THE MAGAZINE COACHES AND CONSULTANTS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!
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FEBRUARY 2021 | ISSUE #38
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3 STEPS FOR QUALIFYING SALES LEADS AND SMASHING REVENUE TARGETS
H HO OW W Y YO OU UR R N NE EX XT T E EX XE EC CU UT TI IV VE E R RO OL LE E F FI IN ND DS S Y YO OU U
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ES G PA + 70
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EDITOR
EDITOR'S NOTE We are in a crazy time in our society where relationships are built over the ether, mobile devices keep us pre-occupied and being famous is a job title. Whatever happened to catching up with a friend over a coffee, reading a hard cover book and hand writing a letter. There are some fundamental aspects of being human that should never change. So what is the obsession with social media? Why is it such a drug. Every hour there is a new app released, millions of views on YouTube and even new platforms are being developed to supersede the old.
By Mary Henderson | Photos by Mauro Palmieri
Where do we go from here?
I hope you find her story insightful and a source of inspiration.
In this issue of Authoritti5.0, I invited Cher Jones to share her story and journey into social media. I found her perspective refreshing because she has used her broadcasting skills and her gifts to establish her own media company. She uses social media no different to the way she functioned in a live TV broadcasting studio.
You may have noticed that we have changed the spelling of 'Authority' on the front cover to 'Authoritti'. This now aligns beautifully with the SaaS platform we are launching this year called Authoritti - the first Personal Branding platform in the world that will be accessible by any person worldwide.
This is why her Linkedin Live show "Just Ask Cher" is so successful. She has an audience that eagerly show up for her show week after week.
Please take time to leave your comments in the Linkedin post and please acknowledge Cher Jones and the content contributors. Enjoy!
I absolutely love what she stands for and it is an honour to feature her on the front cover.
AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE | 2
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CONTENTS 2 EDITOR'S NOTE 4 COVER STORY 14 MOBILE APP CONTENT: ANDY FOOTE Clubhouse Drop-In Audio (The Brand New AUDIO Networking App) 17 CAREER TRANSITION: GINA RILEY How Your Next Executive Role Finds You With Keith Thomajan, Chief Social Impact Officer, Dutch Bros Coffee Company 26 FUTURE OF WORK: JEREMY SCRIVENS Principles for the #Futureof Work and Business as #socialgood in a #digital age 31 PROFESSIONAL SPEAKING: DAVE CRANE This is YOUR best time EVER to SPEAK, POST AND make a PROFIT. 37 MINDFULNESS: FALGUNI KATIRA 7 Mindfulness Practices for Social Media Consumption 40 BRANDING: JAN SANTOS 7 Essential Equipment You Need For Your Podcasting Journey
48 COPYWRITING: LEE ROWLEY Copy Triggers, Part 5: I Luv Ya for Your Pink Cadillac 51 PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: LOUISE TAYLOR The New Social Rules, The Naked Mask, and Goodbye to Fake Gurus! 56 HOW TO START AN ONLINE BUSINESS: STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE 70 SALES: PAUL HIGGINS 3 Steps for Qualifying Sales Leads and Smashing Revenue Targets 73 BUSINESS TOOLS 74 PODCAST OF THE WEEK Mike Up In Your Business 75 PROMO 76 SUBSCRIBE TO AUTHORITY5.0 MAGAZINE 77 TUNE IN TO THE AUTHORITY5.0 PODCAST
44 LEADERSHIP: JOSHUA MILLER There is no one right way to create content but there is definitely a better way.
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PROFILE
CHER JONES By Mary Henderson | Photos by Cher Jones
You’re the queen of
Mary: I just love this human being
competitive
so much! Her name is Cher Jones,
training
a
She’s regularly invited to speak at
social
media
trainer
and
a
with
that
social
means
media
business.
LIVES.
personal branding coach who has
conferences,
the love of technology wired into
institutions,
not
her
She is a legend, period. Give it
DNA. She has over 18 years of PR
up, ladies and gentlemen, for Ms.
far as I’m concerned, who you are
marketing
Cher Jones.
at
just
her
personality
and
but
broadcasting
and
academic industry
events.
experience and has been actively using
social
media
since
your
defining
core. line
There’s
a
the
types
of
You are, for me, one of the most
people
who
We’re in the same vintage here,
heart-centered humans I virtually
media.
There
Cher. She is one of Canada’s top
know. Although I feel like I know
come from their core and others
online personal branding experts.
you,
who are in it for the transaction.
As a corporate trainer, she helps
and amazing. You give so much
You’re
companies remain relevant and
goodness, which really shows as
LIVES.
weird,
but
it’s
all
good
the
are
up the
queen
on
of
1999.
it’s
show
real
social
ones
of
who
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Literally, when I think of LinkedIn
career
Lives,
teacher
I
think
immediately.
I
creating
a
yourself.
This
of
Cher
mean,
brand is
Jones
talk
about
signature
amazing,
for
but
I
tests or
all a
want
to
journalist
PROFILE
be
a
or
an
Cher:
Oh, 100%. And I look at my
experience,
from
actor. It’s all the same thing. And I
communications
discipline.
wanted all of those. So somehow,
started my career and I went to
some
school
for in
way,
what
I
do
now,
I’m
a
journalism.
I
Then
I
want to start with your story. You
able to use the same skills, not
worked
are Canadian. I have a very soft
quite the same titles, but I get to
and then I moved into marketing
spot
do that.
and copywriting and then I moved
for
Canada,
by
the
way,
because my extended family lives
into
sports
PR
broadcasting,
and
corporate
Mary: What would you say then is
communications. All of those are
connection with Canada. I want
your
different
to
can you do with ease and grace
communications from a different
that others cannot?
angle, from a different audience,
in
Toronto.
honor
So
I’ve
got
this
interview
and
unpack
foremost
first the
a
and Cher
actual
genius
side?
What
Jones story. So let’s start by you sharing
with
us
young
what
when
were
to
people
and
It’s
being
and
able
to
them reposition, like helping them
didn’t happen overnight; I’ve been
vision, as a little girl, and has that
grab the right words to describe
doing this for a long time.
shown up in your adult life?
what they do and how they serve.
the
listening
objective.
purpose
Cher
was
to
I would say my zone is just
different
take
leverage all those pieces, but it
What
wanted
Cher:
a
that
helping
become.
you
you
from
disciplines
I love being able to help people
My
branding was way back in 2013, I
first
talk
about
personal
Cher: It’s
definitely shown up, but
articulate
not
way
it
would say it, but leveled up, and
believe,
would. It started probably when I
helping them do that and realize
Problems, But My Brand Ain’t One.
was
that it sounds exactly like them,
That
but
talked
the
in
the
started
that
sixth
signing
wishes”
so
I
thought
grade, my
when
tests
when
I
I
“best
became
yet
it
in
they
a
way
could
that
never
they
have
written it.
and
was
it
the
about
was
first
called
time
personal
I
99
ever
branding,
and it took years to get to the
famous, my teachers would have
point
where
I
am
now,
where
I
something to tell Barbara Walters
Mary: Isn’t
on
actually a gift, finding the right
out
piece of Cher memorabilia, and
words,
articulate
takes time. Now, it is my zone of
they
what you do, who you serve, and
genius, but it was baked in for a
what
long period of time.
2020.
They
would
about.
would
have
It’s
stories
always
have
to
a
talk
something
I
that amazing that it is
being
you
able
bring
to
to
the
table?
It
can just listen. I can already pull your
key
messaging,
but
it
wanted it to be. I actually kind of
sounds really easy, doesn’t it? But
career-pathed into broadcasting,
it’s
and I wanted to be like Barbara
There’s a real science behind it,
associated
Walters. I wanted to be on 2020,
isn’t there? And that’s why when
branding.
but
people
quite interesting. When you’re on
then
hard
I
realized
news
and
I
didn’t
love
investigative
actually
branding,
talk
really
quite
about
Cher,
it
hard.
personal drives
me
Mary:
Cher, there’s a real stigma with It’s
very
personal clichéd,
and
social media and you’re hearing
journalism. That wasn’t my thing,
insane because it’s about all the
people
but
was
touchy, feely stuff that is actually
disciplines and then start talking
interesting because I always feel
quite intense behind the scenes.
about
that people who take those
Would you agree with that?
though it’s their social media
I
loved
television.
It
step
outside
personal
of
their
branding
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facade. To me, that’s one minor
but
aspect of it, but for most people
something.
that’s the aspect, right? What is it
your gifts at work and when you
therefore,
for you?
can find them because we have
every single thing that I do, in the
multiple gifts, and when you can
online version and in the offline
and
position that so that you can get
version.”
that
more
your ecosystem?
Cher:
When
because
I
I
look
at
it,
specialize
in
everybody’s
PROFILE
When
gift,
I think there are so many facets to
happy
personal
everywhere.
There
are
you
opportunities
digital side of the personal brand,
branding.
gifted
all
of
a
at
can
to
use
sudden,
work,
if
it
Why?
with use
your
consider, and process. For me, it’s saying,
“My it
value has
How
to
do
is
truth;
show
values
up
fit
in
into
you’re
translates
Because
we
Cher:
I
about
like
think
for
your
me,
it’s
“yes.”
really
Be
your
many angles to it from the way
spend so much time there and to
“yes.” Your “no,” be your “no.” So
you show up in the room, the way
own the gifts that we were given
what
you
and strategically use them to get
reflect the yes and the no. The
more
serve
sense of value is important to me
online. And it's not just about your
through them. That’s what drives
because like, I won’t stop until I
brand colors and everything like
me. I know it’s all like airy fairy,
know I’ve delivered value for that
that; it’s all rooted in an objective
but it’s really at the end of the
person.
of knowing what you want. But for
day, when I look at why I do what
whether I delivered value in that
me, it’s about showing up digitally
I do, I know it’s because I love to
sense. It’s like my service delivery:
the
in
see people when they’re having
Everything that I do is a part of
person, having it be seamless and
what I call a Dorothy moment: “It
me. And, sometimes that can play
authentic,
and
was in you all along, Dorothy; I
into
you
just helped you pull it out.”
stuff, which is something I battle
and,
speak, of
the
way
course,
same
way
you
what
you
dress,
you
put
would
recognizing
owning
what
makes
opportunities
to
awesome, and stepping into that online that gives you confidence.
we
get
way
before
introduced
can
perfectionism
just
and
all
to
feel
that
Mary:
I love that. That’s a quote
the
magazine.
something
There
feel
that
to
person
can
awesome
about
is
that’s
consistent. In between all of that,
where we hang and that’s where
one thing stands out: I don’t know
we play. There’s no other site like
if it does for you, but for me it’s
So I have yet to put a single value
it that allows you to talk about
values.
people
to that in the sense of giving it,
yourself
understand
core
narrowing it down to one word.
own
I
and
really
so
drive
work
aligned,
version
excellence,
a
be
but
offline
important.
like
space where, you know, LinkedIn
professionally,
the
said
it’s
there. And that I know that the
and
are
very
You
value,
online version, which really must
jam
to
I
has
face. So having especially in our
our
face
me,
there
themselves and what they put out
of
meet
For
out
the
kind
we
online
put
severely. When I think about my
in Now
you
congruent,
don’t what
think the
and
that
we’ve
done
together
works, and I believe in it.
what makes you awesome. I think
meaning is of knowing their core
But
for me, my driver is recognizing
values. You know, people say out
something, it matters. And I don’t
that we’re all gifted. Like for me,
loud what their values are like the
choose
I’m a Christian. And as I look at
generic ones – love and kindness –
who calls me, because if I don’t
how
God
has
be
but to me, it’s very surface. For
feel I can deliver value, meaning
able
to
help
it
me, values are something that you
if I don’t think they’re going to get
really think about, contemplate,
the results they should, I’m not
gifted
me
people,
to and
doesn’t matter if you’re Christian,
when
to
my
work
name’s
with
on
everybody
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going to work with them. I know that sounds awful, but if I can’t deliver, I’m not going to be the person to do that.
I’m
driven
when
I’m
by
an
alignment
talking
to
of
energy
somebody
and
in I
the
can
sense feel
PROFILE
“It was in you all along, Dorothy; I just helped you pull it out.”
that
what’s
possible for them, I need to feel that I’m the right person to work with them. I have to have a vision that if we do this, they can accomplish this, and I can feel it in my soul and I know that they can get there. I think that’s a driver for
me.
being the
in
And this
point
that’s
where
space
where
I
and
over
one
don’t
the
years
iteration
work
with
or
of
doing
another,
everybody
this,
I’m
at
either.
Because if I don’t feel like I can deliver a game-changing life
experience,
and
I
know
it
sounds
so
dramatic,
but
that’s what I believe I do with the clients I choose to work with, I’m not the right person to help them.
Mary:
I
about
Gen
because
heard
I
Nick
Xers,
look
at
Nelson
and
and
I
Gen
Xers,
Ronnell
resonated
Richards
with
especially
that
on
talking
dialogue
social
media
who are doing really, really well.
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PROFILE
They’re standing out, owning their
finesse, common sense, and deep
still keep up so that we don’t get
brand
their
value into a 30-minute segment
left
their
that is professional at its core. I
Right.
think
Boomers
position,
specialization, lane,
and
staying
they’re
in
focused
and
a
lot
of
people
don’t
get
behind And
that. What would you say about
very
vast
it?
Boomers,
between
the
people in that Gen X age group who
have
experience
15,
20,
in
their
specialization,
25
years’
area
to
left
tech
Boomers.
say
behind
savvy,
but
we
that
all
us.
I’m
whatever
are
in
that
space now where we are, who we
Cher:
I look at that and I think
about
the
person
I
was;
I’m
looked up to.
