Escape from Cubicle Nation Podcast Pamela Slim

Every entrepreneur knows the hustle of getting tax information together to prepare for end of year tax returns.

While in the middle of gathering documentation and receipts each year, you often mutter "next year this will all be automated!" Yet taking the time and figuring out the process to do so can seem overwhelming.

In this 30 minute interview, Pamela Slim talks with Micky Deming from Kahuna Accounting about the ways that entrepreneurs can get over the hurdle of disorganized bookkeeping so that they can focus on growing their business. 

We discuss:



-Why you don't need to wallow in shame or guilt if your bookkeeping is disorganized

-The key things you need to prepare for a stress-free tax season

-The power of cloud-based bookkeeping

-What organized financials can help you do in growing your business

 

To find out more about Micky and Kahuna Accounting, go here:
http://kahunaaccounting.com/community/

I have long been a fan of Malcolm Gladwell's book Tipping Point, in particular, the "Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen" chapter where he talks about different personality types that impact social change.

So imagine my delight when I met Erica Dhawan the author of Get Big Things Done: The Power of Connectional Intelligence, with co-author Saj-nicole A. Joni.

They have spent years delving into research about what they term "connectional intelligence" -- arguably the most important skill currency of the 21st century.

In this conversation, Erica and I discuss:


3 types of connectors -- Thinkers, Enablers and Connection Executors
How people are using connectional intelligence to solve complex problems and start movements
How organizations can develop connectional intelligence

 Exerpts from our conversation:

"A lot has changed since Gladwell his book came out in 2006. When he framed that term (connector), he framed that there were three personality traits: Connector, Maven and Salesman that play a central role in the creation of social epidemics. From my research, to be successful, to get noticed, to start a movement, we ALL are entering the category of Connector. The question is not if we are connectors, but which type of connectors are we?"

You can connect with Erica Dhawan here: http://ericadhawan.com or Twitter @EDhawan

Buy the book on Amazon: Get Big Things Done

 

Whenever we set out to make things better in our lives -- improve our career, grow our business, get in shape, make a bigger impact in the world -- fear and doubt creep in.

In her work coaching women and in her own personal life, Tara Mohr saw a pattern emerge, a problem she describes as women "playing small." Women are sitting on their big ideas rather than sharing them, holding back their most provocative questions instead of asking them. They are having a collective hallucination that they aren't "ready" for that bigger role or next step. 

She made it the focus of her work to help women start playing bigger -- pursuing their dreams for their lives and careers, and sharing their voices more boldly.

Join me and Tara in this conversation where we explore these themes, and discuss ways to help women (and men) overcome barriers to playing bigger in the world.

 

 

When I first started writing about small business marketing many years ago, one of the first people I heard about was John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing. John had a great reputation, a solid business and a well-respected and highly trafficked blog.

I referred many clients to his first book, Duct Tape Marketing. Then to his second, The Referral Engine, and his third, The Commitment Engine.

Through the years, we became good friends, and he has been a very trusted and valued mentor in my own business.

I was thrilled that he wrote a new book, this time about selling, called Duct Tape Selling. I could not think of a more perfect person to talk about the new world of marketing and selling than John.

In this 27 minute conversation, we talk about:




The recent dramatic change in sales and marketing
How to use well-tested inbound marketing techniques to drive and close sales
The different skill set required for marketers to sell, and salespeople to market

Check out John's new book, Duct Tape Selling here. It is a powerful resource for entrepreneurs, marketing and sales professionals: http://amzn.to/1ipwavs

Many entrepreneurs dream of starting a business in their garage, scaling it, then selling it to Google for a billion dollars. 

Such things rarely happen.

But scaling happens every day, in our career, our business or our workplace. We are constantly trying to improve ourselves, share our ideas, and put in systems and infrastructure that will grow our organizations without destroying that which made them great.

Stanford professors Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao describe in their exceptionally well-researched and readable new book, Scaling Up Excellence: Getting to More Without Settling for Less that knowing how to scale is a critical skill for the 21st century workplace.

And they have 7 years worth of research, analysis and case studies, consolidated into this great book.

In my lively conversation with Bob Sutton, we discuss:


Scaling excellence in your own career
Scaling up competence as startups get past bootstrapping
Looking for hot causes and cool solutions
Why big teams suck
Scaling excellence in large companies: Why change should happen in pockets of excellence, not be spread like peanut butter across an organization



Bob has been my "adopted professor" and High Council of Jedi Knight member for the last 8 years. I respect his work so much, and hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did! 

Read more about the book and order it here: http://scalingupexcellence
Give Bob a shout out on Twitter @work_matters

I have always been a huge fan of underdogs.

Josh Shipp started his life without a safety net. Abandoned at birth by his mother, he spent most of his youth bouncing between foster homes, growing increasingly disillusioned and angry.

He finally landed in a home with a family who gave him the kind of support and encouragment he needed.

He then built an amazing speaking business, reaching more than 2 million teens with live presentations.

He created a television show called Jump Shipp where he pairs a person with a big dream with a mentor and a challenge to make it happen.

His latest book is called Jump Ship: Ditch Your Dead-End Job and Turn Your Passion into a Profession.

In this episode, Josh and I discuss:


His own journey, and how he turned a bleak childhood into a life of service and inspiration
Strategies for finding more meaning in your life and business
How to integrate all of your "ingredients" in your work - skills, strengths and scars

I was so inspired to talk to this young man who has done more with his short life than most people twice his age.