In his newest book Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game-Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness , (co-authored with long-time business partner Jeffrey Robinson) author Randal Pinkett discusses some unique challenges and opportunities facing African-American professionals who operate in environments where they are clearly the minority. Randal was the winner of Season 4 of The Apprentice , and faced what he called a classic "black faces in white places" moment when he was the fir...
Nov 16, 2010•36 min
One of the unspoken stressors for new entrepreneurs is convincing a partner or spouse that starting a business is a smart idea. The rigors of start-up life require a whole new set of communication skills to ensure that you keep your relationship strong while you build your business. In this 30 minute interview, relationship expert and coach Lisa Merlo-Booth gives very specific suggestions for: Breaking the news to your spouse that you want to start a business Talking about money and cash flow so...
Feb 12, 2010•31 min
To round out the pricing series, I talked to my fellow business coach Sherry Garrity from Corporate Fugitive who illuminates some of the specific pricing challenges faced by corporate employees transitioning to entrepreneurship. The three main challenges she talks about in our interview are: Under- dreaming : thinking too small about the vision of what your business could be, and simply trying to match your salary as an employee Under- pricing : not valuing all your experience, and using ineffec...
Dec 06, 2009•33 min
"There are a lot of business owners out there who are giving their stuff away for free because they don't know enough about pricing. That was my story," says Alexis Martin Neely , our next guest in The Price is Right Interview Series. Alexis is a lawyer and founder of two million dollar businesses. She is also the author of Wear Clean Underwear: A fast, fun, friendly and essential guide to legal planning for busy parents . After quitting her job as an employee in a prestigious law firm to set ou...
Dec 04, 2009•31 min
Andrea J. Lee, CEO of Thought Partners International LLC has been a huge influence on my approach to business since I read her book Multiple Streams of Coaching Income in 2006. She is one of those rare individuals who combine clear business intelligence with wit and humor. Her coaching is said to be a combination of tenderness and bite. I could not agree more. In this edition of the pricing series, Andrea will talk about Guerrilla Pricing Tactics including: The concept of free, which she terms a...
Dec 03, 2009•44 min
So much of what you learn about pricing focuses on the external market. But in the daily practice of being an entrepreneur, much of the confusion and angst about pricing comes from an inner feeling. Mark Silver, co-founder of Heart of Business , has a very unique perspective on the inner game of pricing which is specifically tied to the spiritual side of business. In addition to being a long-time business coach, he is also a Sufi teacher and healer. Listen to our 40 minute conversation here. Mar...
Dec 01, 2009•40 min
I am thrilled to kick off a week-long series about pricing in small business with an interview with John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing . John is a well-known authority on small business marketing who has a very popular blog and speaking platform. Despite his solid business background and decades of experience, the thing I like best about John is that he absolutely walks his talk. He is extremely grounded, kind and generous with his knowledge. Listen to the 30-minute interview here . Some of my ...
Nov 30, 2009•30 min
The biggest obstacle to business success is not lack of a great idea, but poor execution. New entrepreneurs, lacking expertise or perspective, often struggle alone with starting or growing their business. It doesn't have to be this way! In my latest podcast (listen here), seasoned business coach and long-time small business expert Karyn Greenstreet describes the power of mastermind groups, which are small groups of 6-8 people with similar values and interests who help each other set and achieve ...
Sep 22, 2009•30 min
While there are many core business practices shared among any type of startup, web-based companies have a unique set of opportunities and challenges. Perhaps no one has studied these unique challenges more than Bob Walsh, author of 5 books, the most recent being The Web Startup Success Guide . Bob has learned his field from the inside-out, creating and marketing his own "Micro ISV," (Micro Independent Software Vendor) business for many years, and advising many others on theirs in his consulting ...
Aug 11, 2009•39 min
My love of books goes back to when I was about three years old. As soon as I could form the sentence "I want to go to the library," my Mom or Dad would take me every week to get a new stack of books. I remember the smell as I entered the San Anselmo library and strolled through the aisles. My senses tingled as I saw new stories, and I would have to negotiate with my Mom and Dad about how many I could carry home in a given week. This love stayed with me my entire life. Picture books turned into M...