46
now. So I think about 10 years ago
I think it’s a blessing of time and
sense of groundedness. There’s a
when I was 36 and just the level
experience. I know when I started
real
of
my business, I couldn’t niche as
of
there’s
the
a
sense
and
of
not
got
grounded. Cher, there’s a really difference
like
commitment
and
confidence
I
have
now,
tenacity. These are the key words
because it’s years of experience,
much
that
know,
right? We also come from a very
haven’t
people like you, Nick Nelson, and
unique generation where we saw
know what you need to say yes or
Ronnell Richards.
the
being
no to, you can’t niche. Niching is
born, like the PC. Literally we had
an evolution over time. So I think
our
it’s
I
I
can
describe.
really
see
denominator respect. vanity
a
and
There’s
metrics.
supporting
You
common
that no
It’s
one
is
mutual
interest really
accessible
hands
personal
computer
on
the
computer,
first as
PC,
a
opposed
as
I
wanted
done
the
it
long
same
knowledge
to.
you
enough
thing
and
If
with
everything
to
our else
in
to the big server rooms that could
that we apply to our life, that all
about
have the power of a calculator
these
now.
experience saying yes enough, so
another
and
But
we
had
that,
and
we
advocating for one another. I see
saw that evolution. We had big
a lot of that in our age group, but
square box TVs, and now we have
I don’t see that in a lot of the
flatscreen
younger
take
things
take
time
and
we can figure out our no.
think
we
Mary:
or
the
business? I mean, so many people
experience for granted, but I also
want to get rich or use famous
now, the millennials are going to
think
quick
be close to their 50s. What will
the digital divide.
vanity
guys
who
metrics.
happen where
is
Ten
that
they
chase years
they
today
from
still
the
that
I
don’t
technology
we
literally
straddled
So how did you start your
schemes
that
a
lot
of
people are buying into. It’s a big,
be
big problem and over time, we’re
because
So we have the wisdom we’re in
going
they haven’t actually realized not
this really unique position where
going
just their potential, but that being
we are in the center, where we
forward. So, I mean, when did you
successful actually takes a lot of
can
of
start your business? Why did you
hard
ages
to
start your business?
work,
are
will
the
TVs.
years
and
years
of
grab
from
and
also
the
wisdom
be
able
to
see
a
backwards
hard work. This is not an overnight
navigate and be nimble enough
thing; it’s 20 years in the making.
with what’s happening so quickly.
Cher:
So
I
entrepreneurial
when
people
that’s
you
on
think
our
generation
has
a
I
of
people
instead
grew
up
family
in of
lots
of
an of
not
luck!
responsibility to pass the wisdom
entrepreneurs.
who
has
down. I think our challenge is just,
were entrepreneurs. They owned
combined 20 years of expertise,
things
hair
commitment, professionalism,
and we straddle; we’re trying to
That’s
Live,
see
lot
somebody
are
happening
so
quick
salons.
I
Both
told
my
my
parents
parents
I
would never be an entrepreneur
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“I’m driven by an alignment of energy in the sense that when I’m talking to somebody and I can feel what’s possible for them, I need to feel that I’m the right person to work with them.” AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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because always
my
tell
parents
me,
you
would
don’t
PROFILE
but I just didn’t want to go back.
this. Don’t do that. You’ll ruin your
get
But I did go back into corporate
life. And I was like, no: Why don’t
holidays
together.
They
couldn’t
life while still doing some TV stuff
we show them how to use it so
do
because
they
ran
the
and
they can get what they want. And
my
and stuff, and then went into PR
that
separate
and communications. While I was
pathway. Then my internal clients
couldn’t
at my final job with the city of
started
do this. And you know, they don’t
Toronto
organizations
own their nights. They’re not their
Obama had just won the election
whatnot.
own; they don’t get benefits like
in
was
freelance gigs that would pay me
regular companies. And so I was
being a thing. I was already on
six months’ worth of salary. So I
like, I’ll never be an entrepreneur.
MySpace and then Facebook and
didn’t have it when I left my good
That’s why I went into journalism
all
government
because
communicator,
this
salons.
And
parents
would
vacations
stuff.
sometimes take
because
I
love
And
they
TV
then
and
all
that
fast-forward,
I
got
formal
from
2008.
2009
So
that
marketing
social
stuff.
to
2013,
media
As I
jobs
a
senior
noticed
that
most people at the city with the
of
brought
referring
months’
I
me
to
job,
to
on
up
but of
the
external
speak
ended
worth
me
and
with
I
two
had
salary
six and
jumped out in 2013.
had my second son in 2003 and I
communications
was
understand social media yet and
Mary:
they
make
divert a little bit, and I want to
policies. I said to my manager “I
talk about LinkedIn Live. A lot of
need to get into that room.”
people
love
When
see
doing
doing
on-air
some
television.
stuff.
I
was
producing
Then
I
was
for
also,
you
know, having a corporate job. So I’ve
always
straddled
were
title
sort
starting
didn’t
to
this
I want to just quickly just
I
your your
LinkedIn LinkedIn
Lives. Live,
I
corporate and then TV life. And
In today’s language, that means I
always watch it. I love the way
then all of a sudden I was like, I
need a seat at the table. I need
you show up and the way that you
don’t
to be in that room. I need to be a
have planned your LinkedIn Lives
corporate. This was a time of the
part
on
million-dollar
got
from
want
to
home,
go
back
copywriter right?
This
to
work
was
like
of me
divisions
these in
conversations.
and
were
the
like,
specific
subject
matter.
different
They’re
we
need
educational in some ways, even
how
to
to
and
books.
because
social media. And by the time I
only captured attention, but also
we’re from that generation. They
left the city of Toronto, if you said
a
talked about websites being the
my name, you said social media in
those
brand
new
the same sentence. So it was like
unbelievable. So let’s talk about
going
to
my
branding
the way that you have embraced
before it was a thing. Then also
it. What is it about LinkedIn Live
while
that
copywriter,
you
thing. be
a
but
I
million-dollar
do
I’m
like,
I’m
million-dollar never
was
copywriter.
But
a I
first
I
foray
was
into
there,
my
use
informative
start
know
out
a
those books. You remember those I
figuring
all
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internal
transformational.
tribe
of
people
you
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clients started asking me if I could
number two, what have you done
the
speak to youth about using social
that others haven’t done?
way.
business
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was
a
that. This is when LinkedIn was a
Cher:
baby to not go back to the job
baby. And I was like, okay, sure.
that
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television experience. I used to be
do the wag, the finger, don’t do
a pre- and a postgame show
I
business
was
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first
media and LinkedIn and stuff like
a
failed.
my
to
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that
when
in.
My
tried I
had
regular
corporate job paid really well,
The
reason
Live
is
it
I
embraced
pulls
on
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“My biggest tip, which has allowed me to repeat and use it over and over, is come up with a templated structure.”
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producer for the Toronto Raptors,
really
our basketball team here. So I’m
saying, “This is brilliant. Look how
significantly
used
well
your show, you know what to look
to
always for
working
been
that.
behind I
but
the
was
immediately production
live,
I’ve
scenes
able
to
elevate in
doing
was
at
executed
it
and
and
now
after
time,
will
diminish
because
quite
you
know
here and here are the points of
out
execution
to
how
prepping for it. And for me, a lot
you
apply
whatever
of the prep happens about four
can
consider, it
and
in
for
in
the
week
as
you’re
hours
And this wasn’t actually my first
that
I’m
that templated structure, which in
live rodeo. Way back, I don’t know
always
stuff,
the broadcast industry is called a
if
and
There’s
rundown, allows for that. So really
Hangouts on air. I used to have a
always going to people who are
going through that template and
live show with my cousin called
intimidated
but
structure and having it ready so
the “Lori and Cher” show, and we
I’m
in
even little things like if you have
would
She
personal branding. So the person
an intro about something or if you
worked in television too. So we
who’s supposed to work with you,
know what you’re referencing, if
both segmented the show, which
Mary,
you have any graphics coming up,
was
you.
remember
just
have
important
guests
to
that.
it
looking
industry you’re in.”Then just seeing
you
value
my
about
PROFILE
us,
on.
and
that’s
excellence, picking
to
not
person
me.
talking
about one thing.
I
have
segments,
and
they’re
consistent segments and they all are
value-driven.
teaching main
aspect,
punch
that’s
So
have
which
the
the and
who
with
wants
going
person
to
to
work
wants
to
You know what you’re following and
with
have
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know
what
I
eventually to
be
it
doesn’t
populated
even
as
much
mean? So it’s just one of those
because you get the fit, the vibe,
things.
and flow of your show. Something else
Mary: what
Can you
you
think
share would
with be
us
three
that
important co-hosts.
I is
would do
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say
not
is
really
forget
co-hosts
your
are
the
in
are
stopper of the week because for
successful LinkedIn Live?
me
and
16-17
you have it all there.
work with Andy is going to work Andy.
Having
minutes. Then I go through a scroll
serves
usually
The
work
show.
people who watch you and who
it
about
is
to
the
is
show,
me
believe
the
tips that you can give, specifically
me,
for
of
I
we
The
with
just
competition,
supposed
my
good that.
is
with
not
by
because
work
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the
showcase
what you see in the elements of show.
because
before
relation
to
creating
a
actively
there
live
with
you,
although more people will see it
that’s
on the replay. When you create
probably one of the drivers. I love
Cher:
studying what people are doing,
allowed me to repeat and use it
find
because if I’m not studying what
over and over, is come up with a
live
people are doing, how can I add
templated
becomes
value
with how you’re going to format
conversation. We cannot treat it
“Hey, have you ever tried this?” So
your
like TV because it is not TV; it’s
even
it’ll make it much easier for you.
interactive,
Like the amount of prep, time
mindful of your audience
to
my
when
clients
we
when
were
I
say,
looking
at
your post, in the last episode, it’s
My biggest tip, which has
show,
structure.
because
Come
each
up
week
that interactive experience, you’ll that
more
when
people
they this
so
you
show
up
but
it
can,
interactive
need
to
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including the replay viewer, and choose those points where you’re going to give the audience a chance to say something. Finally, understanding that it's not real-time with your delivery. It might be a minute and a half behind, two minutes behind. So you have to play with that delay.
Mary: I’m going to ask you one last question, which is completely left field. I think I’ve asked you this question before, but I’m going to ask you again. If there is one person that you would love to meet who is no longer living, who would it be and what would you ask or what would you want to know?
Cher:
The first person that comes to my mind is Princess Diana and the reason why is I saw this
meme just a day or two days ago. And it was the black dress she wore when she found out that Prince Charles cheated on her. I was just like, what was going through your mind when you were just like “F” you. I’m hot and I’m going to love myself and I’m going to deal with this rejection and move forward. She was just like, I’m going to walk out there. She was probably hurting, but still that energy, that strength when the world is watching and you handled it with such grace and style and confidence, what did that feel like on the inside?
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MOBILE APP
CLUBHOUSE DROP-IN AUDIO (The Brand New AUDIO Networking App)
BY ANDY FOOTE
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Clubhouse (CH) is Alpha Exploration Co on LinkedIn. They are in beta, don't have a Co Page yet. Paul Davison (Founder/CEO) and Rohan Seth (Founder/CTO) are the creators of CH. Met at Stanford, both worked at Google at the same time. To find/keep an eye on CH related content on LinkedIn, the best way is to follow and use the LinkedIn hashtag: #clubhouse. Everyone who follows me knows I'm a big fan of hashtags on LinkedIn, I've been mapping the growth of #clubhouse shortly after I gained access. 317% growth over 10 days. The only metric CH users have currently is followers. A recent CH town-hall (every Sunday morning, 9am PST) promised additional room specific data to help the room creator (1) understand what's happening and (2) improve. It's neat that the only algo we have to worry about on CH is the feed (or hallway). Paul Davison, who led a town-hall on Jan 17th said that they're continuously working on improving the feed and mentioned that users will be able to "swipe a room away" and unfollow, he also said users will be able to identify topics of interest, which will help to make the feed much more relevant. Paul also said that a DM feature is coming. He said that since there were already so many back channels operating, it made sense for CH to build one into the app. I changed my mind on keeping CH 'pure' or only-audio.
I say give users the option to communicate via chat, it'll make it a more cohesive and communicative experience, for everyone. But what I or anyone else thinks of this, is immaterial, because it's coming folks. Android version is coming too. Paul said the only reason CH doesn't have an Android version now is because they don't have the people - "we need to hire more people, build out an android engineering team". People who say this is an audio app are wrong. I don't think you can clubhouse well, without looking at your screen. Even if you're just listening, don't want to speak, you're not checking out other people in the room? Why not? "Hey Jeff, saw you were listening as intently to [X] in the [Y] room today, saw you were also in the [Z] business. I'd love to connect".
You should definitely be spending some of your time learning as much as possible about people on stage and surfing the audience. When was the last time you were at a conference and could see the names and bios, social links of…everyone in the room? I've been on CH for 11 days. The days merge, work gets pushed aside. This new audio networking app is like nothing I've ever seen (or heard) before. Here's a recap: 1. It's addictive. I'm addicted. People joke about it. But they are 100% addicted. 2. There's some real FOMO, if you're not on Clubhouse, you wonder what you've missed. 3. FOMO is amped because everyone on CH thinks that they are early adopters/part of something potentially huge. They are.
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4. Time disappears. Especially when you're talking. Your usual life/work routine will be disrupted because of 1. 2. 3. 5. It's not ok to multi-task when you're unmuted. Especially if you're washing dishes, jogging or in a restaurant. No one wants to hear your background noise. Kids or doggies in the background? Totally cool. Obviously. 6. Back channels (SMS, LinkedIn messenger etc.) are helpful. Especially for mods to swap notes. If you're asking CH for a built-in chat feature, you're gonna be happy. Founders recently confirmed it's coming. 7. It's a party hat? At your chin? I doubt it. Zoom in. It's got a red and a blue straw in the cone. 2 squiggly things. Multicolored dots. It's an inverted megaphone. Or a drink you spilled. 8. I'm following lots of people IDK. I don't see a downside to this. Reminds me of LIONs on LinkedIn. But with no spam/crappy connection requests.
