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.
As a leader, do you want to inspire, motivate, educate, build brands, launch movements, and change lives? Then you MUST be able to package your ideas into a compelling and concise story.
On this episode of Gen X Amplified, we are actually going to talk all about the power of story. And we could not have asked for a better featured guest, than master communicator and storyteller - Carmine Gallo.
Carmine Gallo is a communications coach for the world’s most admired brands. A former anchor and correspondent for CNN and CBS - Carmine's mission is to help business leaders craft compelling messages, tell inspiring stories, and share their ideas. He has worked with executives at Intel, Google, Disney, The Four Seasons, Cisco, LinkedIn, and many other global brands.
As a prolific author, Carmine has written several groundbreaking books that primarily focus on communication, including: The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs, The Apple Experience, and Talk Like TED.
Now his latest book, The Storyteller’s Secret: From TED Speakers to Business Legends, Why Some Ideas Catch On and Others Don't, is a must read for any leader in today's marketplace. This very practical guide on the power of narrative, demonstrates how leaders of such powerful brands as Apple, Virgin, and Southwest Airlines have attracted valuable talent and achieved success by telling their stories well.
During the value-packed episode of Gen X Amplified, Carmine and I discuss why storytelling is the secret ingredient to business and leadership success. We also unpack many insights from the book, including specific examples of visionaries like Steve Jobs, Sheryl Sandberg, and others who create compelling stories as essential elements in their journey.
Peg Fitzpatrick is a speaker, author, blogger, and social media marketing expert. She is the co-author of the groundbreaking book, The Art of Social Media: Power Tips for Power Users. With over 100 tips and best practices - this essential guide presents a detailed strategy to create a compelling presence on the most popular social-media platforms.
Social media is not only Peg's passion, it's her job. Day-to-day, she works in the trenches of social media, marketing, and blogging. Peg has spearheaded successful social-media campaigns for Motorola, Audi, Canva, Google, and Virgin as well as having been a brand ambassador for Kimpton Hotels. She work with the best brands and make them even better!
During our conversation on this episode of Gen X Amplified, Peg and I chat about a number of fascinating topics - including her professional journey, how she built her brand as a "social media expert", how she starting working with marketing guru Guy Kawasaki, and many valuable insights on the state of social media.
This is definitely an episode that you do not want to miss. Especially if you want to up your game within the social media space!
Do you ever dream about running your own business? Do you ever dream about more time with your family? Do you want to change the world?
Then you MUST listen to this value-packed and fun episode of Gen X Amplified with someone who has been named a “thought leader for the next generation by none other than Oprah Winfrey. I am joined by the wonderful and phenomenal Marie Forleo.
Marie Forleo is a quintessential entrepreneur, author, online tv host, and marketing expert. She is the creator and host of her award-winning web TV show, Marie TV - where she has interviewed some of the most phenomenal people such as Arianna Huffington and Tony Robbins to name a few.
Through her content and her overall brand - her goal and mission is to help you build a life you truly love, and use your gifts to change the world.
Marie is also the founder of the very popular B-School, which is an 8-week interactive video based training program that teaches smart effective online marketing strategies to business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to fuel higher profits and their higher purpose.
Having a passion for a mission-driven life, Marie has also mentored young business owners at Richard Branson’s Centre of Entrepreneurship. And through her own “Change Your Life, Change The World" initiative - every product purchased helps support a person in need.
MarieForleo.com was also named by Forbes.com as one of the Top 100 Websites for Entrepreneurs, and her business has been listed as one of the Inc’s 500 fastest growing companies.
During this fun-filled and value-driven chat with Marie, we discuss her fascinating story/journey from working at the New York Exchange, teaching hip-hop dance classes, to becoming one of the most revered entrepreneurs and personal brands in the marketplace.
We also unpack the many awesome details of B-School, and Marie shares plenty of golden nuggets on we are all actually getting younger because of this digital age. And it’s now easier than ever before to take advantage of these new media tools to build a business and life we love.
For this new solo episode of Gen X Amplified, I focus on how success, achieving your goals, and overall greatness can only happen, after you have truly put the work in . Particularly, what I call having some P.E.P. - preparation, execution, and patience.