May 22, 2009•28 min
I think it was fate that Michael Port released his new book The Think Big Manifesto within a few days of the release of mine. Becoming comfortable with thinking big and gathering the courage to leave a "safe" life in a cube behind walk hand in hand. So I interviewed Michael about his book in this 20-minute conversation, where we talk about: Why you need to unhook from the "gurus" How your kids can push you to do your best work Why it is important to think big about what you do and how you operat...
May 08, 2009•23 min
I will never forget reading Tom Peter's article The Brand Called You in Fast Company Magazine in August 1997. Growth in Silicon Valley was sizzling hot, and the fresh perspective on personal marketing was totally new and exciting. 25-year old Dan Schwabel felt the same thing when he read the article, although it was many years later, when he stumbled upon it on the internet. According to Dan, it summed up what he had been doing in his own education and career since Junior High. So he made the de...
Apr 07, 2009•22 min
I spent many years speaking to groups across the country, and even teaching presentation skills to hundreds of salespeople and engineers. It was always fascinating to me since it combined so many favorite subjects: motivation, communication, fear, physical movement, design and creativity. In today's conversation with Nick Morgan, I took my learning to a whole new level. His new book, Trust Me: Four Steps to Authenticity and Charisma integrates a lot of new research about the brain to help speake...
Feb 20, 2009•52 min
Just about an hour ago, Daniel Kehrer asked me (on Twitter of course!): Are you finding lots more folks going freelance because of the economy? Glad you asked Daniel! In today's podcast, I talk with Michelle Goodman , author of the new book My So-Called Freelance Life . It is chock-full of information for people who are considering freelancing on the side, or as a full-time pursuit. Michelle and I talk about all kinds of nuts and bolts questions about freelancing including: How in the world do y...
Jan 16, 2009•43 min
I may have set a new record for the shortest time from concept to production for a podcast: 20 minutes ago, I shared on Twitter that my best friend, Desiree Adaway, set up a personal board of directors last year and just sent me her annual report. Desiree is the Senior Director of Volunteer Mobilization for Habitat for Humanity, and felt the need to get expert advice and insight from people she trusted and admired. Many people were interested in hearing her story, so I called her up and recorded...
Jan 02, 2009•17 min
Who doesn't love the film Rocky or hearing about how J.K. Rowling lived near destitute while her Harry Potter manuscript got rejected by scores of publishers right before hitting it richer than the Queen of England? A lot of our view of failure in popular American culture is romanticized. The fact is, while you are failing, it feels really awful and does not become the enlightened lesson that you share until you have ten years perspective between you and the excruciating experience. Author and s...
Nov 24, 2008•32 min
My original and only business plan for my company was based on a Dr. Suess book . I wish I were kidding. Owning up to my liberal arts major and rebellious roots, I didn't think I needed a "real" plan. And, for the most part, I did fine for a decade, securing lots of clients and making a good living. But honestly, I think that I was just not thinking about business planning the right way. I imagined reams of paper, onerous spreadsheets and carefully crafted mission statements. Yuck. Now, Tim Berr...
Aug 27, 2008•37 min
Find Part 1 of this interview here . I get a lot of questions about blogging from people who are considering starting a business and are new to the social media world. So does my friend Nathan Bowers , who is a web developer by trade, and also an artist/musician and all-around renaissance guy. Nathan and I connected on Twitter recently and started a whole series of offline conversations which resulted in this 2-part podcast interview. We wanted to reduce anxiety for new bloggers, and also draw t...
Aug 05, 2008•24 min
I get a lot of questions about blogging from people who are considering starting a business and are new to the social media world. So does my friend Nathan Bowers , who is a web developer by trade, and also an artist/musician and all-around renaissance guy. Nathan and I connected on Twitter recently and started a whole series of offline conversations which resulted in this 2-part podcast interview. We wanted to reduce anxiety for new bloggers, and also draw the connection between the importance ...
Aug 05, 2008•25 min
I have a pile of books to read and review next to my bathtub. The Go-Giver: A little story about a powerful business idea sat there for awhile, until I finally picked it up the other evening and started reading it. I was drawn in by the simple story, and got more and more encouraged by the premise as the pages went on. A review of the book by Science of Mind sets it up well: "For anyone that has ever believed that attaining success requires a greedy, self-centered approach, The Go-Giver: A Littl...
