The What's Your Excuse? Show

The Blind Blogger Maxwell Ivey
  • 4.9 (15)
  • Personal Journals

Interview show where my guests and I will challenge those excuses that are holding you back from accomplishing your big goals and dreams.

  1. Jan 15

    Jennifer Gasner Shares Her Unexpected Life

    Hello again, I hope you are having a good week so far. I'm blessed to be speaking with JenniferGasner on the latest episode of my podcast What's Your Excuse? We discussed her life and how it changed as she was being diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia,. Including her gradual transition to using a walker full time and eventually living in a wheel chair. She shared about how joining a support group lead to big changes in her life but not how I or you would have expected. And it was wonderful hearing her talk about deciding to become more positive and to see a life of possibilities. We talked about her experience writing her first book, and about the publishing process in general. Hey, with two writers on the call, it had to happen. I wish I had asked her more about her travels, but you can tell that she is the kind to overcome accessibility issues in order to enjoy her life. Even with her halting voice and unusual speach patterns her strength, optimism, and passion come through clearly. I hope you will check it out. On With The Show Visit Our Supporter Couldn't do this without the support from the awesome team at www.blubrry.com Both technical and financial support. They also provide hosting for other podcasts hosted by people with disabilities. About Jennifer At seventeen, Jennifer Gasner was diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia, a rare, progressive, neuromuscular disease. After the initial shock and denial wore off, she realized that her life was going to be full of joy. Her determination and sense of humor helped her meet the challenges she faced going from walking independently to using a walker, and eventually, a wheelchair. Jennifer attended college at her home state’s University of Wisconsin-Platteville where she received her BA in English. She was involved in the Student Activities Board, and campus radio station, where she honed her love for music. She then went on to Western Illinois University for her MS in Recreation. She began working with Independent Living Centers in Wisconsin and began advocating for people with disabilities and learning about disability culture. Her understanding of programs for the disabled, including those living with Friedreich’s ataxia, gave her the courage to move to San Diego by herself when she was 28. In San Diego, she worked for various non-profits and UC San Diego. She became involved in the disability community as a mentor for What’s Next, a mentorship program for youth with disabilities and as co-chair of UC San Diego’s Staff Association for staff with disabilities. In 2020, she became an Ambassador for the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance, (FARA), advocating for research and bringing awareness of living with Friedrich’s ataxia to the community. As a result, she participated in Rare Across America, meeting with legislators to discuss current legislation affecting more than 25 million Americans living with one or more rare diseases. As a member of the International Memoir Writers Association, she was honored as a Member of the Month in February 2020. She is currently writing a coming-of-age memoir, with the working title, Walking is Overrated. Besides writing, in her free time, she loves doing yoga, going to movies, and traveling. She lives in San Diego, CA with her boyfriend Gregory and their two dogs, Wyatt and Ki. 10 Things you Don’t Know About Me 1. I love football (GO PACK GO!) 2. I love eating, almost, everything pumpkin 3. I never wanted to eat sushi…now I could eat it every day 4. I am afraid of frogs 5. My dream is to spend six months travelling through Europe 6. I haven’t dyed my hair for eight years 7. I’m 45% Norwegian and proud of it 8. I struggle with organization 9. I cried when my parents sold my piano even though I hadn’t touched it in over a year 10. When I was ten, I auditioned for Annie Contacting Jennifer Website: www.jennifergasner.com Amazon: www.amazon.com/My-Unexpected-Life-Finding-Diagnosis Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorJenniferGasner Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-gasner Instagram: www.instagram.com/jennygwriter Bluesky: www.bsky.app/profile/jennygwriter Threads: www.threads.com/@jennygwriter Recommended Service As a blind online business owner I struggle to find truly accessible tools. So, when I find something that is accessible, easy to use, and reasonably priced; I can't wait to share it with you. This is how I feel about www.lessannoyingcrm.com A great CRM option that is easier to use because of their investments in accessibility. Sharing Is Caring I hope you will share this episode with your friends, family members, and followers. I ask because it will definitely benefit you to hear her story, and because I'm sure you know someone else who needs to hear it too. And the best way I know to say thank you to my guests is to help drive traffic to their websites, books, social media accounts, etc. If you also feel grateful for the work I put into bringing you this podcast, then you can also leave a rating or review on the podcast player of your choice. Thanks again for joining me. Take care out there, Maxwell

