The Kevin Miller Podcast

Did you vote for a presidential candidate? Did you vote in spite of the candidates with focus on policies and platforms? In this show we reveal that you are voting every day in ways far more powerful than your official ballot. The contents for this show came from two strategic questions I asked the Ziglar audience. First I asked, “If your weekly purchases were audited to discern what you truly value, would you be proud of what was found?” Which I then followed with, “If you had to choose, what political policy are you most concerned about?” Tom Ziglar and I first read through comments citing what purchases people were proud of and which they weren’t. Then tied it into the policies and platforms listeners cited as their greatest values. Ultimately asking if our daily decisions and purchases lined up with what we say we value. The point was not to criticise or critique but bring us all to more awareness that we can make the most powerful votes in our daily decisions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Corporate America’s number one product is you. Your attention is today’s most viable commodity. They can’t get it if you don’t offer it, but the temptation is possibly the most enticing and addictive draw of any drug ever invented. The antidote? Purpose. The consequence of going with the flow? Purpose. Author and speaker Kary Oberbrunner brings us a message from his book and platform, Unhackable, showcasing we are all being hacked and the result is us losing our ideas, dreams, and our very purpose. Conversely the greatest antidote for fighting the pull of social media, news, email, and every outreach calling from our devices is our intentional devotion to a goal. A calling. A purpose. As you will hear in this discussion, I feel Kary has brought a profound insight that provides far more than just pointing out the problem of our beckoning screens, but brilliantly reveals the consequence which doubles as the only viable solution. At unhackablebook.com you can get the book, and a free unhackability assessment to find out where you are getting hacked. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You attempt to sell yourself everyday. To your spouse, your kids, your coworkers or employees, your boss or investors, and for some of you, to an actual customer. What is your process? When do you actually ask for the sale, or do you? I play a four minute clip from Zig Ziglar that is pure sales training. And of course I asked the Ziglar audience a question, “How or when do you ask people to buy your product or service?” and got many responses. Tom Ziglar and I definitely talk business and professional selling here, but we also make this personal. Selling is caring. Selling is influencing. Selling is sometimes convincing somebody of something. And selling is a skill just as much as making somebody feel truly loved is a skill.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are all paid for what we produce, to varying degrees. But with a full time writer it is very tangible and acute. Renowned fiction author Charles Martin was my guest in episode 829 and his livelihood is 100% connected to his thoughts, ideas, and creativity and what he can get from his brain, out his fingers and typed onto a screen. In this Habits episode we walk through how he manages himself, his time and his energy to get the required output from himself. He shares some health issues he’s dealing with that have caused his energy and output to be less, and how he’s managing this to still stay on track with his aggressive writing goals, including getting more of his books on the big movie screens. I think you’ll relate much to the behind the scenes realities of life Charles’ shares. You can find Charle’s books and movie ventures at charlesmartinbooks.com or just search for him wherever you find his books, which I just can’t recommend enough. He has quickly become one of my family's most favored authors. I’m already disappointed at the thought I’ll ultimately read all his books and be left waiting for the next! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should you keep your goals and aspirations secret? Should you share them with anyone? Everyone? In this episode I play a two minute clip from Zig Ziglar where he gives us two types of goals and who we will be best served to share them with, and why. Then I posted this question to the Ziglar audience, “Do you share your goals and aspirations with anyone? Why and why not? And if you do, who?” Loads of responses that of course ranged from “everybody” to “nobody” and why. This is an important issue, as there is great value in sharing our goals and aspirations and Tom Ziglar and I will address why, but also cause to be judicious in who, and we cover that as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A masterful weaver of provocative stories that will move you. You will experience excitement, anticipation, inspiration and you’ll likely cry. And get angry. He’s had readers send hate mail when his stories took a drastic turn and they didn’t stick to read the redemption. Charles Martin has written 14 fiction books, two non-fiction books and has one turned into a major motion picture, “The Mountain Between Us” and another is in the works for a movie. His story of going from full time insurance agent to full time author is humbling, and inspiring. His insight into life, humanity, and faith is why he is on this show. That and the fact I am a fervent fan of his books! My whole family is now reading through all his books. Incredible stories that will entertain you at the highest level, while also hitting the chords of hope and life like nothing else. If you love fiction, look no further. If you haven’t read fiction in a while, I strongly encourage you to try one of Charles books. This is