Well, hello there, and welcome to episode 183 of DREAM THINK DO. It's a deep dive, and that means it's just you and me diving in deep on a subject that seems to be growing in importance. We're going to talk about focusing on Beating The comparison Trap with Mitch Matthews. That's right. Breaking free from comparison. It's that thing that can hit us. It's been around since the dawn of time, but it's really amped up in this day and age of social media, where it's so easy to compare ourselves to others. And I asked for your help on this. Listen To The Podcast: RESOURCES: The How of Happiness book: https://amzn.to/2yxUBuv 7 Habits of Highly Effective People book: https://amzn.to/2K0UTzC EPISODE: So we're going to be sprinkling in wisdom from DREAM THINK DO-ers from around the world. You guys sent in some great insights and I appreciate it. So I'm going to be giving you a shout out as we go. Plus, we're going to dive into the science of comparison, a little bit of the brain science, but we're also going to talk through a three-step process for beating back comparison with a big old stick. I think we can all relate to having that negative feeling at some point. So we're going to be diving deep on the science and the solutions to beating the comparison trap. So let's put the hurt on comparison. I want to help you to break free, especially if you've ever felt the pain of comparison. Sound good? This is a tough subject. It's a big subject. I found it fascinating the more and more I dove into it, and I can tell you I'm at the front of the line here as well. It's something I've dealt with myself, and so it was a passion project for me to go after this. You guys submitted some great information, so stay tuned for that. But comparison has been around since the dawn of humanity. I mean poetry, philosophy, scripture, dating back thousands and thousands of years talk about the temptations and perils of comparison. It's not necessarily new, but a lot of research coming out to address how we compare ourselves and how we are getting hammered by comparison at new levels because of, and not limited to, social media. For example, a new study published in the Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology found that comparing our lives to others, especially when we do it and see it on social media, it's playing a big part in the rise of depressive symptoms and depression. Researchers specifically said it wasn't necessarily the website platform or just the social media necessarily itself that was causing the negative emotions, but more so where the comparison took us in our heads as the result of the content that we're bombarded with. Another group of researchers from Humboldt University in Berlin looked at Facebook use. They found that the more time people spend browsing Facebook, the more envious people got. They were able to isolate that emotion and link it specifically to Facebook use. And it is not just limited to Facebook. I'm guessing this doesn't surprise you. You've probably heard about a lot of this research. More importantly, you may have experienced it yourself. You've felt that comparison creep in and nail you, zap your joy, make you feel discontent, make you feel less than. And that's why I want to go after it. And some of what we talk about may surprise you because we're going to dig into the science of comparison and realize as we do that, that some comparison between yourself and others is good. That's right. It's actually good for you. So we're going to talk about where comparison is good and where the lines are and where it goes bad. More importantly, I’ll give you some specific strategies so you can overcome bad comparison and live in freedom. You want to break free of this so you can live your best life. And so we're going to give you the ABC's, literally a three-step process for breaking free of comparison. How does that sound? I hope you're excited. I know that I am.

My guest is Travis Ensley. Travis is one of my best friends on the planet. This guy, over the past 20 years has been a successful leader within the tech industry. He's worked with startups all the way to fortune 500 companies. I can say that he's successful because the companies he's helped have been wildly successful. But I can also say that because I've gotten to know many of the people that he has led. And they love working for and with him. Here's the thing, as you'll see, Travis has this kind of no-nonsense Ron Swanson quality to him, so I'm guessing that he's already bristling at my accolades, but I'm going to go further. He's been successful in business, but I can also tell you he's successful in life, too. He's an awesome husband and dad, and I'm also grateful to say that he is an “bonus uncle” to my boys, and that means the world to me. We talk about a lot of subjects, but today we’re going to dive into the subject and focus on one area of expertise that Travis is just incredible at, and that is establishing systems to manage your time, your tasks, and your priorities. He is a black belt level genius at this. And I benefit from his wisdom on this front weekly, so I wanted to get him on DREAM THINK DO, so you can benefit from it, too. Listen To The Podcast: INTERVIEW: So pour yourself a cup of coffee and let's get to this. Travis. Welcome to DREAM THINK DO, buddy. I'm honored to be here. Thank you. Absolutely. So, we're going to talk about systems and strategies. I mean, you use technology, but your brain works in this way. There's been a couple of questions I've been dying to ask you as a long-time friend. I assume I know the answers to this, but before we dive into the specifics, I want to start a little bit more in your brain. How about that for being scary? So, I wanted to ask you. You're one of the most organized systems oriented people that I know. But have you always been that way? Like, were you that way in junior high and high school? There's very little chance my mom will listen to this. So I will say yes. I've got your mom on speed dial. I’ll check right now. I was one of those kids who would open the bag of Skittles and organize them by color because it made sense for me to do it that way because I wanted to know exactly what I was doing. I'll tell you that my room was not very clean when I was young, but after high school, I went into the Navy, into service, and they beat that out of me. And so, coupled with that, I like to say that I'm just this side of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The healthy side of it, right? The healthy side. Yes, the healthy side of it. With my experience in the service, the very regimented leadership they gave solidified the kind of lifestyle that I choose to lead that way. Absolutely. I wondered if that experience just kind of ground that into you for the first time, or whether that was bringing out natural tendencies. But I assumed it was bringing out those natural tendencies. It allowed me to understand why I thought that way. I think it encouraged that behavior. It showed me a lot of interesting ways to do it, too. But it's also interesting to think about how the world of technology that can support systems for helping navigate our time and our task has evolved so much. I've seen you experiment with different things, try different things, so that was something that I was looking forward to diving into with you. I think sometimes technology can be a benefit, but I think sometimes technology, with all of the options, can also start to bungle that up a little bit. I think in a lot of cases it comes down to discipline. I think technology, in general, can be a huge distraction. It's designed to be that way. Hey, it's a cool thing, or this is the next widget or the next flashy thing that's going to come up, and so everybody has great ideas. In this day and age, it's very easy to take those ideas and translate that ...

