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Balancing the Future Ep. 23 - Intentional Branding and Growth with Kaplan Mobray
151 Plays13 hours ago
In this engaging interview, Kaplan Mobray joins host Chris Mitchell to discuss the importance of building a personal and professional brand with intention. Mobray shares insights on leveraging AI tools responsibly and highlights the significance of maintaining a high standard of excellence. He introduces his upcoming book, "The Green Method," which focuses on resilience and growth. The conversation offers valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and professionals on aligning personal values with career goals to create impactful brands.
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Transcript
Introduction and Host's Excitement
00:00:09
Speaker
So welcome to another episode of Balancing the Future. And I'm telling you, this is this will be good. I am here today with Kaplan Mowbray, and I'm just so excited that you could join us.
00:00:20
Speaker
For those that of you who don't know, who haven't tuned in for the branding ah episode that we did many months ago, I'm telling you, this guy is dynamic. So I'm looking forward to having a conversation. Give us an update of on what you're
Kaplan's Global Branding Journey
00:00:33
Speaker
doing. oh Thank you so much. it's Great to be back for our listeners, viewers. and I've been speaking around the world.
00:00:40
Speaker
really helping people to build their brand, to elevate their standard of excellence, and to become better leaders. and The global expansion has really been the most new. I spent time speaking in Romania ah recently. um and We'll be in Abu Dhabi, we'll be in Portugal, and potentially some other countries. But when I look around the world and look at the opportunity for people to really understand how to be more intentional about life, about career, and about what they want to be known for, their footprint.
00:01:14
Speaker
I see that as a tremendous opportunity.
Socializing Your Brand
00:01:16
Speaker
and um And I want to extrapolate the energy ah intention around the world and inspire people to really live a life of intention and build a brand with intention.
00:01:27
Speaker
You know, one thing that we had talked about, and this is just offline, we were talking about being an entrepreneur. Yes. OK. And the amount of effort that takes. And obviously, socializing your brand the right way is incredibly important. yeah What do you think ah about when I say socialize your brand entrepreneurship? What comes to mind for you?
00:01:48
Speaker
Well, yeah, I think you everyone is an entrepreneur in them because of the business of life yeah as well as the business of your career. think today, as you think about the quality of your effort really does create the quality of your life and the quality of your career.
00:02:06
Speaker
so when you think about your brand, as socializing your brand, especially in the in the age of AI and other technologies, um you have to know the algorithm of your brand.
The Power of Keywords
00:02:16
Speaker
And what are the words, the keywords that lead someone to you or or lead someone to put you in the considered set of what you want to achieve?
00:02:24
Speaker
Most people just kind of say, here's who I am. um And they leave it to chance. And then when you are looking at the the business of your brand, ah the socialization of your brand, you should understand the algorithms, meaning, what are the words? What are the keywords?
00:02:41
Speaker
And how often are you associated with those keywords? How often are you associated with the platforms that um promote or create an environment ah for the problems or challenges that you solve?
00:02:53
Speaker
So two powerful questions that you should always lead with. What are the problems and challenges that you want to be known for solving? What are the opportunities that you want to create? And what are the words that you want to be associated with in any platform so that your brand can be socialized, known, and reverberate across all channels?
00:03:12
Speaker
So when you you mentioned platforms, is there one platform that's more important than another? Because I hear long as you're you're trending, you know, that's that's a good thing. long as you're viral, that's a good thing. yeah is there one platform that's better than another?
Leveraging Social Media Platforms
00:03:25
Speaker
Well, I think trending and viral are very subjective, you know, because I think it's important that people don't just look at numbers or followers, but look at momentum.
00:03:36
Speaker
You know, I think that um when you look at the ability to extrapolate your brand, your brand has to have a purpose and a strategy. Typically, LinkedIn as a channel in the professional realm is the channel where you're going to get more professional business, more professional contacts, more professional referrals. You're going to be connected to someone.
00:03:56
Speaker
It's going to level ah establish level of trust and credibility quickly. um So that platform should be used in that context or can be used in that context to really accelerate the professional nature of your brand amongst other people who could support your business or your career.
00:04:11
Speaker
I look at the other channels as also brand accelerators, brand enhancers. you know So Facebook is a community. you know So there are people who are in your tribe, in community. They just like to see you and cheer you on.
00:04:23
Speaker
you know and But that feeds you even Instagram. Instagram is a tapestry of of images and videos where people can see you in action or see a snapshot of of who you are and and get ah and create a perception of what you may be able to offer or do.