Whenever we want to achieve a new goal, learn a new skill, or become successful in general - we tend to want to rush the end result. We want to be great, much sooner than later. We want success and we want it now!
Well that is a very unrealistic and ineffective approach. True success and true greatness doesn't happen overnight. It requires us to put the work in.
For example - think about a box of cake mix. On the front of the box, you see the nice picture of the finished product - the fluffy and moist cake. But in order to get to that finished cake, you have to turn the box over for the baking instructions and follow the recipe. You must take all of the essential ingredients, mix them together, turn up some heat, put it in the oven, and then wait for the cake to bake. This same principle applies when it comes to achieving greatness in life.
Do you know what makes a brand truly stand out and create advocates in today's economy? Well it goes beyond just products and services. It's all about how you define "experiences."
On this episode of Gen X Amplified, we are joined by one of the most renowned digital leaders in today's marketplace - futurist, author and speaker Brian Solis. He's here to discuss his personal journey, and his latest book X: The Experience When Business Meets Design.
Brian Solis is recognized as one of the most prominent thought leaders, speakers, and published authors in new technology and digital marketing. He is also a digital analyst, anthropologist, and futurist.
Brian is a best selling author of some of the most groundbreaking books that include What’s the Future of Business (WTF), Engage!, and The End of Business as Usual.
Brian is here on Gen X Amplified to discuss his latest book titled: X: The Experience When Business Meets Design, which explores the importance of experiences, and how to design them for customers, employees and human beings everywhere.
This is definitely a great conversation with an awesome Gen X thought leader - so listen, learn, and be empowered!
Are you looking for a more productive way to accomplish your goals this year? Well, this episode is definitely for you. That's because we are joined...again by our very first "repeat" guest. The one-and-only John Lee Dumas from the very popular EOFire podcast.
John revisits Gen X Amplified this time to deep dive into the virtues of successful goal setting, and also his latest passion project, The Freedom Journal!
John Lee Dumas is the Founder and Host of EOFire, an award winning podcast that reveals the journey of today's most inspiring entrepreneurs - 7 days a week. He has actually interviewed more than 1,100 entrepreneurs since the launch of his podcast, and has over 1 million unique listens a month!
During John's previous appearance on Gen X Amplified, we spoke in detail about the overall story and journey of EOFire. But for his "repeat" visit, John is here to really FOCUS on his latest and greatest project - The Freedom Journal.
The Freedom Journal is John's new and (beautifully crafted) book, that he created specifically to help others set and accomplish their number one goal...in 100 days. During this conversation, John explained his motivation for creating The Freedom Journal and also provide many overall value bombs to help you dominate 2016!
If you think you’re good at delivering great customer service, then you will be surprised that your customers may not agree. Well, our featured guest on Gen X Amplified will explain why that is the case. We are joined by Jay Baer, who is a world renowned marketing and customer service speaker.
He is also the author of the forthcoming book Hug Your Haters, and he's here to explain why many brands are unfortunately embracing an outdated approach to customer service that does not meet the minimum threshold in today’s digital media landscape.
Jay Baer a marketing and online customer service expert and keynote speaker who has advised more than 700 brands since 1994, including Caterpillar, Nike, Allstate, The United Nations and 32 of the Fortune 500. He is also considered the world’s “most retweeted person” among digital marketers.
He is a renowned business strategist, keynote speaker and the New York Times best-selling author of five books including his newest publication - Hug Your Haters - the first truly modern book on customer service and customer experience.
Jay is also the founder of Convince & Convert, a strategy consulting firm that helps prominent companies gain and keep more customers through the smart intersection of technology, social media, and customer service. Also through his media division of his consulting firm, Jay oversees publishing a content marketing blog, a daily email newsletter and is the co-host of the top-rated Social Pros podcast.
Jay is here to deep dive into Hug Your Haters and why companies should not, and I repeat….NOT ignoring complaints from their customers, especially in this current digital and social marketplace. He also outlines his guiding framework on how to deliver outstanding customer service which will result in remarkable customer experiences.
Happy New Year and Welcome to 2016!
Yes, we are back with a brand new episode, and it is a VERY SPECIAL one. That's because we're going to take a "listen" back, and celebrate season one of Gen X Amplified.
