Skip to main content

Author: Robin Thompson

How To Achieve Successful Collaboration In Your Business

Written by Robin Thompson on . Posted in Blog, Business Development, Leadership, Networking.

When you gather people together, you are helping them get connected with one another. Let's talk about collaboration in your business.

How To Achieve Successful Collaboration In Your Business

The Small Business Collaboration talks with Tina Dietz, international speaker and owner of Start Something Creative Business Solutions, about how to create immediate trust and confidence in business collaborations. Tina discusses how communication is the heart of business and advocates for good communication, as it is critical to ensuring effective collaborations. Good leaders and business owners must have communication to run a successful business and to achieve the best collaboration (which can also help personal growth). When you gather people together, you are helping them get connected with one another. They get to see who you are deep down and connect on a level that isn’t based on small talk.

During the interview, Tina explains and touches on many collaboration key factors such as:

  • The main ways that entrepreneurs are getting communication wrong and strategies to establish trust to build confidence
  • How to recognize “Happy Puppy Syndrome,” which is when entrepreneurs get so excited and passionate about something their message can be overwhelming. You can get too excited and come at someone too strong with too much information, rather than letting them come to you
  • Learning how to get a sense of non-attachment
  • Learn how to trust yourself
  • Have a system in place
  • Trust and build relationships with colleagues without getting attached

Tina also brings in personal experience and excitedly talks about the collaboration that she is most proud of, which is the Evolutionary Business Council, a global organization of thought leaders, teachers, and people looking to make a difference in the world.  The idea of the organization is to achieve shared influence and collaboration. She has been a part of this organization for a little over six years and has gained a number of amazing things from it, some which include:

  • Collaborations
  • Clients
  • Friendships
  • Media Attention
  • Emotional support

She also talks about the keys to a successful collaboration:

  • Use your inner and outer voice as a tool — The mechanics of it can be used to make people really want to learn more about who you really are, your credibility, and your trustworthiness
  • Understand and align on a personal level with your own values
  • Create company and brand that is based off of and aligned with your values
  • Never force a connection
  • Build a relationship that works for both parties
  • Establish trust
  • Communication structure: have a relationship where you feel safe communicating about all aspects of business
  • Shared values, dreams, and goals between yourself and business partners
  • Get things in writing, which falls under the category of clear communication
  • Learn how to deal and flow with the unexpected

Collaborations aren’t always going to be successful; this goes for anyone. Sometimes on the surface, things can appear perfect, even with a friend. Intellectually, someone may have great ideas but not always follow through with those ideas. While this is harmful, it teaches you to count on yourself first and start smaller, to earn that trust and to ensure you are in alignment, not only verbally but also in reality. This is huge with not getting attached. Tina emphasizes multiple times how you are more successful when you aren’t attached to an outcome, which allows for you to communicate openly and freely. It’s okay if something doesn’t work out because there are other opportunities out there. 

Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely journey, but collaborations are all about strength in numbers.  Remember to always put yourself out there and ask for help, build relationships. When you put out an idea, you can quickly start to create collaborations that aren’t part of your core business that can take you in different directions that are equally exiting. There is unlimited growth in so many different areas and directions that you never even knew existed.

Want to learn more about how we can help you develop successful collaborations in your business?

Are You a Purple Squirrel? Should You Be?

Written by Robin Thompson on . Posted in Blog, Leadership, Personal Development.

Have you ever heard the term “purple squirrel?” No, we aren’t talking about a mythical animal (even though that would be really cool). “Purple squirrel” in our terms is an analogy for a very particular type of person. Wondering what it means to be a purple squirrel? You might even be one! 

Purple Squirrel - Tina Dietz

What is a Purple Squirrel?

A purple squirrel is someone with a really unique skillset who can apply those skills in a number of different ways. Years ago I read an op-ed piece in the New York Times noting that employers were searching for new employees who were “purple squirrels,” something that doesn’t really exist in nature. Companies in essence were looking for people who had a large skillset who could apply skills to a variety of different areas but remain in one position within the company. I had to laugh, because I immediately identified with being one of these rare creatures.

