The Self-Employed Life

You may have heard all the rage about the new social media platform, Clubhouse. Or maybe not. Either way, have a listen to hear my first impressions about the platform, how to use it, and how I think it can benefit you in business. It's certainly not for everyone but it does show promise of catching on and you may want to get in early.

What do entrepreneurs and comedians have in common? Turns out a lot. From having a strategic mindset to having the determination to keep going, there are so many useful parallels between business and comedy that can benefit entrepreneurs. In my keynote speeches, I often talk about how comedians know how to carve out their niche and attract their ideal audience. Sound familiar? Today, I talk with Peter McGraw who happens to be an expert on the cross innovation between business and comedy. He introduces us to concepts like architecting a reversal, liminal space, and constraints. There are so many things that good comedians do that entrepreneurs can benefit from. We break it all down in this eye opening episode along with examples and explanations that bring it all home. Peter McGraw is a behavioral economist who teaches MBAs. He's a professor of marketing and psychology, and he teaches graduate classes in behavioral economics. He also speaks at Fortune 500 companies and universities around the world. He's also the founder of the Humor Research Lab (adk HuRL) where he studies some of the world's funniest people and translates that knowledge into success tactics for business people and entrepreneurs. He is the author of The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny and his new book Shtick to Business: What the Masters of Comedy Can Teach You about Breaking Rules, Being Fearless, and Building a Serious Career. His background in business and comedy makes him the perfect person to share how knowing how to make great comedy can lead to the ability to make a great business. Highlights - [02:36] Peter gives us a glimpse into his new secret project which is his new podcast Solo: The Single Person's Guide to a Remarkable Life. [03:57] Fusing business and comedy was a natural fit for Peter with his background in business and his study of comedy. [05:09] Peter shares how it's not about being funny. It's about thinking funny. It's about thinking creatively and innovatively. [07:26] Parallels between being successful in business and comedy is having a strategy mindset and grinding out the work. [09:16] Architecting a reversal or finding your unique perspective. Producing an opposing perspective is a great way to get a laugh and reverse the status quo. [12:03] Peter shares an example of this using Tony Horton and P90X. Getting in shape isn't easy. It's insanely difficult. [13:50] Another example of a reversal is creating a dumb phone as opposed to a smart phone. Thinking in reverse can reveal new opportunities. [15:48] Liminal space is when we transition or move from one space to another. It can also be psychological from one identity to another. Comics constantly live in a liminal world. This creates an opportunity to see the world in new ways. [17:30] Entrepreneurs are often in a liminal space when it comes to personal development and growth. [19:39] Having good health is foundational to succeeding. [21:14] Comedians have an amazing ability to observe. [23:32] If we don't capture and write down our insights, we often lose them. A notepad not a microphone is a comic's most important tool. [27:45] Constraints and how comedians deal with them and what we can learn. Creativity is finding an original and appropriate solution to a problem. Constraints force us to think harder, think differently, and work harder. [31:14] Peter shares the lesson of hot tea and ice tea. Trying to make everyone happy makes no one happy. Comics care about making their audience laugh. [34:17] Taking an improv class is some of the best training you can receive in business. You learn listening and creating comedy out of nothing. [37:40] The key to listening in business is listening to the last thing said. [41:00] Sometimes the thing we focus the least on gives us the greatest reward. Are we focusing on solving our customer's problems? [44:13] Busting up the myth of the lone genius. It's usually a team of people that create innovations. Most successful comics have great writers. Group genius is a result in comedy and business. [49:45] Peter shares his answers to the rabid round of SELF Sustainability, Elevate, Let's go, and Facing a challenge. Guest Contact - Peter McGraw's Website Peter McGraw's Twitter Peter McGraw's LinkedIn Shtick to Business: What the Masters of Comedy Can Teach You about Breaking Rules, Being Fearless, and Building a Serious Career The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny Solo: The Single Person's Guide to a Remarkable Life

The last year has been hard on all of us. But, in 2020 we learned that life is valuable, that we are valuable and our time is valuable. I want to help you make this year about realizing your value and how to translate that into your business. Let's make this year the year you get paid your full value, because of the value of what you do for others, so that you can live life having time for what you value most!

