What happens when you don't know your purpose or your "why" from the onset?  Many get stuck in a cycle of doing nothing, but that doesn't have to be the case.  Jacklyn is a great example of starting from "I know what I do not want to do" and taking action. During the episode, Jaclyn shares how to use experimentation to dial into your passion and purpose.  She discussed the power of mindset, how important it is to keep you moving in the right direction and provides tips to help you move forward.  Lastly, she shares how she creates balanced goals with her clients that keeps them energized today and over the long haul.  

Women start their careers on parity with men but generally end them far earlier, having achieved less status, lower compensation, and less satisfaction than men. During this episode, we'll be joined by spouses, Andrea Kramer, and Alton Harris.  Andie is a partner in an international law firm, is a nationally recognized advocate for women's advancement and an authority on gender communication.  Al was a founding partner of the Chicago law firm of Ungaretti & Harris and has extensive experience watching and evaluating women as they move up the career ladder.  We dive into their book, Breaking Through Bias Communication Techniques for Women to Succeed at Work.  Whether you are tenured in your career or a new entrant, you'll be equipped with a better understanding of the barriers and biases along with tools and techniques to move beyond them. 

It is natural for us to want to bet on a "sure thing," but as we know, life is full of uncertainty.  During this episode, Kim Davis, one of my favorite mentors, shares how to embrace uncertainty as an opportunity and deliver value at the highest levels.  Kim Davis is the Executive Vice President, Social Impact, Growth Initiatives & Legislative Affairs at the National Hockey League (NHL).  Prior to the NHL, she served as a Senior Managing Director at Teneo and served as President of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation (fifth-largest corporate foundation in the world). Kim has been recognized as one of Hockey News' "Top 100 Most Influential Leaders in the sport, Savoy Magazine's "2018 Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America, showcased in Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business and the Business Journal's 100 Most Influential Women and in 2012, she was profiled with First Lady Michelle Obama in Essence magazine's "28 Most Influential Black Women in America."

Will using emotional intelligence like a hostage negotiator enable a leader's success?  How can the ideologies and techniques of hostage negotiation be applied to business? Our featured guest, Derek Gaunt, shares the essential information you need to take your leadership to another level by connecting two different disciplines - hostage negotiation and business leadership.    Derek is a lecturer, author (Ego, Authority, Failure), trainer and former commander of hostage negotiations teams in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. He is a hostage negotiation and subject matter expert on incident command who frequently speaks at hostage negotiations and SWAT conferences across the country.  As a member of the Black Swan Group, he is a negotiation trainer and personal coach. Derek has trained throughout the US and around the world, instructing business organizations on how to apply hostage negotiations practices and principles to their world. During this episode you will learn the hostage negotiation principles that Derek teaches leaders, the relationship between ego and authority, the importance of labels in engaging discussions, and so much more.  Additionally, Derek will share some insights into his book written for leaders who want actionable techniques to build trust-based influence.

Gillian Zoe Segal is an author of two books, New York Characters and Getting There: A Book of Mentors.  She finished her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Michigan and Law degree at Benjamin Cardozo School of Law.  She currently lives in Manhattan, New York with her daughter and dog.  Gillian is also a passionate photographer.  In this episode, we will learn more about Gillian and her journey – from attending Law school to working in their family business and pursuing her burning passion for photography.  She will also unveil insightful experiences interviewing 30 successful people like Warren Buffet, Michael Bloomberg, Sara Blakely, Anderson Cooper and others in her second book, Getting There: A Book of Mentors. 

In and of itself, being authentic may feel challenging in today's hyper influenced environment. Further, authenticity in the workplace has become a major of concern for employees and employers alike.  On this episode, I welcome Fran Tarkenton to this conversation as one who has started and run over twenty companies and further, helps small businesses succeed.  He is also a former National Football League (NFL) quarterback and television personality. During and after his NFL career, he started more than 20 successful companies, which now include GoSmallBiz, Tarkenton Financial, and SmallBizClub, a content-rich website for entrepreneurs that he founded with Office Depot. Fran gives inspiration in bringing in a diversified and authenticity-driven culture in his company.  He embraces, loves and highly respects each team member's personality and differences that tend to manifest in decades of employment and strong working relationships with him. Know the rules that Fran implements in his workplace that don't look and feel like rules at all. Also, learn from this serial entrepreneur as he gives a dose of his great advice for other business owners to level up their work ethics and culture.

