I'm going to take a little departure today because there's something I think you need to know. I see you... hiding back there in the shadows. You are wondering what all of this has to do with you. You've thought about the possibility of starting a business of your own. You've heard about the success other people have had. But you just don't think it would work for you... Well, let's talk about it in today's episode.

Okay, I confess... I'm in love!  With short form video, that is. I talked about it a little bit in last weeks episode on trends, but this week I want to focus just on short form video and why I think it is so important for you to start using... like yesterday.  So, let's cue up the intro get this episode started.

4 Trends to Watch in 2022 Social media changes a lot! The social media of 2022 is quite different from the social media of 2012 -- there are even big differences from just last year! It can be hard to keep up with the changes, and I don't consider myself an expert, necessarily, but I do follow trends and influencers, and after looking at what everyone else said would be a trend for this year, I narrowed it down to the 4 that I feel are pretty important to watch. So, let's cue up the intro and look at the 4 Trends to Watch in 2022.

They say practice makes perfect... but I'm not so sure about that. I think perfection is highly overrated and, well, pretty unrealistic when it comes right down to it. But, you certainly improve with practice. So, let's just say practice makes proficient. You get better, faster, more competent, and you are able to be more creative... once you have the foundation down, you can experiment without feeling like you have to color only within the lines.  It's been a busy week. I haven't stopped learning, but I have been putting into practice what I've been learning... and hopefully getting better!  So today, I'm going to dive into what I've been working on and what's working. Maybe you'll get some ideas that you can use for your business.

The Danger of Overtraining If a little exercise is good for you, more must be better, right? Yes, but only up to a point. There is a tipping point where it starts causing harm. Some of the negative side effects are decreased performance, increased effort, excessive fatigue, agitation and moodiness, insomnia or loss of sleep and psychological stress and/or depression. And before you think you've got the wrong podcast, no this episode isn't about physical training (although every one of those side effects is ALSO a possibility for athletes who over train) these are very real side effects of overtraining in your business as well. Overtraining is just another form of professional procrastination. Trust me, it's one of my specialties, and that's what we are going to talk about on today's episode.

Where Are Your Habits Taking You? Habits can be good or bad. They can take you where you want to go, or keep you stuck right where you are. And the tricky thing is, the habits that work for you might not work for me.  So, how do you know which habits to develop and which to dump? That's what we are going to talk about on today's episode.

I'm back!!! With an unscripted, off the cuff apology for being absent for so long!!!  So... let me tell you what I've been up to and what you can expect going forward.  And... let me give you a heads up on why nothing really changed when 2022 began, and what you can do about it. Strap yourself in, crank up the sound and let's get ready to rock this year.

This might be a little raw… and a major departure from my previous episodes. You probably noticed I’ve been silent for a while. This whole virus thing has made me rethink a lot of things… and I promise not to say I have decided to “pivot”. I don’t know about you, but there are certain “buzz words” everyone jumps on that begin to get irritating after a while… And for me, that’s one of them. But, I am taking a step back. You’ll notice a music change for this episode. You’ll also notice there are no commercials. It just doesn’t feel right. And while I’m still all about Making Connections, I think there is a far more important connection I need to make… a heart to heart connection with you, and hopefully, strengthening your connection with God. Remember in Episode Zero I confessed that I’m a Christian and would talk about God from time-to-time. Today’s episode is going to be one of those times. So, grab a cup of coffee and let’s chat… about caring for someone with Alzheimer's Disease, about cancer, and about redemption. There's this guy I want you to meet...

Maybe it’s just me…  but I’m having a little trouble focusing lately. And I’m finding myself a little more emotional than usual. Today’s episode is going to be more of a check-in really, to see how you are doing.   Life is funny sometimes, isn’t it? Not funny as in “ha ha”, but funny as in strange. 2020 sure isn’t turning out the way I thought it would.  You either? Let’s talk about it… how you’re feeling, how you’re coping, whether you’re working or off work, whether you’re quarantined at home or still leaving home and going to work somewhere. So how has your life changed?  Besides not being able to buy toilet paper. – and what’s up with that anyway? I can’t believe that several weeks in, the toilet paper shelves are STILL empty at Wal-Mart. What are people doing with all that toilet paper anyway?  How are you coping with the “new normal”?  If you have time on your hands, how should you be spending it now? I think “normal” is going to look quite different on the other side. There’s no better time than now to start working toward a whole new future for yourself. I’m a day late, but welcome to Episode 12 of the Making Connections Podcast.