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9. There are rooms with the sole purpose of getting everyone to follow each other. Ugh. 10. It's a vortex. I'm getting better at not getting sucked in. 11. 'Phoning it in' is what we are all doing on CH. I've heard excellent advice. 12. If you're on stage, pay attention. Don't miss your shot. 13. Reading the room is almost as important as listening. 14. Stretch goal: land in FBTS (Followed by the speakers) first row seats. Bask in the glow of the footlights. Get popcorn. 15. Get on stage. Ask a great question. Add value. Tie back to others by name when you speak/share. 16. Don't waffle. Don't Pitch. Don't say your name. We can see it and if we want, we can read your bio. Use yaytext.com to make your bio stand out, look cool. 17. Don't jump the line. Convus Interruptus. Everyone will hate you. Forever.
MOBILE APP
18. Annoying verbal ticks. "Right?" "You know?". Didn't know there are Valley Boys too. That rise in pitch at the end of a sentence. 19. FOMC. Fear of missing convos, great discussions happening all the time (see 11). Some can be recorded. 20. Phone's on the charger all day. Brand new iPhone. 21. Culture clash. Drama. B.S. No different than real life. 22. Gold Rush. People trying to figure out how to sell shovels. Monetization could make or break this channel. 23. Notifications are your friend. If you've set them up correctly. 24. Wish they could show us clapping in the cheap seats. Follow me on CH: @andyfoote
CONTRIBUTING WRITER'S PROFILE Andy Foote coaches individuals and organizations how to fully capitalize on everything the LinkedIn platform has to offer. He’s spent the last decade obsessively testing multiple engagement strategies and building a vast and supportive network on the largest professional networking website on the planet. He regularly shares his expertise and knowledge via LinkedIn and his blog (www.linkedinsights.com) and has also recently launched his FOOTENOTES podcast, an interview show which seeks to shine a light on intrinsically interesting people and their fascinating career paths.
CONTACT ANDY: @andyfoote www.linkedinsights.com
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CAREER TRANSITION
HOW YOUR NEXT EXECUTIVE ROLE FINDS YOU WITH KEITH THOMAJAN, CHIEF SOCIAL IMPACT OFFICER, DUTCH BROS COFFEE COMPANY
By Gina Riley| Photos by Keith Thomajan AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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What are three moving parts to an effective career transition many leaders overlook? First, they fail to spend time reflecting and assessing WHO they are and HOW they deliver on what they do. This essential step helps build the foundation of a cohesive career-story that lands with decision makers. Second, they do not narrow down a clear target. This speaks to the industry, organization, and the types of roles they believe align with their skills, knowledge, abilities, and interests.
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"I WANT TO PAINT A PICTURE FOR YOU OF WHERE I'M TRYING TO GO AND HAVE YOU HELP ME GET SMARTER
Third, they do not develop and execute an effective and consistent networking strategy. Why should you work through these steps in sequence? Simply put, you need a clear story and target to discuss in networking meetings so your advisors know how to help you. What better way to showcase how these three moving parts work together than to share real-world examples from executives who have successfully made career transitions by honing their message and consistently building professional relationships throughout their career?
AROUND HOW I DO IT"
This article features an interview with Keith Thomajan, Chief Social Impact Officer of Dutch Bros Coffee. He serves in a strategic executive position that encompasses DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), Sustainability, Government and Community Affairs, and Philanthropy. Thomajan is an East coast expatriate and proud middle eastern American from Massachusetts who began his career teaching in East Oakland, California.
CAREER TRANSITION
Much of his career has been building communities and serving families for three successive non-profits: Outward Bound, as CEO of Camp Fire Columbia, and as CEO of the United Way in Portland, Oregon. He made the leap from nonprofit and is now Chief Social Impact Officer for Dutch Bros Coffee. Thomajan also serves on two boards, OnPoint Community Credit Union and Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon and continues to be active in his community. Several of his career moves are a picture-perfect example of how reflection and preparation, along with effective relationship building, helps open up opportunities not otherwise seen through a traditional job board search approach. Let’s dive straight in and hear how Thomajan made these career transitions!
Your last three successive career transitions were not the result of applying through job boards. Would you walk through the first two? For the first one, I was 32 years old and working with Outward Bound, which is an outdoor education program for youth.
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DON'T JUST SEND OUT YOUR
RESUME AND SEE WHO BITES.
GO OUT AND TALK TO PEOPLE
ABOUT WHERE YOU CAN FIND
OPPORTUNITIES AND CREATE
YOUR OWN DESTINY.
I’d built up a network in the non-profit space which led to a former board member of Camp Fire Columbia to contact me about a CEO opportunity based on the hybrid of skills I could offer. For the next ten years, I grew professionally and as a leader at Camp Fire. It was an opportunity to lead a historic organization and help them pivot into the 21st century. I learned a lot about strategy, community development, organizational management and team development across many locations. We grew the organization from a million to over four million dollars. I had access to business, government, nonprofit, and
"
philanthropic leaders – which put me on a short list of up-and-coming non-profit leaders in a city with a relatively small market and closely connected social and business sector. I think I was in the line of sight of the board members of the United Way – which was a much bigger job than I was in at the time.
There wasn’t an epiphany moment.
About two years ago, you made a major career transition. You went from leading the United Way of Columbia-Willamette to the world of profit as the Chief Social Impact Officer at Dutch Bros. There was a lot more to making this leap than meets the eye. Would you take us through your process?
I’d toyed with getting an MBA earlier in my career and wondered if my skill set hadn’t become a defacto MBA.
I was proud of the work I’d done. After hitting 50 and with 17 years as a CEO, leading and turning around two similar nonprofit organizations, I wasn’t necessarily looking to take the next, bigger nonprofit leadership role.
Luckily, I had friends in the business sector who said, ‘Damn dude, what you have done is transferrable. You are not just the charity guy, you’ve managed big complex organizations, multi-jurisdictional
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partnerships, reinvented business models, managed boards of directors, and built long-term strategic plans’. They also told me they’d love to have someone like me in their C suite. I started to think, okay, how do I position myself to find the kind of organization I would enjoy being a part of and then position my skillset as relevant to the strategic, financial, and growth aspects of that business. I knew I could add value in philanthropy and social impact, but I hoped that I could also contribute to the business’ bottom line and, as a result, get myself “in the room” to learn and grow personally and professionally.
So, you wanted to make sure you didn’t get pigeon-holed or tied to one industry? Right. Once I realized I wanted to pursue something outside the non-profit world, the art became figuring out how to get from A to B. I worked with a career coach to rebuild and reposition the language on my resume with a forprofit lens. There were a lot of iterative steps I went through before I could
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CAREER TRANSITION
align it with corporate opportunities.
Who were you surrounding yourself with along the way? Who have been “your people” you’ve leaned on for support to help illuminate your path? While I have a great network of community leaders in government, business, and non-profit – I think one group that really inspired and supported me was YPO (Young Presidents Organization). I was the only non-profit guy and they gave me coaching that led to thinking about how to make the pivot. When I was ready, I picked 10 people in my network to confidentially talk about where I wanted to go next. I’d take them out for a beer and ask them to kick the tires with me.
What would you say to people who are struggling with the feeling they are “asking for a job” versus reaching out to gather information and fact find?
I WISH HAD BEEN MORE VULNERABLE OR HUMBLE TO TAP SOMEONE I TRUSTED ON THE SHOULDER AND ASK TO MEET ONCE A QUARTER TO KICK THE TIRES.
It's hard for me even to fathom. Maybe that's because I was a fundraiser for 17 years, and I'm pretty good at asking for what I need or want. AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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I would just say obliterate that idea, and frankly, if you're worried about that, be explicit, like I'm not asking for a job here. I'm asking for your wisdom, your guidance, and coaching. That's flattering! Who doesn't like being told, ‘Hey, this is confidential, I'm only reaching out to a small group of people I admire, and I think who understand me. I want to paint a picture for you of where I'm trying to go and have you help me get smarter around how I do it’. Man, I think that is about as flattering a gesture as you can offer to someone.
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In hindsight I wish had been more vulnerable or humble to tap someone I trusted on the shoulder and ask to meet once a quarter to kick the tires.
You seem to be that person now – vulnerable and humble. It says a lot about your character. What would you say about building a “pullstrategy” or attracting people to think of you? I think that was one of the best resets of my mind, some of which came through the coaching and advice I was open to receive.
CAREER TRANSITION
I was the successful leader of a big nonprofit in the community but had a bit of a “junior varsity” mentality in comparing myself to the “business world”, the world finance and capital, private equity, and profits. I realized I wanted to position my skillset and be a part of a business – to be a part of the C-Suite and an advisor. I needed to step out of the idea I was a nonprofit guy and regardless of my industry experience, position the work I’d done in accessible language to presidents and CEOs of corporations.
I agree! Would you tell me about mentors or sponsors you’ve had along the way? Someone who was a step ahead of you? I had a lot of talented leaders in my Outward Bound community. One of our program directors hired me for my first big job. I remember thinking he was the kind of professional I want to be when I grew up. We’ve stayed in touch. When I landed my first CEO role at the age of 32, I think I kind of had to fake confidence – like I had it together. AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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I had to get over that I did not have an MBA or forprofit experience and focus on making a case for what I did bring. I needed to be very clear. I also knew I would have to be smart and lucky. I could package myself in all the ways I knew how, but I knew there was no way I was going to be able to compete for VP of manufacturing at a major apparel company if I did not have experience in manufacturing. There were obviously going to be jobs where prior experience was the prerequisite, so I had to spend time imagining what jobs I would be qualified and eligible for – a place where a smart, strategic thinking leader with good communication skills was needed.
Tell us about the segue to coffee then. How did you get to Dutch Bros? Talk about preparation, opportunity, and luck coming together! The funny thing is Dutch Bros turned out to be the Holy Trinity of everything I was looking for. I wanted to serve on a leadership team and be a part of setting and executing a strategy. AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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THINK LONGTERM. IT’S BEST TO BE LOOKING FOR A JOB WHEN YOU DON'T NEED IT. LEAP WHEN THE NEXT LILY PAD IS THERE.
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One of the guys I picked to have a beer with was my buddy, Joth Ricci. Joth had been the CEO at Stumptown Coffee and went on to be CEO at Adelsheim Vineyard with a long history in food and beverage. Little did I know when we were having our beer, he was in private conversations with Dutch Bros to join them and become president. When I shared the kind of company and role I imagined, blending strategy, connection to the business,
CAREER TRANSITION
and social impact – he grinned. Not long after he became president, he asked me to go for a beer and talk about an opportunity. Then, he flew me down to meet the CEO, the other leaders, and signed me on. It has been the coolest professional adventure I've ever had.
By this point, your messaging was aligned with what you had to AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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I NEEDED TO BE VERY CLEAR. I ALSO KNEW I WOULD HAVE TO BE SMART AND LUCKY.
offer and knew how to streamline what to say in those conversations. Then, you were networking to get help imaging what that next role could be.
of seven members of the leadership team. We have a private equity partner that I get to work with. I'm learning a ton. I feel very lucky, I appreciate Joth and Travis and Dutch Bros.
Exactly. Because we’d already spoken, Joth knew I wanted to be connected to the business and strategic development. Now, I have a chance to serve on the leadership team and help align the company behind an exciting growth plan.
With many leaders and executives experiencing career transition in the middle of a global pandemic, what would you recommend to people to be seen and heard in a crowded market?
In addition, I’m able to use my diversity, equity and inclusion experience to create an opportunity for a company that had been incredibly inclusive and take it up a notch with intentionality. This is a dream opportunity where I get to be a part of a fast-growing company across eleven Western States and counting. I'm one
One – think long-term. It’s best to be looking for a job when you don't need it. Leap when the next lily pad is there. Be thinking 12, 18, 24 months down the line. Start with some quiet thinking and planning. I think it would be brutal to try and apply cold for jobs,
which is why I recommend spending six months of introspection. What are you interested in? Make a list and shape your thinking. The final piece of advice is to be focused. Pick 10 people who are senior, well connected, and buy them a beer or coffee. Get their coaching. The conversation will create some leads for you. For smart, talented people, sparks will happen.
I call LinkedIn your “marketing storefront window”. You want to invite people walking by to “come on in” versus browse and go by. How did LinkedIn play a part in your process? There is an art and science to this process. I give those who supported me a lot of credit, but I spent the time and money to help me get the positioning AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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CONTRIBUTING WRITER'S PROFILE
and my resume from nonprofit resume to a for a forprofit role.
to people about where you can find opportunities and create your own destiny.
I got help on improving my LinkedIn profile and presence with an executive career transition coach. The last time I actively looked for a job, LinkedIn didn't exist! LinkedIn was an afterthought. I repositioned my messaging and had a lot of recruiters reach out to me.
Otherwise, it can be a hard slog in a crowded job market. Do the job search on your own terms.
It is valuable to understand, before you start your outreach, know people are going to drive to your profile. You want them to think, ‘Dang! That tells a story of a professional I want in my company’. I became more strategic by posting some editorials and increasing my thought leadership. I was trying to tell a story about the person I wanted to reflect out to the world.
What are common pitfalls aspiring leaders make when they go through an interview process or career transition? They are reactive versus proactive. Don’t just send out your resume and see who bites. Go out and talk
It is best to do that when you are not in a rush to leave where you are now. Another thing - really plan to interview. Understand your weaknesses or where you have gaps and be honest about them. In the end, it has come down to doing some good work, having good strategy, good karma, and good luck. Which, I think is a good recipe for business as well as life. It’s worked pretty well for me.
Gina Riley Consulting & creator of the CareerVelocity System™. She is a career transition coach who helps leaders customize their career stories to land jobs where they can leave a legacy. She is an Executive Search Consultant for Talence Group.
I think that was one
of the best resets of
my mind, some of
which came through
the coaching and
advice I was open to
CONTACT GINA: ginarileyconsulting.com
@ginariley
receive.
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FUTURE OF WORK
PRINCIPLES FOR THE #FUTUREOFWORK AND BUSINESS AS #SOCIALGOOD IN A #DIGITAL AGE By Jeremy Scrivens| Photos by Jeremy Scrivens AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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A while back I wrote a blog about the influence Meg Wheatley on my own approach to seeing organisations not as hierarchies or static structures but as living human systems. Meg was a big factor on my awakening consciousness that all things are connected and that deep in the human heart is the need for connection in order to be well and do well; to contribute to others.