  2. 12/02/2025

    Celebrating Being Published In Consumer Reports

    Hello again, I hope you and the people you care about are doing well as we start the last month of 2025. Today, I'm excited to share a wonderful milestone in my professional writing career. I have had an article published in Consumer Reports. The Article The article is titled Clever Hacks to Maintain Independence With Vision Loss or Blindness. The article is about suggestions for people and their families adjusting to living with vision loss. I was encouraged to address the whole family as many have three generations living together in one home. It has many practical suggestions, but the main point is to give people a starting point for coming up with their own solutions to daily problems. How I Got Here The video and audio share my journey and give thanks to the many people and publications that got me to this point. I will update this post shortly with links to thoe people and their websites. Me And My Dad I close by speaking about what I learned about story telling from my dad and all those years we spent telling stories so we could keep the business going. I think you will enjoy hearing how I have come to terms with comparing myself to my dad as a story teller. On With The Show Sharing Is Caring I hope you enjoy the video or audio. But I really hope you will read the article and forward it with at least one person or family who can use the ideas and the encouragement. It's a hopeful article that is more about people finding their own solutions than it is about me giving them all the answers. Thanks for your continued support. Take care out there, Max

  3. 07/28/2025

    Teri Brown Shares Wisdom To Help You Begin Your Own Big Adventure

    Hello again, I hope you have had a good weekend. Today, I'm sharing the first new episode of The What's Your Excuse? Show in over a year. This time I had the pleasure of speaking with Teri M. Brown a long-time award-winning author of fiction, nonfiction, and even a Children's picture book. At first we talked about her writing and how being a novelist was a life long ambition that she finally got to do a few years ago. That lead to talking about her children's picture book because Little Lola and Her Big Dream is all about going after a big goal even when you face opposition. I do have to apologize for butchering the title of her book. We spoke a lot about her book 10 Little Rules Of A Double-Butted Adventure sharing the lessons learned when she and her late husband Bruce peddled cross-country on a tandem bike. One of her most important rules is never quit on a bad day. She clarified that she isn't telling people not to quit. She is just saying don't quit on a bad day. She shared how this applied to finally leaving a bad marriage facing the possible stigma of being twice divorced. Then she described how this rule helped her through an especially bad day on the trail. And I shared how hearing this lesson from her prior to my Chicago trip helped me through an especially bad day. Later on we talked about another of her rules. Which is do something hard every day. Many of these hard things focus around recovering from recently losing her husband to cancer. She has a great take on bucket lists and why they don't work. But you will have to listen all the way through to find that out. I feel Teri sincerely wants you to overcome all the things that are holding you back so you can begin your own big adventure. Some Notes 1: I recorded this episode live over StreamYard. There are a few spaces where the audio quality is less than ideal, but these things happen with a live recording. For those who have followed me for a long time, you know I just don't edit. I'm not good at it, and trying to edit would turn into an excuse for not releasing my content. 2: Yes, I do sing on the intro. I like starting with the chorus to my song What's Your Excuse. People enjoy the song, and I have come to understand that I have a really good voice. On With The Show I want to thank Teri personally for being part of my current big adventure. That being progressing towards hosting a daily live podcast. Most of the new episodes will be on my new podcast The Accessibility Advantage. As my future is offering accessibility advice through writing, speaking, consulting, and podcasting. I really enjoy having conversations like this one with awesome people like Teri, and I know y'all really benefit from sharing actionable advice like hers. So, I'll keep them coming as long as I have compelling guests and a loyal audience wanting to listen. About Teri Born in Athens, Greece as an Air Force brat, Teri M. Brown now calls the North Carolina coast home. In 2020, she and her late husband, Bruce, rode a tandem bicycle across the United States from Astoria, Oregon to Washington DC, successfully raising money for Toys for Tots. Teri’s debut novel, Sunflowers Beneath the Snow, is a historical fiction set in Ukraine, her second, An Enemy Like Me, is set in WWII, and her third, Daughters of Green Mountain Gap, is a generational story about Appalachian healers. Her short story, The Youngest Lighthouse Keeper, came out in the anthology Feisty Deeds: Historical Fictions of Daring Women. 10 Little Rules for a Double-Butted Adventure (Feb 2025), is an inspirational look at the life lessons she learned riding across the United States on a tandem bicycle. Her latest book, Little Lola and Her Big Dream, is a children’s picture book helping children realize that it is okay to have big dreams even in the face of opposition. Connect With Teri Website: www.terimbrown.com Online For Authors Podcast: www.terimbrown.com/online-for-authors Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeriMBrownAuthor Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/TeriMBrown X: www.x.com/TeriMBrown1 Instagram: www.instagram.com/TeriMBrown_Author Youtube: .youtube.com/@TeriMBrown_Author I share all this information here as a way of thanking guests like Teri for coming on my podcast and sharing their knowledge and experiences with my audience. Sharing Is Caring As a former carnival owner I know the value of putting feet on the ground, butts in the seats, or faces behind the screens. So, I hope you will help me by sharing this episode and Teri's information with your friends, family members, coworkers, and social media followers. You probably know someone who has been talking about chasing a big goal who has yet to take any action. You can be a hero and share Teri's wisdom with them. As for me ratings, reviews, or comments are always welcome. There the best way for you to encourage me to keep going. I hope you will check out the new podcast. And I look forward to your joining me here for my next inspiring conversation. Til then take care out there, Max

