Creative Warriors

A new, important role has entered the lives of business owners – the role of Chief Diversity Officer. This is a role in which we, as business owners, ensure we are being inclusive in our businesses and in our communities, with greater consciousness of the messages we’re putting out into the world. It may seem like yet another hat we must wear as small, self-employed business owners, but being inclusive is equally important for the self-employed as it is for large corporations. But as usual, how we can be inclusive is different for us than it is for large corporations. To help us navigate this topic, I speak with Dr. Gena Cox, author of Leading Inclusion. In our conversation, Dr. Cox breaks down the difference between diversity and inclusion, and how inclusion is particularly relevant to small businesses and the self-employed. As Dr. Cox says, all of us can be more inclusive than we currently are. We discuss how inclusion and respect can impact many of our daily business activities (for example, even in things

Here's an idea that should be freeing as well as a hack to create more content. Build on what you've already created! When you're in business for the long haul, it could be considered the long-arc of creativity. And yes, whether you consider yourself creative or not, by nature of being a business owner and marketer, you are creative. Intending to be in business for the long haul, this idea of building and layers will be helpful.     Contact Jeffrey –   Website Books Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!       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-Emp

One of the key distinctions between self-employed businesses and other business is that most other businesses are transaction-based. But our businesses are usually relationship-based. Relationships begin with conversations. So it’s in your best interest to learn how to master the art of conversation. With that goal in mind, I speak in this episode with Lou Diamond, author of the new book, Speak Easy. In our conversation about conversation, we talk about how the lessons we’ve both learned as podcasters have helped us be better conversationalists, how the length of a conversation is not necessarily correlated to the quality of the connection that is made, and the importance of asking the right questions. We also talk through the 7 Cs of Engagement and the critical distinction between a presentation versus a conversation.   Lou Diamond is a highly sought-after speaker, connector, leadership & performance mentor, and podcaster. Author of the international best seller Master the Art of Connecting and CEO of Th

It seems we may have gone from a pandemic to an epidemic. The epidemic is burnout. According to recent data, 79% of workers say they’re teetering on the edge of burnout. While no one is collecting such data specifically on us (the hardworking self-employed people whose very lives are riding on our own shoulders!), but with general-population exhaustion rates approaching 80%, can you imagine how close many of us self-employed folks must be to complete burnout? (And where would our businesses and lives be without us?!). It’s definitely time to rethink self-care for the self-employed! We often don’t talk enough about self-care – a crucial part of my ‘self-employed ecosystem’ – which is why I’ve invited Jenette Bronée to speak with us today about this crucial topic. In our conversation, we talk about having the right mindset concerning self-care, how self-care allows you to be your best at work (and at life, of course), and how we can demystify self-care (hint: self-care is not just about getting a massage!). Ult

In today’s business world, it’s not enough to tell people what you good at, why they should hire you, or that they should trust you. In fact, if you do tell them to trust you, they will probably doubt you. What you need to do today is prove it to your customers. That’s why, in today’s episode, I am speaking with Melanie Deziel, co-author of the new marketing book Prove It. In this conversation, Melanie and I discuss the growing sophistication and skepticism of consumers and our mutual belief that the onus is absolutely on the business – not the consumer – to build trust in a business/consumer relationship. We also touch on the importance of being truly committed to the claims you make about your business and how this is especially important to today’s consumer, as well as how to use Melanie’s process for performing a “claim audit” on the claims you’re making to your customers.   Melanie Deziel is a keynote speaker, author, award-winning branded content creator, and the author of the best-selling marketing and

The irony of a blind spot is you can't be expected to know what you can't see. Over the 15 years I've been coaching (and catching my own blind spots over 38 years), I'm come to realize there are 7 that keep showing up with my coaching clients and students of Self-Employed Business Institute. Here they are! Have a listen and take an objective look at your own business to see if you can spot any of these typical, yet critical, blind spots.     Contact Jeffrey –   Website Books Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!       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 Se

Today’s episode discusses the journey to a seven-figure business. Is the idea of a seven-figure business – especially for the self-employed – for real, or just hype? Is building a seven-figure business actually a possibility for you, or is it merely a “dangling carrot” that makes you feel “less than” if you don’t achieve that particular fiscal goal? Maybe this conversation with Jesse Johnson will teach you how to achieve a seven-figure business…or maybe it will teach you that this is not even something you want! Or maybe you know you do want to achieve this goal, and today’s discussion will help you identify what’s standing in your way of achieving that goal. In any case, this is a topic that pushes buttons for me personally – primarily because of how this “seven-figure business” topic makes self-employed folks feel — which is why I am so excited to unpack this topic with Jesse. Jesse Johnson is a master sales and success coach, specializing in helping spiritual entrepreneurs build 7-figure businesses. After

Oh, the irony of being too busy to listen to a podcast about being too busy. Hopefully, being overwhelmingly busy is bringing some great things, like opportunity and income! But I also want to share, because I've been around the block a few times, my concerns about saying you're overwhelmingly busy. If this is you, I hope you'll listen in and heed a few warnings.     Contact Jeffrey –   Website Books Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share!       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

