What does it take to write multiple books with the same characters? Is it different than writing just one? Take a listen as I interview Edgar Award nominated author, former journalist and all-around good human Thomas Kies about his latest Geneva Chase novel. He will share what his agent, publisher and editor each said when he was thinking about starting a different series and his own thoughts on it. Then we talk about life as a writer while still working full-time, branching out into other forms of writing like becoming a playwright and so much more. In January of 2022, Thomas Kies, author of the critically acclaimed Geneva Chase Mystery Series, was Edgar nominated by the Mystery Writers of America for the Sue Grafton Memorial Award.   He has a long history of working for newspapers and magazines, primarily in New England and New York and currently lives and writes on a barrier island on the coast of North Carolina. His newest novel, WHISPER ROOM is being released on Tuesday, August 2nd.  Motherly.com named WHISPER ROOM one of the Buzziest Books of 2022 and Library Journal said, “Kies’s sequel to the Sue Grafton Award nominee Shadow Hill is a compelling story for readers who want to follow investigative reporters into the crime scenes.”

He's baaack! John David Mann, one of my all-time favorite guests, is back to talk about how he gets inspiration, the differences between writing non-fiction and fiction, what he credits for his ability to write what I call "books that suck you in and make you forget to go to the bathroom" and so much more. If you've never listened to John talk about writing, life, passion and having a writing partner then dive in on this episode. And forgive me for fan-geeking a bit. I love his writing and get joy out of even holding one of his books in my hand. Why you ask? Because once you start reading them they do not disappoint. John David Mann is coauthor of more than thirty books, including four New York Times bestsellers and five national bestsellers; his classic 2008 parable The Go-Giver (coauthored with Bob Burg) earned the 2017 Living Now Book Award’s “Evergreen Medal” given for its “contribution to positive global change.”

Marlene Chism is recognized as one of the top experts on reducing or eliminating workplace drama and helping leaders become better leaders. She has been on the show before discussing her previous books and on this episode, we discussed her latest book, From Conflict to Courage: How to Stop Avoiding and Start Leading. Conflict, and avoiding conflict, happen everyday either at work, at home or somewhere on the way to one of those. I’ve observed conflicts on roads, in restaurants, at concerts, on lines and personally have avoided a few at work or at home until it felt like I was going to explode. On this episode, Marlene discusses how avoiding conflict can make you angry with yourself, how your goal when dealing with conflict is not about winning but breaking through to a solution and she also shares the words you can use to defuse a conflict and get to the other side. Be prepared to take notes as this episode is filled with tips, strategies and tactics to help you stop avoiding conflict and move into leadership. Marlene Chism works with top leaders to build drama-free cultures that drive growth and reduce costly mistakes. Her expertise includes leadership development, conflict management, and strategic communication. Marlene is a recognized expert on the LinkedIn global learning platform, producing educational videos on Anger Management, Working with High Conflict People as a Manager, and Having Difficult Conversations. Her soon to be published book is From Conflict to Courage: How to Stop Avoiding and Start Leading. To learn more about Marlene and download a discussion guide for From Conflict to Courage, visit www.marlenechism.com

Just me updating you on the show, myself and others things

Just me giving you an update on the show, myself and a few other things.

Return guest Alan Shapiro continues our discussion on creativity, getting rid of numbness, finding and expressing your story and how routine helps him unleash his creative spark. In Alan’s own words: Passionate, award-winning photographer. Advertising Chief Creative Officer, too I grew up on the creative side of the advertising world, working with clients around the world; telling their unique stories in very unique ways. Along the way, I've had the pleasure of working with many, many talented photographers, directors and content creators. I became envious of their art and craft. At first, I saw it as a means of reducing my stress-filled life. As a Chief Creative Officer at the world's largest Advertising Agency Network, I needed a distraction. A friend gave me a camera. Then I bought another. And then another. My new hobby and daily "creative exercise regimen" quickly turned into a joy-filled and all consuming passion. Then my first photo client called. Then another. And then, many more. Lockheed Martin, GM, Cadillac, Apple, Ritz Carlton, Bose, Scholastic,... I love talking to all sorts of people and seem to have a knack for getting them to open up and share themselves despite the intrusion and intimidation that a serious-looking camera often represents. I like finding and sharing things I find. Beautiful things. Powerful things. Poignant things. I also enjoy taking something ordinary and making it something well beyond that. Illustration and painting are other passions and I love creating unique "painted" photographs and photocompositions inspired by the Renaissance Masters. My work hangs in corporate and private collections. It graces retail environments, editorial spreads, TV show sets and has been featured on products from housewares to clothing to puzzles. Happiness. https://www.alanshapirophotography.com/

