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Owning a happy business is a choice. But there are steps that you can take to make this choice easier for both you and your employees. Today's guest, the Happiness Queen Cindy Caldwell talks with us about how you can Own a Happy Life (which also happens to be the title of her latest book). Cindy gives us a five-step process that we can use to own a happy business, cultivate a happy culture, get happy employees, and, ultimately, see happy profits!

Ever thought about offering an internship in your business but don't know where to start? Could you use a little help around the office? Do you want to mentor a student and make a lasting impact on a life? This episode of Communication Nation focuses on internships and mentorships. I've brought in Impromptu Guru's intern and marketing assistant, Christina Miller, to share her experience from a student perspective about what makes a good internship experience. We'll also talk about how you can go about working with universities, community colleges, trade schools and other organizations to list and internship opportunity.

Being in charge isn't always easy. But this week's Communication Nation guest, Gilbert, Arizona Mayor John Lewis, makes it look that way! With a population of nearly 225,000, the town of Gilbert boasts the recent honors of the 5th safest community in the nation (according to Business Insider) and the 36th best place to live in the nation (Money Magazine). Gilbert, Arizona is positioning itself to become a national leader in Digital Government. By unlocking public records, maximizing social media outreach and utilizing high-quality, dynamic video story-telling, the Gilbert Digital team is connecting with residents, staff and visitors by providing them with tools to become more involved in their community and assist with their daily lives. Modeled after New York City, Gilbert’s digital initiatives are focused on communication, technology, transparency and collaborative community development. The Digital Communications department was created exactly one year ago with the hiring of the Town’s first Chief Digital Officer. This year, the office created and premiered the first-ever Digital State of the Town, a 22-minute documentary produced entirely in-house. This allowed people from Gilbert, across Arizona and around the country to view the address from their home, desktop, or even their phones, without having to attend an event. You can watch the video at the Town’s website: State of the Town: Gilbert,AZ Join guest Mayor Lewis and host Jill Schiefelbein as we discuss how digital technologies have changed the way governments operate.

When it comes to communicating technical information in a way that any audience can understand, Wyatt Everhart knows his stuff. As the Chief Meteorologist for ABC 2 in Baltimore, Wyatt is a professional at communicating succinctly. In this episode of Communication Nation we discuss tips and tricks for being on camera and communicating complex information in a simple way. You'll get tips for how to deal with technical and human errors if you're broadcasting live, and you'll learn what mistakes to avoid when the camera is on.

If you're in business, you're in sales. Whether you're selling a product, a service, or an idea, understanding what NOT to do in the process is important. Our guest today is an internationally-acclaimed sales expert who really gets what it takes to be successful in sales. Don Cooper, The Sales Heretic, joins us to discuss the problems with most sales presentations. He'll answer questions such as: What’s the problem with most sales presentations? What should sales presentations be about? What difference does it make? Why are so many sales presentations product-focused? How can salespeople better customize their presentations? Doesn’t that take a lot of time? Tune in to learn how to catapult your sales potential to the next level.

Many people dream of quitting the corporate job, owning their own business, and traveling around the world. Not many people actually do it. Our guest today, Andrew Youderain, is one of those rare people who has made this dream a reality. Andrew is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of eCommerceFuel.com, where he freely shares his years of experience as an entrepreneur in the eCommerce space. In today's episode we discuss entrepreneurship and eCommerce, including everything from taking the first step, to celebrating your first sale, to realizing your mistakes and learning from them to create better outcomes. Learn from a true entrepreneur and a verified eCommerce expert on how you can reinvent yourself and your business.

Businesses who provide great customer service have staying power. This week's Communication Nation guest, Andrew John, is in the business of providing exceptional customer service. As one of the owners of John's Refrigeration, a service-based company that has been in operation since 1970, Andrew knows that gaining what he calls Raving Fans is a key to business longevity and success. In today's episode we discuss the ins and outs of customer service from the service-industry perspective. And if you're in business, you're a service-provider! Learn how to redefine your customer service perspective and create Raving Fans that propel your business to the next level.

A podcast is a great way to promote business, ideas, and community. On today's episode of Communication Nation host Jill Schiefelbein welcomes speaker, funny man and podcasting superstar Craig Price to the show to discuss with us how podcasting can have an impact on a business's bottom line. Craig's podcast, Reality Check with Craig Price, is about to launch its 100th episode and is an example of how he advances his business and the businesses of others. If you're a solo-entrepreneur, you can be using podcasts. If you're a small to large business owner, you can be using podcasts. And if you work for an organization, your business can benefit from internal podcasts. Not convinced? Tune in to learn ideas from two people who have successful podcasts on how implementing this method of sharing content can transform your business.

Are you using video as a marketing piece? Are you using video to communicate to your employees? If not, have you thought about it? In this week's special Communication Training episode of Communication Nation host Jill Schiefelbein gives you in the ins and outs of using video to communicate. We'll talk about why you should consider using video to communicate, how to make these videos come to life (including suggested technological tools to help you), ways to distribute and potentially monetize video and how to deliver effectively on camera. Whether you're currently utilizing video or are thinking about adding it, this is an episode you don't want to miss!