The Downsides to the Purple Squirrel Life

If you say to yourself, “Okay, sure…I think I am a purple squirrel. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Well, as with most personality traits, there’s a little of good AND bad (but mostly good). A purple squirrel has many assets and can utilize them in almost any scenario. They are strong-willed and determined. If you can analyze data and still have a great background in marketing, if you’re a very good people-person but still know all the current software, or if you can do anything at a job in any position in that firm, you hopefully are viewed as a tremendous asset in your workplace, a valued leader. On the other hand, being a purple squirrel in a company may evoke fears from others that you’re going to take their job or be constantly trying to compete with them. Also, we all know that personalities can clash, because some people just aren’t that easy to get along with; those types of individuals really perceive a purple squirrel as a threat. A purple squirrel often speaks their mind, and sometimes others in a working environment can struggle being around this type of personality.

The Upsides

The benefits of being a purple squirrel are tremendous and can lead to great success. As purple squirrels, we have a unique vision that we want to fulfill and a unique skill set with which we can use to fill it. The challenge of having a unique vision is that not everyone can understand what you’re aiming to accomplish with that vision-so purple squirrels thrive when they can find other purple squirrels who speak the same “language.” Purple squirrels often ditch conventional 9-5 jobs and use their diverse skills and moxy to launch their own company and showcase their abilities, becoming the leaders they’ve always wanted to be by making their own rules. It’s not necessarily an easy path, but it’s a deeply fulfilling one and the innovation that purple squirrels bring to the world makes the world a better place.

You can use your “purple squirrel powers” to address the challenges you experience along the way. Cultivate your compassion for those who may be triggered or feel threatened by your unique skills. You don’t have to necessarily call someone out, but be open to the fact that they may feel a certain way that is different than how you feel. Deep communication skills are essential for purple squirrels, because often you can shift someone from being threatened to becoming your ally by being willing to get creative, dive into the difficult conversations, and find creative solutions.

Some people tend to think of purple squirrels as “too much,” but don’t let it suppress your purple squirrel-ness. Just again bring your compassion and perception to the forefront, understanding that some personality types need time to process in order to use their skills better, so a highly expressive purple squirrel can be overwhelming – and you might be missing out on a fellow purple squirrel who happens to be more of an internal processor! This is never personal; it’s just the wiring of how each individual functions—it’s all different.

Are You a Purple Squirrel?

So, what makes YOU a purple squirrel? Take some time, sit back, and think about your skills and how you use them. Do you think you’re a part of this magical circle of personality types? This will help you be a better leader as you realize and absorb those purple squirrel powers.

Purple squirrels need each other. As a fellow purple squirrel, I speak from experience when I say that it is so important to support each other and reach out to one another. We succeed faster and better when we have like minded squirrelocity around us. When you meet another purple squirrel, bring them into the tribe and help them achieve their success and understanding how to utilize their skills.

So get out there and shout out that you are a purple squirrel, and be proud to be one. Let that squirrel flag fly, fluff those tails, twitch those ears, and declare your membership in purple squirrel tribe! We are leaders, and we can do anything we set our minds to! 

Want some help figuring out what obsession can boost your business?

The Bright Future of Audiobooks with Tina Dietz: Part Two [Podcast]

Written by Robin Thompson on . Posted in Audiobook Marketing, Business Development, Leadership, Marketing, Podcast.

In Part Two of this episode of The Writer Files, audiobook publisher, award-winning podcast producer, and internationally acclaimed speaker, Tina Dietz, returned to wrap up our chat about her passion for helping authors grow their audiences, why you should produce an audiobook, and the bright future of audio content.(Podcast on The Writer Files, December 11, 2018)

Future of Audiobooks - Tina dietz

Tina is an entrepreneur and content marketing expert who has been featured on ABC, Inc.com, Huffington Post, and Forbes (to name a few), and her company, StartSomething Creative Business Solutions, helps authors and entrepreneurs expand their audiences with audio content.

She is an award-winning podcaster and an expert in leveraging and repurposing content, and her company specializes deeply in audiobook production and publishing for one simple reason …

Tina and her cohorts love to help authors expand their audiences, income, influence, and opportunities.

If you missed the first half you can find it here.

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.

Audible is offering our listeners a free audiobook with a 30-day trial membership. Just go to audibletrial.com/writerfiles and browse their unmatched selection of audio programs, download a title free, and start listening! It’s that easy. Go to audibletrial.com/writerfiles to get started today.