T H E
To make a difference together. In today’s language we might phrase this as the human need to collaborate with our ecosystem in order to cocreate and innovate social good at scale. A few years back, Meg wrote a series of principles for engaging human systems to collaborate at scale. They are as relevant today as they were
F U T U R E
O F
I N D I V I D U A L S I N D I V I D U A L S ,
W O R K
FUTURE OF WORK
twenty years. Meg, David Cooperrider (founder ofAppreciative Inquiry) and Stephen Covey (True North Principles) taught me to approach change and growth from the perspective of Principles, not the what or how of things. We live at a time of extraordinary potential for collaboration for social good
I S
A B O U T
C O N N E C T I N G N O T
T O
B 2 B .
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and growth at scale enabled by the new digital and social networking technologies called Third Platform. These technologies - Social, Digital, Analytics, Mobile and Cloud are open technologies, designed to connect people to share, collaborate and cocreate at scale on a global scale. They enable the restoration and extension of human effort, whether this be work as commercial endeavour or work as service to community, as being about building the capacity to collaborate with others to do social good at scale. In the future of work as a Community of Belonging and Purpose we see the coming together of business value and social good – they go hand in hand. The young Generation G’s in the workplace who have been brought up as Social Natives want to work for companies where meaning is elevated back up there with money. A C Level friend of mine who is leading global transformation for one of the world’s largest cyber security firms, told me that his HR people have been head hunting the best young talent in the world to join his company. This is a highly competitive industry for talent. My friend went to Poland where they have a key office situated.
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FUTURE OF WORK
He met with some of the best young talent his HR people could find. He pitched the company to them - about the material benefits and career advancement of working for a global player. He then asked these young people what they wanted to know about the company. They asked him 'what are the opportunities for us to be involved in social good projects in our local community and on a global scale?' Then the second question floored him - 'where are you personally involved in your local community doing social good with others?' My friend was stunned by these questions. For these young members of the workforce, the future of work as social good and business growth hand in hand and is a bigger idea than Corporate Social Responsibility.
to engage their people to take up the potential of digital. They are not engaging their people through the lens of life-giving Principles but through technology or business logic head space not heart. This 'outside in' engages nobody. Whilst our technologies have become connected, our workplaces, enterprises and cultures remain closed, siloed, separated, hierarchical and horizontal.
I wrote another blog about how companies are struggling
So, being encouraged by the response to last year’s Meg
My work is drawing me to coach, facilitate, mentor, partner and explore strengthsbased collaboration and innovation at scale with companies and communities around the world. I have come to understand that we need to build a set of principles to help leaders, workplaces and communities take this road well.
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Wheatley blog, I have written a first time set of Principles for human ecosystems to do social good and grow business in a Digital Age – here they are. P R I N C I P L E P E O P L E S T A R T I N G
1 :
E N G A G E
F R O M
I N S I D E
W I T H
W H O
Y O U R O U T
A N D
-
W H Y
The Future of Work is about individuals connecting to individuals, not b2b. It is the conversations between people about what really matters to them, starting with who they are and their why - it is personal and it is from the heart.
FUTURE OF WORK
P R I N C I P L E J O I N
A
3 :
S T A R T
C O M M O N
S O M E T H I N G
T O
U P
O R
C A U S E
B E L I E V E
I N
In the Future of Work, people don't connect with organisations, they connect with causes. Find a common cause for social good that you want to start up / initiative or follow and connect with others around what you believe as authentic players. Start with your own community - where you live and be real.
P R I N C I P L E I F
W E
4 :
F O C U S E D
O N
I M A G I N E
C O N V E R S A T I O N S
P O S S I B I L I T I E S ,
N O T
P R O B L E M S ?
Shape the conversations around that which you wish to accomplish rather than that which you wish to avoid, starting with your strengths - your Positive Core as an individual #Me and then as a Group #MeWe. In the future of work everyone’s individual why matters.
P R I N C I P L E S T R E N G T H S P L A Y
P R I N C I P L E -
B E
W H O
2 :
B E
Y O U
A U T H E N T I C
R E A L L Y
A R E
Be who you really are: your authentic self, engaging the real you. Social Good is not corporate or b2b but individual to individual. You either start a movement or you join one both matters.
-
W E
5 :
A N D
B R I N G
M O R E
S T O R I E S
N E E D
T H E M
I N T O A L L
In the Past of Work we focused on doing more with less: the Deficit Mindset. In the Future of Work we focus on doing more with more by bringing more stories and strengths into play at scale. It is the mindset of Abundance. In the Future of Work, people don't join companies or jobs, they join collaborations of strengths to create more stories.
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P R I N C I P L E O F
6 :
T H E
W H O L E N E S S &
E X P E R I E N C E
I N
S O C I A L
T H E
7 :
C O L L A B O R A T I O N E V E R Y O N E J U S T
T O
B E
L I K E
H O S T
A N D A
A L L O W
P L A Y E R
Y O U
8 :
F O S T E R
C O L L A B O R A T I O N C U L T U R E
Bring everyone together in your ecosystem to collaborate and innovate from the experience of bringing the whole system into the room to see and imagine from the wholeness of things, not the parts of things. There are two rooms - the physical Summit Room and the virtual Social Room. Both rooms enable you to play with your local and global ecosystem. P R I N C I P L E
P R I N C I P L E
S U M M I T
R O O M S
FUTURE OF WORK
N E W
O F
F R O M
K I N D N E S S
C U R R E N C Y
O F
-
A T H E
E Q U A L I T Y
Most people get that the root of Collaboration means together. But is also means equal. Future of Work Leaders are kind leaders who take the time to build collaboration where every person is freed to be an equal member of a Community or Culture of Kindness, Here, they can experience good and to co-create good and pay it forward. Building collaboration involves humility, forgiveness, respect, giving, sharing and wonder for each other. Kindness is the currency of the Future of Work and Business.
Engage and lead collaboration as host not hero. In authentic collaboration, there are no experts or authorities only players. The Future of Work Leaders are hosts of collaboration room, not the owners.
CONTRIBUTING WRITER'S PROFILE Appreciative Futurist: Director of the Emotional Economy at Work Melbourne Jeremy deploys a suite of strengths based approaches to equip leaders and business to build positive cultures for high engagement, authentic collaboration and innovation at scale in the Summit & Social Rooms. Jeremy is an Appreciative Inquiry Summit Room facilitator, coaching large scale positive change, Adaptive Leadership collaboration and innovation in enterprises and communities.
CONTACT JEREMY: @jeremy-scrivens20112a19
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PROFESSIONAL SPEAKING
,KAEPS ot REVE emit tseb RUOY si sihT
POST AND MAKE A PROFIT.
FEBRUARY 2021
IMAGE BY PEXELS FROM PIXABAY
BY DAVE CRANE
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‘TO SOCIAL OR NOT TO SOCIAL’
PROFESSIONAL SPEAKING
Social Media 101. Simple equation. If you want to speak, you have to build a brand, if you want to build a brand you have to utilise social media, if you want to utilise social media, you will need to post strategically. To post strategically you will need to know how to procure, produce, create and curate relevant content that people will want to see. To learn to do this fastest, read the following article.Then people will book you.Then they will pay you.Then others will notice and pay you more.… Write this down. I know social media has been around forever, but not really utilised as a marketing tool for 99% of people who use it.Coronavirus has given us several opportunities to reinvent and push forward the gig/ liquid/ remote economy. I won’t be mentioning more on that today, just about social media.Let me begin by saying that having your OWN web TV show is the best marketing tool you will ever have.Most aren’t ready for that, so let’s just start with social media marketing and personal brand development.So many of my clients have suddenly realised that a lifetime in corporate gave them 3 things… AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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1. Job security/ insecurity (depending on your point of view). 2. Complacency about how to build a personal brand (why bother, the company did it all for you)? 3. A massive fear of getting things wrong in public (and the fall out afterwards). This is fine when you retire with shares, pension and a yacht stacked with enough Covid-19 free sanitized goodies to sail off into the sunset, but terrible when you plan to start up your own business and finally go it alone into the big wide world... So how do you announce your thought leadership and obvious genius to your industry after a life-time being a small cog in a big wheel? I suggest... As quickly as you can. AND as carefully as you can. Here’s the key problems… a. Younger influencers ALREADY dominate social media and their constantly evolving and trending content is almost impossible to emulate. For example, the biggest earner on You Tube is Ryan Kaji who’s 9 years old with about 30 million subscribers and 45 BILLION video views. He also earns about 26 million USD per year.Where do you EVEN start if you planned to catch up? b. Your audience might be on LinkedIn and MAY still have a presence on Facebook but by and large they are still text messaging, email sending and
Feeling deflated and disheartened yet? Don’t worry, solutions and strategies are coming in this article… In fact, let’s start with the Golden rule of public speaking…
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watching terrestrial Network TV. So how are you going to reach them? Pay for ads between episodes of ‘Friends’? c. PLUS, whatever niche you choose to champion may… i. Already exist in a crowded market.
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It means having your arguments and points thought out before you take them public.When I say public I mean online, offline, onstage AND offstage.
ii. Have no monetizable market at all (sock collecting anybody). iii. Generate no desire for people to pay you for it.
Think BEFORE you speak. This means getting your head in the game.
This is actually how you get gigs and also how you post and grow your following. Steps? • Work out your internal identity first. • Work out your target audience’s identity (avatar – they may have several). • Work out WHERE your audience is (social media platform, economic bracket, country, time zone etc)
PROFESSIONAL SPEAKING
• Create a personal brand as a vehicle for reaching and engaging your audience. • Develop a content strategy for engaging them (based initially on observing others who are connecting to the same target audience). • Produce, polish and post. • Rinse and repeat.
Easy so far? Good (of course, I know it’s not). Now let’s add the essential areas you will need to become aware of and eventually master before you will be comfortable posting and going LIVE across social media. Please let me mention some personal experience insights and observations before I share your to-do list… AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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1. Jump and grow wings on the way down. 2. You will NEVER make it 100% perfect. 80% and out there is fine. 3. Everyone has to go through the same processes as you, if they want to make an impact. 4. Take the time and understand this is a part of your learning curve. 5. Never ask for permission, apologise immediately and retract (if you have to) instead. 6. Enjoy the ride…
Got it? Cool. Now let’s examine the terrain ahead. Remember to view this ENTIRE list with the following question…
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1. Influence.
6. Relevance.
How persuasive are you from your comments, positioning, branding and responses from others? Are you a thought leader who can start a trend, reverse a policy or inspire social change?
Will whatever you provide translate to my own special needs and objectives or will I be constantly compensating for your misgiving and apologising to my customer and clients for missed opportunities and wasted time.
2. Social Proof. What evidence do you have that you are in fact a industry expert or at least competent to make the kind of statements or observations you are doing? Do you have a website, videos, testimonials, projects, images or any other ROI that I can share with a third party?
3. Experience.
You should also probably Google anything that doesn’t make you nod in familiar agreement…
7. Connectedness. What kind of clout do you generate amongst your peers, potential sponsors and employers? Do you have a large responsive network, a tribe or a meet up group that will follow you over a cliff when asked? Will they do it all for free because of the existing relationship and association.
If you are that good prove it. When did you last do something like this and what were the tangible results What have you produced, been a that I can check before investing part of or got access to? Is it my attention or even my finances available online as a video, into you? coaching course, PDF series or book? Will it entice others to become interested? Can it be What do others say or think about bought, if so how much and where? What will it do for those you behind your back? Will I find who get access to it? someone with a bad word to say
8. Resources.
‘What’s in it 4. Respect. for me?’ (WIIFM)
… which would be asked on behalf of your target audience, sponsor, collaborator or event organiser.
PROFESSIONAL SPEAKING
about you? If so, who and what will they say? Is it enough to prevent me and others from working with you in the near future?
5. Recognition. I Can I Google you? Will your peers know your name, your reputation or something you have done in the past that has relevance to how I need you for the future?
9. Successes. Show me what you have done in the past so that I can see what you can do for me tomorrow. What’s your range of successes? Who did you work with? What were the stakes? How big was the risk of failure? How did you cope with all those challenges and STILL get a favourable result?
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summary, once you have 10. Likeability. Inmastered all these factors, check Do I like you enough to want to work with you and to recommend you to others afterwards? What is it that makes you so friendly to me? How you speak, how you act or what you do?
out the competition, get some help and start posting.
11. Trustworthiness.
a. Like, share and comment on others posts. Get used to the feedback. b. Tag too to show up on THEIR radars. c. Start posting text statements. d. Progress to image and memes. e. Make videos. f. World domination.
Will I feel comfortable leaving everything up to you? Can I guarantee my investment will pay off and I will get things done the way we agreed? Do I have faith in you?
12. Assets.
Here’s a checklist for getting started…
PROFESSIONAL SPEAKING
CONTRIBUTING WRITER'S PROFILE Dave Crane is a virtual broadcaster and United Nations permanent member. He trains industry leaders to speak and has worked with James Brown, Jack Canfield, Sting and Bruce Willis throughout his career an a entertainer and international host of some of the world’s premium events including 20 years as the entertainments director of Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens, World Club 10’s, Global CIO Summit and Special Olympics.
Come on in, the internet is LOVELY and 13. Certainty. warm this Ultimately. THIS is what people morning… are buying from you. The What else have you built in your business empire? Magazines? Coaching courses? Staff? Ongoing contracts with big players? What’s all that worth and can I buy them and use them too?
guarantee that you have got your act together enough and ALWAYS have to make a win and get a result whatever may happen to hijack or challenge that from happening. Each element in this list contributes to your hire-ability for every client past, present and future.
14. Legacy. This is down to you. What will you create and leave behind for others to learn from, earn from and use as evidence to hold you in the highest possible regard?
So, who else wants to be an industry icon? Dave can help. Contact him a for a 15 minute free chat and he’ll help you step up to the next level. https://www.speakonstage.com/p/i ndustryicon Want some speaking gigs? https://bit.ly/davecrane More about Dave Crane at https://www.bookdavecrane.com/
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Mindfulness Practices for Social Media Consumption By Falguni Katira
We are living in a totally different world now, post pandemic, where the importance of being social as well as mindful has increased dramatically. Social media is an amplifier of our actions, thoughts and feelings, whereas Mindfulness is the art of being conscious of every action we take, every thought we think and every emotion we experience.