My guest today is Light Watkins. Light is a former GAP fashion model. He started attending yoga classes and meditation circles back when he was doing casting calls in New York City. Since 1998, Light has been active in the wellness space, first, as a practitioner and then he's gone on quite a journey with meditation. This journey led to a trip to Northern India, to a little hamlet nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas to become a master in meditation. After about three months there and over thousands of hours of meditation, he completed his training. He now travels the world giving talks on happiness, mindfulness, inspiration, and meditation. He teaches meditation to A-list actors, big name entrepreneurs and a whole lot of regular people because he does it in a unique way. He just got a real practical approach. He introduces all of that in his most recent book called "Bliss More: How to Succeed in Meditation Without Really Trying" which was released earlier this year. Listen To The Podcast: RESOURCES: Bliss More Book: https://amzn.to/2kNy6bc INTERVIEW: Light, welcome to DREAM THINK DO. Thanks, man. I'm so excited to be here. Our mutual friend, Antonio Neves introduced us. Antonio started talking about your book Bliss More as you were launching it. I started to dig into it a little bit, and I was like, "Gosh, meditation can be such a heady thing." I loved how you were very transparent in your story. You didn't try to set yourself up as some mountain top guru; you're a regular guy who's had mountain top experiences through meditation, so I love that. It’s a real practical approach. It wasn't that you sat down and immediately had just these incredible experiences. Tell us a little bit about how your journey with meditation got started. Yes, sure. I got introduced to meditation through taking yoga classes. Everybody always talked about meditation. I was reading a bunch of the new age spiritual books that everyone's familiar with, the Eckhart Tolle book, Power of Now, The Seat of the Soul, The Celestine Prophecy, Conversations with God. There were always mentions of meditation or meditative states, and you figure, if something is hanging around for thousands of years, there's got to be something to it. Yeah, right. If it's been hanging out this long, then maybe, maybe I should dig into it just a little bit. My curiosity got the best of me, and I started going to these French meditation circles in New York City. This is back in the '90s, so I didn't know anyone else who was interested in this which kind of made it more interesting to me. You always want to feel like you're in on something that no one else has heard about yet so then you can then introduce everyone else to it. In those early days, it always frustrated me and fascinated me at the same time that I didn't feel like I was having the experience, the advertised experience. I wasn't going to nirvana. I wasn't having the bliss experience. You don't know what you don't know, so I didn't know that there were different approaches to meditation. I didn't know that there were monastic techniques and there were householder approaches. I was mainly doing monastic approaches, and that's one of the reasons why I was having such difficult experiences. After three years of knocking my head against the wall, I stumbled upon a teacher who showed me some of the householder, meaning regular people, approaches to meditation where you sit on a couch, or you sit in a comfortable chair, and you meditate there. That's where I finally found the bliss that had been eluding me for a very long time. Then everything made sense. It started to click. Well, I love that. A lot of people think of meditation, and they think of the discipline, the monk who deprives themselves of all things to have this experience in meditation. How would you say the householder approach is different?

My guest today is Karen Brown. Karen is a recognized thought leader in the fields of leadership and professional performance, specifically in the areas of the unconscious mind and optimizing your thinking for elevated levels of endurance and success. She is an ultra-endurance athlete who competes around the world. In fact, one of her biggest recent accomplishments was qualifying for and finishing the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii! Along with being an expert in neuro-linguistic programming and mental and emotional release, she's also an executive coach, sought-after speaker, and best-selling author. Karen's most recent book, called Unlimiting Your Beliefs: Seven Keys to Great Success in Your Personal and Professional Life, has been winning awards and accolades. It has also inspired me to invite Karen on DREAM THINK DO to talk about breaking through those limiting beliefs that creep in and start to shut us down. I'm really looking forward to this conversation. Listen To The Podcast: RESOURCES: Free Micro Solution Video Series: velocityleadershipconsulting.com/dtd Karen's Book: Unlimiting Your Beliefs book INTERVIEW: Let's get to it. Karen, welcome to DREAM THINK DO. Thank you, Mitch. I'm so thrilled to be here. Okay. I do want to dive into your concepts on limited beliefs and breaking through those things, but I've always wanted to ask someone who completed an Ironman World Championship, what was it like to round the corner and see the finish line? Ok, let me set the scene a little bit. I am an amateur athlete, nowhere near pro level, and that is to say that I'm a bit slower than the pros. My time at Ironman World Championships was 15 hours, 45 minutes. When I was rounding the corner, as you said, it was nighttime. It was about 10:30 at night, 10:45 at night. There was total blackness, a sky full of brilliant stars, and two miles away from the finish line, you can hear the roar of the crowd. Oh wow. Even at night? Yes. Hey, and by the way Karen, just so you know, for me to just do the swim, I still wouldn't have been done with just the swim part by 10 o'clock at night. So it's still very impressive. So you're two miles out, and you start hearing the crowd. Yes, you start hearing the crowd, and then you can just faintly make out Mike Riley's voice, who has been the voice of Ironman for 30 some odd years now. He's the one that says the iconic, indelibly memorable, "Karen Brown, you are now an Ironman," when you cross the finish line. It was the most magnificent day, Mitch. Now I'll say the journey to get there was very, very difficult, and there were plenty of times when I wanted to quit and worried that I would quit. We can go into that later. But that specific day, there was never one moment when I wanted to quit. It was joy and bliss and wonderful, and I say this knowing that it was a billion degrees, it was like the surface of the sun hot. It was humid; asphalt was melting, we had torrential rains at the turnaround point in the bike, we had big waves for the swim, incredible crosswinds on the Queen K for the biking portion. So this was no cakewalk. This was very challenging. The part that I tapped into was my journey to get there. This was a lifelong dream. This was something that I wanted for 28 years. The day that I was there, and I was racing alongside all of my heroes, all of the icons that I had seen over the years on the coverage, specifically the icon that touched off this entire lifelong dream of mine, Julie Moss. It had been 30 years to the day since she had competed originally in the second Ironman World Championships that ever televised, and she came back that year and raced one more time. Oh my gosh. She wanted that to be her swan song, and I got to race alongside her. Wow! Did you know that going into it, or was that something you found out along the way? It was something I found out two days before the race...

My guest today is Ryan Carson. Ryan is a longtime entrepreneur who has built four startups, two that got acquired, one that went down in flames, but provided a lot of learning, and a fourth one called “Treehouse,” which is currently doing about $15 million in revenue annually. Treehouse is an online tech school with about 80,000 enrolled students. Their goal is to take people from zero to job-ready and to teach them how to code, amongst other things. He was voted EY's Entrepreneur of the Year, and he's been a guest on some of the top podcasts, shows like Entrepreneur on Fire, Mixergy, This Week in Startups, and Bloomberg's Game Plan. Listen To The Podcast: He's doing some awesome stuff, but Ryan popped onto my radar because he's a longtime DREAM THINK DO-er. Like many of you, he reached out a number of times to offer some encouragement and some feedback. After Episode 171, specifically, he sent an email about the five-minute moment concept. We started going back and forth on that, how it was working for him, and that opened up a whole new subject on the power of “why,” and how being clear on your “why” makes all the difference. Welcome to the show, Ryan! Thank you so much. This is fun. It's weirdly like a family reunion, but this is the first time where we're actually talking, so I love it. I want to talk about the power of “why,” because I know it’s something that's really helped you to get on track with life and career. But I want to go back a little bit and talk a little heart and head stuff first. We have a lot of entrepreneurs on DREAM THINK DO. We're all about helping people get clear on their dreams and goals - so one of the things I wondered, did you always want to be an entrepreneur? Was that your dream as a kid, or was that something that that hit you later? No. It's kind of strange. I hear these stories from other entrepreneurs about selling lemonade to their friends in fourth grade and buying bubblegum in bulk so they could then make a profit on it by selling it to their friends, and I didn't do any of that. This is why I'm excited to talk about my “why,” because the truth is, I'm not really an entrepreneur. I'm someone who is motivated to get a specific thing done in the world, and I've realized that building a business to accomplish that is the best way I can do it. I'm not one of those guys that stares at spreadsheets and obsesses about growth. Right, so for you the entrepreneurial journey is more of a means to an end as opposed to an end itself. Absolutely. That's a great insight. I'm extremely mission-driven, so I can't wait to kind of dive into that more. Great. Now, this is somewhat of a loaded question, but I have to ask it. You've got three startups that anyone would define as successful. I mean two got acquired. One is rocking, right? And one went down in flames. Yes. I don't know of an entrepreneur that doesn't have one of those stories, but what would you say? Which of those experiences helped you the most in getting clear on why you were put on the planet? I think the failure was the most transformative. I was born and raised in Colorado and actually started off in a very religious home. I'm not particularly religious now. My parents did a really good job of driving into me that people are the most important thing in the world, and serving people and making their lives better is the highest possible calling. I continue to believe that. People are people and stuff is stuff, and I try to keep that really clear. I have some nice stuff now, but it has nothing to do with what's good, or what's right, or what makes me happy. So I had this upbringing, and I actually thought I was going to be a pastor for a long time. Interesting. I thought, "I love people, I love helping people. Gosh, if I can serve people like that, that sounds really rewarding," so I was going down that path. I ended up studying computer science in college,

