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Who says business can’t be creative and fun? I consider Laura West a kindred spirit as she is a Passionista for creativity in your business & life!  As a Creative Business Coach, author, speaker and InfoDoodle Artist, she has helped 1000's of entrepreneurs discover their passion and creativity and to create successful businesses that they can’t imagine doing anything else! She is the author of the Joyful Business Guide, creator of the popular 30 Day Passion Project and has developed products, workshops and retreats for the last 15 years for creative women entrepreneurs to grow their business based on what matters most.

David Kiger is the Founder & Executive Chairman at Worldwide Express. Armed only with $5,000, he started Worldwide Express out of his spare bedroom. Since then, he has grown the company to more than 150 franchises nationwide with current sales exceeding $750 million. He also has investments in Alef Mobitech, a pioneer in mobile technology and beGlammed, an on-demand beauty service that delivers professional hairstylists & makeup artists straight to the client’s door. David believes in the spirit of positivity. It’s something he’s build his company on, making it an important tenet from day one.

Strategic Optimist Bridget Cavenaugh is an entrepreneur specializing in sales, marketing and social commerce working with Rodan + Fields. She runs a multi-million sales and sales training business from her home in rural Montana and is a go-to resource for thousands in her profession.  It's the most unlikely geography for someone to be at the very top of her profession because, as she says, there are more cows than people in the Big Sky Country and yet, Bridget’s flourishing in a people-driven career. Bridget is a strategic optimist and sees that the glass as not half-full or half-empty, but completely refillable.  Now that she's mastered the steps to success in her field, her greatest passion is helping others do the same by sharing her failures and mis-steps as a way to accelerate learning and success for others.

Balance: I hear from so many small business CEO’s that their business is taking over their lives. There seems to be no time for themselves, their relationship, and the things they love to do. It’s the reason I’ve started asking my guests what they do to relax. I believe the root cause is a faulty underlying assumption. In this episode I explore that idea and offer some suggestions to help you create that balance in your Busy Bolder Biz life.

Beyond Burnout Dr. Tracey Marks is a psychiatrist who focuses on working with women, especially working moms, to help them jump off the hamster wheel and manage life so they actually enjoy it. As a working mom herself, Dr. Tracey noticed that her patients and friends were seeking solutions to help them avoid burnout. She created Beyond Burnout to offer resources that can make a tangible difference to their quality of life. She’s also the host of a podcast called Beyond Burnout. In addition to Beyond Burnout, she has a private practice based in Atlanta and is a regular contributor to leading publications such as The Huffington Post and has appeared as a psychiatric expert on CNN and HLN.

Being a Bolder Business: Many of small business owners started with something they loved or had a talent for. Then one day they discovered they needed to make a living as well. Here’s how being bold can lead you to success.

Composer on Fire Garrett Hope was born into a family that valued and practiced music daily so he has been performing on stages of various sizes and in front of many different audiences since he was toddler. He is most passionate about composing and teaching. Garrett writes for all ensembles and genres and has taught at several colleges and universities. Garrett currently lives in Lincoln, NE where he composes, helps composers build careers writing music, teaches, and tunes pianos. He is also the host of the podcast, Composer on Fire. Composers are actually small-business owners selling the fruit of their craft. More than that, composers are in the business of having to be creative every day.

The Power of Community As small business owners, especially those of us working from a home office base, life can seem pretty lonely at times. Sure we get to decide who we work with and when but sometimes we need that ‘water cooler’ moment when we can bounce an idea off of someone else to get their feedback. Here’s some ideas on finding (or creating) your community. Or maybe we’ve just had a rough day and it would be great to talk to someone who understands. Find your community. A networking group, a mastermind or through social media. You might be on your own in your business but you don’t have to do it alone.

While Dr. Monikah Ogando is best known for her expertise in marketing, business building and leadership, her clients and students share that her biggest impact comes from her philosophy of “build your business to support your extraordinary life” – ensuring your business revolves around your own personal values, lifestyles and legacy. This, Monikah says, is the most important key to bringing business owners their ultimate wealth and happiness. Since her beginnings as a financial planner, Monikah has fast become a foremost authority in building sustainable, leveraged and profitable businesses.

Marketing - Are you a Hunter or a Farmer?Aprille Janes  Bolder Business Podcast With credit to Seth Godin (Seth's blog),  this episode follows the thread of conversation that Tom Schwab started in the last episode on Inbound Marketing and relationships. Episode 116  Story is a vital piece of the puzzle in this new age of marketing.

