Focus The Fire

One of the most crucial parts of your success will be your ability to gain and use influence responsibly. It’s not enough to just be good at your job or have great ideas. Getting the right people to notice your skills and buy into your ideas requires influence. Inside: How influence works Why it’s important to free value to other people with out expectations The law of reciprocity 2 Easy ways you can start adding value and gaining influence today - Information & Introduction Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com

At some point in your career you’ll hit a wall (or several) where you have difficulty growing beyond what you’ve mastered. Because you’re a high performer, people get used to you performing highly in a particular area and it’s difficult for them to imagine you expanding. In this episode you'll learn how to push past these barriers to grow your influence and credibility.  Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    *Send us a voice note directly on www.focusthefire.com   Show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv

Fail, feedback, fix, then launch again…and again…and again.  Each time listening to the people you are trying to serve and making small or big adjustments as needed.   4 Reasons to Chase Failure Less pressure to be perfect creates more freedom to create Removes the fear of criticism because you took control and invited it from day 1 Faster way to learn while gaining momentum Break through the wall of procrastination and analysis   Tune in for a more in depth discussion.   Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv

We teach young professionals the skills needed to enjoy a meaningful career that leads to more time, money and freedom.   Time is asset you can’t save or regain once it’s lost. Let’s discuss how it fits into the framework of building a meaningful career.   Essential career advice for ambitious young professionals.    Show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv

We teach young professionals the skills needed to enjoy a meaningful career that leads to more time, money and freedom. Last week we touched freedom (Ep. 060), today it’s money. Tune in as we crush some limiting beliefs and get you ready for the win. Show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv

Having a sense of agency or control around your career is one of the best feelings.  You wake up each day feeling powerful, knowing that you are moving in the direction that you choose, rather than just following someone else’s instructions in exchange for a cheque.   Question: What does freedom look like to you? Respond via email or via twitter.   Show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv

It’s no secret becoming a respected leader in your field requires consistent learning. However making steady progress on education amidst all the other crucial tasks is challenging. This is often because we take a casual approach with loose plans hoping that books will get read and courses taken. Even when we’re able to skim through some material, we only reap a small percentage of the benefits since there was no implementation plan. To experience the most progress in the least amount of time we have to schedule our learning activities like any other important appointment or meeting.   Question: What’s your top learning goal right now? Respond below or via twitter.   Show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv

How do you react and recover when life slaps you with a big fat NO? Do you retreat in fear or use that fuel to reinvent your approach and try again? Learning how to deal with rejection is a crucial part of your professional success whether it’s dealing with clients, asking for a raise or pitching to investors. Take a listen as we unpack the right way to interpret “no”. Question: What’s your NO story and how did you recover? Show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv

A few months ago I shared the stage with some very smart people at TEDx Tortola. Today I’m sharing the live recording of the talk, about getting your ideas into the wider world when you live in a pretty isolated place. Let these ideas inspire your creativity and challenge you to give the world your gift.   What’s one thing you would love to share with the world? How are you making it happen?  Tell us about it on twitter @dalanv or email dalan@focusthefire.com for a chance to have your story featured on the show.   Show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv

Two words that come up often when we start talking about success are discipline and passion.  Which one is more crucial to helping you achieve the life you desire?  On this episode I’ll share my take on why I believe discipline wins, but more importantly, I invite you to weigh in on the debate.    There are many passionate people, but it takes discipline to execute and keep executing!   Show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv

Using your personal brand as a filter is a great way to simplify your life. How may times have you been faced with a touch decision or wasted too much time on what should have been a simple choice? On this episode we unlock the power of one question: “Is this consistent with my brand?”.   Show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv

For different reasons sometime we forget who we are and lose focus on why we are on this journey. Here’s the true story of how my identify got stolen and how you can avoid letting it sidetrack your professional development.   4 consequences of identify theft: Treated like an imposter or begin suffering from imposter syndrome. Maybe I don’t deserve to be here? Access denied to certain places Face several odd questions and challenges Wasted time   Remember your name!   Show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv

Some argue that jazz is one of the most intellectually challenging genres of music. The need for technical skills, rapid response to change and ability to improvise are similar to traits of great leaders. Tune in for a "slightly" biased take on jazz and leadership.     Show notes and other resources: www.focusthefire.com/053-jazz-lessons-leadership   Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv Note: While classical musicians exhibit some of these traits as well, they are the very heart of jazz genre and crucial to executing good improvisation.    

Pay close attention next time you hear someone, or yourself, discussing goals and plans. We get excited about what we want to do, and where we want to go, but seldom talk about what we have to leave behind. Full shownotes: www.focusthefire.com/052-timetoleave Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv

Many times we focus on the things we don't have and use them as an excuse for being less than awesome. Let's break that cycle and push ourselves to produce prolific work using everything available right now. Show notes and other resources available at www.focusthefire.com Connect with host on twitter @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv

It’s easy to do great work occasionally. Maybe we’ve all seen moments of fleeting awesomeness in other people or the mirror. The question now is how do we discipline our minds and bodies to perform at this high level more often?     On this episode we explore two guiding principles that can be a foundation for our lives this year, and beyond. Let’s have a look at how quality and consistency can move us swiftly toward success.    Home: www.focusthefire.com  Twitter: @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv Twitter: @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire Facebook | Instagram: @focusthefire (show) or @dalanv (host)

Have you had the frustrating experience where people like your work, but not enough to pay for it?  If you’re ready to push past average and position yourself as a professional worth real money, this show is for you.   Home: www.focusthefire.com  Twitter: @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv Twitter: @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire Facebook | Instagram: @focusthefire (show) or @dalanv (host)

How to adjust your career approach to get the rewards you deserve.   If you completed degree or any kind of special training, you may be waiting for the corresponding boost in compensation or position.  Let's look at what may be causing the delay and how we can close the gap.       Home: www.focusthefire.com  Twitter: @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv Twitter: @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire Facebook | Instagram: @focusthefire (show) or @dalanv (host)

On this episode we consider approaching your career like a country.  How is your balance of trade?  Are the ideas, energy and products you have available worth the rewards you're after?   Home: www.focusthefire.com  Twitter: @dalanv www.twitter.com/dalanv Twitter: @focusthefire www.twitter.com/focusthefire Facebook | Instagram: @focusthefire (show) or @dalanv (host)

On the journey from average to amazing, you’ll soon realize that there are several skills you need to learn or improve.  But as a high performer I’m willing to bet that you’re already busy and short on time. In that case, we need to make the learning process as efficient as possible.  One way to accomplish this is by deciding exactly how competent you need to be at each skill.  Some things require you to be an expert, while in others you only need enough to communicate with the external pros you hire.   Show notes and illustrations: focusthefire.com/skillsandlevels Skills to master Skills to be proficient Skills to understand Skills to appreciate and delegate Twitter: @dalanv | @focusthefire