00:04:37
Speaker
And then the other channels, you know, TikTok, YouTube is an excellent channel for video, you know, as you think about it. But they all work. It's not and it, they all work together. okay You know, you just have to understand the, your strategy. Most people posts or or online, but they don't have a strategy.
00:04:53
Speaker
yeah And the strategy means what I want to be known for. um If anyone saw any iteration of me on any channel, what would they be able to say about me that would allow you know that would allow you to actually be known, celebrated, um or referred for the opportunity that you want?
00:05:08
Speaker
And then how do I use the channels in the context of what I'm trying to be known for? video is a great way people try before they buy and so if you're a service provider a business provider uh and you know and or or you know a content creator ah people want to see you in action so they can then refer you for action so video is a great tool for that you know reels today are very powerful um because people have short attention spans and and the attention spans getting shorter.
00:05:39
Speaker
So you have to pull someone in with ah content that allows them to say, tell me more, let me see more, let me learn more. And certainly those channels do that. So when I think about the personal brand and getting it right, and you've gotten it right, in my opinion,
00:05:54
Speaker
OK, how does that translate into a business?
Consistency in Branding
00:05:57
Speaker
If you had a business and you were trying to get that to go viral, on the trend or whatever, people will have confidence in that particular brand. How does that work? How do you socialize that?
00:06:07
Speaker
You know, think the the core principles, whether you're looking at your personal brand or how it ah relates to your business brand, you've got to be known for something. and Okay.
00:06:18
Speaker
You know, it's really important that you're known as a business or as a personal brand, even in your career, be known for something so that you can be known for more than something. you A lot of people don't rise to the level of what I call reverberation, where people know, share, celebrate, like ah you know you as a business or you as a personal brand because they're not known.
00:06:38
Speaker
you know they They do, but they're not known. So it's really important. And you think about being known for something, um being consistent. I think that one of the most powerful things, but also one of the most difficult things for people is to be consistent and disciplined, especially when it comes to their brand.
00:06:54
Speaker
So um creating a unique way to be remembered, but also adding a level of hyper-consistency. Because if people see you one way, they'll always see that way, but they don't see you, they can't know you to refer you.
00:07:07
Speaker
So if you're a business, um if there's something about your business, a unique attribute that you deliver as business, celebrate that. you know Celebrate it, share it with consistency. And that's what allows, I think, businesses to really establish a powerful brand today, especially using ah social media tools.
00:07:23
Speaker
So when I think about because I know you all about strategy. Yes. OK. And I know you about steps. Yes. OK. How do you
Aligning Personal and Business Brand Strategies
00:07:30
Speaker
sync that up? I mean, when I'm walking through and I'm looking at Chris and this is what Chris is known for. You know, I'm a certified professional of 20 plus years and I worked in this industry and so forth and so on.
00:07:42
Speaker
How do I strategically go about aligning all that? I don't to overthink it, but I want to make sure that I'm thinking about it and trying to align the two so it shows up right to the audience. Because what am I selling?
00:07:55
Speaker
could be selling my business. OK, I definitely want you to know about me. But what what does that look like in your formula? and I know you have a way of doing it and mapping it. What would that look like? Yeah, I think it looks like um a consistency of cadence.
00:08:10
Speaker
And what I mean by that is um you want people to know who you are, what you do, how you add value, what you improve, create, grow, shape. And you want them to quickly grasp that you are the solution for a problem that you're that they're trying to solve or an opportunity that they're looking to create.
00:08:27
Speaker
So if you take that as the overall you know sort of it hierarchy of of need, you know we we need Chris, we need your service. How am I going to find you? So create a way to be found, create a way to be remembered, create a way to be celebrated, and then be hyper-consistent on your unique differentiation.
00:08:49
Speaker
And over time, if you keep showing up, the hardest part is people show up and then they fall off. you know if you If you're listening right now, think about the things in the areas of your life. Sometimes it's an exercise routine. Sometimes it's you know it's ah yeah a plan to learn a particular skill, but people show up and then fall off.
00:09:05
Speaker
And the people who resonate as a brand, they show up and they show up and they show up and they show up and they show up. ah And their consistency drives momentum. Momentum keys algorithms that say and put you in front of more people.
00:09:18
Speaker
And then all of a sudden people start to remember your name. One of the most powerful things you can do is to create ability to be remembered and for people to remember your name or your business name.
00:09:28
Speaker
it's It sounds simple, but there's so many and there's so much saturation with people doing similar things, all well-intentioned. So why should someone remember you? How should someone remember you?
00:09:39
Speaker
So spend time um building brand association and recall for you, your name, you, your business name, and the impact that you or your business creates.
