For the last episode before our season break, we are bringing you this special (BEST OF) episode, with our featured guest Jay Papasan, the co-author of the groundbreaking #1 Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today bestselling book, The ONE Thing.
Are you struggling with multitasking and prioritizing your most important projects - especially when it seems there are so many things to get done? Well, this episode is for you.
Jay Papasan, is the Vice President of publishing and Executive Editor at KellerINK, the publishing arm of Keller Williams Realty. He is best known for co-writing with his mentor, Gary Keller, a few best-selling books, including The Millionaire Real Estate Investor, which became a New York Times best-seller.
But their most recent book, titled The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results, has been a nothing short of a “game-changer.” It is a New York Times best-seller and has also reached #1 on the Wall Street Journal business best-seller list.
In the book, Jay and Gary outline in great detail why everyone should identify that area of your life where you want to be extraordinary (that one thing), and FOCUS on it - before you simultaneously take on other tasks.
To me, this is such a groundbreaking book. I actually put it in the same category as other watershed publications such as Good to Great by Jim Collins, Tribes by Seth Godin, and Simon Sinek's Start With Why.
During this value-packed episode of Gen X Amplified, Jay and I discuss his overall journey to becoming an author, the importance of "focus" as a leader, and why The ONE Thing is resonating with so many, even outside of the business world. This book is definitely a must-read, especially for Gen Xers with all of the opportunities and obligations we have during this power phase of our lives.
On this latest episode, I share what I call somewhat of a "rallying call" for everyone in that’s currently in that mid-career, mid-life phase (basically Gen Xers), to start, right now, at this moment understanding that NOW is the perfect time to go for your dreams and create more impact on the world.
Many of us at this stage of our career and life, feel squeezed, unsure of our future, dissatisfied with what we have accomplished...or "not accomplished", etc. This is a normal feeling. What motivated me to record this actual episode, where a few conversations I was having with colleagues and friends recently about this exact situation.
But, I truly and strongly believe that we are now in the PERFECT TIME in our lives to now make more of an impact. Whether it’s on your job, in your business, to start a business, or just better impact the lives of those you love.
Also in this episode, I talk about many Gen Xers and mid-career professionals that are doing game-changing things and making a significant impact.
On this new episode of Gen X Amplified, we are welcoming back a familiar voice and friend to the show. Hall of Fame keynote speaker, business advisor, and best selling author…the one and only Jay Baer is joining Adrion once again on the podcast.
For this his second visit to Gen X Amplified, Jay and Adrion discuss and unpack his latest book titled: – Talk Triggers: The Complete Guide to Creating Customers with Word of Mouth, which he co-wrote with Daniel Lemin.
Jay Baer is an award-winner speaker, consultant, strategist and whose mission is to help businesses clone their customers. He is also a 7th generation entrepreneur, who has founded five multi-million dollar companies.
Jay is also the President of Convince & Convert, an advisory firm firm that works with the world’s most iconic brands such as The United Nations, 3M, and Hilton.
A New York Times bestselling author, Jay has written six best-selling books, including: Youtility, and Hug Your Haters – which we discussed during his previous visit to Gen X Amplified on episode #027.
On this episode we chat about why brands (both business and personal) embracing the power of “word of mouth” as an intentional strategy, which is the premise of his latest book, Talk Triggers, co-written with Daniel Lemin.
During this latest solo episode of Gen X Amplified, I am introducing a new "theme" that I’m starting called "What I've Learned...". And for this episode I will breakdown the 5 key lessons that I learned from my time working at one of the most iconic brands ever… HBO.
I was employed at HBO from 2003-2008. And it was during that time (what many consider to be the "golden age' of HBO), I witnessed many of the inner workings of why HBO is such a successful brand.
There are many virtues I believe that are responsible for the greatness of the HBO brand, yet I wanted to focus on five (5) specific areas that are applicable to many elements of brand development in today's competitive marketplace.
So below are the 5 key lessons that I learned from working at HBO:
As Gen Xers, our unique and extensive experience gives us plenty of valuable nuggets and lessons to help guide us. Therefore we should be intentional about taking inventory of our experiences and our journey - both personally and professionally.