In Part One, Tina and I talk about:

  • The surprising truth about who should, and who should not, narrate their own audiobook
  • How to decide whether to invest the time and money in professional voice narration or go DIY
  • The art and science that goes into a bestselling audiobook
  • Why you can’t rush professionally produced audio
  • Where to send your audiobook once it is finished
  • The future of audio content and smart coffee makers
  • And why you need to fall in love with your own voice and message

The Show Notes:

Interested in learning more about audiobooks and howaudio content can help your business and career?

Audio Marketing for Authors 101

Written by Robin Thompson on . Posted in Audiobook Marketing, Blog, Business Development, Marketing, Sales.

Audio marketing is an extension of getting your voice out into the world and creating core relationships with your audience, resulting in more book sales and raving fans.

Audio Marketing Get Your Kids to Learn - Tina Dietz - audiobook expert

In this interview for Author Bridge Media, StartSomething founder Tina Dietz discusses the fundamentals of audio marketing for authors.

  • Authors are always looking for a way to get their work into the world
  • Why audio marketing is a very important key for book marketing
  • Benefits and pitfalls of audio marketing
  • Technical considerations
  • Types of audio marketing, including podcasting and audiobooks
  • How to fall in love with your own voice if you don’t like the way you sound
  • Considerations for hiring a narrator for your audiobook vs. narrating a book yourself
  • What you need to know about self-narration for your audiobook
  • Tips for hiring the right narrator for your audiobook
  • How to know if you should start a podcast
  • Tips for how to get on more podcasts

Audio Marketing can create an entire community of your audience, bring people together around your message, and help them connect with you on a deeper level.

Ready to explore audio marketing?

The Bright Future of Audiobooks with Tina Dietz: Part One [Podcast]

Written by Robin Thompson on . Posted in Audiobook Marketing, Business Development, Leadership, Marketing, Podcast.

​This week audiobook publisher, award-winning podcast producer, and internationally acclaimed speaker, Tina Dietz, took a timeout to chat with me about her passion for helping authors grow their audiences, why you should produce an audiobook, and the bright future of audio content.(Podcast on The Writer Files, December 4, 2018)

Future of Audiobooks - Tina dietz

Tina is an entrepreneur and content marketing expert who has been featured on ABC, Inc.com, Huffington Post, and Forbes (to name a few), and her company, StartSomething Creative Business Solutions, helps authors and entrepreneurs expand their audiences with audio content.She is an award-winning podcaster and an expert in leveraging and repurposing content, and her company specializes deeply in audiobook production and publishing for one simple reason …

Tina and her cohorts love to help authors expand their audiences, income, influence, and opportunities.

If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click subscribe to automatically see new interviews.

Audible is offering our listeners a free audiobook with a 30-day trial membership. Just go to audibletrial.com/writerfiles and browse the unmatched selection of audio programs – download a title free and start listening. It’s that easy. Go to audibletrial.com/writerfiles to get started today.

In Part One of this file Tina Dietz and I talk about:

  • The Renaissance of audiobooks, the fastest growing format in publishing
  • When authors should start thinking about audiobook production
  • The importance of reading your book out loud for editing
  • Tina’s twisty journey from voice acting to helping authors’ tell their own stories with audio
  • Why audiobooks are more popular than ever
  • And who can benefit the most from publishing an audiobook today

The Show Notes:

Interested in learning more about audiobooks and howaudio content can help your business and career?

7 Succulent Ways to Promote Your Audiobook

Written by Robin Thompson on . Posted in Audiobook Marketing, Blog, Leadership, Marketing.

Audiobook sales will top 3 billion dollars in 2018. We’re going to give you some tips and ideas you can use to promote your audiobook masterpiece!

Promote Your Audiobook - Tina Dietz

So you’ve decided to publish an audiobook version of your book – great idea! Audiobook sales will top 3 billion dollars in 2018. BUT, guess what?

That also means you need to (gasp!) market your audiobook. Many authors think of marketing as a big scary thing you have to do in order to avoid failure, but think about your marketing time as time spent getting to know your readers and finding out what interests them.

Whether you’re promoting online, in print, or by word of mouth, there are many different options you can use to help in this process. To help get you started, we’re going to give you some tips and ideas you can use to promote your masterpiece!

Connect with Amazon

After your audiobook has been completed, the first thing you should do is look your book up on Amazon to ensure that the audiobook version is listed on the book’s page. If your audiobook is not listed, contact Amazon to request that the editions get combined. This is particularly helpful because some people exclusively listen to audiobooks, and if they are looking for the book, they will see the audiobook available on the same page in one easy search. Whispersync can also help here, because it synchronizes the Audible audiobook and the Kindle e-book so that you can switch between them with ease. You can go from reading your book in the living room to jumping in the car and listening right where you left off in the story.