My guest today is Chelsea Moore. At age 22, Chelsea co-founded a company called BOXFOX with two of her friends. BOXFOX is a cool, personalized gifting service they launched with the mission of connecting people and creating stronger relationships through giving. It's a unique service that allows you to put together a perfect gift, for any occasion. Each BOXFOX box is then hand packed and sealed with a written note before it's shipped. She and her friends started this company when they saw a gap in the lifestyle and services space. They wanted to be able to deliver a higher quality gift and make it easy for people too. Listen To The Podcast: To date the company has delivered over 45,000 boxes to over 20 different countries around the world! I do want to talk about the company, but the big reason I wanted to have Chelsea on was to talk about the idea of pursuing a dream with your friends, because that sounds awesome. And sometimes it's the absolute right thing to do. But going after dreams with your friends is not always easy. So I want to talk to her about how they've done it and what tips she has for clarifying the dream together. Deciding on how to go after it together and then just as importantly, maybe even more importantly, how do you stay the course. Especially with the wild twists and turns that can come with any dream journey. So I'm excited to have this conversation, let's get to it. Chelsea, welcome to Dream Think Do. Thank you so much. Absolutely. So how do you describe BOXFOX? We are a gifting company that specializes in bringing personalized and custom gift boxes to people everywhere. And our claim to fame is our Build a BOXFOX platform that enables you to build your own custom gift and care packages that are specifically created from all the best brands. It’s all in one place, brought together for the specific recipient and the specific occasion. Anything from new moms to birthdays, to sympathy to get well, to just because, to congrats on your new job. The reasons are truly endless. We have taken that authenticity to scale with the corporate concierge B2B side of our business as well. We take the same care and detail oriented attention to detail for our corporate clients as well. That's cool. I have to say one of the great things about having a growing podcast is you get pitched by lots of different people. But we went and checked out your website and everybody was really impressed. You have a lot of different offerings but it just feels nice. It feels real like you said, it's a very personalized experience where you really can deliver something nicer than hey, sent you something through Amazon Prime. I love Amazon Prime but this is a different type of experience than that. How did it get started? What was the catalyst for the idea for you guys? I was about six months out of college in 2013 and a good friend of ours had been hospitalized. I was working crazy hours. I couldn't leave to go to five different of my favorite stores and the post office. I to put together something really thoughtful. I had the intention and the want and the need, but not the time. And so it sparked this idea – what do you do on those occasions when flowers don't cut it? Amazon Prime doesn't cut it. How do I put together a meaningful gift box or care package with the next level essentials that somebody actually would need in a specific situation? How do you physically be there for people when you can't actually go to them and be there? That’s what sparked the idea of Build a BOXFOX. Being able to use our platform to create these custom perfect, well presented gifts in high quality, nude or black gift boxes, topped with your note handwritten by our fulfillment team. Personal, as if you had done it yourself. We make it easier, streamlined with all the best brands available to you. We launched with prepacked offerings because some people do like to shop that way and just tru...

Let It Go! with Mitch Matthews Hello, there. Welcome to Dream Think Do. I hope you're doing fantastic no matter where you're at in the world. Welcome to Episode 177. We just keep heading right towards 200 episodes. It's crazy to think about. It's been an awesome journey so far and I’m super stoked about where we're headed. Listen To The Podcast:   Sign up to get your free "3 Buckets" download Your tool for overcoming worry   First Name * Email * Submit Recommended Books: Here's the list of books suggested by DREAM THINK DO-ers: John C Maxwell's: "Thinking for a Change." Henry Cloud: "Never Go Back." William Paul Young's: "The Shack." David Schwartz's: "The Magic of Thinking Big." David Millman's "Way of the Peaceful Warrior."     I'm not sure if you can tell, but we're really trying some new things. Trying to just continue to experiment and take things with DREAM THINK DO to the next level. And you, yes, you, are helping to do that, so thank you so much for that. In fact, this is a very special episode. I tried something different. We crowdsourced some great ideas for this one. That's right. We are going to talk about a really important subject. It's the subject of letting go, specifically around the subject of worry. I don't know if you deal with worry, if someone close to you deals with worry, but one of the strategies that has helped me involves letting go; letting go of worry. I put it out there to Dream Think Do-ers around the world, and maybe you participated just to say, "Hey, what works for you?" on the subject of letting it go. Because the idea of it is so nice, so powerful – but in practice, it's not always easy. So we're going to talk about that. How do you, in fact, let it go? And we're going to get specific with some strategies. I'm also going to share some quotes, some books, all sorts of good stuff that comes from you, the Dream Think Do-ers. So stand by for that. Let me give you a little background about why we're talking about letting go. Way back in Episode Two of Dream Think Do I talked about worry. Worry is just one of those things that if you're going to dream bigger, think better and do more in the world, do more of what you were put on the planet to do, you’ve got to let some stuff go. As we dream big, there's a good chance that worry, negative thinking, those things that keep us awake at night has been a factor. I can tell you, worry has shut down more dreams than just about anything else. Maybe you're not a worrier. If you're not, then continue to listen on behalf of somebody else in your life. But I'm guessing you can identify with being worried from time to time, especially when it comes to going after the big stuff, new stuff, stuff that's important to you, stuff that feels like you're supposed to do it, but you're not quite sure how it's going to work out. You know what I'm talking about? Back in episode two, I shared a strategy that a lot of you loved. It's something I called a "three-bucket strategy." It's something that was introduced to me by somebody in the audience of a talk that I was giving on the subject of – you guessed it – worry. During the break, this person came up to me and he was a big guy, a bit intimidating, to be honest. I found out later he was in the military, had definitely lived through some battles; literally and figuratively. He let me know early on in our conversation that he was a cancer survivor. I told him immediately, "My wife is a cancer survivor." Before I even realized what I was saying, I said, "Bring it in for a hug," which I think surprised him. He was so tall I felt like I was hugging his belt buckle for crying out loud. We talked through some of the strategies that I'd been sharing in my presentation, but then he said, "I've realized, especially with going through cancer, through going through the battle, through now leading a team - I just need three buckets."