When we do this, we can cull out valuable lessons and insights that help fuel our ongoing personal growth.
On this latest episode of Gen X Amplified, Adrion is once again joined by world-renowned author and communications coach Carmine Gallo.
During this chat, Carmine and Adrion discuss his latest book, Five Stars: The Communication Secrets to Get from Good to Great - and why it is important for leaders, especially Gen Xers to sharpen their skills of communication and persuasion for today's marketplace.
Carmine Gallo is the bestselling author of Talk Like TED, The Storyteller's Secret, and The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs.
He is an influential communication advisor for the world’s most admired brands that touch OUR lives actually every day, such as Google, Intel, Coca-Cola, Allstate, LinkedIn, and others to name a few.
A very popular keynote speaker, Carmine teaches CEOs and leaders to deliver dynamic presentations and share inspiring stories that sell products, grow brands, and motivate change.
Carmine has now released his latest book, Five Stars: The Communication Secrets to Get From Good to Great, in order to highlight and evangelize the art of persuasion in the business and leadership world. As the book states: communication is no longer a "soft" skill - it is the human edge that will make you unstoppable, irresistible, and irreplaceable, earning you that perfect rating, that fifth star.
Carmine also writes for Forbes.com, Inc.com and is an executive education instructor at Harvard University.
On this latest episode of Gen X Amplified, this is another solo round. And I’m getting very tactical and actionable with empowering and educational content to help you level-up at work, in business and in life.
During this episode, I am going to be introducing a framework I’ve created that outlines in detail what I consider to be the five (5) actionable tips that will help you develop a "Powerful" personal B.R.A.N.D.™, by using our 5-point framework.
It’s simply an acronym that actually spells out the word B.R.A.N.D.
Build. Refine. Amplify. Nurture. Dedicate.
Are you looking to accelerate your career? Are you wanting to grow as a leader? Or perhaps you are urging to take that leap into entrepreneurship?
Well, as a professional in today’s competitive marketplace, I strongly believe that the most critical action you must take to excel as a leader, to gain more visibility, and to maximize your impact is to laser focus on developing your personal brand.
Also, it’s important to understand that “everyone is a brand.”
The difference is how you choose for it to be truly defined…either by you, or by other people.
There are methods and strategies to help shape the perception of you and your story. It comes down to being “intentional”, and the steps you take to influence how powerful and effective your personal brand can be.
So my goal was to demystify these steps, and provide a actionable framework that was simple understand:
On this special “best of” episode of Gen X Amplified, we are replaying our very first interview and episode for the podcast! Yes, this is how it all started – with our great conversation with Chris Brogan, New York Times Bestselling author, consultant, speaker, and digital marketing expert.
Chris Brogan is president of Chris Brogan Media, offering business and marketing advisory help for mid to larger sized companies. He also helps small business owners through classes and webinars at Owner Media Group. Chris is a sought after keynote speaker and the New York Times bestselling author of nine books and counting. His next book is about how companies can extend trusted relationships using AI, blockchain, chatbots, IoT, and video.
Chris has spoken for or consulted with the biggest brands you know, including Disney, Coke, Google, GM, Microsoft, Coldwell Banker, Titleist, Scotts, Humana Health, Cisco, Sony USA, and many more.
He’s appeared on the Dr. Phil Show, interviewed Richard Branson for a cover story for Success magazine, and once even presented to a Princess. Tony Robbins had Chris on his Internet Money Masters series.
Forbes listed Chris as one of the Must Follow Marketing Minds of 2014, plus listed his website as one of the 100 best websites for entrepreneurs. Statsocial rated Chris the #3 power influencer online.
We also get to hear Chris sneak in a line from a famous 1990s sitcom opening theme!
On this latest, and very special episode of Gen X Amplified, Adrion is going SOLO. That’s right. This is a very personal solo episode of the podcast, where Adrion is going to unpack a little about his background and what his overall mission and vision is not only for the podcast, but his personal purpose.
Adrion Porter is a brand strategist, advisor, speaker, mentor, and the founder and host of Gen X Amplified. And on this solo episode, he goes into detail on his personal story. Adrion talks about his professional experience working as a marketing executive at Citi, HBO, Turner/Cartoon Network, and iDisciple.
