring today with my guest, Bryan Eisenberg: tried and true core business principles. In our conversation, we discuss how to be a “Rice and Beans Millionaire” – how to stop complicating everything and go back to business basics. Whether you are just starting out in your self-employed life, or have been in the business for years, the timelessness of these core principles will always be relevant in today's rapidly changing world. Bryan Eisenberg and his brother Jeffrey are the co-founders of Buyer Legends. Jeffrey was a former investment banker and Bryan a former social worker. They have been entrepreneurs for nearly three decades and have consulted, advised and mentored hundreds of entrepreneurs and businesses over the years, including Google, Ov

I’ve often said that sometimes we self-employed folks feel like rock stars, and other times…not quite so much! Let’s learn to harness the power of owning who we are, to create not only more authenticity, but more consistency in our emotions. Today’s conversation with guest Liz Brunner begins with the story of Liz’s unexpected career transformation from TV journalist to executive communications coach, and how she was able to translate her previous skill sets and experiences into a new career path. As Liz’s grandmother used to say, “no knowledge is every wasted.” From there, we discuss how recent generations are more accepting (and desirous) of a more varied career path than in the past — gone are the days of working for one company for your whole career! – and how self-awareness is a key part of this societal transition. Related to self-awareness is self-confidence. Liz talks about how to manage swings in self-confidence and shares confidence-maintaining tips and tools from her book. Finally, we discuss how f

This is the first of a 7-part series that I'm calling 7 Blind Spots in Your Self-Employed Business. By definition, blind spots are what you can't see. Sort of like you don't know what you don't know. These are the most common blind spots that I have seen across my coaching clients and student over 15+ years of coaching. Becoming aware of and solving these 7 blind spots are guaranteed to make a huge difference in your business.   Contact Jeffrey – Website Books Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Take the Self-Doubt Survey   Valuable resources to help you –   The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and account

Over the years as a coach, I’ve heard many people say, ‘I’m happy, but I feel like I could be happier.” So today we’re going to explore the situations (which I think many of us experience!) when things are not ‘awful,’ but you feel like you want ‘more than usual.’ To that end, I’m speaking with Luke Iorio, a mindfulness coach and entrepreneur.  First and foremost, we talk about achieving congruence (a word I love!) with who you really are. I believe many of us self-employed folks have made the choice to be self-employed in the first place in order to better achieve that very congruence – a congruence which certainly makes it easier to be happier! Luke and I explore this idea, as well as how integrity and authenticity underpin congruence. We discuss the concept of ‘know, like, and trust,’ and how connecting with our clients from a more authentic place can help us get to a point where our clients are people we actually and actively want to serve. Luke Iorio is a mindfulness coach, entrepreneur, blogger, an

There are many ways goal setting is different when you're self-employed. In preparing for an upcoming goals workshop for the Self-Employed Business Institute and being attuned to a feeling in the air, I realized yet another way goal setting is different for us. As many things are, it's a strength that can also work against us.   Contact Jeffrey – Website Books Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Take the Self-Doubt Survey   Valuable resources to help you –   The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exactly what you need. C

If you’ve listened to this show, you know how strongly I feel that being self-employed is a largely about one’s self. So, for the business and life success we seek, we must always be developing ourselves. And sometimes, we need to stretch our thinking – perhaps outside of our comfort zone – to what I refer to as ‘hitting the wall on the opposite side,’ so that we can moderate somewhere in between. That’s how we grow. And I suspect my conversation today with Azrya and Benjamin Bequer may do that for you. Among other things, we discuss paradoxes: the paradox of being both fully committed while remaining unattached in your life and business and the paradox of the ‘soul’s curriculum’ vs. ‘free will’ — free will being particularly important to us self-employed folks! We try to at least partially answer the question “if chasing money, status, and security isn’t ‘the answer,’ what is?” And of course, I talk with Azrya and Benjamin about their new book, Beqoming: Everything You Didn’t Know You Wanted, which took me

Today we’re going to be talking about the visibility you need to grow your business…and if you’re uncomfortable with visibility, this episode is especially for you! Today I speak with Susan M. Barber about the subject of visibility, which in my opinion, is one of the biggest challenges that we business owners and subject matter experts face! In our illuminating and practical conversation, Susan and I talk about how you can adapt ‘visibility-increasing’ techniques and methods to your own personal style (even if you consider yourself an introvert!), how to know if you’re actually becoming more visible, and how a good ‘visibility mindset’ can help overcome self-sabotage. We also review Susan’s helpful 4-step process for building visibility.  Susan M. Barber, Author, Podcast Host, Former Fortune 500 IT Director, turned Executive Coach helping business leaders to play bigger, increase their visibility and finally, shine a light on their leadership strengths and elevate their position in the workplace.  She brings

This being the first episode of the new year, I'm excited to announce the topic of my next book and how YOU can be involved. Maybe even be included in the book. This will be my most exploratory book and I look forward to including the experiences of many people. Maybe you?   Contact Jeffrey – Website Books Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Take the Self-Doubt Survey   Valuable resources to help you –   The Self-Employed Business Institute You know you're really good at what you do. You're talented, you have a skill set. The problem is you're probably in a field where there is no business education. This is common amongst self-employed people! And, there's no business education out there for us! You also know that being self-employed is unique and you need better strategies, coaching, support, and accountability. The Self-Employed Business Institute, a five-month online education is exactly what you need. Check it out!   Take The Self-Employed Assessment! E

There’s a shift going on in the world and I’ll bet you’ve noticed it – and that shift is, shop local! That’s why today’s episode features my conversation with Wendy Batten, a self-described ‘chief cheerleader for independent shop owners.’ Although the focus of today’s episode is primarily on those of us self-employed folks who manage brick-and-mortar retail locations, I believe much of what Wendy and I discuss is relevant to all small business owners. Among other topics, we discuss how the pandemic has increased awareness of the importance of small businesses, small shops, and shopping local in general, especially as they impact the vibrancy of ‘main streets’ and ‘downtowns’ in communities across the country. We talk about the importance of working with your communities and local leadership – something that’s applicable to all small-businesses folks! – as well as how every one of us can help support small businesses in our own communities. Wendy Batten is a small business coach and chief cheerleader for indep