My guest is my long-time friend, Susan Baroncini-Moe.  She is the author of the bestselling book, Business in Blue Jeans: How to Have a Successful Business on Your Own Terms in Your Own Style. Susan has worked with clients on four continents in a wide range of industries. She’s a sought-after strategist and has been featured on ABC, in Redbook magazine, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo Finance and I could go on and on. She is the host of 2Questions.TV, a YouTube show and podcast, where she interviews celebrities, best-selling authors as well as esteemed experts and entrepreneurs. Listen To The Podcast: She is a freakishly successful executive coach and business leader with over 16 years of experience. She’s a great encourager. You’re going to love her...and like I said...I’m excited to share this conversation with you because I know Susan will help you shift some of your perspectives — and — get out of your own way. You can go to suebmoe.com/mitch to find out more about Susan and get some goodies just for DREAM THINK DO-ers. So let's get to the INTERVIEW. Susan...welcome to DREAM THINK DO: Thanks for that great introduction, Mitch! As you know, Susan, we've got a lot of people that listen to DREAM THINK DO who are rocking it. A lot of them that are already leaders, entrepreneurs, and globe changers. But there's a lot of people that they've got this idea for a business or they want to launch their business. Susan, “Business in Blue Jeans” came out of some particular circumstances in your life. So tell us about that season of life. I mean, you've created this great business, but tell us about the season where you weren't doing things on your own terms. Yeah, we've never talked about this by the way. Thanks again for having me on your show. I have had a season in my life when I was not doing things on my own terms or in my own style. I think you know, that I studied sociology and social psychology at the University of Iowa. Right. Iowa ties! I actually paid my way through school by working in one of the tech labs and it was back when the Internet was new and I was really interested in, fascinated by it. So I learned at light speed and, and I just learned so much that I taught web design and development classes to faculty, staff, and students at the university. The university liked me and they liked what I was doing and so they recruited me. So my first job was in academia and really, I loved it there and I might have stayed there, but I got recruited by a magazine publishing house in Des Moines. They made me a really interesting offer and painted a really beautiful picture of what my future would be like. So I went there to help them take their printed content and turn it into salable digital content online back when doing that was new. Oh, yes indeed. Those world wide webs. Who knows whether it's going to work or not? Right! I liked the work that I did, but I found very quickly that the environment was “Intrapreneurial”, meaning entrepreneurs inside of a company. I came up with some really cool ideas that I loved and, and what would happen is I would come up with big ideas that would get taken out of my hands. So for example, I came up with this really great idea. Let's do some videos. And so my boss thought it was a great idea and he sent me to Chicago for some in-depth video training. When I came back from a training, I found out that this big player in the company had taken a special interest in my idea and decided his department was going to implement it… and I didn’t get to work on it.  And that bummed me out. And that kind of stuff happened a lot. And I also found that I would come home from work late in the evening and I felt like I was losing my life. And you know, I think this is a concept we get wrong a lot. Just we in general...humans...get it wrong and we have this idea that you go to work, you spend your day and then you come home and you have this ...

Well, hello, Dream, Think, Do-er! I have another interview in my Hero Series. That's right. We're doing a bit of a hero series. These are folks that I want to bring to you because they've been a hero to me in some shape, way, or form. Today is definitely the case. Listen To The Podcast: My guest today is John Michael Morgan. John is a tell-it-like-it-is business strategist who helps entrepreneurs and leaders with creating the beliefs and the behaviors they need to achieve their biggest goals and dreams. His website says that he's best known for his energy and passion, but since I've known John for almost a decade, I'd actually say that he's known for his wisdom, his heart, his ability to bring truth, and his rather intimidating but yet awesome beard. Look him up.  You'll see what I'm talking about. He is an in-demand speaker who is hilarious but, at the same time, he brings truth bombs and strategies that stick, so he's giving talks around the world. So put on your seat belts. This is going to be fun! He's a trusted friend of mine and a true wise mentor for me so, I wanted to bring him back to DREAM THINK DO.  That's right. It's his second appearance on "DTD", so let's get to it. John, welcome back, buddy. Thank you so much for having me, Mike. I'm excited. This is just fun. The whole reason I have a podcast is to get to talk with cool people.  We're almost at our 200th episode but you first were on DREAM THINK DO at episode 18. I mean it was just as the podcast was becoming an adult, turning 18, so, we're back at it. Yeah, I'm honored to be on twice. Kind of a long time in between, but… Well, I said, "Man, we'll bring you back and see if we can get it right this time." So, I do recommend to everyone, go back and listen to our initial conversation, which would be at MitchMatthews.com\018, episode 18. John, you do a lot of coaching and consulting with entrepreneurs and leaders, really high level stuff and I'm looking forward to really diving into some of the strategies you help people with. But I also really want to let dream, think, doers know your background. Because although now, you are all about creating the right beliefs and being intentional with your thinking, it hasn't always been that way for you. Give us a little picture of you as a youth. Have you always had the optimistic, intentional mindset, all of those things? I certainly did not. In fact, my youth was full of depression and anxiety and overcoming a lot of battles. But while I overcame them, what was left was damaged identity, a damaged self-esteem and things like that. So, even as a young adult, while I wasn't depressed or really experiencing anxiety in any of those things, I was also just drifting, just going through the motions, trying college, various professions. Just going through all of those kind of things and not ever actually saying, "What do I want and how do I get that?" Then when I started to get a sense of what I wanted, I was still getting in my own way. How I got to where I am today has been a lifelong journey of the more I grow and improve on the inside, the more all of my outer circumstances and situations also grow and improve. I always appreciate that you're really willing to be raw and authentic about that journey. So fast-forward a bit and you write a game changing book about branding, which was great of course. But your audiences, your coaching clients really started to demand more from the leadership stuff and the mindset stuff, because they were like, "Okay, your branding stuff's awesome, but I'm learning just as much, if not more, about how do I lead, how do I live, all of that." So, I wanted to have you back on, because last time we really talked a lot of branding. This time, I want to talk about, not just leadership, but leading yourself. Taking yourself and your career, all of it to the next level. What do you think? What are some of the things that get in the wa...

Last week I started a series where I'm putting the spotlight on some of my heroes: These are people that have inspired and helped me and I can't wait to introduce them to you. To continue the series today, we're going to talk about one of the biggest fears in the world: The fear of public speaking! Listen To The Podcast: We’re going after it with a long-time friend and a long-time hero, Felicia Slattery. Felicia is a award-winning professional speaker. She's works one-on-one with experts, entrepreneurs, CEOs, celebrities…  to help them to connect with people on a human level from the stage and from online, as well as, build relationships that last. Right from the start of my business, Felicia welcomed me as a peer and helped set me up for success.  She is someone you can listen to and count on. She’s the real deal. Whether you want to be a professional speaker or just be more effective in any speaking scenario, Felicia Slattery will share GREAT strategies that you can apply that will enable you to DREAM THINK DO. Felicia, welcome to "Dream.Think.Do." Wow. Thanks, Mitch. I'm so excited to be here. It's a long time coming. I want to back up. You're one of my heroes. I literally, I mean that. I think I've shared this story with you, but if not, you were the Emcee at one of the first events that I got to speak at as a professional speaker. Do you remember that years and years ago? It was like 400 years ago. I do remember that. It was fantastic. Yeah. Well, I don’t know if I’ve told you this story before, but my business was just getting started. We'd gone through some setbacks at the time as well. I remember checking in at the hotel hoping that no one from the conference was going to be there because I was a little worried about my credit card clearing! I was there. I was passionate about the message I was going to give it. It was a Big Dream Gathering, kind of at the first time we were ever really doing it in a conference setting. But there was that imposter syndrome thing creeping up on me, all of those fears, all those doubts of should I really be here? Should people really listen to me? Do I belong here? As you Emceed, you just controlled the room. Right from the start, you welcomed me as a peer. You set me up for so much success. You warmed that audience up. They were on the edge of their seats. We had a great time. Then the next day, you got up and you actually spoke about my talk and said, "Guys, listen. He's going places. You should listen to him.”  I'm getting a little misty as I tell this, but that message mattered to me so much. It spoke to my heart and that gave me juice for years to come. I just so appreciated how took control of the room. You cared about us. You set me up for success, but those comments you said the next day. It went deep in my heart. You're a long time hero of mine. Aw, you just gave me chills. I'm so happy. Honestly, that's one of the things that as a speaker, we just never know who we're impacting with our words. I had no way of knowing. I don't think you came up to me right afterwards. I don't know that you told me that then, but I'll tell you - Just hearing years later, for you to remember some seemingly just normal thing that I would say at an event because I'm boosting up the speakers. That's part of my job, but also, I don't say anything that I don't also believe. Of course, I meant every word, but it was like I barely would even remember saying that. But I do remember your presentation? Yes, because you were amazing. Thank you. I just want to tell you DREAM THINK DO-ers, this is a person you can listen to. You can probably already tell, she does an incredible job in front of an audience, speaks to thousands of people. She’s the real deal. I say all of that because I just want to jump right into her wisdom here. We're going to go after this. I know you work with all sorts of different types of folks.

