The Long Game Podcast with Sandra Scaiano

You’ve seen the customer journey maps, diaphragm, 9 steps, funnels, colors swirls and more. Learning about the customer journey can make your head swirl in confusion on how to create one for your business, make sure you hit all the stages and have all of the elements needed. What would it look like for the customer and for yourself if you just simplified it all? Today’s guest is George Bryant, an amazing podcast host, New York Times bestselling author, and digital marketing consultant. The way he breaks down the customer journey is going to make your day 10 times better. George removes all the fluff, all of the complicated touch points and expectations and simplifies exactly what you should prioritize and focus on for your customer’s journey.  “The path of least resistance is the best path to build the customer journey” -George Bryant This is one interview you’re going to need pen and paper or an open note tab ready to capture some thoughts and insights that may revolutionize the entire way you think about your customer journey. George focused on finding the right pockets to insert relationships and prioritizing that, thus his tag line “relationships beat algorithms.” Key points for your customer relationships to beat algorithms:  Grabbing customer attention without action will make people move away from you  The customer journey is better with simplicity, don’t overwhelm your customer  The after state of the customer journey is more important than features and benefits  George has an incredibly inspiring personal story that takes him from being homeless at one point to building 7-figure businesses and being the highly sought-after marketing guy. In this episode George breaks down how he defines the customer journey and why focusing your attention on making the container of experience you give the customer in service of getting them closer to their desired outcome is the key. You have to keep it simple and digestible for your customer.  “Your offer is not the solution. Your offer is just the path that somebody is taking to achieve an aftertaste.” -George Bryant Connect with George Bryant: Website: https://mindofgeorge.com/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is your story? If you’re a business owner that doesn’t know your story, we’re going to expose all the ways you’re missing warm leads to grow your business and opportunities for people to connect and feel more invested with you.  My guest today, Susan Young, is a former on-air news anchor that helps entrepreneurs learn how to share their story, get more clients, more visibility and make more impact. This episode is about to open your mind to all new business opportunities that begin with you being your own lead magnet. A golden story nugget from Susan is that the key to connecting the dots is, “The right words in the right order at the right time for the right people.”  As an award-winning speaker and coach, Susan has built a 6-figure business from speaking and helping others boldly tell their story. One of her strongest reminders for those of us brave enough to consider sharing our stories, is that self-belief is a must. When you get on stage to share your story, or create a post for your Instagram account, you have to believe in yourself and in your own story in order for anyone else to believe it also. Key points Susan shares to use your voice as the lead magnet:  What should you say to capture people’s attention  There is a big difference between your bio and an introduction  How to identify and incorporate what she refers to as defining moments  Outlets to consider for sharing your story and getting speaking engagements  How to craft your story to serve as a lead magnet   Susan is very encouraging about knowing your story and trusting and believing in yourself. When you come into new spaces to speak, remember your story to make people curious. Learning how to pitch yourself takes time and practice. Don’t allow your inner critic to hold you back with the imposter story. “We’ve got to get the imposter syndrome story silenced.” -Susan Young Connect with Sue Young: Website: https://www.sueyoungmedia.com/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part 1 of this 2 part series, we talked about how artificial intelligence is showing up in our day to day lives with or without us being aware. Because so many big brands are invested in the use of A.I. in their business and systems, we are by proxy customers of A.I., and that can be unnerving if you don’t fully understand all the ramifications of this technology. This time around, we’re diving deep into the dark side of A.I. One of the main issues that comes up again and again in A.I. are concerns about what’s ethical and what’s not. These conversations reach a wide range of industries. Some of the areas we’re uncovering in this episode are: ●      Machine learning chatbots and misinformation●      Lack of diversity in the A.I. community and tech●      Copywriting and content apps using A.I.●    A.I. generated art and imagery●    Privacy concerns, security risks, and deep fakes There is no blanket right or wrong answer to the ethical nature of artificial intelligence in business and in the evolving tech heavy world we live in. Being well informed and thoughtful of these matters and how they fit in with your core values is key to playing The Long Game. “I’m not worried about machines taking over the world. I’m worried about groupthink, insularity and arrogance in the A.I. community…” Dr. Timnit Gebru (source) You don’t have to become an expert in A.I., machine learning, and tech, but you do want an understanding of what’s driving the technology options for your business, and what it means for your growth, your customers, and how you interact with one another. A.I. technology is showing up everywhere, from entertainment and healthcare to transportation and shopping (online and in store).