00:09:51
Speaker
know, when I think about all of the platforms that are out there and some people look at it and say, well, it's overrated. Yeah. You know, it's and I know better. Yeah. Because I've seen what happens. But what do
Maintaining Brand Presence
00:10:03
Speaker
you say to that? If someone comes to you and say, well, that that's overrated.
00:10:06
Speaker
i I don't need to do all. Surely I don't need to do all that. What do you say to something like that I say think about who you're losing business to and and what they're doing. You know, sometimes, there are people who will show up and then, and taking the platforms online and then they'll disappear for couple weeks, three weeks, maybe a month.
00:10:24
Speaker
And they'll show back up with a post. Your business will not be built on a post. Your brand will not be built on one post. your brand Your brand will be built on the consistency of ah communication, awareness, exposure, intention, capability, skill ah that that loudly and visibly demonstrates that you are the solution.
00:10:47
Speaker
and Because part of the the opportunity with building a brand is consistent effort, ah consistent cadence of communication. I advocate people who want to establish at least two to three times a week.
00:10:58
Speaker
i lose At least two to three times a week. And it doesn't have to be you know an elaborate post, but show up. Show up visibly ah with consistency. One, it will feed the algorithms across the the social media channels that will say, oh, this guy is really in the game.
00:11:14
Speaker
You know, she's really in the game. She's really, you know, is she and and you're associated with a category. So also, what category do you want to be associated with that you're showing up consistently around that particular platform?
00:11:27
Speaker
So I think that level of intention is really key. um You know, two to three times a week means that someone sees you at the beginning of the week. That post has chance to breathe, right?
00:11:37
Speaker
Give it a little break, a chance for people to celebrate you, like you, share you, you know, middle of the week. and Another post to remind people, hey, you know, another thing, I'm adding value, I'm adding more value, another day to breathe.
00:11:49
Speaker
And the end of the week, you know, going into the weekend, you know, they see you, you, another particular post or content, a chance to breathe over the weekend. And the breathing time, what people don't understand is there's a post and then there's a post celebration.
00:12:03
Speaker
And people elevate their brands based on being celebrated or receiving gratitude for what they share. A post is a share. It's a share. you know So when you think about giving people the opportunity to ah like, share, celebrate, refer, repost, reshare, that breathing time is important as it relates to the science and psychology of your posts.
Trust and Brand Recall
00:12:27
Speaker
so So two to three times a week with consistency, um over time you will get known. And you want people to know and like and share you to their network. You wanna access other people's networks.
00:12:39
Speaker
And that's why it's important to have the opportunity to build a brand that is also shared and celebrated with other networks of people who don't know you, but will now know you because of what you share. You know, when I think about someone who does it exceptionally well, I can point to you.
00:12:54
Speaker
Okay. And I know your formula and and please, please share your book. ah yeah this is Yeah, absolutely. This is the 10 Ks of Personal Branding. and i wrote this book, you know, many years ago and when I, you know, started my entrepreneurial journey.
00:13:09
Speaker
And today the principles still resonate, you know, know what you want to be known for, be consistent, um you know, communicate the best of your value. and know how to communicate that.
00:13:19
Speaker
um Turn your story of whatever it is into an opportunity of what you learned and the purpose around your why. Set expectations. You know, your brand comes with a powerful expectation of what you deliver.
00:13:32
Speaker
And especially on social media, when you're showing up consistently, people expect excellence from you, but they'll also share you for excellence, for opportunities. And it's all about creating an opportunity to be celebrated and shared, which allows you to add even more value.
00:13:48
Speaker
So now I'm thinking about a business. Is there a business that's above the others? Because I know there a lot of business. They got Coca-Cola. You got McDonald's. You got some. Are there some businesses that just do it better in building out that infrastructure, as you had mentioned?
00:14:03
Speaker
you I would say one of the ways I'd answer this question is think about the habits and patterns that we learn from businesses. you know I mean, the major companies, major brands, luxury brands, they they all have huge marketing departments that spend a lot of time building ah consistency in how they're showing up. What I do see as it relates to the patterns, um the the companies and the businesses that create experience around their brand,
00:14:31
Speaker
Meaning they show people experience, if it's a consumer apparel, but they show people experiencing the apparel. How do they feel when they're wearing that? you know When people are um know wearing something that inspires them or consuming something that inspires them, they see people being inspired.
00:14:47
Speaker
So when people can see themselves in the context of the quality of the of the product, um the the the consuming of the product, then they can believe that they can have that experience too.