Today I'm starting a series where I'm focusing on some of my heroes: People who may or may not be a household name, but they certainly deserve to be. These are people that have inspired me and I can't wait to introduce them to you. Listen To The Podcast: Today, we are talking with Ben Stein, an award-winning teacher and golf coach here in MY town… Des Moines, Iowa. Ben has been a social studies teacher for 16 years. He now teaches at the junior high he attended as a teenager. How cool is that? He has had a huge impact on countless young people, including my two boys. And that's one of the reasons why I wanted to have him on. Ben has an incredible talent for making history live. When he was their teacher, our boys would come home charged up because Mr. Stein had told a great story and got the class talking about it.  As a result, we’d have marathon dinner table conversation. When you look at our history, when you dig into stories of grit, of determination, of collaboration, of healing, of heart, of sticktoitiveness… we can know more of where we came from and who we are. Ben truly wants to help these kids to dream, to think, to do. So let's get to it. Mr. Stein, Ben Stein, welcome to Dream. Think. Do! Thank you for having me. You and I have been friends for years now, but there's a part of me that still wants to call you Mr. Stein, in homage of you being a teacher, and a great one at that. You are too kind. I’m teaching at the school where I grew up, so I have the problem that I still want to call some of my co-workers who were teachers I had by, “Mr., Ms or Mrs.” I love it. We're going to get to some specific stories from history because I think we need to know more about our history right now. Dream. Think Doers are from all around the world. We have listeners from all over Europe, all over Africa - everywhere. So I will say this is a little bit more tip of the hat to U.S. history, but I think these stories are inspiring because they speak to that human spirit.  To grit. We're going to get to that in just a second, but we're going to start with Ben’s story. Did you always want to be a social studies teacher? Is that what you wanted to do or is this something that you found? You know, originally I wanted to play golf. I found out very quickly that I wasn't good enough, so I got my degree in English and then - what do you do with a degree in English? I was going into education to become a teacher, and it was shortly after 9/11. I realized how important it is for us to know who we are. And, as my good friend Oprah tells me - you don't know where you're going unless you know where you are. And as I'm learning more and more of these stories from history, it inspires me to share that with my students, to let them know who they are as Americans and what that means to prepare for the future. That's awesome. One of the things I appreciate is the sort of Socratic method you use in teaching. My boys would come home and mention that you'd share a story but then say, ‘Tim, what do you think of this?’ You would get them talking.  Our boys were fired up because they were engaged. Well, you know, there's a quote in my room which is the theme for the class. It's by Mark Twain, and goes: “History doesn't repeat. It rhymes.” So I start off class with a two minute current event on anything going on and we'll discuss it. It's funny how we can relate that to the same things that were going on 200 years ago, only. It's slightly different. I think that engages the kids because when you're talking about the current events around the world today and then relay that back to the 1700s, I think that's easier for kids to understand. Yeah, absolutely. I'm with you. Let’s dig into it. What are three stories from history that all Americans should know but probably don't? What were some of the stories that come to mind for you? Well George Washington of course comes to mind. To me,

Welcome to Dream. Think. Do. It’s great to be back – we’ve been on hiatus for a couple of weeks making a few changes...and I think you’ll like what we’ve done with the place! Listen To The Podcast: I’ll start off with some exciting news — that actually you are a major part of. We've been digging into the numbers and I discovered we’re in the top five percent of all podcasts! How cool is that? And it’s because of YOU! I know you really do believe in helping people to dream bigger, think better, and do more...do more of the stuff they were put on the planet to do. So thanks for sharing my podcast with your friends and colleagues and spreading the word! I’m grateful for you. I'm grateful that you're listening in today. I'm grateful that you're part of the Dream. Think. Do. movement...and together… we're making an impact by reaching people around the world. I couldn't do it without you. So for today...I'm going to share a term with you and its impact on me, but I'm also going to share some strategies with you that have helped me in big, big ways. I was recently listing to an audiobook from one of my favorite authors, Shawn Achor. It’s called BIG POTENTIAL - a great book with some really good psychological insight. One term that really struck me is what Shawn calls “Posttraumatic Growth”.  PTG basically boils down to A POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL CHANGE EXPERIENCED AS THE RESULT OF ADVERSITY leading to a higher level of functioning. Post-traumatic growth is not about returning to the same life as it was previously experienced before a period of traumatic suffering. Rather, it is about undergoing significant life changing psychological shifts in thinking and relating to the world in a way that contributes to a deep personal process of change. This concept of learning from challenging circumstances isn't necessarily a new idea. In fact, it's interesting — I wasn't preparing for this episode...I was just doing my morning rituals yesterday and was having some quiet time. I was enjoying a cup of coffee, reading, and praying. I was journaling and had picked up where I had left off in the Bible, the New Testament, in the book of Romans. You might be familiar with it, but there I was...I wasn't doing research for the episode. I was just doing my morning thing and I kind of picked up where I had been reading before, but then I came across Romans chapter five specifically. And it said we can rejoice to when we run into problems and trials for we know that they help us to develop endurance — and endurance develops strength of character — and the character strengthens our confidence, hope, and salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. Now that was written a couple thousand years ago. And here, Paul, is basically talking about Posttraumatic growth — a new term to describe something that's obviously been around for centuries, if not since the beginning of time, right? Because we all have challenges, some of us more than others, but it's one of those things that sometimes we're in the thick of it and it can be extra challenging sometimes. I don't know about you, but some seasons in life just seem straight up, more challenging than others. There are those seasons, maybe short, maybe long. And then sometimes...everything's clicking. It seems easy. You can almost coast and everything is smooth sailing. But I have to admit, and I'm guessing since you're a Dream. Think. Doer...you'll get this...because sometimes if I experience  an easy stretch for too long, I almost wonder, “Am I really pushing myself?” Because when we go after dreams, when we go after things that we want to do or experience or achieve, whether we're stretching at work, whether we're stretching at home, whether we're stretching ourselves in relationships, if we're pushing for a dream, if we're going after it to make things happen, there are going to be rough spots, right?