Social Media

​Promoting your work online and via social media is a must for any author. Based on who your reader is, focus your efforts on using the social media platform that your readers most use. Do you have an author page on Facebook if that’s where your readers are most? If it’s Twitter, use hashtags wisely so that people who are searching for your book or general book genre can identify your project by interest. Facebook also allows you to promote your post by adding a filter to it to enable traffic with the specific interest. Overall, posting on social media sites using videos created to promote your audiobook (with a snippet of your 5 minute retail sample) or quote memes pulled from your audiobook’s content will bring attention and will also be great for your book’s search engine optimization efforts by back linking to your book’s sales pages.

Promote to Audio Listeners via Podcasts

​Just as you wouldn’t want to waste time pitching your audiobook to a paperback only crowd, you don’t want to promote your audiobook to them either. You want to focus on the audio listeners and the best place to find them is through podcasts! Podcast audiences are already listening and therefore they’re more likely to also be listening to audiobooks. Listen to some podcasts that would be a good fit for your audiobook and take some notes on the audience, jot down contact info, and contact podcasters about what you could bring to the show as a guest. Special giveaways or an inside view of your creative or writing process are good hooks to get listeners to tune in. You can also use your 5 minute audiobook retail sample in your podcast interview or in the episode’s “show notes” to give listeners a preview-both creating interest and generating traffic back to your audiobook’s sales page.

Be Their Guest

Being featured on someone else’s website as a guest blogger is a great way to get noticed and promote your work. In addition to guest blogs, consider Tweet chats, local radio stations, and YouTube interviews. You can reach out to hosts in the same friendly and value-oriented way that you would to ask to be on a podcast. If your audiobook narrator has a blog, ask them if you can guest blog and then host your narrator on your own blog for an article or interview. The more channels you appear on, the more you get the word out about your work. You can even write a blog that interviews the main character of the story and publish this on sites that engage with your readers and audience. This is a fun way to get attention, and it engages your readers in even more.

Free Audiobook Sample

​Giving people an easy, risk-free way to sample your audiobook will peak their interest and have them craving more. When you create your audiobook, you have a “5 minute retail sample” that is featured on your audiobook retail pages so that potential listeners can have a taste of your work. You can use the 5 minute audio clip as a free sample that you can embed on your website in blog posts and on all social media platforms.

Reviews

​Just as there are reviewers for standard print books and e-books, there are also reviewers who specialize in audiobook reviews. By using a google search or checking directories you can find publications, websites, bloggers, and many others that you can submit your audiobook for a review. As these reviews start pouring in, use the positives to your advantage. Post or share these reviews on your websites or social media accounts to draw in more attention, and to spread the word. If you use ACX to produce your audiobook, you can email ACX to receive 25 free promo codes that can be used to send your audiobook to potential reviewers in exchange for a review.

Video Book Trailer

​Sometimes people make their audiobook trailers too long and it can lose the listener’s interest or make them feel as if they have already learned all there is to know already about the book. You want to keep it edgy and have the audience eager to know more or find out what happens next. Also, keep in mind that most people are always in a hurry and only have but a minute or two to spare, so try to get as much detail as you need squeezed into a video that’s two minutes or less. To make it easy, you can again use the 5 minute retail sample of your audiobook to help create your book trailer. Make sure to feature your trailer on your website, social media sites, and even in your e-mail signature.

There are hundreds of ways authors and narrators can market audiobooks, but it’s important to focus on making a connection with readers. Learn where your readers spend their time the most, and that will help you determine where you should focus on sharing about your work. If you offer valuable content and engagement, you will see the same in return, and remember that listening is the new reading, so promoting your audiobook and doing it well is worth it.

Want help creating & promoting your audiobook? My team and I have the expertise you need to unleash your masterpiece

Questions to Ask to Evaluate and Manage Your Ideas

Written by Robin Thompson on . Posted in Blog, Business Development, Creating Wealth, Leadership, Podcasting.