a very in depth and thoughtful conversation with a man devoted to changing the world one story at a time. Find all his books at charlesmartinbooks.com or type charles martin into amazon and you’ll find them all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the world of personal development, self-help, inspiration, and motivation, the point is to have BHAGs, right? “Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals!” Then why would Zig Ziglar, the king of BHAGs himself talk about negativity in goals and cite that often people are unrealistic? How can that be? It’s a very important question as we balance belief in and not limiting oneself, with some valid questions we need to consider. In this show you’ll hear a three and a half minute message from Zig Ziglar on the issue, then I asked the Ziglar audience this question, SURVEY: For those of you with a really big goal: Do you feel it is realistic? Is it within your field of study and basic interest? Do you believe luck is a determining factor in reaching the goal? Tom Ziglar and I talked through the issue and some of your comments for a show I think you’ll find comfort in and confirmation regarding your own big goals. And maybe some inspiration! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some people struggle with having ambition in the world and being devoted to God, yet Deborah Smith Pegues holds these both with peace and joy. In episode 825 we heard Deborah’s profound story of having every right to be a victim and be minimized, but instead she went from a difficult upbringing and being a southern maid to being VP of a Fortune 500 Company. This is my Habits show and we get to hear first hand the habits, routines and values that give Deborah such a rich and vibrant life and successful career. She is jointly full of laughter while not pulling any punches about what she believes, what she struggles with, and how she addresses it all in her daily life. I believe you’ll find yourself smiling and convicted as you listen to this episode. You can find Deborah and all she has to offer at https://www.confrontingissues.com/ and you can find her new book, Lead Like a Woman anywhere you buy books. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First doesn’t mean most, but it is a relevant sequence. Here is a simple and easy analogy that you will get, but it will be an effort to truly...get. Before a busy week of caring for your family and running them around everywhere, you fill up your car with gas. I bet you don’t drive until you run out and end up stranded with your family, right? And you don’t get out and push and have one of the kids steer for a few days, right. You get gas before you are empty, possibly every week or more. You also change the oil, put washer fluid in, get new brakes and tires and more. What about yourself? We often don’t treat ourselves with the wisdom and necessity of our car. We run ourselves to empty and spend untold days, weeks, months, maybe years, running on empty. Slow and sluggish or hectic and frantic, and the people we care about are not getting the best ride. It’s a cultural error. In this episode I play a clip from Zig Ziglar where he talks about balance and having us look at where we are out of balance. I then posted this question to the Ziglar audience; Right now, which area below gets most of your focus and interest, and which gets the least?  1 Health & Wellness 2 Relationships 3 Mental  4 Finances 5 Spiritual 6 Career 7 Personal Tom Ziglar and I talked through the responses. You’ll be interested to hear where people said they were giving the most focus, and this wasn’t where they thought they should be giving more and less focus, but where they actually are. The punchline I’ve made obvious though, the place people most cited giving the least focus to was, themselves. Their own personal care. So of course Tom and I address this in the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Everything works together for my good; I’m never a victim.” Deborah Smith Pegues had every reason to be a victim but ultimately didn’t see the value in it. She was poor, underprivileged, black, she’d been molested, yet figured out how to get an education and went from southern maid to Fortune 500 V.P. and then on to become an international speaker and award winning author of 17 books including her book, 30 Days to Taming Your Tongue which has sold over one million copies worldwide. But don’t expect some hard charging war horse here, that’s what intrigued me. Deborah was all smiles and laughter as she gave light hearted but profound answers to my inquiries. At one point as I pressed her on the hardships she faced, she just said, “Well what were the options? Let it all take me down, or just go succeed?” It left me feeling silly for minimizing myself or letting any circumstance get me down and handicap me. She has a new book called, “Lead Like A Woman” but I’ll tell you her message spoke to me as much as any I’ve heard in a long time. What we discussed regarding gender and race and opportunity was powerful. As a black person she never tried to be white and as a woman she never tried to be a man. However she recognized how the cards were stacked and simply did what needed to be done. She knew she’d have to work twice as hard to get half the credit, which she again, simply accepted and did it, realizing complaining about it or letting it hold her back gained her nothing, it just diminished her and her opportunity. What she is today is a wildly successful and joyfully fulfilled human and it was a pure delight to hear her wisdom. I think you’ll find the same thing. Find Deborah and all she has to offer at https://www.confrontingissues.com/ and you can find her new book, Lead Like a Woman anywhere you buy books. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices