Real Relationships Real Revenue - Audio Edition | Invest in Relationships to Build Your Business and Your Career

What if the most valuable thing you did all year was stop and look at your life? In this episode, I sit down with Tiago Forte, author of Life in Perspective and creator of the Building a Second Brain method. Tiago has had a huge impact on how I work and live, and we use this conversation to walk through the annual life review, a ritual I've done for years and he has now turned into a book. We talk about why modern work has stripped away the natural off season, and what happens when years blur together. Tiago breaks down his ARC framework: appreciate the past, reflect on the present, and create the future. We get into the traps to avoid, the role your environment plays in your mindset, and how to turn big ideas into weekly behaviors you can track. I also share a personal story about a decision that shifted how I see myself and how I show up. Topics We Cover in This Episode: Why every professional needs an off season, and what happens without one The three D's of life: drift, driven, and design Why the best time to gain perspective isn't during a crisis The easiest cheat code for changing your mindset Why planning your life is an emotional exercise before it's an analytical one How a single weekly number can reveal what really matters to you Two emotions high achievers tend to avoid, and what they can teach you The question that can show whether your projects and your priorities actually fit together If you've ever wondered whether your life is moving in the direction you want, this conversation gives you a way to find out. Resources Mentioned: Get Tiago's book, Life in Perspective: lifeinperspective.com Learn about Tiago's AI Second Brain cohort: buildingasecondbrain.com/ai-second-brain Connect with Tiago on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiagoforte 100s of Infographics: https://bunnell-idea-group-inc.kit.com/a9d68c6c15 Sign up for Bunnell Idea Group's free AI Business Development tool, GrowBIG AI: growbig.ai Sign up for Mo's weekly newsletter: GrowBigPlaybook.com Free Give to Grow Training and Downloadable Materials: Givetogrow.info Give to Grow Amazon Order Link: https://a.co/d/ec8DTzc Follow Mo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mobunnell/

Dr. Christian Poensgen is an executive coach, productivity expert, and co-author of Ultra Productive. He explores deep work, protecting focus from constant interruptions, and choosing what to let go. They discuss stress versus anxiety, breathing before high-stakes meetings, client-reply anxiety, sleep quality, recovery, and the ideal day for a relationship-driven rainmaker.

What if the habits that made you successful are now holding you back? I sit down with Darrell Vesterfelt to unpack 10 signs you may be the bottleneck in your own growth, from struggling to delegate and feeling guilty about rest to having a packed calendar while your most important work remains unfinished. We dig into what's underneath these patterns, including fear, identity, and the systems we create around ourselves. We also talk about recovery, creating space for meaningful work, and why getting better results may have less to do with working harder and more to do with changing how you work. Topics We Cover in This Episode: The 10 signs you may be the bottleneck Why success can eventually become a constraint What's really behind resistance to delegation Why recovery matters for high performers What your calendar may be telling you How to make room for your most important work Why small experiments can create meaningful change When the system you're using needs to change If you're working harder but not getting the results you want, this conversation will give you a new way to look at what's getting in the way. Tune in and see which patterns might be showing up in your own work. Resources Mentioned: Connect with Darrell: https://darrellvesterfelt.com/ Follow Darrell on IG: https://www.instagram.com/dvest/ Connect with Darrell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrellvesterfelt 100s of Infographics: https://bunnell-idea-group-inc.kit.com/a9d68c6c15 Sign up for Bunnell Idea Group's free AI Business Development tool, GrowBIG AI: growbig.ai Sign up for Mo's weekly newsletter: GrowBigPlaybook.com Free Give to Grow Training and Downloadable Materials: Givetogrow.info Give to Grow Amazon Order Link: https://a.co/d/ec8DTzc Follow Mo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mobunnell/