Note to self: Don't ever work on your podcast at 2:30 am and publish it without listening to the whole thing once through from start to finish. My apologies if you tried to listen to the previous version of this episode! Romans 8:37 says: “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer, or we are more than conquerors, through Him who loved us.” What do you do when it seems like the whole world has turned upside down? How do you get back on track when everything you have ever known seems to be unraveling at the seams? Today we are going to explore how you can overcome seemingly unbeatable odds. Okay, admit it. You like a great rags to riches, or underdog comes out on top kind of story. Doesn’t everyone? I mean, that’s why there were 8 Rocky movies. (If I wouldn’t get in trouble for copyright violation, I’d cue the Rocky theme right about now.) Why do we like movies like Rocky so much? Because they give us hope. We identify with Rocky Balboa. If he could come out on top against all odds, then we have this glimmer of hope inside of us that we can too. We want to be that champion that comes out on top. We want to do what everyone thought was impossible – at least for us to do. So, let’s dissect the plot line and discover what it was that made Rocky Balboa a champion. This is Episode 11 of the Making Connections Podcast - Take 2!

Steve Jobs said “If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you.” This, my friend, is the key to success. Could it be that the reason we live dull, mundane, routine lives that bore the socks off of us is because we have no real vision for what we want our future to be? Or maybe we have a vision for our future, but it has to compete with our focus on our present circumstances.  I think most of us probably suffer from a bit of both. So, how do we correct our vision? That's what we are going to talk about in today's episode.

Proverbs 29:18 says: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Today we are going to talk about casting a vision for your life and how important it is. This is Episode 9 of the Making Connections Podcast So, why is having a vision, a goal, an end in mind important? It is what keeps you on track. It’s what prevents you from wandering aimlessly around never reaching your destination because, frankly, you never decided on a destination. And, while that might make for an exciting adventure, it might not make for a successful outcome.

I’m sure you have heard about time management so many times in the past, you probably don’t really want to hear yet another person tell you how you need to manage your time in order to success. Well you’re in luck! I’m not going to tell you that. In fact, I have a shocking revelation for you: trying to manage time is actually a waste of time. It’s true! And in this episode I’ll explain why it’s true. This is Episode 8 of the Making Connections Podcast

It’s time for another Saturday Snapshot. My goal is to build a business and share my progress as I’m going along. So today, I’m going to take you behind the scenes of what I’ve done so far, what the results have been, and what my next steps are. Welcome to Episode 7 of the Making Connection Podcast: Saturday Snapshot for 02-29-20 Wow!  It’s been a crazy 2 weeks since my last Saturday Snapshot, but I wanted to let you know how things are going behind the scenes AND I realized I left some things out of my previous snapshot. Let’s start with a brief overview.

As Vincent Van Gogh said, If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced. Today in Episode 6 of the Making Connections Podcast, we are going to talk about what confidence is – and what it isn’t – and how you can learn to be confident.

We hear a lot about Work-Life Balance and how important it is. So grab your calendar and a notebook, and let’s take a hard look at how your schedule stacks up to the ideal balance… just kidding! In today’s episode, I’m going to invite you to embrace the imbalance as I bust the whole Work-Life Balance myth. Ready? This is going to be fun!

My goal is to build a business and share my progress as I’m going along. So today, I’m going to let you take a look behind the scenes of what I’ve done so far, what the results have been, and what my next steps are. Welcome to Episode 4.

This is Episode 3 – It's Not Your Fault!  Sometimes bad stuff happens to good people and it’s just not your fault. But, it’s ALWAYS your responsibility. Let's talk about the difference between blame and responsibility. I might step on some toes with this one, but it’s important. So put on your steel-toed boots and listen up!   Do you want to reach your full potential? Or remain stuck in mediocrity for the rest of your life? I'm going to share 10 Crucial Steps to Taking Responsibility for your life.  “There’s not a chance we’ll reach our full potential until we stop blaming each other and start practicing personal accountability.” — John Miller Resources mentioned in today's show are: Download my free workbook to help you discover your inner gift,  at chereemiller.com/mygift. Sign up for the One Funnel Away Challenge at bit.ly/OFAChallengeOffer

Today, we discuss the scientific process behind renewing the mind.  Don’t worry, I promise I speak in plain English! This is Episode 2 – What is Neuroplasticity and Why is it Important? I’m going to give you some specific steps you can take to begin to re-wire yourself for success. Resources mentioned in today's show are: Download my free workbook to help you discover your inner gift,  at chereemiller.com/mygift. Sign up for the One Funnel Away Challenge at bit.ly/OFAChallengeOffer People I mentioned: Dr. Caroline LeafShad HelmstetterDr. Joe Dispenza

Why do some people reach their goals while others who may even be more talented do not? That’s what we’re going to talk about today on the Making Connections Podcast. This is Episode 1 – Mindset for Success.