Productivity
469: Build a Complete Marketing System, Think Differently, Plan Your Business, Focus, and Implement with Diane Conklin
Diane Conklin is an internationally known author, entrepreneur, coach, consultant, marketing and business strategist, implementation specialist and speaker.
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Diane is a direct response marketing expert who specializes in showing business owners how to integrate their online and offline marketing strategies, media and message, to get maximum results from their marketing dollars. Diane also shows entrepreneurs and small business owners how to outperform their competition by measuring their marketing, and strategically use multi-media campaigns to stand alone in their marketplace, as the go-to provider for their products and services.
She's the founder of Complete Marketing Systems, Diane and has been involved in numerous campaigns grossing over $1,000,000.00 several times in her career and routinely helps people grow businesses to 6 figures, and beyond, in short periods of time, several times in as little as 90 days.
Quotes:
“Free is the most expensive thing that you're doing in your business.” – Diane Conklin
“Stop comparing your behind the scenes real to everyone else's highlight reel.” – Diane Conklin
“It's not what's the best, it's what's the best for me.” – Diane Conklin
Takeaways:
02:51 Avoid comparing your behind-the-scenes struggles to other entrepreneurs' highlight reels on social media.
05:11 Your time has a monetary value, so calculate the return on energy before spending hours on free tasks.
18:26 Choose business mentors who have proven longevity and have successfully rebuilt after setbacks.
23:17 Implement a daily practice of writing down your completed tasks to track real business progress.
23:58 Always start with the end goal in mind and backward plan your business strategies.
Resources
- Complete Marketing Systems (Website)
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464: Procrastinators Are People Too: How to Be Productive, Calm, Congruent, Anxiety-Free and Happy with Dr. Mary Lamia
Mary Lamia is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst who practices in Marin County, California. Additionally, she is a professor at the Wright Institute in Berkeley. Her career-long passion to convey an understanding of emotions to the public is exemplified by her writing and media work.
She is the author of five books, including a recent publication, "What Motivates Getting Things Done: Procrastination, Emotions, and Success" and blogs for Psychology Today, Therapy Today, and Thrive Global websites.
Quotes:
“Our emotions motivate everything we do. They influence the style we have that drives us to get things done.” – Dr. Mary Lamia
“Emotions are designed to help us pay attention, and they motivate us to act—to do something.” – Dr. Mary Lamia
“When we look only at behavior without exploring the emotions that motivate it, we overlook the significant influences that create differences among people.” – Dr. Mary Lamia
Takeaways:
01:09 Procrastination isn't a weakness, but a valid motivational style that can lead to success.
06:03 Emotions are the primary driver behind how people complete tasks and achieve goals.
09:52 Understanding your personal emotional motivation style can reduce self-criticism and improve productivity.
19:33 Success is defined by meeting deadlines and producing high-quality work, not by when tasks are started.
21:32 Creating artificial deadlines through personal commitments can help deadline-driven individuals stay motivated.
Resources
- What Motivates Getting Things Done (Book)
- Dr. Mary Lamia (Official Site)
- Mary Lamia (LinkedIn)
- Mary Lamia (Twitter)
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463: Plan with Purpose: Build An Amazing Lifestyle For You and Your Family Without Sacrificing Time, Money, or Fulfillment with Tom Sylvester
Tom Sylvester is a business strategist and firm believer in Lean Startup. He enjoys helping new entrepreneurs validate their ideas and follow proven principles when it comes to starting and scaling a successful business.
Additionally, Tom helps entrepreneurs navigate the personal journey that comes with being an entrepreneur, from overcoming mindset blocks, ramping up their productivity, growing as a person and becoming a great leader in their life and business.
Quotes:
“A lot of people build businesses backwards. They spend all their time creating the product, and then, when they go to sell it, they haven't actually done the market research to make sure it's something customers want.” – Tom Sylvester
“Let's spend the least amount of time and money early on, and really make sure that we understand who our customers are. Then, we give them the simplest solution that will work for them.” – Tom Sylvester
“We build successful businesses, but we make sure they actually support the life we're looking to build.” – Tom Sylvester
Takeaways:
02:06 Validate business ideas through minimal investment and customer feedback before full-scale development.