  4. 11/13/2024

    Don’t Wait On Someday

    Hello again friends. I'm sorry to have been scarce over the last little while. So far this year I lost a laptop and had to have a Go Fund Me campaign to replace it. Then we had the Deraycho wind storms followed by hurricane Beryl. But during all that time I continued to sing and play around with writing songs. And I think I have come up with a really powerful song this time. In my first book I wrote about not waiting until tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, or that mythical time known as someday. So, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that a song about not waiting on someday came into my mind and heart. It started with just the chorus which came to me one night when I was having trouble sleeping. I had to play around with it a little bit, but it just seemed to leap into my brain. It goes like this: Cause you'll never have enough courage, you'll never have enough time. Cause you'll never have enough money, you'll never have enough spine. Just do it as good as you can, and do it better the next time. Cause if you're waiting on that someday, you'll be waiting the rest of your life. I shared this with several friends including my amazing editor and long-time friend Lorraine Reguly. I recorded the chorus and sent her the audio. It turned out she was having trouble sleeping. So, she wrote back right away. This is what she had to say. I hope she doesn't get upset with me sharing this. Holy s--t, Max, I f---ing love it! Excuse the cussing! It just means I'm excited! I'd love to hear the rest of the song! Definitely put energy into this one. It's bloody brilliant! I feel her response is important to the story behind the song and will become more important by the end of this post. You see, she wasn't the only one who told me how special this song could be. And that is why it has taken me over a year to get to this point. First, the verses didn't come as easily as the chorus did. Mainly because the words in the chorus pretty much forced me into phrases that end with a strong a sound. And once I wrote the first verse, I found that that too put me in a writing corner. Thankfully, I have a great friend who is a writer and a poet. Lorraine had some great ideas. I was able to give her two full verses and half of the third verse about taking small steps each day. She finished the third verse for me, and made a great suggestion about the last line of the second verse. She advised me that "when we are in the wrong place" was much more positive than the original "when trying to save face". But her most important contribution came to how I was singing the song. I was singing it in a higher pitch with my voice going up at the end of each line. She pointed out that my voice is more suited for singing songs in a lower pitch. Something I knew, but that doesn't maen I don't aspire to sing up higher. She was on facebook messenger with me and sang it over and over showing me how it would sound its best. It took me a long time to re-learn the song from the way I heard it in my mind to the way she encouraged me to sing this song. Even with her help, I was still having trouble finishing the song and sending it out into the world. I was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to do the song justice. I hated the idea of not living up to the potential of the song. I recorded and re-recorded. I tried verses and the chorus different ways. I did multiple test recordings to check my equipment. I just kept putting it off. So, I thought why not use those feelings. I mean it is important for you to know that I too sometimes struggle with putting things off until someday. So, I wrote a fourth verse. I wrote about how I thought this song could be special and let it put more pressure on me. And how I finally took great advice and sang it anyway. I remembered those times when I stood in front of audiences and told them to give their followers the opportunity to find something to love by not waiting until they felt their work was good enough. I hope you love the song. To be honest I hope to hear that the song gets stuck in your head and motivates you to take action towards your goals. I look forward to my next opportunity to give an inspirational motivational talk that begins with What's Your Excuse and ends with Don't Wait On Someday. I can't wait to hear what you think of the song. If you like it, please share it with anyone who you think could use a little encouragement. Thanks and take care out there, Max