Chasing or Building? Inbound Marketing Selling online has never been easier, but making a profit has never been tougher. As Michigan led the nation into the recession, Tom Schwab was one of the first to harness a new strategy to build his business from a regional player to a national leader. An expert in Inbound Marketing, Tom helps high-potential entrepreneurs, soloprenuers and small businesses harness the power of the internet to accelerate the growth of their business.

Jason Treu’s interview is jam-packed with great insights, tips and wisdom. You’ll want to listen to this one more than once. Jason is a top expert on social engineering, business networking, influence, charisma and leadership. His bestselling book, Social Wealth, is THE how-to-guide on building personal and professional relationships. It’s sold more than 30,000 copies and has more than 120+ 5 star reviews. He is also a frequent contributor to publications such as Brazen Careerist, Thought Catalog, Under30 CEO, KillerStartups, & many others.

There’s a modern plague running rampant today and it’s called “Overwhelm” . My guest today, Karolyn Blume has a cure and she offers it in her new book Eat the Elephant: Overcoming Overwhelm. In this episode she shares her journey from recovering attorney to become a successful speaker, author and consultant. She shares time-tested strategies for identifying the sources of overwhelm and managing the fallout that sabotages us every day. Karolyn is an expert problem solver and a gifted strategist and these days you’ll find her consulting with individuals and corporations.

Ever been stuck in that place where you’re not unhappy but you’re not happy either? My guest in this episode, Lisa Mallis, was in that position for five years before she realized that something had to change. Today she lives her passion as a time strategy visionary who combines her experience in education and coaching with a love for systems and time management to create personalized and easy to implement solutions. Because she understands ‘stuck’  she’s able to guide her clients to lives where every day is productive, rewarding, and fun!

Dale Spencer was leading the life of an average college student when at the age of 20, an unforeseen injury changed things forever. Left paralyzed, Dale had to adapt to new ways of doing everyday tasks, getting around, interacting with people, finishing college and entering the workforce.    Dale has triumphed over adversity and risen to the top of his profession where he continues to give back to his community, grow and take on new challenges.  By using simple techniques to keep his fear in check and his mind focused, Dale has been able to achieve his life goals.  Now he is sharing his experiences as a keynote speaker to help others to attain their goals and ambitions.

My guest Mary Olk had a dream to help people live fulfilling lives. She originally earned her PhD in Psychology and along the way she “accidentally” because a business consultant before coaching found her. It’s been an unfolding journey and now, for over 15 years she’s been inspiring smart, independent professionals to craft meaningful, successful lives. She’s also on the faculty of the Coaches Training Institute she teaches coaching skills and supervises coaches in training. 

My guest today was originally a partner in a company that helped companies identify potential leaders, their simulation software revealed one consistent attribute that successful people possess. Want to know what it is?  Kim Ades reveals it in this episode. Then, during a difficult and painful period in her personal life, her one goal was to get through with grace and dignity. She began to journal and discovered its power to help her re-calibrate. That led her to develop JournalEngine(TM).   Today, Kim Ades is one of North America's foremost experts on performance through thought mastery and mental focus. She works with clients who are intelligent, driven, and ambitious and helps them examine and shift their thinking in order to yield extraordinary results.

I’m a regular guest on the internet radio show “Interviewing the Divas” where I talk about business topics. Today the host, Candace Gish told me a lot of people contact her, wanting to know who I am as a person. So she put me on the hot seat to share my own story.    It occurred to me, that while I share my guests’ stories, I haven’t shared much of my own story here. So in this episode I’m following the format I outline for my guests and will answer my own questions because I’d like you to get to know me, too! 

Debbie Lynn Grace went through not one, but two major losses in her life. The first set her on the path to healing and alignment with her true calling. The second loss gave her the courage to share it with the world and tell her bigger story. Today, she is a gifted healer, energy worker, intuitive, author of Outrageous Business Growth, an international speaker and business growth expert. She is sought out for her ability to help professionals worldwide dissolve the energy blocks which prevent them from getting the life they want.

Story is about communicating and communication requires sending and receiving. However, most of us are in a hurry to share our story when we first need to listen. Deeply listen with our full concentration.  After all, how else will we know if our story is even relevant?  While written or graphical stories can be based on what we assume about our Ideal Client, when we’re face to face with them we can get to the heart of what they are looking for. We miss that opportunity when we jump right into OUR story without inviting them to share their story first.   In this episode let’s talk about the other side of the story equation – learning to listen so you add value, not just noise.