00:15:00
Speaker
So the best brands, it'll create an experience around ah what they do, the product that they that they offer, and the experience and outcome that people have as relates to being associated with that brand.
00:15:14
Speaker
So yeah all these positives. So what are those challenges? won't say who, but where are we making mistakes? You know, I think... One of the biggest mistakes that people make as it relates to their brand, um and I'm going to take this in two ways. One, I'm going to talk to individuals in their career who have dual brands and, you know, they have a different brand on TikTok than they have in their corporate career. And they think that they can be TikTok famous.
00:15:39
Speaker
but but But, you know, when they come into the office, you know, it's like, wait a second, I saw you on TikTok. Oh, I know. So I can't bring you in front of that client because that TikTok is not who we are, you know. So, you know, so so that's one thing. And then the people who are doing it sort of, they're they're they're that not being intentional.
00:16:00
Speaker
about the impact of the brand, they're being intentional just about the post of the brand. And what I mean by that is sometimes you'll you'll have disparate posts that don't necessarily add up or make sense, but it's like, it's a post. You were there just for activity, but you weren't there for impact.
00:16:18
Speaker
Every time that you post as an individual, even as a business brand, you're creating narrative and a story that is all connected. So if you have disconnected posts, meaning either something that isn't really aligned with your value or judgment, but so why did you post that? You know, that's not who you are.
00:16:35
Speaker
then you're not authentic and people then lose trust. ah Building a brand is all about trust. At the end of the day, you build a strong brand because you want people to trust you and select you over something else. So if you have posts that are disconnected or not aligned to what you want to be known for or your values, then often oftentimes people will distrust the overall story.
Authenticity in the Age of AI
00:16:59
Speaker
So those that get it wrong don't take stock in the story of the accumulations, like compounded interest. The accumulation of every single post, it's a drop in the bucket, drop in the bucket, it's drop in the bucket.
00:17:13
Speaker
But every single drop in the bucket should add up to the totality of who you are. And if there's a drop in the bucket that just doesn't seem like you or just doesn't seem um connected to you or your values, you become then less trustworthy. And the reason why this is important today is because, you know, let's face it, a lot of people outsource um their brand to ChatGPT.
00:17:37
Speaker
And ChatGPT is an excellent tool. I'm not going to say it's an amazing tool. um But you have to prompt the tool to be connected to the values that you deliver. you know so and so that way it's authentic if someone doesn't sound like you that's not you and that means that you took less time and less effort to be authentic can i can i chime in because i want to because i experienced something yeah on youtube and you've probably seen these yeah and it's not a human doing it you can tell it's an app or it's a tool or it's sometimes how do you feel about that because it's not authentic it doesn't feel good Yeah, I can tell by how it if there's how can I put it if there's numbering in there? Yeah, it'll represent it differently. yeah
00:18:23
Speaker
and Okay. How do you feel about this? This whole chat GPT and this and the tools that are being used and how they're delivering, you know, things on YouTube and the like, because it doesn't seem authentic. I don't I don't tune into that. Yeah.
00:18:35
Speaker
yeah because i can tell the difference you can tell the difference and um you know i think chat gbt and the ai tools across all the different platforms and there are many good tools um they're great assistants you know not replacements assistants a lot of people are using ai as a replacement for their individual thought because either they don't have any time they're out of time um so people are lazy and some people just want to get it done quick they don't care about the quality ah Chat, GBT, and and other, you know you know, tool A to produce some amazing quality work, but it still has to be connected to your authentic authenticity and and the quality of what you want to deliver.
00:19:12
Speaker
Because if someone sees something that is inauthentic or is that's not real, that's not you, um they will lose interest in the engagement. Um, you know, so I think it's really important that you are very thoughtful in using the powerful tool, you know chat GBT and other the AI tool to be thoughtful, um, or you know, be intentional saying, listen, I created this in a way, leveraging AI, um, to create a story and your narrative connected to the, the content that you shared is still connected to you because you were intentional.
00:19:45
Speaker
So I think it's really important that you are intentional um and that you remain authentic and use and leverage the power of AI, but use in a way that is still connected to the true essence of who you are, what you want to be known for, the quality of your
Accountability in Brand Communication
00:20:01
Speaker
work. It should represent the quality your work. It should enhance the quality of your work, and but it shouldn't be a replacement um or something that that sort of diminishes the quality of who you are what you want to be known for.