Too many ideas? Shiny ball syndrome? Ask yourself these questions to evaluate and manage your ideas and find the right actions to take to ensure success

Evaluate and Manage Your Ideas - Tina Dietz

I’m a creative person, as many of you are, and I have always dealt with the problem of having a large number of ideas all the time. I call it a problem because that’s what it was before I really learned how to start wrangling all my thoughts and turning them into productive ideas rather than getting caught in the “shiny ball syndrome” that takes us away from the things we need to be focusing on in order to produce the results that we keep saying we want.  

When we’re looking at any idea, we have to bring it outside of ourselves. Examine it like you’re examining a physical object. Look at all the parts: What do you like about it?  What about it has you absolutely enamored? What parts of it are causing you to hold onto it? What do you see about it that connects with the things that you’re thinking about doing or that you’re already doing? Will it slide in easily or take you in another direction? Is it a missing-piece-idea that fits in perfectly with what you have going on, or will it come into play later in the plan?

Asking the Right Questions

Ask yourself these questions to evaluate and manage your ideas and find the right actions to take to ensure productivity and a serene and calm approach to your projects:

  • Will it make a current part of your plan easier?
  • Will it make something better?
  • Will it make something faster?
  • Will it make something more profitable?
  • Will it make it more enjoyable?

If the answer to any—or all—of those questions is “yes,” put it into your plan. This is why I always recommend having a very flexible, creative, and strategic vision plan so that you can slide pieces in and incorporate them into what you’re already doing without throwing a big wrench into the plan.

If the answer to those questions were all “no,” but it’s a good idea, it might just be a good fit for later in the process. Slide it later into the plan, stop thinking about it right now, and use that as a holding center for your idea. It’s not going anywhere, and you can get to it at the appropriate time in the plan without distracting yourself now.

Putting Things into a GeoSync Folder

If the idea is one that you really don’t want to get rid of, but it doesn’t really fit into anything, you can put it into what I call a GeoSync folder. Think of yourself like a satellite, and you have ideas orbiting all around you. Turn this into a concrete idea, and create a GeoSync folder on your computer, Google Drive, or where ever you store your files. Keep track of your ideas, and review them every couple of months when you review your strategic vision plan. This way, they’re not taking up brain space or creating anxiety, but they’re also not disappearing into the ether that is lost thoughts and ideas.

Capture & Release…of Ideas?

It’s important to start an Idea Capture and Release Program. We all know that ideas don’t always come to us at the most convenient times. If we’re being honest with ourselves, we realize that our best ideas usually don’t come to us when we're sitting behind a desk in an office, but rather when we’re using other parts of our brains and allowing our brains to be a little more free-thinking and creative. Where we get ideas is different for all of us, but the important part is to have a way to capture these ideas and not let them slip away.  

This is where habit-building comes in handy. Most of us having our phones with us nearly all the time. Use that to your advantage, and have a spot on your phone—either in your email or a note app—where you have a running list of ideas. Sync this with your GeoSync folder to bring your short-term thoughts of in-the-moment ideas that were captured, and combine them with your long-term stored ideas in GeoSync.

Bill Gates famously said, “I keep my plate full at 60%.” The first time I heard this, it really surprised me because of the amazing enterprises he built. He left 40% of his time for thinking and creative time, reading, or writing. Although these things seem like idle activities on the surface, they are actually the life-blood of creativity and allow your plans and actions to be more streamlined and better aligned with one another. We have a tendency to get really caught up in the hamster wheel of day-to-day life and all the busyness that comes with it, so we will have to be really intentional about scheduling this Think Time into our calendar. When we allow ourselves time to let our brains get into a different mode, we can get a whole new set of ideas that we never would have thought of before.  

Need support for your ideas and help bringing them into reality? Some great resources are:

  • Facebook Group: Online Creators Launchpad
  • Podcasts: Podcasters Hangout or She Podcasts (for us ladies with big ideas)
  • Book Groups: Check out the groups that I belong to on Facebook and also check out Florida Writers Association if you’re in Florida

Use Facebook for good, and get involved in the conversation and in-depth discussions on specific topics if you want to take all these big ideas and bring them into reality. Get out there, and StartSomething Creative! I go over all of this and more in this video, and if you watch it, you’ll even find out how I almost ended up being an emu farmer in Montana.

Want some help evaluating and managing your ideas?

73 Understanding How Your Voice Affects & Influences Men – Dating Help With Single Smart Female [Podcast]

Written by Robin Thompson on . Posted in Leadership, Networking, Podcast.

