Art of Consulting Podcast

In This Episode Bringing food to a gathering is hardly a new concept. But there was a certain magic about its ability to bring people together, and to increase morale, and I started doing a little digging. You will learn how to find awesome tactics and techniques to connect with people using food. Why food is such a primal way to bring people together The Super-Charging Aspect of Food and what Linda Coles has to say about it. Items of Interest The National Geographic had this little feature on the importance of food. What Linda Coles' article on Linkedin had to say about the magic of food Overnight French Toast Casserole

Vision boards are a tool to allow you to physically see images of the goals you want to achieve. In this episode Cat and Andy discuss Vision Boards as well as other mental approaches to achieving your goals. You will learn: What are vision boards and why are they useful Different approaches to goal setting and visualizing your goals Why writing down your goals and making "I am" statements are so powerful

First impressions. It should be no surprise to you that you get only one chance to make a first impression. That applies to anywhere in life: meeting a friend for the first time, a blind date, an interview with a new recruiter, or company. You will learn how to find awesome tactics and techniques that leave a lasting, award-winning impression. What to do to salvage your handshake Why Being the Alpha isn't always the best practice How some Asian cultures have mastered the art of impressions.

A while ago, I was listening to 100 Ways to Create Wealth by Steve Chandler and Sam Beckford. If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend the read. It's a light read. Steve Chandler is a motivational speaker and coach in business. Sam Beckford is a very successful entrepreneur. Together, they have coached some very high-profile companies in the past few years. They've put together this humorous guide full of practical tips on creating wealth in your life. Most of these methods literally can be applied immediately in your work and even in your personal life. Here are my favorite three. You will learn how to find the forms of communication that best fit for you and your personality.

The reality of the situation is that we never have just one thing going on. We're always balancing work with family, family with fitness, fitness with rest time, rest time with finances. The list goes on and on. Take me, for example. I'm a mom, a wife, an IT consultant, a fitness instructor, a blogger, an entrepreneur, an investor. Not matter what we do in our life, we're always juggling various different balls. Anytime we start anything new in our lives, be it a new career, fitness regimen or personal goal, we're already jumping onto a moving train. You will learn why it's a load of crock that we can't ever achieve balance. How Warren Buffett coached his company on focus What we can do to find purpose in our life Practical tactics to find balance in your life

In this episode Cat and Andy discuss the launch of Andy's book The Consultant's Code. They talk about the Four Pillars of the book which are: Intelligence Effort Likeability Intent They talk about what makes up those pillars as well as some common misconceptions about those pillars that can hold consultants back.

In You Broke It You Bought It, Andy discusses the benefit of owing up to your mistakes. He discusses why being accountable for your actions and apologizing for negative impacts will actually help your career. He talks about why most consultants, and people for that matter, shy away from apologizing. Andy also covers that trust is built on taking responsibility for your actions You'll learn the five (5) steps to apologizing to your client which is: Own the Actions Resulting in the Mistake Apologize Right Away Accept the Consequences Learn from the Mistake Move On You will learn that owing up to your mistakes and actions may be one of the best skills as a consultant. This builds affinity, respect, trust and you learn from your experiences. Each day is a learning experience for the next and each experience will serve you. Separate yourself from all of the other consultants by using the steps in You Broke It You Bought It.

In this episode Andy discusses the differences between linear, nonlinear and fragmented thinking. He explains the differences and the benefits to each type. Andy discusses how you can become a non linear thinker of a process by first using linear thinking. He also discusses how experts use non linear thinking to quickly solve problems and challenges however this approach can have some negative side effects at times. Fragmented thinking is also discussed and Andy explains the difference between fragmented thinking and non linear thinking. He also suggests to help fragmented thinkers by helping them through the process that you are explaining. As a consultant you can use linear thinking to become a non linear thinker which can save time and can separate you from other consultants.

In this show Andy discusses the Four Stages of Competence that all human beings must go through to become a master or expert in a subject. He provides examples and explains the details of each stage. He also covers challenges and areas of concern that consultants should be aware of when moving from one stage to another. You'll learn the Four Stages of Competence which are: Unconscious Incompetence Conscious Incompetence Conscious Competence Unconscious Competence You will learn that being aware of these stages will help you recognize where you are in your learning, identify what you may need to do to move to the next stage and you will appreciate the focus, effort and time that you and other experts have invested to master your craft.

In this show Andy reveals steps to resolving stress and worries that appear when we are sleeping. This occurs from unresolved issues, worries and problems that our subconscious mind works on while we sleep. It can cause quite terrifying feelings. Also our subconscious is tied up working on these unresolved tasks while I should be working on creativity and problem solving. You'll learn the six (6) steps to clearing the unresolved issues. Those steps are: Identify all of the worries or stressors Prioritize the worries Determine something you can do today that will begin to resolve the problem or worry Identify any other worries that can be dealt with if you do that one task Visualize executing the task Execute the task Repeat the process the following morning until all stressors have been cleared Also you will learn how using acts of gratitude can engage a more positive flow of energy to your life which also reduces overall stress. We'll also discuss how a gratitude journal can help with issues from the present, past and also set you up for a successful future. These steps will help create a free flow of positive energy and improve creativity and problem solving.