Going to the doctor nowadays doesn't always mean leaving there with a good diagnosis or a feeling of being heard. Many doctors are overworked and have become highly specialized preventing them from looking at their patient as a whole rather than a particular set of symptoms. Insurance reimbursement can also impact the doctor/patient relationship. What can you do to change that and feel well again? Enter Dr. Dan Witkowski. Board certified OB/GYN and Lifestyle medicine as well as being a certified nutritionist. Dr. Dan recently changed his practice to one where he takes fewer patients while giving them more time and a full patient level of care. I am not talking about overpriced concierge models but something different. Take a listen as Dr. Dan and I talk about what he has learned from his patients, what steps and tactics can start you on a road to feeling better and why your lifestyle should matter to your doctor. It might not be what you think. And no, this is not a conversation about just going plant-based for your eating either. I don't know about you but that is not a one size fits all model either. Dr. Dan Witkowski’s father was on 17 medications when he died. He’d already had a quintuple heart bypass and a below the knee leg amputation due to diabetic complications. Dr Witkowski realized that none of his Dad’s doctors had asked about his lifestyle, what he was eating, or how he spent his time. Dr Witkowski’s patients were being put on similar lists of medications for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugars, and he decided he needed to do what he’d originally gone to medical school for. Help people. This formed the basis of the holistic and comprehensive care he offers his patients today. Dr. Dan is: ● Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology ● Board Certified in Lifestyle Medicine ● Certified in Plant-Based Nutrition He brings his unique combination of skills together at Direct Women’s Health in  Wakefield, MA where he sees patients through the Direct Primary Care model. Many of Dr. Dan’s patients have reversed their chronic health conditions and come off their  medication under his care. Dr. Dan has been delivering babies, specializing in Women's Health, and changing lives since 1993. Together with his wife, Pam, they run the free Plant Based Lifestyle Ambassadors community on Facebook, inspiring people to live tastier, healthier, more fulfilled lives.

Clinton Gatewood is my guest on this epsiode and it is an overdue interview. Clint has lived his life helping others grow their businesses as well as having founded and sold his own company. He has dedicated his life to serving others and helping them see how they can achieve their business goals. I know Clint from my tech days onward and every role he has ever held in any company he  has worked for, or with, has seen the benefit of having him around.  On this epsiode Clint shares what he learned growing a business from the ground up for himself and others, how he learned to "own the part of the business you are in as if it is your own" and what can happen if you question yourself too much. Clint shares a lot more from his many decades working for someone, working for himself and helping clients grow. Take a listen and then share on your social tagging #ItsAllAboutTheQuestions or @TheLauraSteward what your takeaway is. Clinton Gatewood started his channel career with Zenith Infotech building a team which successfully grew the Zenith partner base from zero to over 12,000 MSPs in six years. He co-founded a channel focused backup and disaster recovery software company which was purchased in 2014. Clinton is now helping other channel professionals apply data driven solutions to optimize the time from partner discovery t0 first sale to predictable/sustainable channel revenue stream.  Clinton is a veteran having served as an Army Ranger and with the 82 Airborne. He has been married for 35 years with 2 children and is very happy they look like their mother.