MINDFULNESS
"Social media is an amplifier of our actions, thoughts and feelings, whereas Mindfulness is the art of being conscious of every action we take, every thought we think and every emotion we experience."
Social Media consumes us, let’s face it. No matter how hard we try to consume social media, it invariably turns out to be the other way around. Especially in this new, post pandemic world, where we have spent a good amount of our entire year in front of computer screens and scrolling social media sites, the power and impact of social media in our lives is unarguable. Having said that, it becomes very important for us to pay attention to what is it that we are ‘allowing in’. We cannot totally ignore being socially active, but we can be mindful of the things we ‘let in’ and therefore get influenced by. Now, more than ever before, we want to be mindful of not catching on to the negativity and sadness that is widespread on social media and the world as a whole. IMAGE BY PEXELS FROM PIXABAY AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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MINDFULNESS
Below are 7 mindfulness practices that will make your social media consumption worthwhile
Focus on your WHY Before you join the bandwagon and get your fix of instant gratification and achievement reels, take some time to focus on WHY is it that you are going to spend your precious time on social media. Once you are clear about that, it will be easier to make a mental note of when to stop scrolling and look for particular information, connection or inspiration that feeds into your WHY. Moreover, the time then spent on social media will be outcome driven and not mindless scrolling and letting the negativity seep inside you.
2
Be very intentional about how you want to feel before going in It is easy to get consumed by other people sharing their world tour experiences, images, videos, personal achievements, business wins, etc. and feel negative and ‘lesser thereof’ due to that. Hence, be mindful of the fact that ‘grass is always
greener on the other side – only for those that forget to acknowledge and be grateful for the grass they are standing up on’. What people tend to share on social media is very extreme – the very good experience they had or the very bad one. Choose positivity and inspiration and set up an intention to mindfully stop scrolling on the positive and to ignore the posts that will sadden us.
3
Be aware and Beware Be in the present moment as much as possible, consciously investing time to learn and grow your own self. Being in present moment allows you to be mindful of your WHY you’re doing what you are doing and presents to you what is it that you have set an intention to seek. Be constantly aware of the precious time you are spending in return of your scrolling activity. Beware of the fact that it’s a slippery slope. It is easy to get carried away by the beautiful pictures, the funny videos and the dramatic copywriting skills of many. It is also easy to get carried away by politics and world news in a way that often gets very time consuming and inappropriate.
4
Pick and choose quality connections
Do not connect with one and all on social media, without learning more about them via research or shared connections. It is also very important to go thru their feed to verify if the person shares a similar voice and interest as yours or is this something that will augment your learning and make your time worthwhile on social media. Also, make sure your connections address your WHY and help you learn and grow positively at all times.
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Focus on the right metrics
Being outcome driven is the best way to consume social media. It is just as important to set the outcomes in a way that strategically align with your WHY. The metrics you want to look into is the impact you were able to make in people’s lives by sharing your voice, by inspiring others to achieve their dreams, by business earned and the bottom line impact you were able to make in people’s lives. Merely tracking vanity metrics (reactions, comments, shares, etc.) and being enslaved and excited by them, indicates a heightened need for external validation and instant gratification, that may not always lead to a happy outcome and might negatively impact our mental and emotional health.
6
Avoid being judgmental
Focus on being mindful of your own self and avoid judging others based on how they show up on social media. Do not judge anyone for what they share as it is highly possible that whatever they have shared is merely surface level and no way indicates how deeper of an impact a particular situation, person, event or happening has had on them. Always remember that we are each on our own paths and have different ways of dealing with our thoughts and emotions. Being non-judgmental and empathetic is the best way to go about it.
MINDFULNESS
Share and spread positivity as much as possible There is a lot of envy, grief, negativity on social media already. Avoid being a carrier of that and instead, spread kindness and positivity as and when possible. I’m no way discouraging you to sway away from your authenticity and put up a positive façade, instead I’m encouraging you to look at things in a different perspective and cultivate a habit of looking for positivity in every situation. The power of positive thinking is not just limited to our presence of social media, but impacts our life overall. Lastly, be mindful of your actions, and remember that while your social media accounts might be ‘free’ for browsing, you are paying a heavy price in terms of your time, mental space, and sanity for its consumption. Therefore being mindful of what you do online, will positively impact your life offline, including your relationships, your job and your reality overall.
CONTRIBUTING WRITER'S PROFILE Falguni Katira is a professional transformation coach that helps leaders change their habits and thought patterns barring them from their path to holistic success. Clients who participate in her coaching program are positioned to adapt to change and maintain their competitive edge in all the dimensions of life, including spiritual, intellectual, career, finance, love/ relationship, family, social, and health / fitness.
CONTACT FALGUNI: @falgunikatira
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BRANDING
ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT
7
YOU NEED FOR YOUR PODCASTING JOURNEY
By
Jan
Santos
The rise of podcasts can be traced to the diversity of content offerings, but it can also be attributed to the relative ease of starting one: you don’t need a fancy recording studio or any degree or certification to get started, and there are few distribution hurdles to overcome. But with thousands of podcasts available on sites like Apple Podcast/iTunes and Spotify (not to mention the thousands of others you can find on YouTube and Instagram), it may be easy to start a podcast but harder to maintain its success. Podcast recording equipment can be confusing to wade through and choose if you’re just starting out. There is a lot of podcast gear you can get but that doesn’t mean you need to get it all and you can always expand your list of podcast equipment over time.
IMAGE BY PEXELS FROM PIXABAY
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BRANDING
Computer
Laptop or Desktop is ok, you need a computer to record and upload your .mp3 files. Most people will do just fine with what they have, but if you looking to upgrade I would invest in something that will last you a few years. Mac or Windows based system works fine
1
Recommended USB mic: Condenser Blue Yeti
Microphones
Also consider your recording environment and the type of mic you’ll want: Dynamic or Condenser Recommended USB mic: Dynamic – ATR 2100x-USB
Recommended XLR mic: Condenser – Rode NT1
Don’t use your computer’s built-in microphone. The easiest way to get started is to use a USB microphone. If you have multiple people or you want more flexibility, you will need one or more microphones with an XLR output.
2
(dynamic mics are typically better when recording multiple people together).
Recommended XLR mic: Dynamic – Heil PR-40
Audio Interface
This is basically the bridge between your microphone and your computer. It converts the analog signal from the mic into a digital signal that the computer can use.
3
Recommended audio interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (3rd Gen)
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Pop Filter / Windscreen
A pop filter or windscreen will greatly minimize or prevent plosives. Those air blasts can easily send a mic into the red.
4
BRANDING
Recommended universal pop filter: Stedman Corporation Proscreen XL
Headphones
Headphones prevent many mistakes and retakes. It can be weird to hear yourself speaking live at first, but you’ll get used to it. It’s highly recommended you get used to this. You don’t want to record something for an hour only to realize something wasn’t turned on or there was a loud buzz the whole time.
Awesome budget recording headphones: Audio-Technica ATHM30x
5
Closed-back headphones are what you want to use for recording, and your earbuds probably aren’t good enough. Avoid open-back headphones for recording because your microphone will pick up the sound.
Mic Stands
Positioning your microphone properly will greatly improve your posture and sound quality. A decent boom arm or mic stand will allow you to easily move the microphone to a comfortable position – and equally important in my mind, you’ll be able to free up desk space and store the mic within reach, but out the way when you’re not using it.
Recommended microphone boom arm: Heil PL-2T
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Here are some recommended microphone boom arms & tabletop mic stands.
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BRANDING
CONTRIBUTING WRITER'S PROFILE Editing Software (DAW)
For beginners, the podcast editing software I recommend is Audacity or Garageband. They’re both free and relatively easy to use and learn. The next level up is Adobe Audition, and if you already have a Creative Cloud subscription, it’s probably a good idea to just go with that.
7
Jan Santos is a Branding Coach from the Philippines. He runs The Creative Talk Podcast on Apple/ITunes and Spotify and YouTube, supporting designers and entrepreneurs to stand-out and establish a market competitive edge. His goal is to solidify ones branding and identity, ensuring the business to be unique and memorable by means of creating a consistent visual style, goal and focus.
Have in mind that it is the content not the equipment that makes a great podcast, The good news is that it doesn’t cost a lot to produce and make amazing content. At the end of the day, you can get by on a tremendous amount of sweat and smarts.
CONTACT JAN: @thecreativescoop jansantos @thecreativescoop jansantos Jan Santos
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By Joshua Miller
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LEADERSHIP
THERE IS NO ONE RIGHT WAY TO CREATE CONTENT BUT THERE IS DEFINITELY A BETTER WAY.
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LEADERSHIP
Far too often I see great concepts and messages buried in a sea of words that leaves me drowning.I know there are many opinions on how to write engaging content on Linkedin (and other social platforms) so I thought I would add my perspective to the “ocean of opinions”. The attached visual is my own design & process for how I actually create my content on Linkedin every day. My process is intentionally straight forward and designed to challenge
STEP 2: Ask yourself: What is the VALUE for them?
you and your thinking which is why I added questions to the process. As a Master
Follow up questions to consider:
Certified Executive Coach, I have spent the
Why should they care? (i.e.: What’s in it
past 20 years asking powerful questions so
for them?)
I thought it would be helpful to include
What are the key takeaways you want
them here.
them receive? How will they be able to use your
STEP 1: Ask yourself: What is my TOPIC for this post? Follow up questions to consider:
information?
STEP 3: Ask yourself: How will I CONNECT with them?
Is this relevant to only a certain audience?
Follow up questions to consider:
Have I defined my core audience?
Will you pursue an intellectual
Does this concept touch on current
connection, emotional connection or a
trends (if so, is it aligned to your
combination? If so, how?
brand)?
What media/format will you choose?
Are you qualified to address this
Will you be personal and provide “real
subject?
life” examples?
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LEADERSHIP
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STEP 4: How can they APPLY your content? Follow up questions to consider: Will you be providing tips, techniques or steps? Are you promoting a product, service or course that aligns to your post?
STEP 5: Where can they FIND you for more? Follow up questions to consider: Do you have a website/landing page or company page? Are your SM handles accurate and your profiles up to date? Have you included the proper links, hashtags and have tested them
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Here are 8 pieces of personal advice to anyone who is considering writing content or struggling with it currently: Take what people say as their
opinion not your own. They are not you. Ensure the help you seek is vetted and qualified. Writing content does take work and time so make the investment. Create to connect not to sell.
LEADERSHIP
CONTRIBUTING WRITER'S PROFILE Joshua Miller is a Master Certified Executive and Personal Coach who up-skills Fortune 100 emerging and senior leaders mindset, skillset and performance so they can lead with purpose. An Amazon best selling author of the book, “I Call Bullshit: Live Your Life, Not Someone Else’s” as well as a Ted Talk speaker, a Linkedin Top Influencer and contributing writer for major industry related journals like Thrive Global and Medium.
Find yourself in your writing. Don’t over or under think it. Start and be compassionate with yourself in the process. Chase value or vanity. Always put your audience first and always be asking what’s in it for them.
What I recommend on how to best follow this diagram: LAST TIP: Don’t jump around. Start at Step 1
and continue to Step 5. It’s a linear process If you find yourself stuck, that’s ok and part of the content creation process. Take a break if you must but don’t be fooled into skipping that step simply to push out content. Write down your answers to these questions in a journal each time you create content. This will both anchor the importance of the answers to the questions and provide you a roadmap moving forward as you continue to create
Don’t be someone’s mouthpiece and create content you are told to create. You should create content that connects with the hearts and minds of your audience. Let your engagement be your best metric. When your content is great, the following will become greater. This can be achieved a lot of ways such as utilizing pods, engagement groups and of course hiring a qualified content / brand marketer but nothing can replace well thought out content. See you on the platform, Joshua Miller
CONTACT JOSH: www.JoshHMiller.com
@joshuahmiller @coachjoshmiller
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COPYWRITING
Copy Triggers:
PART 5: I LUV YA FOR YOUR PINK CADILLAC BY LEE ROWLEY
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Welcome, welcome, one and all. Please have a seat (but no shoes on the furniture) because it’s time for another installment of Copy Triggers! A quick thank you to Mary Henderson for making it possible to get so much wisdom into so many noggins. In each article, we’re exploring how the seven fascination triggers - as detailed in Sally Hogshead’s “Fascinate” - can help you craft more engaging, persuasive copy for your business or for clients’ businesses.
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COPYWRITING
Next time you’re at Walgreens waiting on your uncle’s prescription underpants, thumb through any magazine with “CEO” in the title. You’ll see ad after ad soaked with that kind of prestige. That new Rolex in the doublepage center spread? It’s $15,000. Yes, for a danged watch. No one pays that kind of money for a watch simply because they want something that tells time really, really well.
Mary Kay consultants receive them each year. Currently, there are only about 1,200 pink Cadillacs in existence.
Today, we’re going to dive into the “prestige” trigger.
They do it because other people can’t.
I was originally going to go with a “Care for some Grey Poupon?” subtitle for this article, but it just seemed too easy.
That’s the power of prestige it’s exclusive to a very small group of people (those who can afford it.)
So for their drivers, the prestige doesn’t come from money. It comes from knowing that they’ve achieved something that very few other people can.
When most of us think “prestige,” we think high-end consumer products and services. Prada, Gucci, Rolls Royce, Rolex, etc.
But price doesn’t have to be the foot that stomps on the “prestige” trigger. In fact, it often isn’t. Ever seen a pink Cadillac? If you have, you’ve been in the presence of a top Mary Kay Cosmetics “Grand Achiever” salesperson (or their car, anyway). These cars are not available to the general public at all… and only a handful of the 2.4 million
In both cases, it’s really about exclusivity - having access to something that most people can’t access. So how can you tantalize your audience with prestige-laced copy? Highlight what brings prestige to your product or service (not including the cost). The Rolex website is an exceptional study in prestige (coupled with a healthy serving of lust) - aside from the visuals,
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A couple of final tips: One, don’t overuse adjectives like “exclusive,” “luxurious,” “high-end,” etc. Instead, explain - Why is it high-end? How is it luxurious?
the site draws you in with phrases that evoke elitist notions, like: “Crafted with scrupulous attention to detail” “Featuring a sophisticated finish” “Graced with 18kt yellow gold” If you skip over to the public websites of any of the Ivy League schools, you’ll find prestige-based copy based on legacy, tradition, and achievement.