07:18 Design business goals that directly support your personal life objectives, not the other way around.
16:19 Break down big goals into smaller, measurable weekly and daily tasks to maintain consistent progress.
22:13 Focus on momentum and overall progress rather than getting discouraged by small goal shortfalls.
26:17 Use regular check-ins and accountability systems to track progress and make timely adjustments.
Plan With Purpose (free course on goal setting)
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448: Stop Being the Bottleneck, Change Your Habits, Escape Scarcity Thinking and Amplify Your Success with Melanie Benson
Melanie Benson from Rapid Cash Strategies is a Profit Amplifier, and has a gift for guiding fast-paced, mission-driven entrepreneurs to thrive in their small business. Melanie can quickly identify what derails you from productivity and progress – ultimately freeing you to scale your influence and income without overwhelm.
Melanie hosts the weekly podcast, Amplify Your Success, is author of Rewired for Wealth, coauthor of Entrepreneur.com's Start Up Guide to Starting an Information Marketing Business and has her success tips featured in magazines such as American Express OPEN Forum, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Woman's Day, Parenting Magazine, and University of Phoenix Alumni Magazine.
She is on the Executive Team for the Women Speaker's Association as well as is Council Chair for the Association of Transformational Leaders.
Quotes:
“The thought ‘I can't afford it’ is probably the single biggest bottleneck that exists. What we're doing is telling our mind that we can't. When we lead with ‘I can't afford it,’ it literally shuts our problem-solving brain down.” – Melanie Benson
“Success and comfort don't always hold hands. We have to be willing to step out on that ledge and not know how to do something in order to achieve things we've never achieved before.” – Melanie Benson
“Just because you don't know how to do something doesn't mean you shouldn't go for it.” – Melanie Benson
Takeaways:
04:50 Your mindset is the primary driver of business success, acting like a water hose that can either trickle or flow with opportunities.
11:34 Making a bold decision without knowing the entire path is more powerful than staying stuck in fear and uncertainty.
16:24 Avoiding failure can actually cause you to repeat failures by keeping you trapped in scarcity thinking instead of success energy.
20:41 Identifying your high-payoff business activity is crucial for quickly moving the income needle forward.
24:24 Building a team is essential for business growth, as you'll eventually hit a point where you cannot expand if you're working alone.
Claim Your Checklist: 10 Rapid Cash Strategies to Create a Quick Cash Infusion for Your Small Business
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443: Take More (Fast) Action, Follow-Through and Be Consistent Daily: How I Wrote a Book in a Day and Got Married in a Day
I got married today, Friday, November 17th, 2017. We hadn't planned it, just woke up and decided to knock it out today. I've also done the same thing with my business in several cases, most notably having an idea for a book in the morning and getting it published that afternoon. Listen to the story and if you'd like to leave a comment or "like", check out this post on LinkedIn.
Quotes:
“20 years from now, you'll be more disappointed about the things you didn't do than the things you did do.” – Robert Plank
“You should be committed to your outcome, but flexible in your results.” – Robert Plank
“Develop a habit of consistent completion, and you get instant gratification. You set yourself up for future patterns of turning ideas into reality.” – Robert Plank
Takeaways:
04:40 Fast action and consistent daily effort can transform your biggest dreams into immediate reality.
07:15 Breaking complex goals into smaller, manageable steps reduces anxiety and increases the likelihood of success.
08:30 Don't let perfect details stop you from starting - the first step is more important than having every single thing planned out.
09:20 Setting SMART goals with specific timelines helps you move from idea to execution quickly.
10:10 Developing a habit of instant completion creates powerful patterns of turning thoughts into tangible results.