Your voice plays a bigger role in affecting/influencing men than you believe. It’s time you understand exactly how.(Podcast on Single Smart Female, October 18, 2018)

Find out how on this episode of Single Smart Female with special guest co-host Tina Dietz

How Your Voice Affects - Tina Dietz

Does He Hate My Voice Show Notes

Essential Learning Points from this Episode:

  • 00:52 – Today’s guest and today’s topic
  • 01:50 – This is our role in a man’s life, which is what makes us women even more special
  • 02:26 – There are some phrases that men have some conditioned response to. These are what we call “triggers”
  • 05:09 – This is what happens with men biochemically and otherwise when we say “We need to talk”
  • 05:35 – Women use similar vocal patterns in our conversations, which conditions our partner’s reaction
  • 12:43 – One of the phrases women use that can sometimes trigger men to react negatively
  • 14:50 – What do women mean with “I’m fine” exactly? How it affects men.
  • 16:14 – This is a good communication trick, so men don’t always misunderstand us ?
  • 19:12 – When you stop stuffing your feelings dow, this is what happens
  • 20:59 – This is how we can fight against being misinterpreted because of the tone of our voice
  • 22:04 – This is how you can communicate effectively and leave no room for misinterpretation
  • 23:12 – This is how you can clarify if you understood a message correctly
  • 27:22 – This is a psychological premise behind being true to your own communication tempo
  • 31:09 – This is what will happen if you try to deflect from what you really feel
  • 37:04 – This is something we can do to practice our vocal flow and improve our communication skills
  • 37:50 – Sonority is one of the things that affect our communication with men

Important Links and Mentions in this Episode:

Tired of meeting craptastic men?

Connect with Tina Dietz HERE

Want to surprise Jenn and show Single Smart Female your love? XO!!!

Episode 42 – Tina Dietz on Writing, Entrepreneurship and Audio [Podcast]

Written by Robin Thompson on . Posted in Audiobook Marketing, Business Development, Leadership, Marketing, Podcast.

​In this week’s episode, Mark speaks with Tina Dietz who is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed speaker, audiobook publisher, podcast producer, and content marketing expert.(Podcast on Stark Reflections, October 12, 2018)

Entrepreneurship and Audio - Tina Dietz

Prior to the interview, Mark shares a few personal updates that include the launch of his new traditionally published book Macabre Montreal, and how that book launch interfered with attending the NIGHT OF THE WRITING DEAD event in Pittsburgh that same weekend.

This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices . . .

. . . and also by the Patrons of the show at www.patreon.com/starkreflections.

All patrons will find, this week, the full audio of the first chapter about PRACTICE from Mark’s forthcoming audiobook of The 7 P’s of Publishing Success.

In their conversion, Mark and Tina talk about

  • The link between writing/expression and entrepreneurship
  • How writing (particularly in print) can be an enduring format as a tangible legacy
  • Tina’s introduction into podcasting and audiobook production
  • Tina’s Forbes article “Do You Sound Like a Leader?” that focuses on the relationship between vocal qualities and how a person is viewed as a leader
  • Getting used to and comfortable with the sound of one’s own voice
  • Breathing techniques and facial exercises used for voice or singing voice
  • Food and drink to avoid when doing voice work (dairy and citrus, for example)
  • The coaching Tina does helping authors getting ready to do interviews for radio or podcasting
  • The difference between forms of media like television, radio and podcasting
  • Trends in the audiobook industry that authors might not be familiar with
  • The concept that anything you create needs to be an asset and not a burdenThe free download that Tina has on her website that helps demystifies the audiobook process – www.launchyouraudiobook.com
  • Things to consider when deciding between narrating and producting an audiobook yourself or outsourcing that
  • How Tina’s clients often “come for the audiobooks and then stay for everything else”
  • The pre-interview Tina sent to Mark ahead of the podcast which made things so much easier for Mark

In the post-interview reflections, Mark talks about how Tina’s info PDF made his job as an interviewer so much easier and he also shares a link to a WORD document template that authors can download and modify so they have something similar to use for their own podcast or radio interviews.