John David Mann and Ana Gabriel Mann joined me to discuss their seminal work, The Go-Giver Marriage A Little Story About The 5 Secrets to Lasting Love. This is not your average book about relationships and marriage. Nor is this interview. Take a listen as I ask John and Ana about the foundation for the book, how their lives intertwined to create the book and how each of us can begin to improve relationships that matter to us. JOHN DAVID MANN is coauthor of more than thirty books, including four New York Times bestsellers and five national bestsellers, including The Go-Giver (coauthored with Bob Burg), which has sold over 1 million copies and won the 2017 Living Now Book Awards Evergreen Medal for its “contributions to positive global change.” He is married to Ana Gabriel Mann and considers himself the luckiest mann in the world. ANA GABRIEL MANN, M.A., holds a Master’s degree in clinical psychology and dance-movement therapy from Antioch New England, where she specialized in working with adults and family therapy. In addition to her work in family therapy and 5 Secrets marriage coaching, she has served as clinical director for a support program for families caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease, co-founded New England’s first college of Chinese medicine, and worked as a corporate consultant, speaker, trainer, and business coach. She is the creator and lead facilitator of the Go-Giver Marriage Coaches training program. John and Ana have been dreaming about cowriting The Go-Giver Marriage and bringing its message to the world ever since the first draft of John and Bob’s original book came sliding out of his desktop printer in early 2005.

How does a woman nowhere close to retirement age create a company that is all about helping people ready to retire? Well Hannah Thomson will tell you all you have to do is know her granny. Inspiration is all around us. How we act on that separates the successful from the less successful. Hannah Thomson has learned to act on what she learns from the world around her and founded the highly successful retirement-focused company The Joy Club. Not your usual kind of startup, this one focuses on virtual AND live events to inspire retirees, or those who want a bit more fun in their lives, to grab life with two hands and try something new. With over 5000 members in the UK alone, Hannah is on a mission to empower grandparents, and parents, to live the lives they perhaps put aside as they raised their families or grew their careers. Take a listen as Hannah shares how her grandmother influenced the creation of The Joy club, what it took, and takes, to make it flourish and her vision for the future. Hannah Thomson founded The Joy Club in 2019, inspired by her granny’s experience of ageing to focus on inspiring a joyful retirement for all. She previously held key roles in several award-winning startups, including femtech company Elvie where she was Head of Health and Strategic Partnerships. Hannah has degrees in human rights and business practices in life sciences – and is a graduate of the Oxford University Fintech Programme. Her multidisciplinary background reflects her curiosity about the world and her passion to use technology to change it for the better. When she’s not building The Joy Club, you’ll find Hannah trail running, sailing the high seas or training her Labrador puppy to be the perfect adventure buddy! www.thejoyclub.com

Do you know if you are focused on your brand essence or your brand ego? Do you know the difference between the two? How about story? Do you know how to use it for the right part of your brand? Tucker Stine and I pick up our conversation in part 2 of our discussion about your bsuiness and personal brands and how they best interact and how they should not. Tucker is a results-driven connector, personal and organizational brand architect, leadership coach and public speaker with over 25 years of success in building personal and professional brands, developing experiential marketing strategies, constructing strategic communications programs, advising emerging nonprofits and coaching keynote speakers, conscious-driven businesses and thought leaders through impactful storytelling.  Tucker has worked with Fortune 100 companies, tech giants and global changemakers such as Microsoft, F5, Accenture, Azure, AWS and more, helping them reinvent leadership opportunities and strategic marketing initiatives to revolutionize their industry.  With one simple goal, to bring humanity back into the technology world. He thrives as a valuable core team leader, industry mentor and catalyst for generational movements that ignite societal change through the power of voice. He has helped 250+ speakers and thought leaders take the stage, launch their businesses and share their global ideas for change, including the highly sought-after TED platform. His clients have been featured on TED, Goalcast, Upworthy, The Today Show, the Sundance Film Festival and hundreds of podcasts, resulting in over 100 million views combined.  With one goal in mind… to share a courageous, vulnerable voice and a powerful seat at the global table of conversation, every opportunity they can. Tucker believes in the power of human connection, radical authenticity, and social impact through speaking, storytelling and thought leadership initiatives. He inspires his clients to follow that same path through their own words. One story at a time.