  5. 02/23/2023

    What’s Your Excuse? EP 077 Anthony Saldana & Jason FIgueira Promoting Hopscotch With My Brain

    Hello again, I hope you and your family are all doing well. Personally, I have been struggling with some chronic pain in my right knee. Things are improving thanks to some physical therapy, but I'm still a work in progress. Today, I'm bringing you another great interview on What's Your Excuse. This time a return visit with my friends Anthony Saldana and Jason Figueira. And they will be talking more about Jason's experience with obsessive compulsive disorder and their work to raise money for a film about the disease as seen through Jason's eyes and the eyes of his friends. You will see a great trailer that they created for the film and for their Indie Logo campaign. You Can find out more about them by visiting their Facebook Page. Sadly, I let them down in their efforts to raise funds for their next film through crowd funding. However, you can still help them make this socially important movie by mental illness by contributing funds, donating equipment, or offering your services. Just Send Anthony an email. Notes About The Show First, I don't edit my podcast. I prefer to share a real unscripted unedited conversation. Just think of the recorded live television of the 50s and 60s. Two, I sing on the intro to my podcast. I did it in the beginning because I didn't have a way to create an intro. People liked it, so I continue to sing. I will complete the post about this episode shortly, but I wanted to get it out there where y'all could hear it and be inspired by my friends Anthony and Jason. Thanks for listening. If you received value from our conversation, then please share this with your friends, family, and social media communities. Thanks and take care out there, Max

  6. 11/03/2022

    What’s Your Excuse? EP 076 Award-winning Vision Loss Coach, Crime Fiction Author, Disability Advocate, Law School Graduate, and Podcast Host