Two, when you’re going for prestige, it’s okay to use bigger words than most copy coaches recommend. Don’t flood your copy with 25-cent words, but it’s okay to mix in a touch of your less-used vocabulary here and there.
COPYWRITING
CONTRIBUTING WRITER'S PROFILE Copywriter, comic, curmudgeon that’s Lee Rowley. In a world of flaccid, lukewarm marketing, Lee crafts copy that connects, persuades, and endears… giving his clients the leverage to render their competition irrelevant. His signature livestream, Lee After Dark, underscores the depth and complexity of human nature that eludes copywriters and marketers today.
Alright, I’ve taken up enough room for this issue, so be sure to check out the rest of the fabulous articles here, and I’ll see you next time.
Look up a high-end event facilitator, and you’ll see prestige in the caliber of their clientele, coupled with copy creating a flawless, memorable event experience in prospects’ minds. Whatever the source of prestige, let your reader become a part of that through your copy. Invite them into a world that few can know.
CONTACT LEE: @theleerowley
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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
THE NEW SOCIAL RULES, THE NAKED MASK, AND GOODBYE TO FAKE GURUS! By Louise Taylor
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It’s a no-brainer. Vaccine or no. Online social is here to stay. So I’m in. And if you’re in too - let’s rip off the masks - because what the world needs now, and what will bring you income - is a Funnel of LOVE and TRUTH!
photos. The constructed story of loss to failure. The never attainable pedestal, which only few attain.
Let’s look under the hood of this new crazy online social world and redefine the online social culture of business and life together:
You’ve been waiting in the wings, unseen, with a burning desire to share.
If you want to impact, share a message, inspire your team, create an online business, it’s time to get the mic out baby, because we want to know the REAL you!
WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER GURU! We’ve done the guru thing. Most discerning, talented high performers are well and truly over being sold the dream by people who sell but don’t tell. The fancy cars, the over produced videos, the ‘fake’
COME OUT OF HIDING PERMISSION TO BE SEEN, GRANTED!
If you’re a talented, self aware, spiritual or passionate corporate leader, consultant or coach - your intention to serve your unique niche, your unique secret process, your story, your spiritual insights, your fears and mistakes are VITAL if you want to gather a social tribe. When David killed Goliath - it was the moment he had been trained for - in private. When he went to shoot the giant, all he had was a slingshot, rocks and boldness. I believe we are in times when the ‘Davids’, the wise unfamous, are coming out of hiding, and are about to explode into the online world. The David Strategy© begins with these questions. What have you overcome in your life which you
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can share? What have you been trained for ‘in hiding’? For me, our previous financial roller coaster journey prepared me for such a time as this! When COVID hit - I had built a skillset to rapidly pivot to 6 figures, and help many of my clients to do the same. This was only possible because of the many years of hardship, where I taught myself how to quickly overcome financial stress, find the deep spiritual and creative part of myself, and learn the skills to develop tools to create money on a shoestring. What about you? Did you source another income stream? What kept you motivated? What true issues did you have to resolve in your leadership role? How did you survive 2020 and keep sane? What did you do to make money when you lost your job? What have you learned that can solve someone else’s problem? DIS-TRACTION: What is causing you to lose time and money? Lack of discipline in our digital marketing is rooted in confusion and uncertainty.
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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
COLLABORATION WE ARE NOW IN A ‘WE’ NOT A ‘ME’ SOCIAL CULTURE.
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This speaks to which platforms you are on, and WHO you want to reach! CLARITY is everything! Who DON’T you want to work with? Wisdom says - Don’t try to be like a sprinkler. Your concentrated efforts will be rewarded when your message aligns with who you are, and you have total confidence that your niche is clearly defined and very narrow! Plant one seed, water it and grow it. Stay in your lane. THE 6 FIGURE CHALLENGE: People are cynical – content sharing isn’t enough. In 2020 we launched a new online challenge strategy which brought in $40k in a day, and over 6 figures in 6 weeks with just organic marketing.
There’s no more hiding, from ourselves, our fears, or from each other. When you go deep with your potential clients, speak to their real concerns, and they experience who you are through a targeted
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“The thing that messes most with the mind is doing less than we are capable of doing”. - Jim Rohn approach you’ll begin to eliminate the time wasters, and find people you’ll love who are committed to spending money and time with you.
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self aware, intuitive, talented people can become self conscious, or fearful about how they show up. We’ve become conditioned to ‘behave’ in a certain way. Are you willing to take off your mask? Only the most secure people will do it. This online game is now more than ever about the inner world, as well as the outer world skill sets. How you go about collaborating is a secret key in 2021. What equity do you have with those you admire? Who will ‘pull’ you up? If you’re putting in the work online, but you have not seen results, think again about who is in your world, and who could be a collaboration partner.
Are they generous, or self serving? Do they have the confidence within themselves to not be insecure about what you offer? Do you have a One day I was walking process which makes along the bush track clear the defined behind my home in boundaries when Australia, and saw a bright red beetle in the collaborating on a project? What value can bush. It was not camouflaged, and it made you bring to their world? me think of how most
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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
CONTRIBUTING WRITER'S PROFILE
WISDOM IS MORE PROFITABLE THAN GOLD
Louise Taylor is a globally respected Speaker, Peak Performance Coach and Neuro-strategist and Creator of Neuro-flow™ system, Money Mindfit™, Sales Mindfit™ and Clarity Programs. Louise specialises in helping individuals and companies to develop a positive money mindset, emotional agility - and approach leadership & business challenges with innovative commercial and people strategies.
Who mentors you? Recognise what you already know. Only spend your time or money with wise mentors who hold the missing piece for you. Find mentors who are seasoned, have truly made money, who can help you to shortcut the time it takes to create more growth. Let them draw out of you your true identity, and confidence to act. Allow them to help you with your skillset, and your heart posture! Old wounds which need healing can be the hidden reason why we overthink, and doubt ourselves. This is KEY to how you show up socially. Finally, What is your social strategy? What is your strategy for connecting deeply with your audience, and to find a true tribe of peers? What isn’t working for you? What needs to happen next? Please connect with me! I’d love to know you… who are you? Really! Copyright © Louise Taylor 2021www.louisetaylorglobal.com
CONTACT LOUISE: www.louisetaylorglobal.com
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STEP BY STEP GUIDE
How To Start An Online Business: Step-By-Step Guide By
Mary
Henderson
IMAGE BY PEXELS FROM PIXABAY
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While I was on a vacation in Bali, one simple thought came to my mind; how should I embark upon creating really valuable content for my network and followers, the old and the new, in the year 2020? The only answer I could think of revolved around having extensive and realistic discussions about the entrepreneurial journey of establishing a startup business – without the glamour associated with it. I feel it would be highly beneficial to talk about the good and the bad especially so that every entrepreneur is aware of the effort, time and sacrifice it takes to ground a business idea. As I thought more about this, I noticed, through personal experiences as well as from those around me, that there seems to be a common thread amongst the startup community that should be talked about. I’ve always been committed to the absolute truth when it comes to such concepts and exploring such a topic is going to be particularly interesting because of its wide-ranging aspects.
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STEP 1 – HOW TO START AN ONLINE BUSINESS SERVICE The very first misconception people have is that starting a business is as easy as it gets. The entire notion is sugarcoated in a manner that people believe all you need is an excellent idea and the rest will work itself out. Sky-high expectations make you believe that you’ll start minting money from day one. This is largely untrue! The chances of this actually happening are once for every hundred thousand individuals. For the majority, it takes an immense amount of perseverance, passion, and consistency. Optimism should not be confused with idealism. Let’s assume you have an idea that you must take a leap with. My advice to you would be to figure out your level of commitment first. You should know if you’re all in or not. You can’t have one foot in and the other out with something like this. You have to give this idea all that you can so that you can
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so that you can create something that is greater than you. That is the only way you will get results out of a mere idea. At the same time, it is also important to realize that alterations might need to be made to your vision based on the practicalities of the real world. Over the years, I have seen many companies evolve into completely different entities as they grew older. Thus, you should always be open to change and evolution so that you can become the owner of an established and profitable business. Once you have committed yourself completely, the first step is to start with the mental aspect. Don’t quit your job right away because you don’t want to give away the financial ecurity it provides. Channel your creativity and bring it to paper by discovering more about yourself
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and what you are looking for in a business. After you have created a comprehensive plan, allocate your time to it. It doesn’t matter if it’s 2 o’clock at night or 8 in the morning; taking quality time out for yourself is only helpful when you can give some life to your ideas. Thus, the main takeaway should be the recognition of the fact that investing time and effort into your business idea are key elements that will take you to the first step of success.
STEP 2 – WHY YOU NEED A MENTOR As the startup journey continues, we dive into a different aspect that revolves around mentorship. Most people have a ‘do it yourself’ mindset which can either end up in the company rising up through trials and tribulations, or in absolute failure. In order to ensure that the
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There are many who resist such help and stick to their DIY attitude. Most of these people end up staying in the entrepreneurial coaching and consulting business –like me. Failure is a word that I have acquainted myself with. In fact, I embrace mine fully because despite all that I could not achieve, I have gained a fair share of knowledge through them. Working with those who have been through this process can result in wisdom being imparted from a standpoint of love, support and experience. It makes you understand that there is no shortcut to becoming successful. When you look at yourself in the mirror, you should be able to ask yourself, ‘Do I have the ingredients it takes to actually start a business? ‘Will I be able to help it grow?’ The answer you should seek out is one that is absolutely honest. Honesty is AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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what can drive your business towards growth and stability. You should be able to point out if you have the temperament to take on this massive challenge. Once you have figured this aspect out, you move towards the planning phase. It is at this point that you need to answer questions like, ‘How am I going to plan my days ahead?’ or ‘How do I transfer this idea from my mind to paper?’ and even ‘How should I execute the plan so that it results in tangible outcomes?’ You need to have a proper system in place so that you have a systematic and methodical approach towards creating a startup business. If you don’t have that system, then you should highly consider investing in external help which will provide you with a framework, set up systems, create plans and help you move in the right direction. The coaches or consultants that you hire will ensure that you are not sidetracked, a phenomenon that is not uncommon, and focus on one solid foundation.Just recently, I had the privilege of interviewing Ray Leone, the mastermind behind the Sales Funnel Program. Perhaps the most profound thing he said was, ‘Travel in first class and treat it like a marketing expense.’ According to his experience, when he invested in first class, he often walked away with business contacts, opportunities and meetings. The fact that he met his target audience in first class validated this claim of it being a marketing expense. The take
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away here is that in order to lay the foundation of your business, through coach or consultants, you should be open to the concept of spending money. Honesty is something that will help you acknowledge the fact that you need outside help and will encourage you to pursue it. It is one characteristic that can help your startup become more successful.
STEP 3 – THE TRUTH ABOUT THE LAPTOP LIFESTYLE The journey of a startup business is just as important as the starting or finishing line. When entrepreneurs decide to materialize a business idea, more often than not, they can get carried away in the first few phases. This can be very dangerous! You don’t want to be one of the gurus pretending to lie on a beach thinking that they have mastered the tricks of the entrepreneurial world just after 5 minutes of being in it. The goal, instead, is to experience all that the journey throws at you; emotions, feelings and experience. You should be able to talk about all your fears openly. This acts as a reality check so you don’t shy away from the facts at hand. Knowing where you stand is one of the most important pieces of information which can prove to be a great asset. You should also be able to embrace your shortcomings, an act that is not as common as one
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would think. As humans, we are wired to run away from things that cause pain and are attracted to those that cause pleasure. However, pain is something that will enable you to have a creative, inspiring and insightful breakthrough. It is something that will highlight a clear path of action for you. Shortcomings are what force you to view things from a different, perhaps entirely new, perspective. Resolving this challenge is what will help you cross the finish line. My belief is that meltdowns always lead to major realizations that can improve you as a person. You understand that even the slightest movement towards the right path will have fruitful consequences. The bottom line is, we all want to move towards a place of truth. That is exactly why you have to ensure that you keep it as real as possible. You will feel immense joy even over a small win since it signifies progress, regardless of the type of business you have (consulting, coach, product or service). In an extremely tough business world, being able to embrace and optimize the smallest of wins will put you in such a frame of mind that will help pave way for more successes. Optimization can be in the form of gaining media exposure, more insight, attracting new audience or even getting feedback. You will be one step ahead of those running a major corporation because you will not have to answer to seniors or go through legalities. You can simply run with what you have got; you will AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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have a speed marker. This can be your greatest asset. Always remember, the starting line is just exactly what it’s called; it is the starting point. You should invest in the journey so that you can step into the game and maximize your potential for success. You don’t want to be caught up in a tangle of confusion which manifests in the business going in a completely different direction. You need to let people know where you want to be and what you wish to achieve.
STEP 4 – THE POWER OF AUTHENTICITY The worst thing you can do to yourself, and your business, is emulate someone else’s story. Maintaining authenticity is one of the fundamental beliefs that are closest to my heart. You should never copy somebody else, their story, what they do, how they do it, what they stand for or even how they present themselves to the outside world. I like to think of it as being equivalent to an empty can which will make a lot of noise. Let me put this in perspective. If you look around yourself, you will notice a number of entrepreneurs, who consider themselves as gurus, using screaming tactics to get their message across to the world. They are making noise! They try to be the Gary V or Tony Robbins of the world but, in reality, they have very little substance.