This week, Mitch does a Deep Dive and talks about time he spent with an Equine Therapist.  The experience taught him a lot about what it means to be in the moment, fully present and peaceful.  Plus, Mitch shares a simple but powerful strategy that will help you to take a breath in the middle of a busy day and feel more peace so you can be at your best… and not miss the important moments in life. Listen To The Podcast: Seems like everyone’s feeling stressed out and anxious lately.   Maybe you’ve got a freakishly full schedule… maybe you’ve got a co-worker that’s being a jackweed… or maybe you get twisted up in knots as you think about the future.   STUFF.  It can pile up.  It can get in the way.  It can zap our ability to be at peace, be in the moment, be at our best and really enjoy life. Recently, I spent some time with a horse (& an equine therapist).  It taught me a LOT. I talk about it in this episode.  Plus, I offer up a 5-minute strategy you can use to be fully present and in the moment… even in the middle of those crazy-busy days! Plus, I share a story (captured in the video below) that will stick with me the rest of my days. PLUS… I NEED YOU: That’s right.  I want your input! After this episode, we’re taking a two week hiatus.  During our downtime, I’d LOVE to hear from you and get your thoughts on what YOU want to hear more of.  Who have been some of your favorite interviews and what have been some of your favorite topics so far? What subjects would you like me to dig into next?  Who would you like me to interview? Leave a comment below and let me know more of what YOU want! I talk about this more in the episode too.  So listen in and let me know! In the meantime, keep bringing your awesome, Mitch

Mitch talks with Phil Singleton about the new rules for Search Engine Optimization.  Phil co-wrote the bestselling book, “SEO for Growth: The Ultimate Guide for Marketers, Web Designers and Entrepreneurs,” with John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing.  It’s an Amazon bestseller and has been listed as a top marketing book by Mashable, Oracle and The Huffington Post. They talk about Phil’s top strategies for maximizing SEO in a world where search engines are are constantly changing the unwritten rules and algorithms.   Listen To The Podcast: I wanted to have Phil Singleton on Dream Think Do for multiple reasons. First off… Mashable and the Huffington Post say his book on SEO is a “MUST READ!”  His success stories and strategies have been featured on MSNBC and in Entrepreneur and Forbes.   Plus, I love the fact that he is still in the trenches daily helping clients with his own digital marketing agency based in Kansas City.  So, in our conversation… you’ll hear Phil offer specific steps and helpful tips for maximizing Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  Especially as most people are pulling their hair out trying to figure out Google’s ever-changing algorithms… Phil provides real-world and concrete concepts to help you grow your brand, increase traffic to your site and spread the word about your big idea, business or movement! So yes… SEO is one reason why I wanted to have him on DTD. But Phil also has had an interesting life journey involving some wandering, some traveling and some stumbling onto a passion which blossomed into an incredible career.  His journey took him through the Asia for over 10 years including Taipei and Taiwan, with stints in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. Yup… he’s got a fascinating story.  And some great strategies. In the interview, we talk SEO strategies first. But then we talk about life… and how wandering a bit led him to his dream career. I think you’ll dig it.  If you do… please share it. Oh and also, please comment.  Let me know what stood out to you from Phil’s SEO tips and from his journey.  I’d love to hear what stuck with you! I can’t wait to hear from you. Mitch   Here’s Phil’s info too. Websites: http://kcwebdesigner.com/ https://seoforgrowth.com http://kcseopro.com/   Social Media Links: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/seokansascity Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/philipmsingleton Twitter Personal: https://twitter.com/kcseopros Twitter Business: https://twitter.com/seoforgrowth

This week, Mitch Matthews interviews Dr. John Izzo about his newest book, ‘The Purpose Revolution.’  Izzo is a successful entrepreneur and leader, but he’s best known for being a trend spotter. In their conversation, they dig into the key trend that will impact the way we lead, market, train and retain employees, customers and clients.  Plus, if you truly understand it and harness its power, you can apply this important concept to the way you live your life too! Listen To The Podcast: Dr. John Izzo has been a pioneer on creating successful businesses. He has spoken to over one million people, advised over 500 companies, authored six bestselling books and helped some of the world’s most admired companies. But he’s probably best known for his ability to spot trends. When Izzo pinpoints an emerging trend… people listen.   His client list includes companies like... IBM, Qantas, the Mayo Clinic, Verizon, Westjet, Microsoft and McDonalds.  Plus, he’s been featured in Fast Company and the New York Times and CNN. In his newest book called “The Purpose Revolution,” Dr. Izzo speaks to a rising class of people worldwide who he’s convinced will shape the future of business.  He believes this isn’t about nationality, income, race or gender. He believes this is a class of people who aspire to have a good life while doing good. It’s a really interesting conversation.   I hope you dig it. And hey… leave a comment on what stood out to you!  I’d love to hear from you. Where are YOU seeing this trend play out?  Why do you think it’s important? Let me know. Also, be sure to grab your copy of Dr. Izzo’s book by clicking here.

James Whittaker | Think and Grow Rich for 2018 Mitch interviews successful author and entrepreneur, James Whittaker.  With Napoleon Hill’s ‘Think and Grow Rich’ principles in mind, James interviewed successful entrepreneurs, thought-leaders and athletes like: Grant Cardone (property magnate), Barbara Corcoran (VC and star of ‘Shark Tank’) Rob Dyrdek (Skateboarder and millionaire business mogul), Warren Moon (first African-American quarterback to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame), Ocean Ramsey (global shark conservationist) and many others.  Whittaker and his team took their findings and created ‘Think and Grow Rich The Legacy’ - A feature-length docudrama and new book. Mitch talked with him about what he’s learned and how to apply these powerful concepts… today. Listen To The Podcast: I love James Whittaker’s story.   He loved Napoleon Hill’s classic book, ‘Think and Grow Rich.’ That’s not a big surprise.  This book has sold well over 100 million copies and has been a world-wide phenomenon. But James and his team decided it was time to update this classic and make it more accessible and applicable for our era. Armed with Hill’s principles, James interviewed successful entrepreneurs, thought-leaders and athletes from around the globe.   He talked with people like: Grant Cardone (property magnate) Barbara Corcoran (VC and star of ‘Shark Tank’) Rob Dyrdek (Skateboarder and millionaire business mogul) Warren Moon (First African-American quarterback to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame) Ocean Ramsey (Global shark conservationist) Bob Proctor (Best selling author and success coach) Plus, he and his team dug in even deeper into the stories behind Napoleon's original interviewees.   Their findings are fascinating, powerful and refreshingly simple! James wrote a book about what he found out.  Plus he became Executive Producer for a feature-length film called, “Think and Grow Rich: The Legacy.” In our interview, we talk about: Why people fail (and 3 keys to avoid failing) The biggest surprises from his interviews What makes some people achieve more (and do it consistently) How YOU can take an idea and create a book and movie The principle James says changed his life for the better… and how it uses it daily It’s a fascinating conversation.   Listen in.  You’ll be glad you did. To find out more about the film, go here: tgrmovie.com Go grab the book, go here: Amazon link | Barnes & Noble link Also, be sure to leave a comment and let me know what stood out to you.  Was it a story? A strategy? That awesome accent? What was it. Let me know.  I can’t wait to hear from you. Thanks.