For this special episode, we are going to showcase some of our most popular episodes, and even play some soundbites from the featured guests. I had such a blast chatting with each guest, and their were so many valuable nuggets and insightful stories that they shared.
Now because timing, I needed to narrow down the episodes selected for this recap. And this was very, very hard! That's because every guest, every interview, and every story shared was extremely valuable and golden.
So, I decided to primarily pick the episodes that were the most popular in terms downloads, feedback, shares, social media, etc. But again, it was very close, and at the end of the day - it’s really not about the number of downloads, It’s more about the impact that each episode and each guest delivers to YOU.
So definitely go back and listen to ALL of the episodes, from 1 to 25, at your leisure.
How does someone leave their job as a lawyer in New Jersey, sell their house, pack their bags, and move with his family all the way to Florida -to pursue a career rooted in their passion for all things Walt Disney?
Well Lou Mongello did it, and he is CRUSHING it as an entrepreneur. And he is here on Gen X Amplified to talk all about his love and career as a Disney expert.
Lou Mongello is an author, historian, speaker, podcaster, and Disney Expert. For many years he was actually an attorney living in New Jersey - but he left practicing law to follow his dream of sharing his love for Walt Disney World.
He is now the host of the top-ranked podcast WDW Radio, which is dedicated to enhance the appreciation for the Walt Disney World parks - so visitors can be better prepared have an outstanding experience. WDW Radio has also been awarded the “Best Travel” podcast for 9 years straight since 2006.
Lou is also the author of the book, 102 Ways to Save Money For and At Walt Disney World, which is both in print and digital formats.
In addition to his business activities, Lou founded the Dream Team Project to help grant the wishes children with serious illnesses to visit Walt Disney World through the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, and has raised more than $250,000 to date.
A social media pioneer and influencer, Lou connects with his loyal audiences (he prefers to say “friends”) via a variety of online social networks, and also hosts monthly meet-ups in Walt Disney World and around the country.
As one of the leading authorities on Disney, Lou is frequently interviewed for his expertise - on outlets such as USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Business, Parenting Magazine, and others.
We're so excited to chat with Lou as our featured guest on this episode of Gen X Amplified. During our conversation, Lou talks about his journey from being a lawyer, to trusting his instincts and embracing his knowledge and love for Disney - and then turning that into a lucrative career.
When you think of “brand” or “branding” what immediately comes to mind? Is it a logo? Or the name of a business? Or colors? These are all important, but they only touch the surface of what a brand entails.
For this special solo episode of Gen X Amplified, I discuss why developing your brand is essential - even before you think about marketing, social media, etc. And, I break down what I consider to be the 5 key elements of what defines a brand.
As an entrepreneur or even a marketer - you should not put all the weight of your brand on your logo. Your brand is the complete story of what you want to communicate about your business, and the perception that you leave in the hearts and minds of your audience.
That’s why before you even think about creative, logos, or marketing – you must have clarity on what your brand truly includes. So here are what I consider to be the 5 key elements of a brand:
As a leader in today's marketplace, you must be able to understand why new media platforms, including content marketing, and especially social media are very critical to your business success.
On this episode of Gen X Amplified, we are joined by someone who is very much considered a quintessential marketing leader and social media expert. The one and only Scott Monty is here to discuss his journey from becoming the global head of social media for Ford Motor Company, to his current role as an entrepreneur - launching his own strategic consultancy, Scott Monty Strategies.
Scott Monty is an internationally recognized thought leader in digital communications, social media and marketing. For six years, he was best known for being the global head of social media at Ford Motor Company - where he advised on social media activities across the entire company.
Scott also has a decade of experience at marketing agencies, where he worked with clients including Coca-Cola, American Airlines, T-Mobile, and IBM.
Now, he recently launched his own consultancy, Scott Monty Strategies, where he advises brands and agencies on strategy communications, influencer management, and the overall customer digital experience.
In addition to his professional duties, Scott is also an active blogger and podcaster - not only on his personal website - but also on a site and podcast called I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, dedicated to none other than Sherlock Holmes.
He frequently speaks at events around the world, and has been featured on a variety of mainstream media, including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg TV, NBC, NPR, CNN, and Fox Business.