Most of us have faced some kind of adversity in our life but the current crisis of the pandemic has taken over the entire world this year. It's apparent there is still a long road ahead but for now there is an opportunity to grow stronger in your business. We all what to have an impact in some way and the people who are thriving at this time are the ones trying to make an impact. It's important to widen your perspective by reaching out to others for creative energy and force. This time has been very lonely for most of us - a great way to mitigate that loneliness is by connecting with other businesses, of all sizes and across all industries. You may not have the answers, they may not have the answers, but together you may trigger ideas in one another. To breakdown how to be a stronger leader during this time of adversity and crisis - I've brought on psychologist, speaker, and author, Joseph Michelli. Joseph Michelli, Ph.D., is a certified customer experience professional, one of Global Guru's top three experts on customer service, the author of nine business books about companies like Airbnb, Starbucks, Zappos, Mercedes-Benz, and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company. In addition to being a Wall Street Journal and New York Times #1 bestselling author, Joseph helps leadership teams improve the experiences they provide for team members and customers. He also is an internationally sought-after keynote speaker on leadership and customer or patient experience. Learn more about how to deliver memorable and profitable customer experiences - by downloading this episode now. "We've got to get something out the door that creates value, NOW." -Joseph Michelli Join 17,000 subscribers looking to do "business with a soul" and sign up to receive my Self-Employed Nutshell Newsletter! Sign up here! Highlights – We all have to fight through some sort of resistance to be stronger. The people doing well in this time are the people trying to have an impact. Learn from looking across industries and at larger businesses as well. Reach out to others and exchange experiences, challenges, and solutions. Find the "essential" in what you do even if you are not an essential worker. Many consumers are searching for ease, comfort and humor in this time, Ask more questions of your customers to better understand what they want, need, and desire. Don't only hear your customers but watch them as well, to better understand them. Guest Contact – Joseph Michelli's Website Joseph Michelli's LinkedIn Joseph Michelli's Facebook Joseph Michelli's Twitter Joseph Michelli's Book: Stronger Through Adversity Contact Jeffrey – Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources – Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life (May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.

Overwhelmed in a world with endless channels to promote our business, describe our vision, and connect with other people, it's hard to know where to start. LinkedIn is not your mother's LinkedIn anymore - you've been thinking about it all wrong! It has evolved into a storytelling platform, the perfect place for personal brand professionals, and a space that is designed to facilitate a deep connection to your personal brand story. It's important to not just focus on your job position or title. LinkedIn's power lies in that it is searchable, but most people are not looking for a CEO or founder. Instead, talk about who you are, who you're for, and how you make an impact. Use LinkedIn as a way for your ideal audience to get to know you and trust you as the person that will solve their problems and fulfill their needs. To dive deeper into leveraging LinkedIn as an unparalleled storytelling platform - I've brought on writer, speaker, and educator, Marissa Polselli. Marissa Polselli is a speaker, educator, and writer, whose love of words began with her first library card at age six. The founder and CEO of Wordtree and creator of the HeartSmart™ Writing Method, Marissa draws on 18 years of teaching experience, 10 years guiding student journalists, 5 years in the corporate world, and a lifelong love affair with words to empower people to claim their voice. She specializes in connecting people with the power of words in workshops, speaking engagements, and her online mini-series The Power of Women Using Their Voices. Learn more about how to use LinkedIn to your advantage - by downloading this episode now. "If you are your brand, this is tailor made for you." -Marissa Polselli Join 17,000 subscribers looking to do "business with a soul" and sign up to receive my Self-Employed Nutshell Newsletter! Sign up here! Highlights – LinkedIn is an integral storytelling platform for personal brand professionals. LinkedIn is not just for job searching or recruiting so focus more on who you are and your impact, rather than your position or title. There are different sections and elements to your page that support the storytelling aspect. Your headline should answer - who you are, who you're for, and how you make an impact. None of this is meant to be static - change it up every so often, keep it fresh and dynamic. Make sure you carefully curate what you share or post so that it is true to what you believe in, from a brand or business that you stand behind. LinkedIn is an opportunity to try harder and make better personal connections. Guest Contact – Marissa Polselli's Website Marissa Polselli's LinkedIn Marissa Polselli's Facebook Marissa Polselli's Instagram Marissa Polselli's Twitter Marissa Polselli's YouTube Contact Jeffrey – Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources – Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life (May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.