Adrion also spends time unpacking his overall mission and purpose for Gen X Amplified, and why he is dedicated to empowering and helping Gen X leaders and mid-career professionals.
On this latest episode of Gen X Amplified, Adrion is joined by Rodney Bullard, Vice President of Community Affairs at Chick-fil-A, Inc., and the Executive Director of the Chick-fil-A Foundation.
During this conversation, Rodney provides us with his story of growing up in South Dekalb Atlanta, GA, and becoming influenced by many life changing events that propelled him to greatness within a number of sectors – including the armed forces, law, politics, and philanthropy.
Rodney Bullard leads Chick-fil-A’s community engagement and philanthropic strategy as Vice President of Community Affairs and Executive Director of the Chick-fil-A Foundation.
Before arriving to Chick-fil-A, Rodney served as an Assistant United States Attorney prosecuting complex criminal cases. For his service, the United States Attorney General presented him with the Department of Justice Director’s Award.
Prior to this role, Rodney was selected as a White House Fellow, the nation’s most prestigious public service Fellowship. As a White House Fellow, Rodney was placed at NASA working directly for the NASA Administrator. Rodney also previously served at the Pentagon as a Congressional Legislative Liaison in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force.
Rodney is an alumnus of the Air Force Academy, Duke Law, the University of Georgia and the Harvard Business School.
Now a published author, Rodney has recently released his first book, Heroes Wanted: Why the World Needs You to Live Your Heart Out.
On this latest episode of Gen X Amplified, Adrion is joined by Jeff Hilimire, CEO and Co-founder of Dragon Army, a mobile and innovation agency, and the Co-founder of 48in48.
During this value-packed conversation, Jeff discusses his own extensive entrepreneurial journey from building websites in college, to co-founding and leading an award winning mobile agency. Jeff also provides some key insights on millennial leadership and also establishing a purpose for both your company and your personal brand.
Jeff Hilimire is the Co-Founder and CEO of Dragon Army, a mobile and innovation company that helps clients navigate today’s connected landscape through the use of new innovations and technology.
Prior to launching Dragon Army, he founded and sold two additional marketing agencies, Spunlogic and Engauge, within a 10-year span.
Jeff is also the Co-Founder and Board Chair of a non-profit company called 48in48, where its mission is to build 48 nonprofit websites, within 48 hours in cities across the world.
A graduate of the 2013 Leadership Atlanta class and a member of the 2012 Atlanta 40 under 40 class, Jeff is also on the boards of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and chairs the board of Central Outreach & Advocacy Center.
In addition, Jeff is on the Leadership Council and Conservation Society for Zoo Atlanta and Executive Board of The Children’s Museum of Atlanta.
In his spare time, Jeff enjoys spending quality time with his wife Emily of 19 years, and their five children.
On this great episode of Gen X Amplified, Adrion has a great conversation with Alicia (A.M.) Morgan, STEM/STEAM advocate, TEDx speaker, and social capital educator.
During this interview, Alicia tells her compelling story from being a little girl that was empowered at a very young age to discover her unique gifts - to becoming a leader within both the corporate and non-profit sectors. We also discuss the importance of Gen X leaders encouraging positive and productive relationships across all generations.
Alicia Morgan is currently the Vice President of Education and Programs at the Frontiers of Flight Museum located in Dallas, TX, Where she is responsible for managing the development and execution of school and public programs through STEM outreach initiatives, aviation and spaceflight history exploration.
Alicia, is also an honoree for the Women of Color in STEM Conference K-12 Promotion of Education Award.
She is a graduate of Tuskegee University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aerospace Science Engineering and New Mexico State University with a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering.
Alicia is also speaker, and has had the great opportunity to be a featured speaker at TEDx. Her signature topic involves preparing a global workplace that is not only academically ready but understands the importance of building social capital.
Alicia is passionate about helping others learn how “Leading With Your Strengths and Values” is the key to making your human capital the unique selling point that gets you hired through influential social capital.
On this latest episode of Gen X Amplified, Adrion is joined by entrepreneur, author, podcaster, and champion for women— the wonderful Carrie Kerpen.