What if selling got easier when you stopped trying so hard to sell? In this episode, I'm joined by Rob Snyder, creator of the PULL framework, to explore a different approach to business development. Instead of pushing products and services toward clients, we talk about creating the conditions where people naturally pull your solution toward them. Rob breaks down the four pieces of PULL and explains why a client having a problem does not necessarily mean they have a reason to buy. We also talk about how to listen for what clients are actually trying to accomplish, why customer feedback does not always predict buying behavior, and how Rob uses the framework with real businesses and his own AI offering. We even apply the PULL framework to one of my own potential offers. If you're trying to grow your business without constantly feeling like you have to convince people to buy, this conversation offers a completely different way to think about sales. Topics We Cover in This Episode: Why having a problem doesn't always create a reason to buy The four conditions that create PULL What you may be missing when prospects agree but don't buy How to listen for what clients are actually trying to accomplish Why customer feedback can be misleading How to be proactive without becoming pushy Why Rob recommends selling an offer before fully building it The question that can reveal what someone would actually pay to solve Tune in to rethink the way you approach sales, business development, and creating demand for what you offer. Resources Mentioned: Connect with Rob on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsnyder1/ Check Out Rob's Website: robsnyder.org 100s of Infographics: https://bunnell-idea-group-inc.kit.com/a9d68c6c15 Sign up for Bunnell Idea Group's free AI Business Development tool, GrowBIG AI: growbig.ai Sign up for Mo's weekly newsletter: GrowBigPlaybook.com Free Give to Grow Training and Downloadable Materials: Givetogrow.info Give to Grow Amazon Order Link: https://a.co/d/ec8DTzc Follow Mo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mobunnell/

Jon Acuff, bestselling author, leadership speaker, and entrepreneur, explores why capable professionals procrastinate on follow-up, relationship building, and business development. He unpacks four procrastination traps, rejection-fueled hesitation, the “CEO of follow-up” mindset, and the Golden Hour. They also discuss turning selling into serving, knowing when to quit, and choosing platforms that build lasting relationships and revenue.

Amanda Northcutt, founder and CEO of Level Up Creators who helps experts package their know‑how into products. She explains why top practitioners struggle to win consistent, best‑fit work. Short takes on extracting hidden methodologies, using AI and client language to codify expertise, building a product ladder, and why personal branding plus clear processes make prospects say yes.

I'm excited to sit down with Kristy Ellmer, a senior leader at Boston Consulting Group and co-author of How Change Really Works, to talk about what it actually takes to lead meaningful change inside organizations. Rather than relying on intuition or management trends, Kristy explains how years of research in behavioral science, neuroscience, and real-world transformations led to seven practical principles for increasing the odds of success. We explore why so many change efforts stall, why getting genuine agreement matters more than quick consensus, and how leaders can create the conditions for lasting progress instead of temporary compliance. Our conversation also moves beyond strategy into the human side of transformation. We discuss why people are more likely to embrace change when they have ownership in shaping it, how leaders can encourage productive disagreement without slowing momentum, and why stories often inspire action more effectively than metrics alone. Whether you're leading a company, managing a team, or guiding clients through change, these ideas offer practical ways to think differently about how people commit to new directions and sustain them over time. Topics We Cover in This Episode: Why "false alignment" creates more problems than open disagreement How to know when your team is truly aligned before moving forward A simple exercise that exposes hidden assumptions in leadership meetings What the "IKEA Effect" teaches us about ownership and commitment Why involving more people doesn't always slow a transformation down How stories and symbols can motivate people in ways data alone cannot The role of healthy debate in building stronger decisions and better execution Why successful change is often about designing the process, not just setting the goal If you're responsible for leading change or influencing others through uncertainty, I think you'll find this conversation incredibly helpful. Resources Mentioned: Purchase How Change Really Works: https://a.co/d/08tqzPRZ Connect with Kristy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristy-r-ellmer-b25b7a23/ Connect with Kristy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristy_ellmer/ Sign up for Bunnell Idea Group's free AI Business Development tool, GrowBIG AI: growbig.ai Sign up for Mo's weekly newsletter: GrowBigPlaybook.com Free Give to Grow Training and Downloadable Materials: Givetogrow.info Give to Grow Amazon Order Link: https://a.co/d/ec8DTzc Follow Mo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mobunnell/

Dr. Robert Cialdini, social psychologist and bestselling author of Influence, shares research-backed ways to build trust and rapport. He explores liking and unity, finding genuine common ground, humanizing communication, using loss framing to motivate, and how admitting mistakes can boost credibility. Short, practical behaviors for stronger, relationship-driven business.