As our guest today on Gen X Amplified, Scott brings his "marketing brilliance" to the podcast, and not only outlines his journey to becoming the head of social media for Ford Motor Company, but also provides some valuable insights on social media, marketing, and thought leadership.
The process of starting a business can be both challenging and rewarding. But what about starting a business with your spouse and growing that business into a world recognized niche brand and movement.
On this very special episode of Gen X Amplified, we not only have just one guest - but for the first time ever, we are speaking with a dynamic married couple - Lamar Tyler and Ronnie Tyler from the very popular blog: BlackandMarriedWithKids.com.
Lamar Tyler and Ronnie Tyler are the husband-and-wife power pair behind the very popular and internationally recognized brand, BlackandMarriedWithKids.com - which has become the largest independent, African American marriage and parenting website.
They founded the website in 2007 after finding themselves frustrated with the negative images of black marriage in the media. Now recently, the website has grown from a small personal blog to an international brand with nearly 500,000 Facebook fans.
Also through their company, Tyler New Media, Lamar directed and produced four Amazon best-selling films; Still Standing, Men Ain’t Boys, You Saved Me and Happily Ever After: A Positive Image of Black Marriage - which deals with the challenges and triumphs of marriage in the black community.
Along with managing the very popular website and producing the films, Lamar and Ronnie travel the country speaking on parenting and marriage-related topics to a variety of media outlets, and give advice to aspiring bloggers on how to build their brands.
As our featured guests on today's episode of Gen X Amplified, I chat with Lamar and Ronnie about their professional journey, the dynamic of balancing entrepreneurship and marriage, and also the methods they use to build such a massive brand and movement.
For many of us, maintaining good habits can be both rewarding and challenging. Also, as we approach the end of one year and the start of another - living a happier and more successful life is without a doubt one our biggest goals.
On this episode of Gen X Amplified, we have someone who is perhaps considered the "queen of habits and happiness", New York Times bestselling author, Gretchen Rubin. She is here to discuss her latest book, aptly titled Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Everyday Life, and to share some awesome insights on the steps we can take to change and conquer our habits.
Gretchen Rubin is definitely a content creator phenomenon. She is a blogger, podcaster, speaker, and bestselling author of many books, including The Happiness Project, which really sparked her overall happiness movement.
Then she "happily" put pen to paper again to write Happier at Home, which was Gretchen's personal account of what she implemented to create more happiness in the things that mattered to her at home - such as marriage, family treasured possessions, neighborhood, and parenthood.
Now Gretchen's latest book, Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives, is all about how to maintain and increase the good habits in your life - and how to break the bad ones that are keeping you from reaching your goals.
She has also recently launched a weekly podcast called Happier with Gretchen Rubin that she co-hosts with her sister, where they discuss good habits and happiness.
Gretchen has a passionate following both in print and online, and her books have sold more than two million copies worldwide in more than thirty languages. She also makes frequent TV appearances on shows like The Today Show, and others.
As our featured guest on today's episode of Gen X Amplified, Gretchen speaks directly to the challenges and even the great opportunities that Gen-Xers have when it comes to creating better habits, especially during this "rush hour" of life as she calls it.
Are you starting to think about your goals for next year? Have you thought about what your life should be like 5-years from now? Well, now is the time to really start planning, not just your goals for next year, but also your life and business in five years. What is your 2020 vision?
To help dive more into this topic, I am introducing the very first solo episode of Gen X Amplified! This time, it's just me having a conversation with you on this very important and relevant topic, especially for Gen Xers. And, I will also provide more insights on the overall mission of this podcast.
So are you ready? Let's do it!
Too often, we find ourselves waiting until the beginning of the year to set our goals. Also, many times we only think short-term, and focus on the current or upcoming year.
To really make the most of establishing our goals, we should look ahead - and then reverse engineer. Where is it that we want to be in the long-run? What are the key steps we need to take in order to get there. I recommend focusing a long-term vision of five years, and then working back from there. In five years, it will be the year 2020. Do YOU have 2020 vision?
Also, at the beginning of this episode, I discuss a little about my background, and why I decided to launch this podcast/movement - particularly for the Gen X community.