During this must-listen interview, Carrie takes us through her career leading up to becoming as a successful entrepreneur.
Carrie is also the author of Work It: Secrets for Success from the Boldest Women in Business, and during this conversation she provides many insights from this manifesto for women in business.
Carrie Kerpen is also the co-founder and Managing Director of Likeable Media, a 10Pearls company.
Kerpen transformed her company from a husband-and-wife start-up into an award-winning digital content studio. Frustrated with the traditional agency model, she invented a category that generates and distributes fast, custom content for large brands.
Carrie's leadership guided the Likeable team to new heights—landing global clients such as Century 21, StubHub, and Airbnb; achieving Crain’s "Best Place To Work in NYC" for four straight years; and being named a Top 50 Ad Agency & Top 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned Businesses by WPO and American Express OPEN.
As a keynote speaker and columnist, Carrie's focus is the impact of the digital revolution on women’s professional careers, personal lives, and overall senses of self.
In 2014, Carrie launched “All The Social Ladies” a podcast for women to share career advice and insight into how social media impacts their personal and professional lives.
On this episode of Gen X Amplified, Adrion is joined by software go-to-market leader and the former CMO of Slack, Bill Macaitis. During this awesome interview, they both discuss all things tech, marketing, brand strategy, and team building.
Bill Macaitis is considered one of the most prolific marketers within the SAAS industry. He has served as the leading go-to-market executive for 3 of the fastest ever growing SaaS companies: Slack, Zendesk, and Salesforce.
At Slack, Bill served as both the Chief Revenue Officer and the Chief Marketing Officer, coming in as marketing employee #1, and building out the entire marketing, sales, customer success and customer support teams.
During his tenure, Bill was instrumental in helping Slack become the fastest growing B2B company ever hitting $100M in annual recurring revenue in just over 2 years.
Over his career, Bill has achieved a total of 5 exits . Now he enjoys helping other companies achieve hyper-growth with a unique customer centric approach. Bill is also passionate about working with CEO’s to design, recruit, interview and build out world class marketing organizations.
Bill also is a strong advocate in mission driven companies who are changing the world for the better with innovative technology and business models.
On this episode of Gen X Amplified, we are chatting with reinvention strategist and life coach, Marshawn Evans Daniels. about her latest groundbreaking book: Believe Bigger: Discover the Path to Your Life Purpose.
During this very value-packed conversation, Marshawn and I discuss why she wrote this book as an inspirational guide for women ready to reinvent their lives and discover a higher purpose when life doesn’t go as planned.
Marshawn Evans Daniels is a reinvention strategist and life coach mentoring women around the world to live bolder in life and business. As a serial entrepreneur, TV personality, creator of the Godfidence® movement and founder of SHE Profits®, she helps women turn ideas into income and inspiration into action.
A former sports attorney, Miss America finalist, and competitor on The Apprentice, she left a high-powered law firm and turned her passion for people into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. Appearing regularly on CNN, Fox Business, and ESPN, her clients range from Rolls Royce, HPE, Nike, Home Depot, and Ernst & Young to everyday dreamers seeking to find their voice and maximize their potential.
Named Woman Entrepreneur of the Year by the Atlanta Business League, she is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, a Harry S. Truman scholar, and a former US Ambassador to the International Summit of Achievement in Dublin, Ireland. Marshawn is passionate about purpose, futurist thinking, manifestation, entrepreneurship, and traveling the globe with her husband Jack.
On this episode of Gen X Amplified, we are going to discuss why personal branding is very important in today's social media world. And to help us unpack the key tips and tactics to use, we are chatting with a content marketing and social media expert, Erik Deckers.
Erik Deckers is a professional writer, professional speaker, social media expert, and content marketing strategist. He is the President of Pro Blog Service, a content marketing agency.
Erik is also the author of a few bestselling books, including The Owned Media Doctrine, No BS Social Media, and last but not least, one of my favorites - Branding Yourself: How to Use Social Media to Invent or Reinvent Yourself.
During this episode, Erik discusses his professional journey, and how it led you to his current career as an author, speaker, and business owner.
Erik and I also unpack the latest edition of Branding Yourself, and why he and his co-author Kyle Lacy decided to update the book at this time.