In this episode, I sit down with former Navy SEAL, leadership expert, and bestselling author Rich Diviney to explore what it really means to perform well in uncertain environments. Drawing from the ideas in his book Masters of Uncertainty, Rich explains why chasing peak performance can actually be the wrong goal for most people and why learning to perform optimally in unpredictable situations matters far more. We discuss how uncertainty affects decision-making, motivation, relationships, and business development, and how small shifts in focus can help us make progress even when outcomes feel unclear. If you're leading a business, growing relationships, managing a team, or simply trying to navigate a challenging season, this conversation offers practical ways to stay focused and effective when certainty is nowhere to be found. Topics We Cover in This Episode: Why optimal performance is often more useful than peak performance How uncertainty creates stress and what your brain is looking for in difficult situations The Duration, Pathway, Outcome (DPO) framework and how it can reduce overwhelm Why breaking goals into smaller horizons can improve motivation and follow-through How fear, uncertainty, and anxiety interact and what helps reduce their impact What attributes reveal about how people show up under pressure How high-performing teams adapt leadership responsibilities in real time Why trust depends on more than competence and consistency alone If you're looking for practical ways to navigate uncertainty with more confidence, clarity, and resilience, this episode is for you. Resources Mentioned: Listen to Secrets to Thriving Under Pressure with Author and Retired Navy SEAL, Rich Diviney: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/secrets-to-thriving-under-pressure-with-author-and/id1504330338?i=1000683901565 Connect with Rich: https://learn.theattributes.com/mastering-uncertainty Sign up for Bunnell Idea Group's free AI Business Development tool, GrowBIG AI: growbig.ai Sign up for Mo's weekly newsletter: GrowBigPlaybook.com Free Give to Grow Training and Downloadable Materials: Givetogrow.info Give to Grow Amazon Order Link: https://a.co/d/ec8DTzc Follow Mo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mobunnell/

In this episode, I sit down with Melody Wilding to talk about a skill that has become increasingly important in today's matrixed organizations: managing up. But not in the traditional sense of simply keeping your boss informed. We explore what it really means to build influence with decision-makers, stakeholders, and leaders whose priorities, communication styles, and levels of involvement may be very different from your day-to-day contacts. Whether you're navigating internal relationships or working with complex clients, Melody shares practical frameworks for creating alignment, building trust, and increasing your impact without feeling political or inauthentic. We also discuss how to identify the people who truly influence outcomes, make the most of limited access to senior leaders, and communicate your value in ways that resonate with decision-makers. Topics We Cover in This Episode: Why "managing up" means much more than managing your relationship with a direct supervisor How to identify the stakeholders who have the greatest influence over key decisions A simple power-mapping framework for navigating complex organizations Better questions to ask when trying to understand what decision-makers truly care about How to communicate updates in ways that highlight business impact instead of activity The role curiosity plays in creating meaningful networking opportunities Why involving others in the process often creates stronger buy-in than presenting a polished solution How to use brief interactions with senior leaders to build stronger long-term relationships If you enjoy conversations about influence, business development, leadership, and relationship-building, I think you'll find a lot to consider in this discussion. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss future episodes, and if you found this conversation valuable, please share it with a colleague or friend who would enjoy it as well. Resources Mentioned: Connect with Melody: https://melodywilding.com/ Get Melody's free training, 5 Steps to Speak Like a Senior Leader, here: https://melodywilding.com/training Sign up for Bunnell Idea Group's free AI Business Development tool, GrowBIG AI: growbig.ai Sign up for Mo's weekly newsletter: GrowBigPlaybook.com Free Give to Grow Training and Downloadable Materials: Givetogrow.info Give to Grow Amazon Order Link: https://a.co/d/ec8DTzc Follow Mo's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mobunnell/