The Kevin Miller Podcast

Most everyone had a parent or someone who told them they were special as a child. Someone who told them they were capable of so much. If not, you have undoubtedly read or heard someone claim you have greatness in you. However my experience is, very few of us actually believe it. At least not to a great level. Sure, we may have a knack for some things, but it’s not really that big of a deal. My guest today challenges all of this on the issue. John Bevere’s latest book is titled, X: Multiply Your God Given Potential. The point is our responsibility to multiply our inherent talents, gifts, and abilities, though that assumes we are aware of what those are. We spent a good while talking about just that, discovering and clarifying what talents are within us and the reality that we do in fact have them. Then, how and why do we multiply them. John’s belief is that multiplying our talents is actually one of the key aspects of true faithfulness. But you won’t find simple or pithy discussion here, we get into the nitty gritty of what this really looks and feels like in the real world. John Bevere is an international speaker and best-selling author, he and his wife Lisa Bevere are the founders of Messenger International. They have incredibly large followings due to their fervent and uncompromising messages for us all to multiply our God-given gifts. Find John at johnbevere.com and his new book, X: Multiply Your God Given Potential wherever you get your books! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What you want is often not what you truly want. It is based on a cultural or even personal expectation but in truth is not a core desire you have for yourself. Many of our goals we take on just because. Just because they are the norm. You are expected to buy a home, have a nice car, live a certain style. Work a certain type of job or start a business. In today’s social media culture we get indoctrinated with the expectations of our culture like never before. So when you audit your goals, are they truly yours? Or the cultures? Or your parents or spouse or family’s or friend’s? I play a one minute clip from Zig Ziglar where he asks us this question. Then I posted this question to the Ziglar audience, “Have you ever pursued anything for the wrong reasons?” Tom Ziglar and I talked through the comments, with most who replied being those who had in fact, pursued goals that were not really theirs. This topic right here is a foundation of my new podcast which I officially launch right here and right now. The Motive podcast. The focus is just that, Motives. We discern what we truly want by clarifying our motives for wanting it. Our reasons. Find the Motive podcast in Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher. You can also find all my shows at kevinmiller.co, including the videos! You can also go to youtube and find me at kevinmiller.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If that sounds elementary as it does when I look at it, I encourage you to really think about it. Do you lead as a spouse, parent, employee, employer or in any capacity? Is this the primary spirit you lead from? Or do you lead from experience, authority, your inherent position and role, seniority, or even simply niceness? You can lead from all these aspects and be leading from or truly providing value to the intended recipient. This is my habits show and I’m back with my guest from episode 833, author and speaker Kary Oberbrunner. I led off with interest about his habits and routines that help him be Unhackable, the title of his new book. Kary shares a lot from his lessons and insight, from being an unfulfilled pastor of 12 years to feeling tied to social media for his business, but it was his line about leading from value that stuck out to me. If you haven’t visited unhackablebook.com where you can check out Kary’s book and free unhackability assessment to find out where you are getting hacked, I encourage you to go now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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