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The mention of artificial intelligence either gets you really excited or makes you cringe and think of robots taking over the world and enslaving all the humans. Things we don’t yet fully understand feel scary and threatening on a surface level. In this episode, I want to walk you through all the areas where we’ve already been introduced to artificial intelligence or A.I. and how much we have already adopted it into our daily lives without realizing it. We’re going to explore A.I. over the next two episodes, the good side and the darker side that makes us a little nervous. We have to understand the implications of A.I. as consumers, small business owners and entrepreneurs playing the long game.  What is A.I.?  What well-known brands are using it?  How can you use A.I. in your business?   A.I. is showing up in so many parts of our lives, from how we talk to Alexa or Siri, how we shop on Amazon, to how we interact with people on social media. Big companies like Google, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and even Uber are not just using artificial intelligence, but they’re investing millions of dollars into making it more efficient to improve productivity and sales. “It’s such a double-edged sword, we get access and connection but we give up privacy and we give up control of our content reach.”  It’s a reality we have to face whether we want to or not. Learning all the ways you can leverage these technological advances in your business is worth paying attention to. Understanding how the social platforms a majority of businesses are relying on for sales and connection to their audience and customers is going to be critical for the long game. In part 2, we’re going to explore the darker side of A.I. so we can approach this technology with eyes wide open.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Find out how you can use the threes to help your clients. What does storytelling, photography and religion have in common? This will help you see it so...Breaking down big projects is one the ways I help my clients. Today I share how I do this for all kinds of things. It helps me take action and make progress without feeling overwhelmed. Just give me the 1 2 3. The power of threes. You don’t have to believe me, there’s science behind it! All this plus my new "what I'm loving now." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a digital age where trends, data, and feedback are instantaneous, you have to be mindful about knowing the fundamentals and timeless proven strategies that build businesses. Having a melting pot of strong business foundations with modern tools you can use to connect is how we play the long game. Today’s episode is about looking at three ways entrepreneurs can build their business that never go out of style, regardless of technology or trends. Some strategies remain timeless and it’s important you know what they are so you can build a strong foundation for your business. “As much as we have to stay current and know what the trends are, it's also important to know the fundamentals.”  You know this podcast is about playing The Long Game and we’re diving into why these strategies are timeless and effective:  Bring your voice forward and do what feels right  Focus on building relationships  Stick to your offers   Growing your business can get chaotic if you’re constantly changing to the latest trends. It’s more rewarding for you to focus on the long-standing business ideas that have worked before and continue to work. “Focus on these long-standing business ideas, mix in the you and apply them for your today.”  Making these ideas and strategies your own is really the key to success. You have to interject enough of yourself into the equation and have the perseverance to stick with it while being bold enough to take on new trends that feel right and align with you.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taking what you’ve learned and built your success around is one of the best ways to further your business. We all have skills and expertise that we’ve developed in doing the “thing” that we do, whether you are a coach or a bakery owner.  Brand Agerbeck is a graphic facilitator and a visual thinking pioneer. She stumbled into becoming a graphic facilitator and has been able to turn her unique skills into a successful business. She is a published author, Ted Talk presenter, and is finding joy and fulfillment in teaching others how to harness the power of visual thinking. In this episode we’re discussing how Brandy was able to build a successful life and business from following the cues and listening to her intuition.  Building a business model from passion and intuition   Creating a body of work that plants seeds for your business to grow  Successfully building a body of work that is interconnected and builds on itself   Brandy’s method of visual thinking and getting everything out on paper allowed her to visualize and see the 24 techniques that went into her book, that later evolved into 9 modules and one day workshops. The key is allowing yourself the space to be messy and do what works for you without being contained to a shape and model that isn’t for you. “Give yourself the time and space to be messy, and push stuff around and let the shape of your work emerge.”  -Brandy Agerbeck After listening to all the wisdom and experience in this episode with Brandy, take a look at where you are. What are your skill sets and processes that led to your path of success and enables you to do what you do? Look at your methods and start visually thinking where you were stuck and how you got unstuck, the steps you went through and how you can meet the needs of others and plant seeds that grow a bigger and more fulfilling business. “It's almost like figuring out how to repackage your knowledge in multiple ways so that it can connect with people in different realms, so you can broaden your audience” -Sandra Scaiano Connect with Brandy Agerbeck: Website: https://www.loosetooth.com/   Ted Talk: https://youtu.be/6bCHq1OvGR4   Check out Brandy’s book, Idea Shapers: https://www.amazon.com/Idea-Shapers-power-putting-thinking/dp/1494919338   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is your thinking style? Are you creative? Critical? Abstract? Maybe you’ve never given it much thought, but the way you process information, solve problems and approach conflict and obstacles to grow your business and be your more successful self has a lot to do with how you think.Brand Agerbeck is a graphic facilitator and a visual thinking pioneer. She stumbled into becoming a graphic facilitator and has been able to turn her skills into a successful business. She is a published author, Ted Talk presenter, and is finding joy and fulfillment in teaching others how to harness the power of visual thinking.