Links of Interest:

Tina Dietz Twin Flames Studios Audiobook Publisher leadership podcasting

Tina Dietz is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed speaker, audiobook publisher, podcast producer, and content marketing expert who has been featured on media outlets including ABC, Inc.com, Huffington Post, and Forbes. Tina’s podcast, The StartSomething Show, was named by INC magazine as one of the top 35 podcasts for entrepreneurs. Tina’s company, StartSomething Creative Business Solutions, connects leaders, entrepreneurs and experts with larger audiences, resulting in expanded influence and income. Tina divides her time between the US and Costa Rica, where she’s part of a leadership team building a conscious community called Vista Mundo.

The music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Interested in learning more about audiobooks and howyou can be using audio in your writing career ?

Creating Safety for Ourselves and Being a Vulnerable Leader

Written by Robin Thompson on . Posted in Blog, Business Development, Leadership, Personal Development.

Have you ever wondered what safety has to do with leadership, especially with a vulnerable leader, or being a working professional? The answer is: A lot!

Being a Vulnerable Leader - Tina Dietz

Safety is a concept we learn early on during the most formative years of our childhood. We look to make ourselves feel safe on a daily basis. It is, after all, one of the most basic needs on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, and until the need to feel safe has been met, we cannot begin working upward toward the other needs on the list. This leaves us feeling insecure, unfulfilled, and frankly, unhappy.

You’re probably wondering what safety has to do with leadership or being a working professional. The answer is: A lot.

There’s been more and more press recently about being a vulnerable leader, opening ourselves up to connection and authenticity, and how all these things can make us stronger leaders, managers, supervisors, or even just colleagues. And what does it all mean? How can these things make us stronger networkers or speakers?

As professionals, we tend to go through a little bit of a push and pull between wanting to appear professional and be powerful in the moment and still managing to speak to our audience and connect with them. It’s a little bit of a dichotomy, and experiencing this contradiction can make it very difficult to really feel comfortable being vulnerable.

For those of you who don’t know my backstory, I  have a background as a therapist, business coach, and voice actor. From my earliest time as a child, I remember creating a lot of safety for myself by anthropomorphizing the entire world around me (and I still do it today). This has brought me to collect and own a large collection of friends and creatures who have brought me great comfort throughout the years and have their own wisdom that can really only be accessed when you speak in their voice.

Have I lost you yet? No? Good. I'm talking about a large group of puppets, the first of which I discovered at a puppet petting zoo that had been set up when I was in graduate school to become a therapist. It was meant for therapists to shop around to use puppets as therapy tools, but what we found there was much deeper. I noticed George, the black-footed ferret, and I started thinking about how much of a crisis of conscience he was probably having being that he is a carnivore, but he’s also cute and fuzzy. I felt a connection with him right away, and I looked around and noticed that my connection to George was causing others to come over and check out the other carnivores like the wolves. People saw my connection with George, and they wanted to feel that connection too. Spontaneously, several other therapists and I started a carnivore support group. And no, I can’t make this stuff up!

You might never be in a situation where you’ll be connecting with a puppet at a puppet petting zoo, but this lesson translates into human connection as well. When people really connect with one another and allow themselves to be vulnerable, they find a common space of humanity. This common space acts as a mirror to other people, making them more comfortable and willing to come forward with their own feelings.

Many of us as children don’t successfully go through the stage in our childhood that Erik Erikson determined as the time when we decide if the world is a safe place or not. This causes them to not trust the world and to feel like it isn’t there for us. I was one of these people, and there are many, many more like us in the world as well. It’s important to look back through our childhood and find those things that made us feel safe as kids. This can trigger a neurological, emotional, and even a physiological response that can help us move past that unsafe space and step into our adult being so we can then take care of the younger parts of ourselves.

Sometimes to cope with our sense of ‘un-safe-ness’ we over-rely on things like food, sexual contact, or other things that may or may not serve us. We even have a tendency to search for connection on social media, but this often leads to us finding things that are very overstimulating and provoking. It does us no favors, especially for those of us who feel emotions very intensely.

As humans, we have a tendency to want to make decisions right away. We want to push forward, do things, change the environment…but if we do this on top of feeling unsafe or insecure, we might be doing things that actually snowball the negative feelings and lack of safety and make it worse.

Listen to yourself, and you’ll be more able to listen to others. Connect with people, look into their eyes, and when you get nervous or feel afraid, take care of the younger part of yourself that doesn’t feel safe. You can have the grown-up part of you take care of the little parts of you. It’s okay, and it’s necessary.

And, if you need help, just ask.

Take the next step in Your Leadership