00:20:13
Speaker
so when i think about resources and bringing a board of consultants to help socialize the brand what do you think what do you think of that you know because i think it i can use to help because some folks and they're charging a lot of money to do this nowadays absolutely so what do you think about that you know i think that um ai is a great like as an assistant tool and but it still needs a human to prompt it with empathy with you know with action with the the directive that you know i think today's power is in the prompt you know it's in the prompt engineering it's the questions that you ask it's the context that you give the ai and ai tools um and and humans have to do that humans have to activate it you know so i think you know it can be very powerful tool to have someone um you know there's some people who just outsource their brand to a consultant or another agent you know and just make it make it go for me
00:21:07
Speaker
And they may not do the quality check. Is this really me? You know, and they may do it just to save time. I think it's important if you have an outsourcing um your social media or your brand, if you're outsourcing your brand, be intentional to be on top of it as it relates to its quality and and the voice.
00:21:26
Speaker
that is connected to you. um It could be a great tool to have someone, you know, manage your, because that means you're constantly getting impressions, you're constantly out there. and Some people don't have the time to be posting two to three times week, but they have the time to hire someone to post two to three times a week for them, which is great.
00:21:42
Speaker
But it's at end the day, it's your name on the line. It's your business name on the line. It's your business brand on the line. So you have to also take accountability for everything that is posted because regardless of who activated the post, who created the post, it's your name.
00:21:57
Speaker
And because it's your name or your business name, it's your brand. So I know you're passionate about those coming up and through the profession. Yes. Okay. yeah What do you have to say to them? Because a lot of them want to be entrepreneurs. A lot of them want to take that leap of faith right out of college. Yeah. Yeah. So what do you say to them to prepare themselves? I know you, you have words for their personal brand, but.
00:22:19
Speaker
As you just demonstrated, it's about connecting the dots and making sure that it all makes sense and not just overstepping your boundaries. Keep in mind what you posted on TikTok, because that could come back to haunt you. So what are you telling this crowd? Because they're the ones that are out there more than I am, someone like me, but they're out there first. So what do you what do you have to share with them? Yeah, I think it's really important, especially for those that are coming up and out today from school. um to understand the responsibility that they have with the opportunity to build a great brand online.
00:22:54
Speaker
And what I mean by that is when you work for a company, you not just work for a company in the job that you do, you also represent that company's brand.
00:23:06
Speaker
And that company has hired you to be an ambassador of their brand, um their values, you know, ah in a way that is directly aligned um to keeping that company competitive and allowing that company to grow.
00:23:22
Speaker
And we've seen examples throughout history of one post, you know, one, and was a tweet, now it's an X. You know, misaligned
00:23:38
Speaker
post that didn't go ah connected to the company's values by one employee. all of a sudden the company's value declined in the midst of sponsors and clients and advertisers and employees.
00:23:53
Speaker
um Judgment was called into question. And today with the proliferation of tools at our disposal and with the passion that many coming out with this new generation to be influencers, that's, you know, what do you want to be? I want to be an influencer. That's ah you know a badge of honor, an influencer.
00:24:13
Speaker
what does that really mean? That means that you have a responsibility because you have a voice and a platform. So now you are now bringing your voice and your platform to a company that also has a voice and a platform.
00:24:24
Speaker
And the question is, are they aligned? Is there something you're posting on TikTok or, you know, another channel um that your company wouldn't post? um So we have to be aligned today. And we have to understand the responsibility that you have umm coming out. A lot of, you know, this new generation coming out, they don't come with a side hustle. This is just who they are. They are entrepreneur and they are employee.
00:24:50
Speaker
And they they come to work with, and there can be great benefits to that because to be an entrepreneur, you have to have a level of of hustle and grit and determination. You have to accept risk. You have to be able to understand the effort that it takes um to just drive a new outcome.
00:25:05
Speaker
You have to be willing to fail to learn. So there's some essential skills um that entrepreneurism brings that adds value to you as an employee in a firm, in ah in a company.
00:25:16
Speaker
um But you have to understand the alignment of your brand has to match, has to always be matched. And so the responsibility you have to be an influencer means you have to also influence the company's opportunity as working for a company can influence your opportunity.
00:25:30
Speaker
You know, I tell entrepreneurs today early on coming, it's important that even that do you bring the capability and skill that you've developed, even working for a firm or organization, that helps your brand credibility as an influencer. Because now people can say, i trust you because of the background that you had working in that particular organization.
00:25:48
Speaker
You're capable because of the work that you did, having that role, having that title. And now I support you as an influencer for what you want to do with your own business, understand that you have the credentials to be supported and celebrated.
00:26:00
Speaker
So when I think about your brand and your global, yeah how hard is that to be global? Because you're dealing with different cultures and situations and the politics and yeah everything.