Businesses, big and small, are having to make important decisions and impose rules to keep customers and employees safe as well as follow local laws during the COVID pandemic. While I respect businesses remaining autonomous and paving their own way, often they are inadvertently creating tension between the business and customers. Learn the simple solution to make rules that people will follow. Join 18,000 subscribers looking to do "business with a soul" and sign up to receive my Self-Employed Nutshell Newsletter! Sign up here! Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Make sure YOUR voice is heard as a self-employed business owner and add your name to the Voices of the Self-Employed advocacy group! A grassroots movement to protect your rights and influence legislation. Add Your Name Here! Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life(May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.

Is it possible that you have fallen out of love with your business? Have you started to resent the long hours and years of hard work? It's easy to feel trapped and overwhelmed - you don't want to give up, and you don't have to. You just need to invest in your business by adjusting the way you think about it, and also the way you run it. It's important to learn how to leverage your brain and manage your mind so that you can turn your company into a scalable asset that can run without you and has value beyond the revenue. Then, whether you choose to keep your business or sell it when you're ready, it's a win either way because you have all that freedom as a business owner. To show you how to take back control of your business and create your future on purpose - I've brought on business mindset coach, Debbie King. Debbie King has a Master's degree in Leadership from Georgetown University, and more than twenty years of experience as an entrepreneur and a coach. She successfully transformed her business from a service-based technical consulting model to a leader in the field of productized solutions. After scaling and selling that business, Debbie created her coaching company; Loving Your Business. She is an expert at applying mindset tools based on cognitive psychology to transform your relationship with your business while you scale. Learn more about how to recreate your relationship with your business and create a life you love - by downloading this episode now. "Your relationship with your business is simply comprised of how you think about it and how you feel about it and you can change both." -Debbie King Join 17,000 subscribers looking to do "business with a soul" and sign up to receive my Self-Employed Nutshell Newsletter! Sign up here! Highlights – Investing in your business is the best investment you can make. Change the way you think about your business as well as the way you run it. Loving your business is the fastest way to grow it. Your business should be an asset, rather than a job. When you own a company that can run without you and that other people want to buy, that's real freedom. Your business should not require all of your time, scale it back to quiet works for you. Once you love your business, everyone else will too. Guest Contact – Debbie King's Website Debbie King's LinkedIn Debbie King's Instagram Debbie King's Facebook Debbie King's Book: Loving Your Business: Rethink Your Relationship with Your Company and Make it Work for You Contact Jeffrey – Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources – Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life (May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.

A truth in business is often what got us to where we are won't get us to where we want to go. This is going to be particularly important when it comes to customer service. Good customer service isn't good enough anymore. Excellent customer service is better but doesn't separate you from your competition. What will move you forward then? What will make your business stand out and be memorable? Listen in so that you're prepared for the future of customer service. Join 18,000 subscribers looking to do "business with a soul" and sign up to receive my Self-Employed Nutshell Newsletter! Sign up here! Contact Jeffrey - Website Coaching Support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources - Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Having reviewed hundreds of websites, I can tell you 98% of websites are not. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. I'll email you a few suggestions to improve your brand message to attract more of your ideal customers. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Make sure YOUR voice is heard as a self-employed business owner and add your name to the Voices of the Self-Employed advocacy group! A grassroots movement to protect your rights and influence legislation. Add Your Name Here! Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life(May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.