Visit This Article on LinkedIn to Leave a Quick Comment
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433: Improve Your Productivity and Enhance Your Sales Goals with Business Rehabilitator Maya Harrison
Maya Harrison from Wedding Consultant Services is a well known consultant for corporate executives who need to improve productivity and enhance sales goals. She has been featured on tv shows like "Get Your Face On The Air" and on major podcasts for small biz owners. Maya Harrison has years of experience in the consulting industry and because of her proven results her clients refer to her as the "Biz Rehabilitator.
Quotes:
“Recent statistics show that the average worker is disconnected from their job. They're not engaged, which reduces overall employee morale for the company because there's no motivation on their part.” – Maya Harrison
“Most companies are still behind the times. They're still using old practices, old policies, and old work ethics.” – Maya Harrison
“Flexibility is key. If companies would adopt mobile and digital data processes in their working environment, it would lead to more engaged employees.” – Maya Harrison
Takeaways:
04:40 Modern workers want flexibility, digital processes, and the ability to work remotely to stay engaged and motivated.
07:20 Before starting a new business, research multiple potential industries and understand what each role truly involves.
11:30 Creating a successful business means focusing on work you enjoy and finding help for tasks you don't like.
17:10 Don't assume career advancement is possible; ask questions early and understand your actual growth potential within a company.
20:25 Promoting yourself through interviews, web shows, and professional platforms can significantly increase your business visibility.
Resources
- Maya Harrison (LinkedIn)
- Email Maya: corporateconsultant4executives@gmail.com
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430: Live the Focused Driven Lifestyle: Remove Distractions, Set Profitable Priorities, Get More Organized and Be Intentional with Lyman Montgomery
Lyman Montgomery from Focused Driven Lifestyle missed out on some great business opportunities due to a lack of focus. He faced many setbacks until he decided to do something different. He learned to clear his mind and focus his energies on eliminating his debilitating beliefs and within a few weeks, he saw dramatic results; that was over twelve years ago.
The key to his success was having a life coach and learning how to build a long-term relationship that balanced work and family. He also helps others to recognize the difference between life counseling (uncovering emotional issues) and personal coaching. Life Coaching, Relationship Coaching, Wellness Coaching, and Career Coaching are designed to help you develop a plan to achieve focused-driven results.
Quotes:
“Never confuse activity with accomplishment. Just because you're busy doesn't mean you've accomplished anything.” – Lyman Montgomery
“If you fail, fall forward, push yourself back up—even if you have to crawl—but keep moving toward your destiny and never stop.” – Lyman Montgomery
“It's okay to make mistakes, but make sure to learn from them and grow because of them.” – Lyman Montgomery
Takeaways:
00:02 Breaking digital addiction requires setting clear family communication boundaries and creating phone-free zones.
09:39 Being physically present isn't the same as being psychologically present with your family or team.
17:13 Productivity isn't about completing 50 half-done tasks, but focusing on 2-3 meaningful accomplishments.
20:19 Implement a structured approach to task management using simple, actionable steps like the TURBO method.
24:03 Failure is not final - learn to fail forward by growing from mistakes and continuously moving toward your goals.
Resources
- Focused-Driven Lifestyle (Book)
- Focused-Driven Lifestyle (Official Site)
- Lyman Montgomery (Twitter)
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405: Evergreen Focus & Motivation: 12 Mind Hacks to Become a Better Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur, and Your Best Self
Listen in as we reveal the twelve secrets all entrepreneurs (including you reading this right now) need to know in order to take massive action and enjoy rapid success.
- Quiet the Noise: Don't check email or texting in the morning
- Minimum Viable Product: what's important?
- Body Health: Exercise, wake up early, drink water, and get a good night's sleep
- Better Relationships: contempt, criticism, defensiveness, stonewalling (expert John Gottman)
- Be Present: avoid multitasking, distractions, waiting for X to do Y, or "sticking it out"
- Write Things Down: journal to document and "crack the nut" plus gratitude list
- Negative Self Talk: ask better questions about your situation, such as: What's good about this? What action will you take moving forward? Is the thing you're worried about always true in all circumstances?