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The only reason behind this is that they are trying to emulate somebody else’s success without adding any essence of their own. Every tale of success that you hear has an epic story behind it. It all comes down to the journey between the starting and finishing line, a concept covered in chapter 3. That long and grueling journey is the story. It is the factor that makes your success unique. For some people, it lasts for a few days. For others, it could take months, years and even decades. The struggle that you go through is the most attractive fact about having risen to success. You can’t just copy someone else’s hardships because, without having gone through the actual experience, you will not be able to convince the market of your strife. As you establish your startup, you will realize that there are many stages –like the philosophy, methodology and et Cetera– that will help you gather a lot of information. This valuable knowledge will give you the tools needed to build your own framework. Once you focus on yourself, you get to figure out what your process is. That is when you will become the most authentic version of yourself. Chapter 3 was all about breakthroughs; the most important point being learning what it’s like to be in a startup entrepreneurial world and building your brand around your values.
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This is perhaps the most critical thing; once you’ve figured out your brand truth, you can revolve your idea, solution and communication with the outside world around it. It allows you to start from the ground up. Understanding the basic elements behind the creation of your brand is very important. It helps you articulate what you are trying to achieve, who you are trying to talk to and what the idea, that you are trying to arrive at, is. When you have the correct and precise answers for questions like these, you open up a path for clear communication between potential customers and yourself. This comes under the ambit of personal branding; something that can be an attractive component for your brand, or one that causes resistance. It’s all about how you approach the entire process.
STEP 5 – POSITION YOURSELF AS A SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM Consider the value of your idea; if it does not solve a problem then it cannot be considered as a business idea. It would only entail that you are looking to enter the rat race of obtaining a job and an income. Since the purpose of this series is not this, your idea has to be viable. It should be surrounded by intense passion that fuels your need to go out and make a difference in the world through creating an excellent solution to a problem. You don’t even need to give specifics about the way it looks, AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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functions or what the mechanics are. All you need to do is to figure out some sort of a need and try to fulfill it with a brilliant product or service. Out of the billions of people on this earth, a very small number of people need a solution to their problem. This understanding is where most people often get confused because they are too busy fantasizing about being a successful entrepreneur. There are two elements that are critical; your solution needs to come from a place of knowing and a place of serving. Knowing what people’s needs are and working hard to ensure that you serve them. Secondly, you need to be different. Your product should be improved, cheaper and smaller than the competitors. This is what will be your unique selling point, something that will encourage potential customers to opt for your brand rather than a competitors. It is key to stand out in some shape or form. My personal branding methodology is looking at the process like an algorithm; it is designed, interactive and it puts out workbooks which help create an accurate personal brand. This combination of human and technological elements is what makes it all the more effective. While many want to get to the finish line as quick as possible, the most important part of the journey is when you can carry out data collection and mining. The more feedback you get, the
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better you become. Even I was advertising on Facebook day in and day out; I got results but not the ones I expected. This failure allowed me to adapt and evolve which gave me a unique edge in the longer run. Being willing to change highlights passion and commitment since you are willing to do anything to ensure that your startup stays grounded. Feedback is what helps you understand your target market, their needs and preferences, which will give you the information you need to tailor your brand accordingly. And the only way through which you can get feedback is the creation and display of content through various digital avenues like LinkedIn, Instagram and such. Additionally, you also need to be at peace with, and understand, the fact that your brand will not be for everyone. Every business has its niche that helps it become profitable –varying from hundreds and thousands to millions and billions of dollars depending on the kind of product or service. It’s more about who understands the solution and wants to utilize it. The most important thing to realize is that your product won’t cater to the needs of every single individual. All you have to do is to provide absolute integrity to your solution and connect with the group of people who want to employ it so that you can improve their quality of life. That should be enough of an incentive for you to move forward because the harsh reality is that even those who connect with you over
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the internet may not exactly become customers at the end of the day. It’s all about attracting the right market and establishing loyalty in the longer run.
STEP 6 – HOW TO BECOME AN AUTHORITY IN YOUR NICHE IN 2019? Naturally, when you decide to transform your business idea into an organization, you start at ground level. In the large and expansive world of business, you are nobody; you are not on anyone’s radar, there is no awareness about your existence and no knowledge about the solution you are providing through a product or service. The fact remains, you are anonymous and that is completely fine. At this point, anonymity is something you need to be comfortable with. It gives you the time and energy needed to focus on mastering your craft and ensuring that when you do enter the market, you are the one to look out for. You want your corporation to run in the long term rather than being a get rich quick scheme. Your mission should revolve around being able to translate the burning desire to materialize your brilliant idea and to bring it to life. Then is only when you can get it to the market and make the potential customers aware about what you have to offer. All of this takes immense amounts of energy, work and willpower. AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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Thus, it’s completely all right, if not preferred, for you to be nobody at this point in time. The main thing to understand is that the people who have succeeded worked hard to get their brand out in the marketplace before becoming a well-known business. For instance, Gary Vantage, founder of VA Vayner, didn’t become an overnight success; instead he started his wine business and built his profile incrementally over the duration of years before he could claim to have a brand name within the media, digital sphere and market. You have to work constantly and consistently for a few years before you get to have the impact you wished for in the first place. Additionally, anonymity is a process you have to go through – it is part of the journey. Instead of being upset about it, focus on becoming aware about your competitors, their mindset, process, successes, failures, strategies, approach, behaviors, profitability and communication skills with their target market. This is something that will greatly benefit you because as a startup, you are likely to face immense competition from wellestablished businesses that will already have majority of the market share, influence, power and customer loyalty. You will have to remain a step ahead so that you can make the transition from a startup to a grounded business. Anonymity is part of the journey and the journey, like I mentioned in the previous
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chapters, is the most important part of establishing a business. You shouldn’t be focused on the desired end result but instead on what you have to do in the status quo to ensure survival and long term growth. Taking this time to yourself and improving the business might actually become one of your brand’s strengths in the longer run. You will have absorbed as much information as possible, made sense out of it and used it in a way to ensure that you become a well-known brand sooner or later.
STEP 7 – HOW TO OVERCOME SELF DOUBT WHEN STARTING A BUSINESS As you start to vocalize your desire to start a business, people will doubt you. Even if you have an amazing idea for a product or service that will help hundreds and thousands of people, doubt will still be associated to your capabilities and the future of your startup. As you share your excitement and plans about the venture, the response you get from your loved ones, friends, colleagues and acquaintances will be along the lines of ‘wow, that sounds like a great idea’ or ‘I wish you the best’. Such responses, for an entrepreneur, seem to be somewhat demoralizing. The thing to understand is that you’ll need to work very hard at the beginning; even for months, if not years. As time goes by, you might even think that you are not
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moving forward or making enough progress. It might feel like you’ve moved one step forward and then ten steps backwards. The reality is that every day you are out there, fighting for your company to survive another month, you are achieving progress. All you need is constant feedback from your target market on a regular basis so that you can improve yourself with each passing day. Entrepreneurs will have a coach or mentor to follow. Carry out research, read extensively and analyze feedback received in order to make necessary improvements. It is really important to analyze the feedback and make sense out of it before you transform it into tangible changes for your company. This is a major advantage because no matter what kind of feedback you get, doubt expressed by others will only fuel the need to make your product or service better and smarter. Thus, while the results might be difficult to absorb at the beginning, in the middle and even towards the finish line, be assured that you are making some sort of progress every functioning day. Additionally, you also need to understand the human nature. We like pleasure, not pain. If you have an idea that is challenging paradigms then you might be facing a problem; anything that causes humans to step out of their comfort zone is something they will not see value in. Thus, when you bring a complex idea to the table, it is important for AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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you to take proper measures. Start by breaking it down in an easy to understand language so that your target market feels comfortable in adapting to it. Similarly, get them excited through story telling; a critical craft that you need to master in order to survive. The last essential quality that you should have is staying curious. Ask questions that start with what, how and why specifically. Doing so will lead you to open up a Pandora’s Box that deepens with every question you ask. You should have a desire for knowledge and information so that you can make sense of it and tailor your product or service to the world around you. Then only will it be able to serve the people it was created for.
STEP 8 – HOW TO MAKE MONEY FROM YOUR SIDE HUSTLE One feeling that might constantly bring you down is the feeling of losing. You will feel like you’re losing to yourself, in front of your family and on a holistic level as well. This feeling can arise from the fact that, at that point in time, you are the startup. You are the COO, the CIO and the CEO. The company is you and you are the company. You are the one man team that is working to ensure the success of the startup and it can take a lot out of a person. Feeling like you can’t win no matter what you do becomes pretty normal then. At this point, all you have is your imagination and license to be yourself to the fullest. You are free to express yourself and display your potential through the company. This is where your mindset needs to be at. Another thing that might bring you down is when someone asks ‘What it is that you do?’ Trying to answer this question can often make you feel like you’re being pulled in different directions. This is because you might not actually be sure about what you’re supposed to say. Not being able to articulate where you are at that point in time or what you want to bring to the market is an additional factor that exaggerates the feeling of loss. It can be very difficult to try and come up with the perfect explanation for what you stand for, what you are trying to solve and what your mission is.
I have known entrepreneurs who suffer because they feel like they are losing to their family by not fulfilling the dream in terms of monetization. Explaining why the company is not generating as much money can be very hard and being in this place can be the worst because, like we have been discussing, the journey of establishing a successful business is long and tedious. Once you wrap your head around the fact that it will often take years, if not months, for you to reach the level of success that you are envisioning, you will be in a better state of mind. You will not feel like you’re constantly losing, letting people down or somehow just dissipate. Mrs Alina Smithsford Year 10 Coordinator
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Another factor than can cause some agitation is the fact that you will not be earning bucket loads of money anytime soon. It will feel like you are being idealistic, or a dreamer, by embarking upon this journey but you must know that it is alright. As you move forward, you should acquaint success not with money but with the progress and collaborations you make which will help your business grow. The best thing you can do when you feel like everything isn’t working out is to reach out to someone who can hold you accountable or with whom you can share how you are feeling. It will be a way through which you can vent and, at the same time, get some sort of support. Feeling like this is completely natural; you have put in everything into the business and when the progress is as slow as it is, it can seem pretty daunting.
STEP 9 – HOW TO CREATE A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MODEL When you have a business idea that you want to materialize, it is better to create a methodology or a system that is agile in nature. It could be the thing that becomes the key to your success in the longer run as it will give you some sort of order and maintain a consistent direction. You need a plan that will keep you focused on what needs to be done. A business that does not have a system, process, model or some sort of methodology is likely to fail because, after a certain point, knowledge and information is just not enough to keep you standing. Think about it; you can pick up your iPhone, ask Siri a question and get almost any answer under the sun. Knowledge is available to us all the time, right there in the palm of our hands. What will truly set you apart is that you will have a process that will help you take the client on a journey. You will be able to explain what your promise is, what you do, what the need is, what solution you are proposing and what the grey
areas are. These are just a few of the questions that need to be unpacked first. Taking your client on this step by step journey, or the pathway of transformation, is what will convince them of your credibility and help you achieve your objectives. It an easy process that involves taking them from pain to glory in regards to your product or service. Like I mentioned in the previous chapters, your business idea has to be one that is easily understood otherwise people may be resistant to it. In today’s day and age, too many coaches and consultants are relying on businesses based on information only. The Guru coaches and consultants are dying because they demand you to have a tried and tested process that you can illustrate, demonstrate or articulate freely. While having a plan seems to become a requirement, they also expect you to have agility, to be able to shift, change, adapt, add and remove certain aspects of your business. All of this does not create a conducive environment for growth and your business will never groove. Instead, what you should be doing is finding a way to illustrate this process –
whether it’s through an infographic or whiteboard is completely up to you and your preferences. This is what will become your currency in the longer term. In my personal experience, every time I have taken a client on a journey, especially during the personal branding portion, my algorithm unpacks the entire process and systematically explains the entire journey to them, all the way to the end result. They become more informed about the goals of the business, the need it is trying to address and the kind of products or services it offers as a solution to the problem. All you have to do is follow this approach so that you can create an impact on your target market as a whole.
STEP 10 – WHY YOU MUST MASTER SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING Social media has become a big phenomenon over the years. So much so that it has become the hub of business activity which makes it something you must master in order to expand your influence. AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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The thing to understand is that it is the platform that all, or majority, of your potential customers use. All you need to know is which one they use the most and where they hang out. At such a point in your journey, you need to be realistic and make use of any and all platforms out there to bring some benefit to yourself and the business. Social media is a great way to release content into the world and build a brand image. Instead of wasting years to figure out the right way to utilize it, my recommendation is to invest in an expert who knows how to operate it and maximize the effect you want to create on your market. They will be aware of the rate at which social media is used, the kinds of people that use it and the times when users are most active. They may even help train others to become experts. For instance, if you believe that your customers use Facebook mostly, then you will need to learn as much information about the Facebook algorithm as possible. You want to use it in a manner that will help you exaggerate the benefits it has for your business. The most logical step for you to take would be to get in touch with someone, off high caliber, who knows the system inside out. For Instagram, use the guys at Founder; they have an amazing program set up there. Linkedin is a platform for many business; it is a myriad of people who are absolute experts in their respective fields and crafts.
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All you have to do is reach out to them and invest in their courses or training and you will be able to call yourself a master of social media. Refraining from understanding how social media works was one thing that I regret doing. Instead, I was investing in digital agencies that created and expanded my advertisement campaigns –a very reactive way of growing a business. So I tell you from experience, invest in masters so that you can learn from them and utilize these platforms to help your business grow, increase your brand name, introduce your product or service to the world and make everyone aware of the value you want to add to the world. The best thing to do is stay away from the ‘do it yourself’ mentality since it will not serve you well. Sometimes it’s just better to seek professional help. Social media is where all the buzz is at and you need to capitalize on this ever-growing trend. As more businesses turn to it, investing in social media campaigns can get costly so it’s better to jump in as soon as possible. It could be that one critical factor in your journey that completely alters the pace of growth by making potential customers more aware of your brand, services or products and how you are solving a particular problem in the world.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE
STEP 11 – WHY YOU NEED TO KNOW YOUR CORE VALUES The basic values that you want your business to uphold are perhaps the most important. In light of this, I wanted to dedicate an entire chapter to business values because I believe that they are largely misunderstood or ignored altogether. You values are not mission statements and neither are they the basic things you, as an individual, value or care about in life. Instead, they are beliefs that are not negotiable under any circumstances and have a direction connection to the answer of the most basic question, ‘Why have you started this business?’ Your values are critical to your mission because they are helpful tools that can help you maintain your business and encourage it’s growth. Once you have decided the core values of your business, the idea of them being nonnegotiable sets in thus allowing you to repel clients, employees or suppliers that try to take you down by changing the very beliefs you hold as a corporation. It shouldn’t take more than the first 5 minutes to understand and gauge whether you and another party have aligned interests. Speaking from personal experience, it wasn’t until I was halfway through my startup journey that I realized I was attracting all the AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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wrong clients for my company. Similarly, you are also likely to make this mistake because when you’re starting out, getting business from wherever you can seems to be the primary goal and focus. You feel like you can’t say no but you should always stay firm to your ground as abandoning it could set you up on the wrong path.