“The number one reason I use visual thinking is it reduces my overwhelm.” -Brandy AgerbeckYou know this podcast is all about playing The Long Game and we’re drawing on the creativity and model of success from Brandy to help you take your business to the next level with these key points: Understanding what it means to be a visual thinker How does visual thinking help improve your business What visual thinking for business owners can achieve Brandy’s monthly Q&A workshop, Drawing As A Verb Being able to get your ideas out of your head and onto paper, index cards, stick notes or whatever is one of the best gifts you can give to yourself. It not only reduces overwhelm and anxiety, but this skill helps you see and create new insights.“Messy drawings can create clarity.” -Brandy AgerbeckIf you’re a planner, pen, journal kind of person, this is definitely going to be something you’ll want to try. If you’re not that kind of person, but you’re an entrepreneur that relies on creative, lateral and intuitive thinking to scale your business, you’ll also want to explore visual thinking.Connect with Brandy Agerbeck:Website: https://www.loosetooth.com/  Ted Talk: https://youtu.be/6bCHq1OvGR4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’re wondering what Energetic Thinking means, I share more in today’s episode: it’s when your thinking flows and you gain insights based on random experiences or something you’ve seen or heard in real life. One place I like to spark inspiration is in the news and seeing what large corporations do in terms of marketing, advertising and content creation. You can glean some amazing insights that you can apply on a smaller scale to your own business. It’s super cool!While the goal isn’t for small businesses to become huge corporations (though some of you will want to scale), the lessons you learn can be helpful at any size. I discuss:  The importance of learning to think like a large corporation Tapping into how the culture of a larger company can help you determine who you are as a company The Magic of Tiny Business by Sharon Rowe, and her definition of how a tiny business is defined Here are four examples of the things I’ve found interesting and useful in my own Energetic Thinking and how they can be applied to your own business: How NBC repurposed Today into a podcast, and the implications of this move What this means for your own business and how to repurpose your content My process in repurposing the content of this podcast Clubhouse’s new partnerships with the NFL and the NHL: the benefits for audience and fans How the partnership built on the strengths of Clubhouse (and what those strengths are) How Clubhouse moved to creatively leverage their best asset, and how you can, too (hint: think about who supports your industry) Why I just love what Barilla Pasta did with their innovative approach to helping you cook perfect pasta (I bet you won’t guess what it is!) The importance of adding fun to your brand, or sharing lifestyle posts, and how it enhances the brand experience for your audience The Container Store’s email that inspired me, and how you can use the same idea on a smaller level (I share two key points for you to make it work) Something similar I did with one of my own clients It’s so important to keep an eye out for creative approaches that you see in the world, then thinking energetically around how you can use something similar for your brand. There are so many good ideas out there!LinksThe Magic of Tiny Business by Sharon RoweWebsite: https://sandrasky.com/podcast/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrascai/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandrascai/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m not just a podcast creator, I’m a long-time listener as well.  My number one category is business, but you can’t listen to business all the time. No matter what I’m hearing though, I can’t turn off my brain when it comes to the production values.  First up, cooking and food shows. I have found that food shows are relaxing and often help me relax and fall asleep!  Borderline Salty is a weekly podcast hosted by Carla Lalli Music and Rick Martinez. These chefs and test kitchen experts have great chemistry together and they talk about food, take calls and answer questions from listeners. It’s a fun listen.  Dinner for One is the audio exploration of what happens when the Paris fairytale ends and real life begins. This is the genius of Sutanya, the creator and host. She’s a Jamaican-born, Bronx-raised, American living in Paris’ cooking dinner and sharing her story.  Next up, true crime. Of course I listened to Serial which is one of the biggest shows in the genre. I’m looking forward to their next season.  What’s caught my attention right now is Hollywood Con Queen. I don’t want to give too much away but it’s the story of one of the weirdest and wildest scams in Hollywood history. I’m also into Queen of the Con Irish Heiress. What if you woke up to discover that your best friend isn’t who they say they are? This is fascinating to me. Cons are work; a long game all their own and I’m loving how this story is being shared.  Another favorite is The Terri Cole show. This is for anyone who wants to learn more about practical psychology, achieving personal freedom, self-improvement, meditation, mindfulness practices, harnessing the power of intention, and real-life strategies for personal transformation. She has a grounded style and uses story to help understand the lesson in the message. Her advice is practical and I’m really looking forward to having her on this show!  If she’s new to you, I suggest listening to episode 337 on Boundaries first. It’s so good.  There’s so much to dive in when it comes to podcasts. This is what I’ve been listening to now. I’m always open for new shows so please share your favorites with me.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices