The Influential Personal Brand Podcast

In the world of digital marketing and social media, capturing and maintaining the attention of potential customers can seem like an impossible task. In this special recap episode, we revisit our conversation with Mike Michalowicz, a master in the art of gaining instant attention in marketing. Rory and AJ identify their biggest takeaways from their conversation with Mike and elaborate on how they see the lessons reflected in their own business. Listening in, you’ll hear us discuss what small businesses can learn from one another, why marketing is essentially neuroscience, and how pattern interruption is crucial for effective marketing. We also give a shout-out to some of our favorite marketing campaigns and discuss how to take your marketing to the next level. Make sure you tune in today for this quick and informative recap episode! 

In today’s episode, we are joined by one of the world’s foremost thinkers on entrepreneurship, Mike Michalowicz. Mike is a best-selling author of renowned titles like Fix This Next, Clockwork, and Profit First. He also worked as a small business columnist for The Wall Street Journal and as a makeover specialist on MSNBC. Mike has considerable experience in the world of business, having established, built, and sold two successful companies by the time he was 35 years old. He is also an international speaker and has traveled across the globe to speak at conferences and events for entrepreneurs. In our conversation with Mike, we discuss his new book Get Different: Marketing That Can't Be Ignored! and delve into why he saw a need for this content. Mike breaks down some of the key concepts and strategies from his new book as well as some of the most common mistakes small businesses make when it comes to marketing. We hear from Mike about why small businesses need to reframe how they view marketing as well as the crucial psychological insights that inform his methodology. We loved having Mike on the show and we’re sure you will find the conversation every bit as fascinating as we did! For all this and much more, tune in today! 

Having a thorough understanding of humor is valuable in almost any situation, whether you want to create some brevity during a presentation, or cheer up your best friend. In this special recap edition, we revisit Rory’s interview with Darren LaCroix on public speaking and the power of humor! Rory and AJ share their top three takeaways and expand on how they’ve applied these lessons in their own lives. Listening in you’ll hear key insights about how to naturally weave humor into any public speaking occasion and why it’s important to connect with your audience on an emotional level. We also discuss the immense amount of work that goes into refining a good joke and how you can draw on the absurdities of everyday life to create your very own brand of humor! For all this and much more, tune in today! 

Many of us believe that, for the most part, being funny is an innate skill that cannot be learned, but today's episode might just change your mind. Darren LaCroix is a legend in the world of public speaking and is especially well-known for his deft implementation of humor. In today’s episode, we get together with Darren for a jam-packed conversation on humor, comedy, and the tremendous amount of work and dedication it takes to become proficient in the art of stand-up. We hear from Darren about how he first got into public speaking, why initially he was so intimidated by being humorous on stage, and how he learned that anyone can acquire the skills needed to be funny. Tuning in you’ll hear Darren break down the differences between humor and comedy and why it’s important to discern when to use which. Learn why the first step to comedy is training yourself to identify opportunities for humor, as well as how to hone your delivery skills. Later, Darren explains why it’s important to understand tried-and-tested comedy formulas and how to implement them successfully as well as why identifying what’s top of mind for an audience is crucial. We had a fantastic time talking with Darren and unpacking his knowledge and expertise. For all this and much more, tune in today! 

This week we revisit Rory’s conversation with John David Mann about how to be a better writer. Rory and AJ share their top three takeaways and how being a better writer and storyteller is integral to speaking and your personal brand. Tuning in you’ll hear plenty of tips on how to improve your writing and storytelling, from why your core concept is the hero of your story to how humor can be revealed organically through stories and characters. AJ explains why writer’s block should really be thought of as memory block, and how to use your life experience to inform your writing. We also discuss some technical tips and how best to build suspense. Tune in today to hear it all! 

Have you ever wondered whether you might have what it takes to write a novel? In today's episode, we’re very excited to get together with award-winning author John David Mann to discuss his new thriller Steel Fear and gain valuable insights from his immense writing wisdom. Tuning in you’ll hear John discuss some of his previous works including his partnership with Bob Burg in writing the hugely popular Go-Giver books. John unpacks his writing process and discusses some of the unique challenges of writing his first thriller, like constructing nuanced characters and figuring out the plot. We hear from John about how he balances structure and flow in his writing and how his previous experience running a sales organization has informed his approach to writing characters. In closing, John emphasizes the importance of empathy and why it’s crucial for storytelling as well as character creation. Join us today for a fascinating look at the writing process, practical tips, and much more!  

In today’s episode, we revisit our conversation with Shep Hyken, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author who is also featured in the Professional Speaking Hall of Fame. Shep has achieved considerable success over several decades across multiple industries as an author, public speaker, and customer service expert. Tuning in you’ll hear Rory share his top three takeaways from their conversation and dig into some of Shep’s most prescient insights, from how to successfully market yourself in a b2b environment to gaining thousands of followers. Rory shares how he’s seen Shep’s advice in action in the lives of his clients and why consistency is crucial to the success of your brand and reputation. For a concise breakdown of these valuable lessons and more, tune in today!

When you see the phrase ‘New York Times Bestselling Author’ or ‘Hall of Fame Speaker’, it can be difficult to comprehend the years of work and energy that went into achieving those titles. In today’s episode, our guest Shep Hyken gives a candid breakdown of how he achieved success across multiple industries as an author, public speaker, and customer service expert over several decades. Shep is both a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author and is featured in the Professional Speaking Hall of Fame. Tuning in you’ll hear key insights from this industry expert on how he first entered the world of business, including how he identified and pursued clients. Hear how Shep discovered his passion for customer service as a young adult and how the National Speaking Association dramatically increased his proficiency as a public speaker as well as his advice for anyone looking to improve their customer service. Join us today for a fascinating conversation on how to create resilience and flexibility in your business and thrive in your field, no matter the circumstances! 

Deciding who to hire for a project can be daunting and arduous. Often, you will need to sift through dozens of profiles, and even then, there’s no guarantee that you will find a good fit for your project or your budget. Our guest today is an expert in his field and possesses a wealth of knowledge when it comes to hiring internationally. Hanson Cheng is a rapid skill acquisition expert, speaker, and multi-million dollar earner who helps CEOs optimize their time to ensure more freedom and flexibility, allowing them to spend more time on their vision and increase their earning power. In our conversation with Hanson, we discuss his tips for finding competent individuals on LinkedIn and how he approaches hiring individuals in non-western countries. We delve into artificial intelligence and how Hanson utilizes translation software when hiring people who aren’t first language English speakers. Tuning in you’ll hear about changes happening on the frontiers of machine learning and how that will affect content creation and plagiarism. Later Hanson shares why building relationships in your working life is so important and how a Reddit post landed him an interview with Entrepreneur Magazine. Join us for a fascinating conversation on what it means to hire internationally and how artificial intelligence will affect automation.