Scott Gerber and Ryan Paugh | Super Connector! - Stop networking. Do this instead. Mitch Matthews interviews Scott Gerber and Ryan Paugh, co-authors of the new book, “Super Connector – Stop networking and start building business relationships that matter.” Scott Gerber is CEO of The Community Company… an organization that builds and manages professional communities for media companies and global brands. Ryan is the co-founder and COO of The Community Company. He also co-founded Brazen Careerist… a career-management site for high achieving young professionals and ambitious college students. They’ve had tremendous success in a short period and they credit their networks for that. In the interview, they cover specific strategies for building great business relationships that make the difference. Listen To The Podcast: Today I interview Scott Gerber & Ryan Paugh, the co-authors of the new book: “Super Connector - Stop networking and start building business relationships that matter.”   Both authors are successful entrepreneurs and executives. They both come from humble backgrounds and they have built successful businesses and impressive personal networks.  Now, they’re sharing how they did it. One of the things that makes this book so unique is Scott and Ryan are very different people.  One bold and brazen.  One quieter and introspective.  One extroverted.  One introverted.   So their strategies for expanding your connections and influence are helpful whether you love to network… or if you throw up just a little when you think about “networking opportunities.” Scott Gerber is CEO of The Community Company… an organization that builds and manages professional communities for media companies and global brands. He is the co-founder of YEC, an invitation-only organization for successful young entrepreneurs, and Forbes Councils, a collective of invitation-only organizations for world-class executives.  He’s also special advisor to Forbes Media, and author of the book Never Get a “Real” Job. Ryan is the co-founder and COO of The Community Company.  He first co-founded Brazen Careerist… a career-management site for high achieving young professionals and ambitious college students.  He then went on to co-found YEC with Scott.  YEC’s members now generate billions of dollars in revenue and have created tens of thousands of jobs. RELATIONSHIPS MATTER: One of the things I’ve learned from interviewing 200+ successful people over the years is that almost all of them point to their network being at the center of their success.  Friends who encourage them.  Business relationships who help get them in the door.  Advocates who help to seal the deal.  Fans who help them spread the word.   Your network matters.  Solid connections help us to reach our potential.  Great relationships make life richer. That’s why I’m excited for you to hear this interview.   I think you’ll dig it.   WHAT STOOD OUT TO YOU? Leave a comment and let me know what story or strategy stood out to you.  What’s something you’re going to try?  I can’t wait to hear from YOU!   GRAB THE BOOK: Again, the book is called: Click here to grab a copy: “Super Connector - Stop networking and start building business relationships that matter.” Let me know what you think!   Keep bringing your awesome, Mitch

Robert Klinck Protect Your Dream & Ideas! Mitch interviews Robert "Bobby" Klinck about the intellectual property laws that exist to protect your big dreams and big ideas. Bobby is an I.P. attorney and Harvard Law graduate. He’s focused on helping entrepreneurs, startups, and innovators harness and protect their intellectual property. They also talk about how technology and social media are changing IP law and the things you need to know to protect your ideas and also stay within the law too! Listen in to be inspired and equipped. Listen To The Podcast: This week, I talk to Robert "Bobby" Klinck. He’s an intellectual property attorney who graduated from Harvard Law. Bobby’s dad was a small business owner, so he’s always had a heart for helping big thinkers and innovators harness and protect their ideas and dreams.   In our conversation, we dive into some of the biggest questions people have about how the law works and key strategies YOU can use right away to keep your ideas (and dreams) safe.  We also talk about how technology and social media are changing the legal landscape and the things you need to know on that front too! We also talk about how to stay within the law when it comes to sharing other people’s ideas too!   His down to earth style and his real world approach were really refreshing! If you’ve ever wondered about how to protect your ideas AND stay within the law as you do… listen in. I think you’ll dig it. And hey… leave a comment and let me know what stood out to you.  Plus, let me know what questions you still have.  We’d love to keep this conversation going and I know Bobby is all about getting you the answers you need! Mitch Bobby’s Contact Info: Website: www.youronlinegenius.com Social Media Links: https://twitter.com/BobbyKlinck https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertklinck https://www.facebook.com/youronlinegenius  

The Scholarship System Check out Jocelyn’s Free Scholarship System Webinar   Jocelyn Pearson was a B-student in high school but she paid for 100% of her college with scholarships.  The scholarships weren’t awarded due to financial need either.  She earned them by figuring out a system for finding, applying for and winning scholarships.  Now, she teaches others how to earn scholarships and graduate from college with zero debt.  It’s not easy.  You have to work at it.  But her system has helped students and families around the country.  In this episode, we talk about her journey and some specific strategies to help you get started!   Listen To The Podcast:   Jocelyn Pearson was a B-student in high school.   Her parents made just enough money so she didn’t qualify for financial aid.  They wanted to help her pay for school, but since she had 5 siblings… they couldn’t. She had a decision to make.  She could take out student loans and go into debt.  Or… she could try to get scholarships.  She went with option B.  BIG time. Even though she was a student with no standout sports or academic achievements… she went after scholarships like. It. was. her. job. Af first… she had no luck.  But then she started to figure things out.  And it paid off. After four years of school (and a semester abroad) she graduated with ZERO debt.     Check out Jocelyn’s Free Scholarship System Webinar     What’s even better is her story didn’t stop there.  She started to teach her friends her “system” and it worked for them too!  Now, Jocelyn is teaching parents and students around the country how to go after scholarships no matter whether they’re academic or sports superstars or not! In this insightful episode of DREAM THINK DO… I talk with Jocelyn about her journey (which is really inspiring)!!  But we also dig into some of the specific steps within her “Scholarship System!” If you’re a student getting ready for college, you’re in college now, OR… you’re a parent or a friend of a current or future college student… you’re going to want to listen to this powerful conversation! Plus, if you can think of someone who needs some help and encouragement on this front… please share it with them! And hey… leave a comment on the part of Jocelyn’s story and/or the strategy that stood out to you!  I can’t wait to hear from you.

Dave Crenshaw Productivity Secret Weapon: FUN (Here's how!) is the master of building productive leaders. He has appeared in Time magazine, USA Today, FastCompany, and the BBC News. His courses on LinkedIn Learning have received millions of views. He’s written 4 best selling books on productivity. In this interview, we dig into simple but powerful strategies for becoming more productive that will work for ANYONE! Listen To The Podcast: Dave Crenshaw is a genius at building productive leaders. He’s appeared in Time magazine, USA Today, and Fast Company.  His online courses have millions of views and he’s written 4 best selling books on productivity. What’s ironic is that he was once diagnosed by a clinical psychologist as “off the charts ADHD.” BUT… Dave took that diagnosis as a personal challenge and developed simple systems that fast-paced business leaders worldwide now utilize to improve focus, structure, and stability. Dave’s newest book is called,         “The Power of Having Fun: How Meaningful Breaks help you to get more done.” In this interview, we dig into simple but powerful strategies for becoming more productive… no matter whether you consider yourself a “naturally organized and productive person” or… you feel like you have the attention of a gold fish. And as an added bonus… some of them they’re are really fun!  Seriously… fun. Comment and let me know which strategy was a favorite.  What’s something you’re going to try?   I can’t wait to hear from you!h Dave Crenshaw Productivity Secret Weapon: FUN (Here's how!) Mitch Mathew!!