Adapting to Global Markets
00:26:12
Speaker
How do you deal with it? How do you manage that? You know, the first thing is you have to be relevant always and everywhere. you So that's the first thing. So the first question, whether I'm speaking, you know, in the Middle East, where I'm speaking in in Europe or in Asia, as an example, how can I be relevant?
00:26:31
Speaker
So, you know, for me, um oftentimes they don't see my style of energy and engagement. it's like, wow, this guy's coming with a lot of energy and the culture may be very reserved. Right. You know, it may be very reserved, you know, and maybe, you know, ka punra and you know, multi-mask, you know multimas it may be just very reserved. And I'm coming up with, you have the opportunity to drive amazing growth in your life. You have to build a powerful brand. I'm coming up with all this energy and like, whoa, you know, so um how can I be relevant? That's the first question I ask.
00:27:00
Speaker
And relevant means how can I create meaning in the context of their environment? that allows them to receive me and my energy, but also for me to extrapolate the energy as an opportunity.
00:27:12
Speaker
Oftentimes i in in global countries, they haven't seen someone like me or someone delivering energy in the style that I do. So I say, how can I be a gift to this audience?
00:27:25
Speaker
and give them the chance to awaken sensibilities, awaken opportunity, awaken passion in what they do. Passion is a universal vitamin that goes globally.
00:27:38
Speaker
So someone will find passion something they do. So if I can elevate the level of passion that people have about success, about their future, about their brand, about their business, about their career, um people can accept that because I'm here to help and be a gift.
The Green Method and Personal Growth
00:27:52
Speaker
So I'm intentional, but I'm also, I want to be relevant. You know, so I learned, you know, 20 to 25 to 30 words, you know, in that native language, you know, so I immediately want to connect to with the, with the group, you know, so, um but I learned about the culture, you know, some cultures, you know, have a hard time with people standing out.
00:28:13
Speaker
um So, but standing out is an opportunity to actually serve more. so so ah you know it takes attention to be relevant uh first as i also extrapolate my level of energy globally So when I think about this step, and I want you to share on that next step, because I know you get some things in the works.
00:28:33
Speaker
Yeah. Please share that. Yeah, I have a new book in the works. yeah It's called The Green Method. Okay. and you know, people, they know me. um You know, I always get the question, you know, I'm walking through the airports or people see say, hey, what's up with the green?
00:28:49
Speaker
you know what's up with the green tie you know they see me they see i me on social media uh you know and um my name on social media is just kaplan mowbray on all my channels but they say what's with the green and i love the conversation piece you know i'm very intentional um you know i say the first thing i say when wherever you are in the world if you just look outside the window the things that are green that you see are growing So green is a symbol of growth.
00:29:15
Speaker
you know It's a symbol of growth. and i And as a speaker, as ah as a you know motivator, as ah i want to help people to grow their life, grow their business, grow their career, grow their sales, grow their mindset.
00:29:28
Speaker
So it's a symbol of growth. and But green is also, i when you think about ah today's world, ah mental health is a big consideration.
00:29:40
Speaker
ah in driving high performance or stumbling or being a stomach block. There are many people who have a great capability, but the changes, the volatility of the world, um you know the change as ah change in general keeps people stuck.
00:29:57
Speaker
so And their mental health gets challenged. And if your mental health gets challenged, you can't move forward. um Green is an object of go. you know Green means go.
00:30:08
Speaker
Green means growth. So I really have this empathy for helping people to be more mindful of how they can move forward, even in the midst of life's difficult challenges and circumstances.
00:30:24
Speaker
The reality is this. Most people face an unexpected or unfavorable event in their life, and they have to figure it out. you know And the and the the figuring out can cripple their ability to move forward. You know you you think about people who, you know I look at events just even in history, you know even you know wildfires in LA or you know um natural disasters, um you know unfortunate events that have happened where people were going to life one day and all of a sudden life um put something in their path that they didn't ask for.
00:30:57
Speaker
that was unfavorable, was unexpected, uncertain, and now they have to deal with it. Or you lose a job, you know, and you think you're doing really well. And you go to work one day and the company's just, the budget has has changed, the economy has changed, and you're doing really well, and you love your organization, but you lose your job.
00:31:18
Speaker
You didn't plan for it. And for some people, it stops them in their tracks. um So I realized that, and it it affects their mental health and then erodes performance and then it erodes future performance.
00:31:30
Speaker
So when I think about the context of elevating high performance, especially for organizations that want to elevate the performance of their workforce, um this new book, The Green Method is, and the principles are G-R-E-E-N. So um the first is gratitude.