No one likes change, but it is inevitable and we must grow and adapt to our every evolving world. Typically, unwillingness to change comes from a fear of learning a new way to do things. For example, adjusting to a smart phone from previous cell phone models took a whole lot of learning; but now they are the most efficient and powerful tool we have. As a business owner, it is absolutely necessary to follow the trends of the generation and, when possible, grow with them instead of trying to catch up. Generation Z, is the emerging generation that is not only the fastest growing, but the most diverse and influential. Baby boomers, Millennials, and Gen X follow the trends that Generation Z are setting, in business, lifestyle and social causes. This proves that it is now more important that ever to listen and understand the voice of this generation, in order to run a successful business. To help us better understand the mindset of Generation Z - I've brought on speaker and researcher, Jason Dorsey. Jason Dorsey is a pioneering Gen Z, Millennial, and generations speaker and researcher. He has headlined events around the world, from India, Singapore and Switzerland to Chile and Finland, the UK, and France. He is president of The Center for Generational Kinetics, the leading generational research, strategy, and consulting firm. They have advised on multi-billion-dollar acquisitions and taken clients from last to first in both employee retention and customer growth. Learn more about how Gen Z is changing the future of business - by downloading this episode now. "If you're self employed right now, it's critically important to grow with the trends as they emerge and not try to fight them." -Jason Dorsey Join 17,000 subscribers looking to do "business with a soul" and sign up to receive my Self-Employed Nutshell Newsletter! Sign up here! Highlights – Gen Z is the fastest growing generation and the most diverse. Grow with the trends of the generation rather than playing catch up later. For the first time ever technology trends are being driven from the youngest up to the oldest, when historically it's always been the opposite. Social causes are extremely important to Gen Z; it's crucial that your values match theirs. Don't just talk about supporting causes, Gen Z wants to see what you are actually doing to help. Gen Z has the most influence of any generation and now that they understand their power, they are going to use it. Gen Z are thoughtful spenders; they will pay full price if it is a product they know will last and a company they believe in. Guest Contact – Jason Dorsey's Website Jason Dorsey's YouTube Jason Dorsey's Instagram Jason Dorsey's Twitter Jason Dorsey's Facebook Jason Dorsey's Book: Zconomy: How Gen Z Will Change the Future of Business - and What to Do About It Contact Jeffrey – Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources – Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life (May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.

The definition of creativity is traditionally based in the arts, but if you're an entrepreneur, you know it takes a creative mind to turn an idea into a business. It's important not to limit yourself by believing you can only be right-brained or left-brained, as this isn't always the case. You can be both analytical and artistic, creative and methodical. Creativity is problem solving, it's making something from nothing and if you have started your own business, you've already done just that. Try to maintain a constant state of learning and curiosity. Exposing yourself to a variety of people and ideas is a great way to stimulate your creativity. Go to conferences and lectures to educate yourself, go to plays and concerts and visit museums to be inspired and find new ways of doing things. To dive deeper into how to turn an idea into a successful business - I've brought on director, photographer, writer, and professor Jeffrey Madoff. Jeffrey Madoff is the founder and CEO of Madoff Productions, a film production company based in New York City, whose clients include Victoria's Secret, Tiffany & Co., Revlon, and Ralph Lauren. Prior to his work in film production, Jeffrey was a fashion designer and named one of the top 10 designers in the United States. He authored an Amazon Bestseller, "Creative Careers: Making a Living with Your Ideas", based on the class he developed and teaches at Parson's School of Design, in NYC. Learn more about the importance of creativity and ideas - by downloading this episode now. "To me, creativity is how we shape and express who we are and what we know." -Jeffrey Madoff Join 17,000 subscribers looking to do "business with a soul" and sign up to receive my Self-Employed Nutshell Newsletter! Sign up here! Highlights – All creatives have a compelling need to affect some kind of change. Expose yourself to a variety of people and ideas to stimulate the creative part of yourself. Separate whims from valid ideas through proof of concept. Test it out somehow and make sure there is a market for it. If you don't feel you're using your talents to the fullest, don't be afraid to make a career change. It's important to make a living with your ideas to live a more fulfilling life doing something you're passionate about. Constantly research and pose questions to yourself and pursue the answers. Elevate your business by studying other companies in similar industries; see what you can learn from them and apply it. Guest Contact – Jeffrey Madoff's Website Jeffrey Madoff's LinkedIn Jeffrey Madoff's YouTube Jeffrey Madoff's Instagram Jeffrey Madoff's Book: Creative Careers: Making a Living with Your Ideas Contact Jeffrey – Website Coaching support My book, LINGO: Discover Your Ideal Customer's Secret Language and Make Your Business Irresistible is now available! Watch my TEDx LincolnSquare video and please share! Resources – Have Your Website Brand Message Reviewed! Is your website and are all your marketing materials speaking the right LINGO of your ideal customers? Often it's not which is why you're not converting traffic and leads to clients and attracting your most profitable customers. Fill out the simple LINGO Review application and I'll take a look at your website. If I have suggestions for you to improve your brand message (I almost always do), we'll set up a complimentary 30-minute call to discuss. A select number of websites are also chosen for my LINGO Review Video Series. Fill out the application today and let's get your business speaking the right LINGO! Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life (May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.