    Hello again, I hope you and your family enjoyed the weekend together. And I hope that my latest What’s Your Excuse? with my new friend Donna Jodhan will educate, entertain, and motivate you to overcome your own excuses. Donna is an award-winning vision loss coach, crime fiction author, disability advocate, and host of two podcasts. In Ask Donna she uses her lived experience to answer people’s questions about life in general and about living with vision loss in particular. You can even send her your questions for future episodes. She also hosts dining With Donna a cooking show. She started cooking during the pandemic with virtual help from her mother, and loved it so much that she just had to share what she has learned with the world. Be sure to listen all the way to the end of her podcasts for the mental stretch during Ask Donna or the cooking problem solving hacks at on Dining with Donna. She is the only person I have ever talked with who has experienced living as a blind person, then living with sight, only to return back to life without sight. I am also fascinated by anyone who writes fiction, and I am especially amazed by those who can create whole worlds full of brand new people without the aid of vision. I love the part about how she can do things like write fiction because she focuses on the joy rather than on any potential financial success. Finally, a couple of subjects that came up often are learning to accept things as they are, stretching all five senses, and finding work arounds to deal with the world. I just know you are going to find something to love in our conversation. Disclaimers There are a couple things you need to know about the show. One, I don’t edit the recording unless a technical issue results in dead air. I think of my show as recorded live in the same style used by television in the early days. Two, I sing on the intro. I started doing it out of necessity many years ago, and people loved it. So, I keep doing it. The music I’m singing is my own original song titled what else What’s Your Excuse? Now On To The Show Support Our Sponsors Blubrry has been providing both financial and technical support for my show, for Shredding For Gold, and for the WYE Podcast Network. I couldn’t keep doing what I’m doing without them. And it would be impossible to help other disable people with their podcast without their support. Show Notes A few friends have told me that it might be helpful to you to share a run down of the topics covered and their approximate time on the recording. This is the first time I have ever done this, and I could really appreciate your feedback. She explained about having seen vision loss from both sides having lived with no vision, then having her sight restored, and finally losing her vision again. 04:40 She talks about the emotional readjustment to losing that regained sight as an adult 08:13 She shares about how her family reacted to her changing vision. Including their patience when she wanted to see everyone and everything. 09:49 We discuss whether or not Canadian parents of visually impaired or of disabled children are more accepting and trusting than those from other countries. 11:41 I asked her about her about the various states of her vision effected her education. 13:18 She talked about pursuing her degree in Law and how the lack of accessibility in online learning was a problem that continues to persist. 14:20 We discussed how the features in overly robust software applications get in the way of people using screen readers ability to use the critical part of software. 16:35 We explained some of the challenges that screen reader users face such as needing keyboard command options because we don’t have access to the mouse. We also talked about how often software & website updates break accessibility. And we talked about how much we love Zoom 17:53 She touches on the need to be a creative problem solver and find work arounds. A subject we will come back to often. 21:03 Plug for Less Annoying CRM, LACRM. They provide a simple, low-cost, highly accessible option for managing your work relationships They are not sponsors of the show, but they have made my work as a podcaster and creative entrepreneur so much easier; that I want to mention them. And if you use my affiliate link, you will receive an additional 30 days on your free trial. 23:16 I asked her to tell me when her passion for advocacy for the visually impaired began and to share some of her proudest accomplishments. 23:54 She shared what she learned about getting the laws changed, and what she learned about herself during the process. 28:28 I asked her to share advice to help us all as we continue to deal with the many struggles in our lives and in the world today. She touched on having patience and accepting those things you don’t control. 30:36 She talked about how to deal with troublesome challenging people She used a wonderful metaphor about people as waves. 32:40 She shared a bit about her vision loss coaching and the lived experiences that have made her the awesome coach she is today. 34:27 She transitioned into one of her favorite techniques which is the mental stretch. She advocates for making a special effort to use all your senses. 36:25 The MICC Principle which stands for clear your Mind and Imagination of Cobwebs and Clutter. 37:04 I asked her if there was a difference in coaching people through vision loss based on how old they were when they lost their vision. 38:49 We talked about her writing. It is impressive either way, but personally I am fascinated by fiction authors. I believe it is so much more difficult to create characters and locations instead of simply recounting experiences. 43:05 I loved how she decided to write her books because it gave her pleasure. And we talked about how too many creative people have to put so much pressure on themselves to be profitable. 46:34 We discussed how DOnna deals with the writing process including overcoming things like writer’s block. I did get a mention in there for my amazing author friend Adriana Gavazzoni. 49:42 I asked her to talk about her love for cooking and how she managed to end up doing a cooking podcast. 52:02 Final thoughts from Donna. She encourages you again, and she goes back to the topic of work arounds. 57:03 Wrapping up the show. Thinking about how cool it is to have someone on a show about overcoming excuses who is so invested in finding those work arounds. Happy to have a reason to remind y’all that as a rule the visually impaired and other disabled people have to be good problems solvers. And that this ability is an unrecognized asset by most employers. And I reminded people of the financial benefit of making their products more inclusive of the visually impaired. 58:51 Friends Of The Show These folks are not official sponsors of the show. But they provide products or services that I use. I believe their offerings could be something you could want or need. All these links are affiliate links. Dan-O’s Seasonings make no-salt, low-sodium, gluten free, seasonings for the table or when preparing food. I like them so much because they allowed me to return good tasting food to my brother who lives with arrhythmia. Crystal Creek Organics sell CBD oil in its various forms. Their product is grown organically. I have been living with knee pain for years. There were lots of days I wouldn’t have even been able to accomplish what I did get done. Sleep Phones are soft comfy cordless headphones designed by a sleep doctor to make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. I never leave the house without making sure mine are in my shoulder bag. Pod Match is a great website to help connect podcast hosts and guests. It uses artificial intelligence to cut down on the guess work. Even though I work as a podcast guest booker, I still want you to know about this site. Partly because I have an abundance mindset, and partly because I know that even on a great site like this you still have to reach out. And if you are a host, and if you book guests through Pod Match; You could get paid for interviewing people. I hope you will check out their websites. After all, anything you buy will result in support for my show and the What’s Your Excuse Network. About Donna Donna J. Jodhan is an award-winning vision-impaired advocate, author, blogger, law school graduate, and podcast commentator. She began her active advocacy in earnest in 2000 after having helped to kick start various advocacy initiatives at former employers. Before 2000, she received an innovational award from IBM Canada for her work on creating an accessible workstation and an accessibility award from the Royal Bank for her work in helping the training school at RBC to develop procedures to help employees with disabilities to be more functional in the workplace. Donna became an entrepreneur in 1998 and at around 2000 she realized that as an entrepreneur she would need to fight harder to convince potential clients and consumers that as a vision-impaired entrepreneur she could fulfill their requests and needs. Along the way, Donna became aware that the Canadian government websites were not very accessible to disabled job seekers; in 2006, after having spent several years trying to convince the Canadian government that their websites needed to be made accessible to Canadians with disabilities, she and a team of fellow advocates launched a charter challenge that culminated in a landmark victory at the Canadian Court of Appeal in 2012. As mandated by the court, the Canadian Government must make their websites accessible to all Canadians—especially those with disabilities. Indeed, many Canadian government websites today have undergone noticeab