One of my most requested guests has come back on the show to talk how we can keep hope, have healing and know we have strength when it seems like none of that is possible. Dr. Laurie Nadel talks about terminal lethargy, what tasks we need to schedule and if the body and mind really learn to accept a new normal. Dr. Laurie Nadel is a psychologist who helps people recover from disasters, including the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001.  She continues to work with first responders who remain deeply affected by the event some 20 years later; she also directed a program for teenagers whose fathers were killed that day.  A former journalist, she spent 20 years in TV newsrooms in London and New York with an assignment for Newsweek in Chile during a state of siege. This led to her founding the Committee to Protect Journalists, a human rights organization. Since launching her psychology practice 30 years ago, Dr. Laurie has helped individuals and organizations heal from trauma, including the Parkland school shooting teachers and survivors of Hurricane Sandy where she lost her own home.   She currently leads free online support groups for firefighters and for individuals who are longhaul COVID survivors. She is the author of "The Five Gifts: Discovering Hope, Healing and Strength When Disaster Strikes."

Do you check in with your customer? Ever? Too often what happens is focus shifts to getting new customers at the expense of the old. Think how annoyed we all get when Cable and Cellular companies offer bonuses or special pricing to new customers and existing just keep paying higher and higher prices. In a services industry you are probably missing out on increased revenue with increased customer satisfaction by doing regular business reviews with your clients. What do you do during those review and how often should you do them are just a few of the questions my guest Kris Blackmon, Chief Channel officer of JS Group and I discuss on this epsiode. Kris Blackmon is the chief channel officer of industry consultancy JS Group. A veteran of the indirect sales channel, Kris has extensive experience in event programming, editorial and content creation, research and analysis, and community building. At JS Group, she consults on go-to-market strategies for organizations in the indirect channel and leads the content strategy team. Kris is a member of CompTIA’s Channel Development Advisory Council, producing thought leadership for vendors and partners. She sits on the board of Xposure Inclusion and Diversity Council and is a fervent advocate of DEI and allyship in the channel.

Listeners wanted her back for more of her wisdom and I agreed. On this part 2 of a conversation with Amy Biddle she shares three strategies she has used to create advances in her business and life year after year. We also talk about her upcoming book, Acquire, Convert, Repeat. And during this epsiode Amy shares how her goal and purpose changed and how that changed everything for her. Amy Biddle has been obsessed with digital and traditional marketing since 1999. "I was an English major," she confessed. "But when I discovered marketing, I finally had a reason to pay attention to numbers, too. Now I'm really a geek. I do words fused with data that strategically advance the bottom line." Having started her journey in content marketing and search engine optimization (SEO), Amy has been consultant to over 10,000 business owners, advising small business owners how to create content that is both human friendly and search engine friendly.  She designed and led an ecommerce business program that facilitated over $20 million in revenue with participants.                She's managed paid marketing with budgets of $50 per day to $20,000 per day, managing ad strategy for companies selling everything from cat toys to SaaS. Amy publishes a monthly newsletter for ecommerce business owners with customer lists of over 5000 names. Learn more at https://amybiddle.me/ .

The biggest downfall to any brand is not what you think. It's not a failure in service or product delivery. It's not even a scandal. Tucker Stine has been helping brands of all sizes avoid and recover from what is the biggest downfall for many years and he shares the answer on this epsiode. We also talk about branding to different gernations, brand accelerators and how to use them and how changing the face of a brand, think Alex Trebek, doesn't have to signify the downfall of the company. There is a lot to unpack in this epsiode so have a notepad handy and share your take away. Tucker is a results-driven connector, personal and organizational brand architect, leadership coach and public speaker with over 25 years of success in building personal and professional brands, developing experiential marketing strategies, constructing strategic communications programs, advising emerging nonprofits and coaching keynote speakers, conscious-driven businesses and thought leaders through impactful storytelling.  Tucker has worked with Fortune 100 companies, tech giants and global changemakers such as Microsoft, F5, Accenture, Azure, AWS and more, helping them reinvent leadership opportunities and strategic marketing initiatives to revolutionize their industry.  With one simple goal, to bring humanity back into the technology world. He thrives as a valuable core team leader, industry mentor and catalyst for generational movements that ignite societal change through the power of voice. He has helped 250+ speakers and thought leaders take the stage, launch their businesses and share their global ideas for change, including the highly sought-after TED platform. His clients have been featured on TED, Goalcast, Upworthy, The Today Show, the Sundance Film Festival and hundreds of podcasts, resulting in over 100 million views combined.  With one goal in mind… to share a courageous, vulnerable voice and a powerful seat at the global table of conversation, every opportunity they can. Tucker believes in the power of human connection, radical authenticity, and social impact through speaking, storytelling and thought leadership initiatives. He inspires his clients to follow that same path through their own words. One story at a time.

