Futureproofing

Today I welcome my good friend Jen Hansard to the show. Jen has a business you just might be familiar with called Simple Green Smoothies. It’s a business she built up with another gal, literally from scratch, and it now social media followers in the millions. Jen’s had some real ups and downs in business, but she’s figured out how to stay relevant in a really noisy space and she has an amazing ability to see where the trends are going. She’s a phenomenal business woman, and all around person, and you’re going to love this episode…

Today I have a real treat as I’m interviewing my friend, an allegedly retired serial entrepreneur, Bob Dorf. Bob is the co-author of The Startup Owners Manual and along with Steve Blank, the two have spent nearly two years conceiving, outlining, drafting, rewriting and revising this global bestseller. Bob left a lucrative broadcasting job at the age of 22 because he had a passion to start his own company, which he did seven times over three decades, and he’s invested in, coached or advised over two dozen startups over more than a decade. He travels the world helping startups, incubators, governments and established corporations learn how to effectively deploy Customer Development process through speaking, workshops and intensive hands-on Startup Boot Camps. One thing that I really love about Bob is that he’s no B.S., so I’m really excited to welcome him to the show to share his thoughts on testing concepts and building businesses.

Today we’re getting an extra special shot of reality, as we’re joined by someone who is astronomical (and controversial sometimes)! His name is Larry Winget, and he’s The Pitbull of Personal Development and a six-time NYT/WSJ bestselling author. He has spoken to nearly 400 of the Fortune 500 and is in the International Speaker Hall of Fall. Larry has been the host of his own show on A&E, done national television commercials and is a regular on many national news programs on the topics of business, parenting, personal finance and personal development. In this episode, Larry and I are going to talk about hard work and value, compromise, relevancy and a lot more. Most importantly, he tells us why we need to rise above getting the approval of others. Larry is a force to be reckoned with, and I hope you enjoy listening to this episode.

Gordie Bufton is a transformational catalyst, speaker and author. His memoir Eluding Reality: A Memoir about Drugs, Psych Wards and Recovery details the most horrific and metamorphic moments of his life to inspire others to make different choices. My conversation today with Gordie is about to unravel some of the truths and fallacies around when people stray from the norm. We’re going to talk about his our journey, which led him to educating parents on some of the warning signs of drug use in their children. He also shares the differences between what people were doing 30 years ago and now when it comes to drugs, the effects of drugs on the brain and so much more. I think you’re going to find that the conversation we’re having is really about transforming belief systems. How is it that you can go from being in a very dark place to being on the top of the world? Tune in as Gordie is here to share his fascinating story and insights!

Today we have a super-special treat from “down under” – Laurence Tham. Laurence is a speaker, coach, trainer and entrepreneur specializing in mindset, productivity and life. He’s sought-after as a speaker/trainer in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Laurence co-hosts and co-founded The Wellness Guys and Inside the Champion’s Mind podcasts and is a true leader in helping people out of mediocrity. He believes everyone has a unique gift to share with the world, and I am thrilled to be able to talk with him on this episode of the podcast!

Today I’m chatting with someone who I’ve been wanting to talk with for a LONG time! Sally Hogshead is the founder and inventor of The Fascination Advantage, which is the only measure of how the world sees you. Sally has an amazing journey to share and is one of the very few people inducted into The Speaking Hall of Fame. At the end of this episode we’re going to give you a private code (for listeners only) so that you can do this assessment yourself – so stay tuned! I can’t wait for you to listen to this episode….

Today I have the honour of introducing you to Scott Barry Kaufman. I’ve been in love with Scott’s work for years, and what he talks about is absolutely phenomenal. He’s a Scientific Director at the Imagination Institute and he conducts research at The University of Pennsylvania. Scott has a PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Yale University, and the list goes on! He hosts his own fabulous podcast, The Psychology Podcast that you should check out, and I’m so excited to bring him to you in this episode.

Today I have the great pleasure of speaking with Ali Brown, a well-known business woman both on and offline. Ali has a list of accolades so long it’s shocking; she’s dubbed one of Forbe’s “Women to Watch”, has been featured on ABC’s Secret Millionaire and named one of the top Twitter accounts every entrepreneur should be following in Entrepreneur magazine. It’s such a pleasure to call her my friend, to speak with her today and to be sharing our talk with you….

In this introductory episode, I want to take a few minutes to tell you a bit about myself and how this show got started. As you'll hear, my journey hasn't been typical and today I give you my thoughts on how I was able to achieve what I have. I also reveal the three pieces to being "futureproof" and much more. Thanks for listening and I look forward to sharing my story, and those of my guests, with each and every one of you through this podcast.