Let’s get real about ‘mindfulness’ in business. It can be a buzzword these days, and as a term, it gets tossed around a lot – but what does it really mean? In this conversation with guest Eric Holsapple today, we bring mindfulness down to earth and discuss the benefits of mindfulness, specifically in a business setting. We talk about how mindfulness is representative of a much broader paradigm shift, not only in the own self-employed sector, but also as a movement in the broader business world.   Eric Holsapple has a PhD in Economics, has been a real estate CEO and developer for nearly 40 years, lectured real estate at Colorado State University for 20 years, and practiced yoga and meditation for 30 years. Eric was awarded The Colorado State University Real Estate Entrepreneur of the Year in 2010; and Bizwest Bravo Entrepreneur of the year award for Loveland, CO in 2015. Holsapple has a unique perspective on how merging business and mindfulness can be a catalyst in changing lives. Eric is the Founder of Living

Imagine taking a four-week vacation from your business. I know, even the thought of it might put you into a brief panic. But imagine that it’s not only possible, but also the best thing you could do for your business – and it probably is! In fact, your business might even grow without you. It takes a plan, and that plan is called ‘Clockwork,’ which is why we’re talking to Mike Michalowicz today. A favorite guest on The Self-Employed Life, Mike’s mission is to eradicate entrepreneurial poverty. One way he does this is by helping entrepreneurs like us to design our businesses to run without us — hence, the concept of Clockwork. In this conversation, we discuss fractionalizing yourself, leveraging your core competencies, scaling vs. growing, and becoming a shareholder in your own business. As Mike says, we should be the soul – not the heart – of our own businesses. By his 35th birthday, Mike Michalowicz had founded and sold two multi-million dollar companies. Confident that he had the formula to success, he beca

I tend to be opposed to putting things in boxes, and to me, the concept of ‘failure’ is potentially another box. Is failure really failure? Or is it just an ‘obstacle’ or a ‘learning experience?’ Or maybe, is failure simply representative of the fact that you’re out in the world doing things? In this episode, we’re going to ‘unpack the box of failure’ with Justin Skinner. In our conversation, we talk about the differences between ‘failures’ vs. ‘obstacles’ vs. ‘normalcy,’ the importance of detaching the idea of failure from self-worth, why failure is relative, and how to leverage failure as a form of (healthy) motivation. We also discuss the concepts of failure and the importance of giving ourselves grace specifically as it applies to those of us who are entrepreneurs and self-employed. Justin grew up in Springfield, Missouri, on a dairy farm just north of the city limits. He is the oldest of four children and married to Kendra Joy Skinner. They currently live in Springfield with their little Morkie-Poo Daisy

As a coach, of course I support both men and women in business, but a significant number of my clients are women. As a result, I was eager to interview Carrie-Ann Barrow and discuss her experiences a successful serial entrepreneur and as author of the book The Queen’s Decree. Carrie-Ann’s message is clear: at any age, you can reclaim your power to choose. In our inspiring conversation, we talk about issues that often impact women in business: prioritizing the creation of your own life, managing self-doubt and imposter syndrome, dealing with aegism and the pressure to “have it all together,” and more. We all have an inner queen, and there’s a lot to learn (for everyone!) in this episode!   Carrie-Ann Barrow is a successful serial entrepreneur and dynamic force determined to help women discover their dreams and live with unshakable confidence. She transforms the way women think about themselves, empowering them to reimagine what’s possible – in work and in life – and make their boldest visions real. She does th

As I like to say, you can’t stop a moving train. In business, I have often seen people try to fight off technology transformation…to no avail. This resistance can be a detriment to small businesses, but I get it – change can be hard, and feelings of being left behind or finding yourself suddenly irrelevant are understandably fear-inducing. Yet, change is inevitable…which is why Steve Prentice joins us in this episode today. In this illuminating conversation, Steve and I talk about managing technological change, a topic I believe is truly essential to small businesses and self-employed entrepreneurs. We discuss technological transformation, its impact on the future of work and how it can help (or hinder) our feeling ‘in control,’ as well as managing fear and accepting change. Steve Prentice is a specialist in organizational psychology, focusing on the junction where people and technology interact. He helps people and organizations understand each other, the technologies they use, and the changes that these pre

What do we tend to center our business goals around? Revenue, right? In this episode, find out why that might not be the best idea…and what to do differently. As my guest, Eleanor Beaton, says, “the hunt for immediate revenue can hold us back from making long-term decisions that actually create sustainable, long-term wealth.” In this fascinating conversation, Eleanor and I talk about the need for long-term thinking, the downsides of constant urgency, and the power of building a business ecosystem. Through building an ecosystem of scalable processes, revenue-generation can simply become a natural by-product of the ecosystem you’ve built. Eleanor Beaton is the founder of SafiMedia, an education & coaching company for women entrepreneurs. SafiMedia is committed to advancing global gender equity one woman-owned business at a time. Together with her colleagues, Eleanor is on a mission is to double the number of women entrepreneurs who scale past $1M in revenue by 2030. Eleanor hosts the Power + Presence + Posi