00:31:47
Speaker
When something hits you, in an ah an unfavorable event, um and maybe it's an unfavorable life event, The first thing you have to do is just pause and and take a deep breath.
00:31:59
Speaker
If you took that breath, you have the opportunity um to improve that circumstance as tough as it was. And so the immediate reaction to an unfavorable circumstance is gratitude.
00:32:17
Speaker
You got to just have it on the ready. You got to have it um you know just in in in store, in stock. You just got to have it. So immediately something happened. Oh, you know, i missed my flight. Oh, but I'm grateful that I get to take another one.
00:32:31
Speaker
You know, um a law like you know ah my my house burned down. house burned down, but I have my life. Some people's house burned down, but they didn't have their life. You know, I lost my job, um but I have a good network but that I it can rely on to help me get back.
00:32:49
Speaker
I have the opportunity to get back. I'll opportunity a new skill. So gratitude has to be on the ready and to keep you moving forward. Because if you don't have gratitude, all of a sudden the gravity of the unfavorable circumstance will weigh on you and it will push you down and it will will push your will, your resolve to move forward, which will affect your mental health, which then affects your future performance.
00:33:18
Speaker
And now then it's harder to get back. So gratitude, and the the second principle is reach. We call it resilience, but but it's reach. When something pulls you down, you gotta reach for something to pull you up. got to reach.
00:33:29
Speaker
And the act of reaching for something means you're actually actively looking for something to pull you up. You're looking to reach for opportunity, reach for new knowledge, reach for a new new a new network connection, you know reach for a new business opportunity. But you got to reach. It's an active approach to resolving an unfavorable incident, circumstance, or challenge.
00:33:52
Speaker
And reach means I have the will inside me to extend myself, to stretch myself, to learn something new, especially in this job market, you know especially where people you know are they're saying, well, my job going replaced by by AI. No, but you can reach for the ability to learn skills and that allow you to be more relevant today. You got to reach for it. you got to be intentional.
00:34:12
Speaker
so So that's the the the the R. The E energy. Energy. ah energy And what I mean by energy is mental health oftentimes affects people's mindset, the what they think about, the how they think about, the self-talk that they have, the the what you tell yourself about your surroundings and your opportunity.
00:34:31
Speaker
So you have to keep yourself in the mindset, the right energy. The positive energy says, no, I don't have to do this. I get to do this. I get to do this. This is a challenge, but this is an opportunity.
00:34:45
Speaker
They told me no, but I flipped the words around and now it's on. It's the same word, just used differently. You control your energy and your mindset. and it will help you power through anything. And then the the next E and the N is is excellence. Hold yourself to a high standard of excellence, regardless of what happened. And that's hard because sometimes when life hits you or circumstance hits you, you want to erode your performance too. You want to fall back.
00:35:10
Speaker
you know COVID you know ah taught us this. Some people fell back. you know I get to work from home in my pajamas. so I'm comfortable. you know I'm real comfortable. I don't want to go back. and I'm comfortable.
00:35:21
Speaker
And now your standard has depleted. And now you're focused more on comfort and convenience and and versus just the standard of excellence. So you have to hold yourself, whatever it is for you, hold yourself to a high standard of excellence, which is E. And the final N is have a non-negotiable.
00:35:37
Speaker
Think about in your life, in your career, what's the non-negotiable that you have? What's something that you will do regardless of what happens? What's something that you will be regardless of what happens? What's your non-negotiable? Most people have, ah life is is dictated by what happens to them.
00:35:52
Speaker
not the non-negotiable that they bring to life. I'm going to be excellent. I'm going to call my mom every every day, you know once a day. I'm going to you know make sure that I check in with my friend. I'm going to research. now I'm going to exercise three times a week.
00:36:06
Speaker
Whatever it is that powers you, have a non-negotiable. So when you take all that together, these principles, you can move forward. And guess what?
00:36:17
Speaker
You're also prepared for the unfavorable circumstance before it happens. So when it happens, you know how to snap into action to keep moving forward. Man, that's excellent.
00:36:27
Speaker
You know, when I think about what's going on with the various generations, yeah and we've got a generation out there that has been exposed to COVID yes and has come up through corporate
Advice for the Younger Generation
00:36:36
Speaker
through COVID. to covid And I think about g green yeah and think about that one group because I like you to leave that that group with some kind of takeaway. because I just think that they can do something a little differently to help their equation. So when you think about that group yeah and the struggle and the COVID, what do you recommend? Because I know you got your philosophy, you got green. What do you recommend for them?