Jul 02, 2008•41 min
I was really excited to do this interview with Andy Wibbels of www.andywibbels.com after I heard that he took a "day job" as Marketing Manager at Six Apart. I have known Andy for a long time and have always admired his candor, sass and brand, as well as his business sense. Since he has done almost everything right to create an effective business, like: Create a successful blog Define and own a particular niche Develop a huge mailing list of devoted followers Team up with great partners like Darr...
May 29, 2008•36 min
For this week's podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Gary Schoeniger , founder of the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative . Gary has a really interesting story -- from dead broke desperate handyman to successful entrepreneur. Over the last 15 years, he has interviewed hundreds of successful entrepreneurs to discover which skills are critical for starting and running a business. Many are not what you think. My favorite advice from the interview: "Find a problem. Figure out how to solve the...
May 05, 2008•41 min
My friend Alexandra Levit just wrote a book called " How'd You Score That Gig? A Guide to the Coolest Jobs- and How to Get Them ." Her book bubbled up from lots of conversations with friends at social gatherings where inevitably one person would describe a cool job that no one had heard of. Despite what you may think of my opinion based on my blog's name, there are certainly times and places for a "job," rather than striking out on your own. If you have to be your own venture capitalist for awhi...
Apr 14, 2008•34 min
Sometimes I feel a bit schizophrenic, on one hand encouraging people to not stress so much about leaving their corporate job to start a business, and on the other hand feeling extremely uncomfortable about all the "start a business in 30 days in your bathrobe" nonsense that permeates the internet. Sparked by a blog post my good friend and fellow entrepreneur coach Philippa Kennealy wrote called Can you maintain your income as an entrepreneurial physician? , I invited Philippa as a guest for this...
Mar 11, 2008•39 min
If you want to grow as a human being, you could climb really tall mountains. Or run marathons. Or study the great written works. Or study yoga in an ashram. Or ... you could put your entire livelihood at risk and become an entrepreneur. I don't think running a business is for everyone. But I do think that it is the best way on the planet to learn about yourself. In this episode, I list 5 reasons why I feel so strongly about this. Listen in to see if you agree or disagree, then share your opinion...
Feb 26, 2008•9 min
You may notice that the closer you get to your right life and business, the more frequently coincidence, synchronicity and serendipity occur. Once thought the purvey of mystics and dreamers, more and more business people are embracing insight and intuition as a critical business skill. In this episode, I share: My own frequent experiences with synchronicity Some "rational" reasons why it may occur Resounding encouragement to stop being so stuffy and embrace the benevolent forces of the universe ...
Aug 20, 2007•8 min
Even the most optimistic and motivated aspiring entrepreneur will reach a point where frustration or anxiety grinds progress to a halt. This is otherwise known as "hitting the wall." It can happen when doing things you hate such as: Making sales and marketing calls Trying to crank out a first draft of a book or product Filling out government or legal forms Creating a business plan What can you do to not let frustration derail your dreams? My five recommendations include: Scream, whine, wail, swe...
Jul 17, 2007•8 min
It is often tricky to know when it is safe to call yourself an expert in your field. If you have done any research in marketing and PR, you know the benefits of an "expert" designation: free press and the trust and credibility of potential customers, leading to more sales. But it can feel a bit presumptuous to call yourself an expert, right? This episode provides questions you can ask yourself to test your expertise, which go beyond the traditional formula of years of experience + number of acad...
Jul 03, 2007•5 min
I was stunned and awed this weekend when I read a great book on creative blocks called The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Best known as a novelist of books such as The Legend of Bagger Vance, Gates of Fire, Tides of War, and The Last of the Amazons, Pressfield writes a short but exquisite analysis of the source, purpose and solution to creative blocks. It was published in 2002, but is a timeless classic for anyone who feels blocked from starting anything. I chose a few key concepts to explore,...
Jun 18, 2007•8 min
People are drawn to entrepreneurship for a variety of reasons including work/life flexibility, the opportunity to contribute something meaningful to the world, the chance to make a lot of money or the platform to get known as an expert in your field. Regardless of your intentions, chances are you want to make money at what you do, and use the benefits of press and publicity to market your efforts. In my shorthand, I call this getting rich and famous, even if in your humble definition this means ...
Jun 05, 2007•8 min