One of the biggest questions budding entrepreneurs wonder is: How do I get found? Today's Communication Nation guest, Jasmine Holmes, helps businesses, products and people get found on the Internet. As owner of marketing company 910 West, Jasmine helps business owners create smartly designed marketing pieces that get results, especially in a local marketplace. On today's episode we'll talk about what entrepreneurs can do on a limited budget to get their site(s) and product(s) to rank higher in the search engines, with a focus on local SEO. We'll also talk about how to choose between promotional channels, the difference between having a website versus having a web presence, and what to do with client reviews that are both negative and positive. Finally, Jasmine will provide tips for those who might be looking for someone to help with their SEO efforts, and she'll give you an honest assessment of how you can tell if a company is for real, or just trying to make a quick buck. If you have a product or service that needs more exposure online, this is an episode you won't want to miss!

Social media is more than conversation; it’s also about conversions. And this week's Communication Nation guest Stacey Harris knows all about cultivating social media conversations and measuring their success. This week we'll talk about the analytical tools available for us in the two most popular social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter. How we use this analytical data, though, can be applied to all forms of social media. We all want to know what the ROI is on our social media efforts, and in most cases it’s measured in relationships not dollars. The tricky thing is that social media has no silver bullet. One size NEVER fits all. With a little know-how and a whole lot of trial and error you can find a formula that works. Lucky for us we can use the powerhouse of analytic information available to us to really break down what’s working and what’s not and make adjustments quickly. To do that though you have to take advantage of those tools and use them regularly.

Performance conversations are not easy. But this week's Communication Nation guest Marnie Green helps make them more productive and effective. If you run a business where you believe an annual review is sufficient to manage performance, then think again! Frequent performance conversations, rather than annual reviews, produce better results. In business, success depends on employee performance, yet many companies struggle with, and even avoid, providing honest feedback to those who need it most. Marnie discusses ways to have what she calls a painless performance conversation where both the employee and the employer benefit. She'll provide us with her top three tips for managing performance conversations, as well as discuss her newest book, which provides guidance and (free) resources to those looking to improve performance within their organizations.

Do you have a business communication question you want answered? Host Jill Schiefelbein is turning the airwaves over to her listeners this week in a special episode called Ask the Guru. Jill will take live calls and emailed questions and address them on the air, giving multiple takeaways and candid advice. Weren't able to catch the show live and call in? If enough listeners email, we'll do it again in three months!

Everything you do in business comes down to sales. Whether you're selling a product or service, selling yourself as a solution provider, or selling your ideas as a manager, understanding a sales environment is crucial. Our special guest, Shawn McClain, knows all about managing sales teams! As the Southwest Regional Sales Manager for Safelite AutoGlass, Shawn not only has to understand sales from a product perspective, but from a people orientation as well. On today's episode Shawn will talk to us about managing a sales team, and from his experiences you'll be able to get a better understanding of how both internal and external selling works.

The ability to influence people is key to business success and personal happiness. But using influence ethically isn't always done. Our guest today, Brian Ahearn, is a master of using influence and persuasion in ethical ways. He is one of less than three dozen Cialdini Method Certified Trainers throughout the world, and brings the science of influence to life through hands-on training sessions. In this episode we are going to discuss the role that influence plays in our daily business lives. We'll discuss how to use influence not only effectively, but ethically as well, in a way that creates a win-win situation for all involved. This episode is sure to be chalk full of tangible takeaway messages that you can implement immediately.

The importance of networking and making meaningful connections is important to any business. Communication Nation guest Gelie Akhenblit, founder of Networking Phoenix, is a networking expert. Gelie created a company focused on getting people to collaborate and meet each other that is now the leading online resource for business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals. In this episode Gelie will share with listeners tips and strategies for networking effectively. We'll also talk about relationship building, and how to approach networking opportunities with the right attitude and appropriate goals.

Ever wonder how you can turn something you love into a niche market that attracts viewers and consumers? Communication Nation guest Elizabeth Giorgi, head of Being Geek Chic, joins us to discuss niche marketing at its finest with a focus on internet content. We'll cover how to identify your target market and how you can run a blog to cater to this audience. We'll also give some web-based business advice and talk about ways for creative people to grow their brand and business online.

This time of year a lot of entrepreneurs and small business owners are thinking about anything but taxes. But making small changes now can have big outcomes later! Special guest Aaron Blau, EA and CPA, joins us on Communication Nation to talk to us about a hot topic: Money! We'll discuss how actions you take now can impact your financial health through the rest of the year and beyond. We'll also talk about how to communicate about money and financial issues with your business partners, employees and personal connections. Perhaps most beneficial to the new business owner, though, Aaron will provide five tax tips to help increase your year-end returns.

It's time for another episode of Communication Training! In this episode host Jill Schiefelbein puts her teaching hat on and takes listeners through different aspects of persuasive communication. We start off the episode discussing persuasion and some of the key principles of persuasive communication. Then, we'll discuss one framework for organizing persuasive communication, Monroe's Motivated Sequence. We'll spend a good portion of the episode talking about Impromptu Guru's TEMPTaction model, which is a model that explains how you can speak persuasively in different contexts, including which verbal and nonverbal behaviors can make you the most effective as a persuasive speaker.