As if the title wasn't enough to suck you in there is more from this much requested repeat guest. Her latest book's title is You Don't Suck - Your Copy Does - 60 Kick-Butt Lessons on Copywriting, Business and Life and it definitely delivers. Be preprared for a high-energy listen as Carline talks about what makes an A-List copywriter, how to appreciate who you are and what you have, how to deal with bad things happening and not let them derail you and even a little bit about bras and the wisdom of finding the perfect one only to have it discontinued! CARLINE ANGLADE-COLE still wakes up every morning shocked – and happy – she’s found a job that pays her so well for doing something she loves! After 12 years in the direct mail industry working at Phillips Publishing Inc. (now Healthy Directions), Carline ventured out on her own and launched Cole Marketing Solutions, Inc. When she began her copywriting freelance career in 1999 – her goal was simple: Make a decent income and have the flexibility and time to raise her 4 kids with her firefighter husband, Mickey. Along the way, she managed to create multi-year controls for leading clients in the health industry including: Health Resources … True Health … Healthy Directions … Boardroom … Biscayne Labs … Schweiz Health … Vitamin Research Group … and NeoGenis – just to name a few …  … consulted and helped international clients break into the American health market …  … oh – and got a shot at launching Oprah’s “O Magazine” in the direct mail arena! Not too shabby for a mom – and now grandmother of 3 boys – who works in her basement wearing a t-shirt, shorts and bedroom slippers! Recently, instead of throwing a traditional 30th anniversary party with her husband – Carline decided they should celebrate – not the day – but the entire year! That year of travel included spending weeks in Japan, Guatemala, New Zealand, South Africa, Haiti and Jamaica – along with some fun times in New Orleans! Thanks to the amazing writer’s life – during that year of travel – Carline still managed to write copy for clients and have one of her most successful fiscal years ever! Carline specializes in creating home-run copy to launch new products, revive struggling product lines, and help clients to maximize their revenues.

Having sold a business I can tell you that it is not just all about business issues like M&A, finances, contracts, staff, clients, branding and a few other things. What many never talk about is the emotional impact leading up to a sale, during negotiations and after the sale that can derail a deal before it gets to close. My guest is a serial entreprenuer who has written and spoken about the emotional side of selling a business and it is spot-on from my experience. The book also includes case studies of other sale experinces. Take a listen as we discuss the emotional impact on staff and owners, perils and pitfulls to consider when making a sale and questions to ask yourself before you start your company and after you think the thought you are ready to exit. Jamison West has been a serial entrepreneur for 25 years. He built Arterian (formerly JWCS), an MSP that he grew from a one-man shop to forty staff through both organic growth and the acquisition of 4 other IT Services companies. He went on to Co-Found 3 SaaS companies including Teamatics, SmileBack, and TimeZest and currently serves as a fractional CEO for SmileBack and Chairman of TimeZest. He enjoys his role as a Strategic Coach and Consultant for several clients in the US. His background includes: Founding and operating companies in the SaaS and IT Services space;Participating in and moderating professional peer groups;Coaching and Consulting for organizations in the SaaS and IT Services verticalsSpeaking on a range of topics from Cloud to M&A to People. ​Jamison currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada and travels constantly.