00:36:59
Speaker
You know, I think, you know, this generation is one, having come through COVID, but then two, the proliferation of you know, outsourcing feedback, you know, online. So I get a like, I feel good.
00:37:16
Speaker
I don't get a like, I don't feel good. You know, I, you know, I'm not part of this particular group, why? You know, there are things that that erode ah mental health, mental stability based on um feedback or validation online.
00:37:31
Speaker
You know, so for for this, grant and and you know, it's just, it's the it's the time that we're in. um So for this group coming up, which I have a lot of empathy and celebration for, um create more celebration and create more gratitude.
00:37:46
Speaker
and Those two two things are really important. um Because you think about mental health and you think about um your ability to move forward in life. If you feel celebrated, you feel encouraged, even if you're going through a difficult time.
00:38:01
Speaker
But if you don't feel celebrated, you you can become very discouraged, especially when things aren't going your way. So create more celebration. And what I mean by that is um to create a celebration, you have to be a celebration.
00:38:16
Speaker
If to create celebration, you have to be a celebration. So um celebrate your ability to help others. Celebrate, um you know, I say, you know, be unequivocal with your thank yous. Thank people. You know, I know someone who has a, you know, a gratitude call every Friday.
00:38:31
Speaker
and I received one. um And every Friday, just call someone and say, hey, I'm grateful for you. Thank you for what you do. You know, and just someone in there, you know, so that way, you know, be intentional about ah extending yourself for others.
00:38:46
Speaker
and celebrating what you do. And so I'm proud of, and because I did this, I'm proud that I can do that. So that's one. So, you know, celebrating. And the gratitude is just, and you know, be grateful for the opportunity that you have.
00:38:58
Speaker
You know, and I say, know, the practice, mindset practice, when you wake up in the morning, who are you today? You know, what's the superhero that you are today? Who are you? Give yourself an attribute, because guess what? Someone's going to give you an attribute.
00:39:09
Speaker
You know, they're going to give an attribute online through an algorithm, but someone's going to give you an attribute. So start your day by saying, who am I today? I am grateful. I am joyful. You know, I'm a great leader.
00:39:20
Speaker
You know, I'm strong. I'm confident. And let that power your mindset. um The second is, you know, what are you looking forward to? If you have an aspiration to look forward to something, you have that powerful way to positively connect your mindset to positive action.
00:39:38
Speaker
You know, so who are you? What are you looking forward to? what are you grateful for? ah Just that simple practice every morning will center you in excellence, center to you in confidence, and will allow you to, especially this generation, to um take the opportunity that you have with all the ways that you can influence others to be a great value to someone or something else.
00:40:04
Speaker
as always, you did a phenomenal job and I really do appreciate you. And I know that we just caught up a short time ago. So i appreciate you, you making the time to be a part of this. So um so thank you.
00:40:19
Speaker
Thank you. Yeah, now it's a pleasure. mean, I think these conversations are so important um because I think you never know who you're going to reach, who's having that day, whatever that you put in quotes, whatever that day is.
00:40:33
Speaker
And just the message of hope, positivity, encouragement, and learning. you I think we should we all have this the ability to learn from each other. um And I think that this opportunity, this conversation, these conversations allow people to learn um and take something away. My hope is that the someone takes something away that they go out and do and become better. um they they They do something in the way that they think about themselves.
00:40:59
Speaker
or the way that they um act with their work and their profession, and that that holds them to a high standard. I believe you will operate to the level of your standards. So if you have a high standard or you keep raising your standard, you'll raise your level of effort, you'll raise your level of outcome.
00:41:16
Speaker
But if you don't know your standard, you will be withered by whatever comes your way. And think about the things that wither, if you're going this way, you the movement and the friction is holding you down.
00:41:28
Speaker
you have a high standard, you're moving, you're moving, you're growing. So get in touch with your standards. One of the most powerful relationships you can have is with your standard. Fantastic. Well, thank you. Thank you so much. Awesome. Awesome. thank you so much. You know, i often have a lot to say at the end of a podcast, but today I'm at a loss for words.
00:41:46
Speaker
um But what I learned is that don't give up. Don't give up on yourself. Yeah. Make sure you understand that you matter and you need to develop a brand. It's not if it's when you go about doing this and going through the exercise.
00:42:02
Speaker
Also, be cognizant of the fact that every day is a new day. So forget about tomorrow and let's focus on today. That's all I have to share.
00:42:14
Speaker
Thank you for joining me on another episode of Balancing the Future, and I look forward to the next conversation.