Mitch Matthews | The 15-Minute Experiment: A Key to finding your dream job! This week, Mitch talks about a key strategy from his new book, Dream Job: Redefined.  It’s a concept that helped many of the 200+ people he interviewed get unstuck and break out of the rut they were in.  More importantly, it enabled them to get on track to create or find their dream job.  This simple but powerful strategy won’t cost you a penny and you can start in 15 minutes! Listen To The Podcast: We’ve all felt it.  That feeling of being stuck. Maybe things aren’t terrible… but things aren’t right either.    You’re feeling like you’re in a rut. BUT… do you want to know a secret about that feeling?   When I interviewed the 200+ people for my new book, Dream Job: Redefined, many of them told me they’d experienced that exact feeling.   More importantly, they were REALLY grateful for it! Why? Well… that was the feeling that finally made them start to make the changes they needed to make in order to eventually find or create their dream job. That “STUCK-ness” (my word)... was the catalyst for them to start. BUT here’s a second secret. NONE of the people I interviewed wound up taking some crazy blind leap of faith.  Not one.  Nope.  Instead they almost all tried a strategy that I talk about in this week’s episode of DREAM THINK DO. If you want to shake the feeling of STUCK-ness… listen in. It won’t cost you a penny.  You can start immediately.  So… dig in and give it a try. By the way… I shared this concept when I was being interviewed by a podcaster from London.  His response was, “Bloody heck… that’s so simple but I love it.” Okay… he might have said something different than “Bloody heck,” but he did love it. I think you will too. And hey… leave a comment and let me know what you’re going to do with YOUR next 15-minute experiment.  I can’t wait to hear from you! Mitch

Mitch Matthews | Bridge Jobs: The key to finding your dream job This week, Mitch Matthews helps you to answer the question: “How do I get there from here?” In his research for his upcoming book, “Dream Job: Redefined - The New Rules for Creating a Career that Matters and Doing Work You Love,” he found story after story of people either finding or creating their dream job. The key was that they started with what Mitch calls a “Bridge Job.” In this episode, Mitch will explain what a Bridge Job is, why you need one, how to select one and/or how to retrofit your current job into one. This powerful strategy has helped countless people get unstuck and finding a career that matters and work they love. Please share this powerful episode. Listen To The Podcast: He looked polished and professional.  But… deep down... his eyes were sad. His question was, “So how do I get to my dream job from where I’m at now?” My response “Find a Bridge Job.” I understood his question.  He wasn’t in a dream job.  He didn’t love his work and he didn’t feel like his work really mattered.  He longed for a career where he could feel passion for what he did on a day to day basis… but he wasn’t there. More importantly, even though he was unfulfilled in his current work… he didn’t have a ton of spare time or spare cash.  He couldn’t just take a month off to “find himself.”  He couldn’t just quit and take some blind leap of faith.   He had responsibilities.  He had things (and people) he needed to take care of. So… he needed a “Bridge Job.” What’s a “Bridge Job?” I cover it in this week’s DREAM THINK DO episode.  Plus, I talk through how to either find a Bridge Job or retrofit your current job into a Bridge Job… so you can finally get to your next Dream Job.  And don’t worry… this isn’t some airy-fairy approach pointing you to some unrealistic… cotton candy… rainbow-puffy-print type dream job.  (Although cotton candy is pretty tasty.)   Nope.  I used this approach myself to launch my own dream career.  Plus, in all my research for my upcoming book, “Dream Job: Redefined,” I saw this same strategy used by many of the people I’d interviewed who’d either FOUND or CREATED their own dream jobs.   So I wanted to share it with you! Enjoy… and let me know what stands out to you.  Leave a comment and let me know which part of this approach you’re going to try. Keep bringing your awesome, Mitch

Mitch Matthews | Should You Quit? This week, Mitch Matthews helps you to answer the question: “Should I quit my job?”   This is one of the biggest questions people ask Mitch as they consider whether they should quit in order to pursue a dream of turning a side business into their full time work.  He’ll help you to figure out what your “Leap Number” is so you can make the decision to LEAP for the dream with confidence!  This strategy will also help you to have discussions with the important people in your life about this big decision.  Please share this powerful episode. Click Here For Leap Number PDF Download!  Listen To The Podcast: I was speaking at a conference.  After my keynote, a woman approached me. She smiled and then asked, “So… do you think I should quit my job?”  Click Here to Download   It was the first question out of her mouth and it set me back.  I think she picked up on my surprise but she continued.   “You talk about going after your dream job and I’ve got a side business that I love.  I’m just not sure I’ll be able to pay the bills with it if I go full time.  But with my day job, I don’t really have enough time to devote to it.  So, what do you think?  Should I quit my current job to pursue my dream?” My response was quick.   I simply said, “You need to figure out your LEAP NUMBER.” She was a little puzzled but asked, “What’s a Leap Number?” I explained that your ‘Leap Number’ is an equation I use to help people figure IF and WHEN they should quit their job to pursue a dream.   I used it.  In fact, my Leap Number helped me to decide when I should quit my safe-but-bad-fit job and pursue my own business full time.  My Leap Number helped me to make the decision with confidence and to know the time was right!  (And remember… I’m a recovering-worrier… so that REALLY helped!) I’ve also shared this Leap Number strategy with tons of my coaching clients who were making the same decision and it helped them to not only decide when the time was right… but it also helped them to have conversations with the important people in their lives. In this episode… I walk you through: What is a Leap Number? Why do you need one? How do you calculate yours? One other key concept that can make or break this decision! Listen in, download the PDF and figure out YOUR Leap Number. Also, if you know someone who is weighing out this decision… please share it with them.  They’ll thank you! And hey… if you have any questions or feedback on this Leap Number equation… leave a comment below.  I LOVE hearing from YOU! Enjoy. Mitch

This week, Mitch talks with Chandler Bolt.  Chandler is the host of the Self-Publishing School podcast & the author of 6 bestselling books including his most recent book titled “Published.” He’s also the founder & CEO of Self-Publishing School, which is one of the best resources for people wanting to write their first book.  They talk about 3 key strategies for successfully publishing your first book!   Click here for Chandler’s Webinar     Listen To The Podcast: It’s in there. Deep down inside… you know it is. A book. YOUR book. It’s been on your mind to write it. It’s been on your heart. You’ve got some wisdom to share. Some strategies that could help people. Stories that need to get out there. What if 2018 was your year? I think it is. Plus, I want to help! My guest… Chandler Bolt has written and published 6 bestselling books. SIX! He’s helped countless other people do it too. Chandler will be the first to tell you that he was a C-level English student and didn’t like to write. BUT… he had a message. He saw the opportunity. He went for it. And it’s made all the difference. Click here for Chandler’s Webinar In our interview, we talk about the 3 keys to publishing your book. Plus, we do a round of rapid-fire questions that will get you thinking and fire you up! In fact, during that segment… Chandler lays out THE best reason for writing a book… I’ve ever heard! (You’ll have to listen to hear what it is.) Chandler has been on DTD before… but this interview is my favorite. I think you’ll dig it too! Listen in and then leave a comment with the idea/strategy/story that stood out to you. I can’t wait to hear from YOU! Mitch Click here for Chandler’s Webinar  

Mitch Matthews | On Track to YOUR Dream Job! This week, Mitch dives into some of the most important concepts from his new book, “Dream Job: Redefined - The New Rules for Creating a Career That Matters and Doing Work You Love.” The book is based on hundreds of interviews Mitch did with people who had found or created dream jobs. Listen in and get on track to creating a career you love.   Listen To The Podcast:   The subject of “Dream Jobs” can make some people bristle. I get it. With so many people unhappy and unsatisfied in their work situation, it’s easy to assume that “Dream Jobs” are as real as unicorns, little fairies and rainbow-colored pixie dust. But… Dream Jobs exist. How do I know? I’ve interviewed 200+ people who have them. People doing work that matters to them. Real work. Real careers. I LOVED hearing their stories and their strategies so much… I just had to write a book on the subject. It’s called, “Dream Job: Redefined - The New Rules for Creating a Career that Matters and Doing Work You Love.” In this week’s DREAM THINK DO episode, you and I will do a deep dive into some of the most important concepts in the book. PLUS… I offer you a way to get an advanced copy of the book for FREE! So listen in and be sure to grab your free copy. I believe THIS is your year for either FINDING or CREATING your dream job! So let’s get to it. By the way… comment below and let me know your thoughts. What’s an aspect of YOUR Dream Job? I’d love to hear from YOU!