Everyone talks about goals when they are starting out but do all goals matter equally? Are some dreams versus goals? Do all goals need to be done right now or do some need to wait because you need to look at them some more? My guest, Michael Nelson, is a serial entreprenuer who knows a few things about success, failure and goals that matter and don't. Take a listen as we talk about the book he finally wrote after clients and friends urged him to, why willpower is not the answer to achiveing goals, how to figure out what goals need an asterisk next to them and how to determine what matters for you. Michael Nelson is the author of Goals That Matter – The Deceptively Simple System to Achieve Every Dream. Michael is an entrepreneur and a real estate investor. Having created a system to achieve his goals, Michael started sharing it with clients and friends who found a great deal of success with their goals. Having led hundreds of people through his goal setting system, he decided to write a book to share it even further. Michael’s book is a must-read for every person who desires to take their life to the next level. At 29, Michael started his first company. The dotcom bubble set him back, but he learned from the experience and started another. TLC Tech (a technical support company) providing Managed IT Services, is thriving for one reason. He developed his goals. But writing them down was not enough. It was when he realized how to use them to really matter and move the needle, that things began to change. Now, having built TLC Tech into a 7-figure success, he wanted to continue to grow. The key to it all sounded a bit cliche, but once he truly mastered both professional and personal goals, is when he found happiness and balance. It was a turning for Michael and his company. His book, Goals that Matter, added another element to his life. It was his passion project. Helping others through coaching and public speaking has allowed him to pass along the tools he used. Seeing success in others has been extraordinary. With 27 years’ experience and a positive outlook, he is a role model for every driven individual looking to take the next step in their life. And achieving every dream.

What if you could turn upside down how you think about adding new partners and clients? What if you decided to create a business to help others do that? And what if that wasn't how you originally thought of your company? Take a listen as I interview Dina Moskowitz, Founder and CEO of SaaSMAX ParterOptimizer as she shares her entrepreneurial journey and the pivots she learned to make along the way to success. Dina Moskowitz is recognized as one of the IT Channel’s top influencers and innovators. She is Founder and CEO of PartnerOptimizer by SaaSMAX, an AI-powered partner marketing platform that analyzes millions of historical data points to help you create your ideal profile. Dina and was recently ranked #20 out of more than 2800 Channel Executives and in 2017 awarded the Cloud Girls Rising Trailblazer Award. She has been featured in the VAR Guy’s Top 50 Channel Influencers and recognized by CRN as a Women of the Channel Power 50 Solution Provider, by UBM Tech Channel CRN as one of the Top Women in the Channel (2016, 2015, 2014). Dina served on the CompTIA Vendor Advisory Council and now serves on their Business Applications Council. Dina has led or provided consultation to cloud-based, SaaS and other technology companies throughout her career. Prior to PartnerOptimizer by SaaSMAX, she was CEO and founder of Critical Digital Data Solutions Inc., which developed cloud-based data storage solutions. Dina regular presents at Channel conferences. She is a member of Cloud Girls, Board Member of the Cloud Software Association, Judge and mentor for San Diego Women’s Hackathon and other San Diego start-up organizations, and a strong advocate of women in SaaS and IT.

Worry, anxiety, fear, frustration, lethargy, exhaustion and stress. I could check off the boxes on one or more of these almost every day. How about you? My guest is Dr. Katie Nall. She has a Ph.D in Mathematics Educations, is a multiple TEDx speaker and a Top level EFT practitioner. She didn't get her Ph.D until later in life but got it because she saw how stressed students were around math and matt classes. She made it her mission to help them and a new career was born.  Dr. Nall has actually had several careers and her latest started after she retired from her full-time position. On this episode Dr. Nall shares, and makes me a willing guinea pig, how to reduce the WAFFLES in your life and most of all their impact on your mind, body and soul. She also shares her philosophy on life, business and why she just keeps getting better every year. Not only does our next guest have her Ph.D. in Mathematics Education, she also is a TEDx speaker, a professional member of National Speakers Association, and an Accredited Master Trainer and Certified Practitioner in Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) with additional training in trauma and quantum EFT. Whether in person or online, Dr. Nall shows others how to dissolve their WAFFLES – worry, anxiety, fear, frustration, lethargy, exhaustion, and stress. A careless housekeeper and worse cook with no desire for rehabilitation she somehow is still married to the same person for over 48 years. https://linktr.ee/KatieNallPhD Website: NallEdgeCo.com