When you deal with a business or a client that does not have the same core values as your business, you may be subjected to exceptionally high expectations that you might never be able to meet. Thus, it may be harder to keep yourself, the individual or the company happy. Additionally, you will also be going in an overdrive which is not healthy for any startup. This is the reality and power of understanding your core values. When you are clear on them, engaging a prospect or lead becomes a much quicker process. All you need is 5 minutes and you will be able to gauge if this
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partnership is likely to work or align with your interests in the longer term, if not the short. When you have a clear mind, set core values and goals for your startup, then the process of having the 5 minute conversation with another party becomes all the more easy. You will be confident enough to deny the partnership and politely suggest that you don’t believe you two are the right fit for one another. This is something that I do all the time; it is not only good for me but also for the prospect because it is likely to fail with two companies constantly at odds with one another. You should have the courage to let this lead go not only for your benefit but for the society’s as a whole. Additionally, being clear on your beliefs also increases your chances of attracting the right kinds of people, clients, suppliers and collaborations to your business and, therefore, will help you become more successful overtime.
STEP 12 – WHY YOU NEED A STRATEGIC PLAN The focus of this chapter is planning. It is something that is of paramount importance when you are establishing or running a business, regardless of what stage of the journey you are in. Consider planning to be a critical part of the puzzle without which it cannot be completed. Many people don’t understand the notion around it; a plan is not
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something general you cook up in two minutes and change according to the circumstances that present themselves. When you set goals for yourself, or write affirmations, you tend to be more inspired. The one key ingredient that will do justice to your inspiration is action which can only take place through the process of planning –particularly strategic and deliberate planning. When I started thinking about this topic, I got so excited that I created a plan as well. Additionally, I also have a planner for all of my clients so that I can break down their macro goals into micro goals on an annual, monthly, weekly or daily basis. This is the key to success; you will need to understand your metrics, close rates and the things that you must accomplish every day in order for you to become successful. This includes things like creating content for social media, highlighting the leads that you need to generate per month, taking time out to speak to people face to face, encourage collaboration and partnerships as well as boost sales as much as possible. When you combine the outcome of all 12 months, you should have your current results which display your standing. This will be beneficial because it will help you track your actions which can help determine how many objectives you have achieved. Past records, current records and predicted rates can help you AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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Sales can be daunting for many entrepreneurs because it entails getting out there and looking for leads, prospects and partnerships in order to start generating profits and getting the product or service out to the market. The one thing that I want you to know is that the first sale is very critical.
achieve a fair analysis of where your company stands and the potential for growth. Whether you have achieved your goals or not, the few things that you must constantly ask yourself are along the lines of, ‘How did I achieve, or fail to achieve, the objective?’ and ‘Why did this happen?’ Such questions will allow you to appreciate the value of data since it is the key factor that will help you determine your profitability and success. This is exactly why planning is such a critical part of running a startup business. My clients keep planners and write in them every day; highlighting what needs to be accomplished, what needs to be noted and what needs to be carried out. You should do the exact same regardless of whether you are an established business or not. Break everything
down into annual goals, really understand what you want from the company –money, fame, a positive impact, creating a brand name or simply to cater to the needs of the market. When you document your daily progress, you are collecting data. Analyzing it is what will help you understand what the metrics are; your sale close rate, the outcome of specific content and such. As every year passes, you carry out data analysis and will become aware about what you must improve in order to increase engagement with the market. Thus, there is no denying that planning is one of the core practices that will help you in the longer run.
STEP 13 – GETTING YOUR FIRST SALE AS A COACH
The reasons why that is so are twofold; firstly, it is a sure way through which your confidence will receive a massive boost because you are getting validation as a functioning business. Secondly, you get massive amounts of feedback. Forget about the money; what you want to focus on mostly is the feedback –the data you receive which will help you make your product or service better, faster, efficient and refined over the years. It is very important that the first sale is done with the right entity. You don’t want to start partnerships or leads with the wrong people because you want two parties to work in complete harmony. People may love your product, what you bring to the table and even your content but unless they are willing to invest in what you have to offer, I would suggest that you don’t waste your time. Like I mentioned before, you should have the courage to say no. Your immediate goal is to find those that are willing to invest but also are in sync with your company’s alignments. Finding such businesses or clients will AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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give you immense amounts of feedback and allow you to collect it in the form of data which you can use later on to refine your product or service. Subsequently, analyzing this data will allow you to decide things like whether your pricing is too low or exorbitant. It will give you a clearer idea of whether people are willing to pay for your solution. It all about finding that sweet spot that makes your product and services affordable and, therefore, attractive to the market. Like I have emphasized throughout the course of this series, this startup will not be a get rich quick scheme but instead something that will rise to success gradually. You have put in immense amounts of work into it. It is your mission –your passion. Getting this essential feedback is what will helping you define and promote it further through your product. You can make it faster, thinner, sleeker or even bigger. It starts an era of redefining which ensures that all your efforts are fruitful. It is equally as important for you to refrain from getting carried away and exploring avenues that are not in sync with your business. If such a thing happens, you will lose the confidence you have worked so hard to build and will start doubting yourself and your company as you think that no one wants your services. This is not the right mindset to get into so you have to be smart and
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collaborate with people who have similar target markets and values. Bring in as many sales as possible so that you can collect as much data as possible. It is the only way through which you can tailor your business so that it carefully and adequately serves the market –something that was the core purpose of its creation in the first place.
STEP 14 – WHAT IS PERSONAL BRANDING? The last chapter in the Startup Business Series revolves around personal branding. All the topics discussed before have a direct link to it thus emphasizing its importance, value and the integral role it plays in the business world. Personal branding is what puts your persona at the forefront; it brings out and displays the authenticity of your being, the knowledge you have acquired over the years and promotes you as an expert in your field. Once you have put yourself out there, people start noticing you which builds your brand and increase your authority in the business world. They notice the way you articulate, what and how your products or services are and such. Thus, when it comes to personal branding, you should understand the science behind it since its through these little pieces of information that you establish your brand. I built an entire algorithm around personal branding and it all starts
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with who you are in your natural state. It forces you to move away from a competitive mindset – thinking that you are in constant competition with other businesses. Additionally, it also gives you leeway in controlling the way the market perceives you through digital assets, websites and online courses. This is when the content you create, and release, on your social media becomes the epicenter of personal branding. This merging of the internal and external views is what is called brand truth. There are a few things that you need to be mindful off; you must be clear about what benefits you can bring to a business or to someone’s life. The very first thing is understanding that its the impact on the individual that is the most important. In order comprehend how you will positively impact their life, you need to know what your company is aiming to do exactly and what is it’s methodology. When you have clarity on these concepts is only when you can explain it further to the market – through using easily understood language and modes of communication. This could become the key to your success. It could also ensure financial strength since it will bring in more revenue buy transforming you into a brand which aids the market and it’s needs. Furthermore, you don’t want there to be a difference in the personality of your brand on digital platforms and in reality. You need a certain level of AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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WRITER'S PROFILE Mary is an internationally recognised Personal Branding Expert who knows how to commercialise a Personal Branding into a monetisable online (and offline) business. She is a speaker and author of a number of fictional & non-fictional books and the founder of Lights Cameras Action – an end to end online coaching program exclusively designed for coaches, consultants, startups and business owners that take them from idea to productisation and demonetization in months.
consistency so that you can retain the interest of the market and the only way you can do that is through being aware and informed about business values –who you serve, what you stand for and what you promise. If personal branding is a journey you want to embark upon but you find that there is something that is holding you back, it is most likely the fact that you are frightened to put yourself out there to be judged by massive amounts of people. However, you need to understand the importance of self-promotion –no one else is going to do it for you. You are the only person who can pitch yourself in an attractive, strategic and deliberate manner. You would not want a third party having an immense influence over your brand name and reputation. Produce your own content, it doesn’t matter what type, and put it out there for the world to see so that you can maximize your chances of success to the maximum possible limit. Remember, you want people to see you, read about you, know about your product and listen to you. You also want to generate leads so that you can ground yourself as a business. Strong personal branding is what will allow you to stand tall and proud which, in turn, will get you more business. It is the perfect tool to help your startup business become an established business in the longer run. This concludes my series regarding the truths about startup businesses and my suggestions of how to handle the complexities that arise. Remember, its about the journey you embark upon; it is the one sole thing that links all 14 concepts (chapters) in this series. Thus, don’t underestimate it and enjoy it to the fullest.
CONTACT MARY: maryhendersoncoaching.com @MaryHendersonCoaching
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SALES
3 STEPS FOR QUALIFYING SALES LEADS AND SMASHING REVENUE TARGETS B y
P a u l
H i g g i n s
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TAKING THE EFFORT OUT OF PROSPECTING In sales, one of the most important tasks is qualifying sales leads. If you get this right, the job of selling becomes easier because you’ll be developing relationships with prospects who fit your target audience and are more likely to buy from you. That’s going to save you time, effort, and money.Before we get into how to qualify sales leads, let’s establish the difference between leads and prospects. Before we get into how to qualify sales leads, let’s establish the difference between leads and prospects.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SALES LEADS AND SALES PROSPECTS In any business, you will have a sales funnel. Anyone who falls into the top of that funnel is a sales lead. They haven’t undergone any qualification yet. If you try to sell to all these leads, it’s like taking a phone book and
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working your way through from A to Z. As you can imagine, that going to waste a huge amount of time. Your products and services won’t be a good fit for at least 50% of these leads. How do you stop wasting so much time? By qualifying sales leads, and moving them down the funnel to where they become prospects that could be converted to customers.
THE SALES LEAD QUALIFICATION PROCESS
Step #1: Know your ideal client The very first step in qualifying sales leads is to really understand who your ideal client is. Who is most likely to want or need your products and services? On my home page you’ll see that I’m open about who I work with. I’ve described the people who I help – my ideal client. You’ll notice that I work with: 7-figure service-based business owners; who are dedicated to getting results for their clients; and have a clear vision for what success looks like in business; and are clear on their personal mission. These potential clients are also tired of doing it themselves because they value their time. They are exhausted by the
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constant tug of war on working and lifestyle. They want to achieve more, but not at the cost of health and lifestyle. And so on Take a look – it’s an incredibly detailed description. You must put as much effort into identifying your target market and describing your ideal client. Here are five steps to help you do so: 1. Start with who you know. 2. Understand why some clients have moved on. 3. Ask your clients for feedback to understand why they remain your clients. 4. Make your ideal client come to life (listen to my podcast 'How to nail your ideal client with Jurgen Strauss’ for direction here). 5. Revisit your description of your ideal client regularly, and adapt as your clients evolve. Now you know who your ideal client is and why they need you and/or your products and services, you can move on to the next step.
Step #2: Help the lead realize your value So, your lead needs you. You must demonstrate why. How will your service or product make their life easier or improve their business? You are your client’s servant. You must understand their problem and show how you can help to solve it. Help them assess the opportunity you are offering: Do they have a clear need? Do you provide a solution? Can you demonstrate that your solution is effective? Does your solution provide value? AUTHORITTI5.0 MAGAZINE |
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If they answer yes to these questions, then your sales lead has now become a sales opportunity. Step #3: Understand how your lead makes a buying decision Your sales lead can tick all the boxes, but this still doesn’t mean they have become a qualified sales prospect. You need to understand how they make their buying decision. A key focus here will be on buying criteria and who the decision maker is. For example, if you are offering a high-end, bespoke solution with a high-ticket price, then if the prospect’s main motivation is price you could be wasting your valuable time.
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CONTRIBUTING WRITER'S PROFILE HIGH-PERFORMANCE Mentor | I help $1M-$10M Service Based Business Owners to Build a Profitable and Sustainable Business Paul Higgins is a high-performance business mentor, podcaster, and author who helps service-based business owners get out of sales and client delivery to strike a balance between life and work.
Working with a business that has multiple people involved in the buying decision also complicates the sale. It’s important to speak to the main decision maker, but they may be hiding behind a wall of several people that you need to impress first. You must consider if the sale is worth the time and effort you may need to put in to cracking large buying teams.
ARE YOU SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME PROSPECTING? Prospecting for sales is a difficult, time-consuming, and often demoralizing task. This simple three-step process for qualifying sales leads will make the job of prospecting much easier. If you identify your ideal client, help them realize your value, and then understand who makes the buying decision and how, you’ll improve your conversion rates and smash your revenue targets.
CONTACT JOSH: CONTACT PAUL: www.paulhigginsmentoring.com
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BUSINESS TOOLS
Book Of App Of The Week The Week
The author, Mike Michalowics, has made it his life purpose to the research and come up with innovative, impactful entrepreneurial strategies for entrepreneurs, business owners, etc. In his new book, Fix This Next, he details the strategy businesses can use to determine what to do, in what order, to ensure healthy, fast, permanent growth and most importantly, how to avoid debilitating distractions.
THE MAGAZINE FOR DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURS
Camtasia is an easy to use recording and editing software that may come in handy especially now that everyone is a part of the digital era. With this app, you won’t need a big budget or fancy video editing skills. You can start with a template or just record your screen and add a few effects to create a good quality video. It allows us to enjoy different kinds of recording options for both audio and video, create interactive quizzes, and many more.
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PODCAST OF THE WEEK
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E H T O T N I TUNE
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