- Be Independent: You are in control. Even if luck or people get you down,
- Be Positive: Why did you get started with your business in the first place? What used to get you excited?
- Triggers, states, habits, responses
- Entrepreneurial Skill: distill the information down quick enough to take action. Don't be arrogant. Pay attention. Take the steps and see if you did it correctly. Don't give up.
- Chunking: Adjust the size of your "laundry basket" to work your productivity muscle (focus muscle)
Quotes:
“Half the battle is just knowing where you're at and knowing what needs to be fixed.” – Robert Plank
“You're in control of everything you're doing today. The day can be spent the way you choose.” – Robert Plank
“Don't just learn and then put it aside. And don't just find a way to talk yourself out of implementing.” – Robert Plank
Takeaways:
02:19 Quiet the noise in your morning by avoiding immediate email and text checks to prevent starting your day in a stressed state.
11:50 Exercise doesn't require complex routines; simple actions like walking can significantly improve mental clarity and physical health.
21:42 Writing down daily tasks increases the likelihood of completing them and helps track actual productivity versus perceived productivity.
29:47 Recognize your emotional triggers and choose to respond differently, breaking predictable patterns that hold you back.
38:14 Focus on completing a few meaningful tasks daily rather than creating overwhelming to-do lists that rarely get finished.
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398: Five Entrepreneurial Skills You Should Develop or Sharpen as a Work at Home Internet Marketer
Listen in today as we talk about the five entrepreneurial skills you need for a successful business:
- Selling (email marketing, sales letters, webinar pitches, podcast soft sells, swipe file, hot material)
- Content creation (writing, speaking, video, structure, step-by-step, reading a lot to distill down information)
- Basic website creation (WordPress, funnels, membership sites)
- Productivity (workflow, mindset, focus, motivation, chunking, systems thinking, delegating, troubleshooting equipment/traffic/software)
- Planning & Architecture (scaling, editing the raw materials, software design, course layout, dashboard)
Quotes:
“Market more than you create. No one's telling you to cut corners, take shortcuts, or make crap—but market more than you create.” – Robert Plank
“Always have a constant flow of information—books, podcasts, courses—but also distill that information down into just a handful of actionable items you can begin using right now. There's nothing worse than going to a conference or taking a course, writing 50 pages of notes, and then never looking at them again.” – Robert Plank
“The bad news is it's super competitive now. The good news is it's easy enough for anyone to do, so there's no excuse.” – Robert Plank
Takeaways:
02:29 Marketing your content matters more than creating it - aim to spend 80% of your time promoting and 20% creating.
12:07 Build a "swipe file" of interesting marketing phrases and ideas to spark creativity and improve your selling skills.
18:12 Develop a systematic approach to repetitive business tasks using clear checklists to increase productivity and consistency.
28:12 Learn basic troubleshooting skills to quickly solve problems and keep your business moving forward.
29:34 Always have a clear vision of what you want to build, even if you don't know exactly how to get there.
Resources
- WP Crusher (WordPress)
- Profit Dashboard (Fiverr)
- Webinar Crusher (Website)
- Membership Cube (Website)
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377: Ditch the Blueprint, Follow Your Intuition, Do What You Love, Test Things Out, Put Yourself First, Live with Love and Find Personal Fulfillment As An Entrepreneur with Heather Criswell
Heather Criswell is the founder of WiseInside, speaker, author, and host of WiseTalk Radio, a podcast sharing a revolutionary approach to heart-centered communication. She’s worked with over 30,000 children and their families, helping them see their power, own their greatness, and communicate from love. Heather stops by today to ask: what's the one thing you WANT to do today?
Far too many people are living lives they don't want to live, faking it till they make it, and are out of alignment. You know what you love to do, so you should rock the boat, test things out, and create enough "chances" so that your business begins to snowball into greater and greater successes.
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