Damon Hurst is a financial and banking professional with ten years of experience in a large financial institution.  He specializes in helping individuals, families, and businesses to maximize the full benefits and resources of a deeper banking relationship.  Together with his team of experts who specialize in the different areas in Finance, they manage multi-million-dollar books of business.  During this episode, Damon will share the three building blocks that will enable your financial success. Learn the books that inspired and transformed his and James' perspectives on finances.  Know the three essential ways to grow your money and the three things that Damon focuses on every day, making him feel he lived his purpose.  Lastly, discover the four-letter word that holds people back not only in finances but in life in general.  This episode is power-packed with the perfect tools and equipment to help you climb the ladder of financial success that you shouldn't miss.

James talks with Aliza Licht the author of Leave Your Mark: Land Your Dream Job. Kill It in Your Career. Rock Social Media. Aliza shares her personal story including her incredible career at Donna Karan. She explains why she left to pursue her own consulting company and why she ultimately shifted back to a corporate position. Land your dream job. Get the 4 key components for setting up a successful career. You can apply these strategies in a job search or if you're looking to move to another position at your current company. Kill it in your career. Aliza explains that your salary is what you get for doing your job. Killing it means exceeding what's expected. Use her methods to set yourself apart from your peers and co-workers. Tip: Documentation over conversation. Listen and find out how this can help. Don't miss the one thing not to do if you care about your career long term. Rock social media to elevate your platform. This may surprise you. As the manager of a large brand social media presence, Aliza's advice may feel counter-intuitive. Follow the anti-formula that she used to huge success. Why in the moment matters more than perfect production. Creating the brand of you. What do people think about you? What message are you sending? Aliza demonstrates how to create your brand with the answers to these questions in mind. James and Aliza break down the basics for being a connector and a person of influence. Find out how you can become the person that people remember and turn to when there's an opportunity.  

Michel is the CEO and co-founder of DirectTech Labs a company focused on the intersection between AI and behaviorial science in the gig economy and the social selling space. This eye-opening interview is about the methods AI provides to create a better experience for customers (in this case network marketers), which in turn creates additional value for the company. Michel explains how his company can use data to recognize and identify patterns of behavior. Michel isn't a Silicon Valley tech guy. His background will surprise and inspire you. The path to meaningful work is varied. His unique story is evidence that we can be interested in all kinds of things, and every part of that helps to create the person we become.   Hear the 4 keys to success in social selling (direct marketing) and how they've changed. Michel breaks down the key difference in understanding how people behave versus what motivates them. You'll look at everything differently when you hear how he explains the way this impacts everything from buying decisions to career choices. Make sure you hear him outline the number one enemy in understanding the selling process. This is helpful in any situation where you are interacting with others. Lastly, hear his 6 steps for being successful in the social selling space. This is great advice for evaluating any opportunity.     3 Favorite Books  Blink by Malcolm Gladwell Atlas Shrugged byAyn Rand Non Violent Communication                      

Today's episode is for anyone who has considered starting a business and/or writing a book. My guest, Jim Beach, has done both and shares his insights for success. He interviews successful entrepreneurs, authors and thought leaders on the School for Startups Radio show. He credits these conversations for helping him continue to learn and stay up to date with trends in the business world. Be sure to listen to Jim's advice about starting a business. It's not what you expect to hear, but it's going to be helpful. Jim shares his formula for getting his book to #9 on Amazon. He also explains the effort involved in writing, publishing, marketing and promoting. His effort ratio may surprise you. Get ready to hear his 7 tips for bootstrapping a business startup. He also shares his philosophy for getting off the couch and getting things done. You'll be able to use his simple, but effective approach for starting a business or any endeavor that feels complex and overwhelming. Jim's advice to his 20-year-old self will make you laugh. He learned from his first experiences in entrepreneurship and shares the painful, now funny story that wraps up this interesting, idea-filled interview.  Connect with Jim: School for Startups Radio Get Jim's books and other resources mentioned during this episode