  7. 10/03/2022

    What’s Your Excuse? EP 075 Tyler Watson from failed sandwich artist to successful international brand manager

    Hello again, I hope you and your family are doing as well as possible given all the challenges in the world these days. In this latest episode of What's Your Excuse? I sat down with Tyler Watson Vice President of Sales for Dan-O's Seasonings. I met Tyler as part of being an affiliate and advocate for Dan-O's. Mainly because their seasonings are no-salt, low sodium, and packed with flavor. Discovering their products allowed me to give my younger brother Patrick, an arrhythmia surviver, the gift of good tasting food. We became friends after he wrote an amazingly honest post about the struggles he has gone through in his life before getting to where he is now in both is professional career and personal life. You know I love story tellers and great stories, and Tyler provided both. Plus he is one of those rare people in business who doesn't believe he has to hide who he really is or where he came from in order to be successful. As you know this is something I believe in completely. Telling my story authentically is how I built my brands. And I tell others constantly that sharing your real self is great for business. So, we bonded over authentic personal story telling, and I just had to have him on my podcast. Well, I don't want to give it all away. Disclaimers First, I do not edit my podcast. This is partly because I am horrible at it, but mostly because I love the feel of sharing a recorded live interview. Second, I sing on the intro of my podcast. It started out of necessity, but people like it and miss it when I don't sing. So, you will be treated to me singing part of What's Your Excuse on the intro. On With The Show Support My Sponsors blubrry.com provides both financial and technical support to my show, to Shredding For Gold, and for the wyexcuse Podcast Network. I couldn't do it without them. I also want to thank Chip and Pam Edwards at Create My Voice for keeping my show on Alexa, Google, and Seri so you can listen by simply saying play What's Your Excuse. Reach out for help with your audio branding strategy. And to the folks at Crystal Creek Organics for keeping me supplied with CBD oil while I have been struggling with knee pain. Some days have still been too difficult, but thanks to them there were more good hours or days than bad ones. Key Points He shared about being a young person with a baby and no real job. We spoke about his being a dish washer, failing at sandwich making, and going into selling shoes on the advice of his wife. We talked about how understanding the needs of the customers who came into the store lead to him being a rockstar salesman that lead to his becoming the manager for stores in three states. We followed his path to Dan'O's both earlier in his career and since he returned to the company to be part of their continued growth. We talked about his battles to gain custody of his young child and how that lead him to take jobs in different parts of the country just to be close to his child while working his way through the courts. I shared with him my equally nervous state concerning how until my nephew was of age we constantly worried that some day there would be knock at the door and we would lose him. You can hear the joy in his voice concerning his family now including repaying his wife for supporting him and being able to spend more time with their latest child. We talked about clothing. Him accepting that he could be successful without hiding tattoos or putting on a suit. Me talking about how wearing a suit has become part of me thanks to help from friends. Throughout the conversation we kept coming back to the idea that being honest about who we are doesn't hurt your business or your career it only strengthens it. I can't tell you how many potential podcast interview booking clients have told me Max I can't be as honest as you or people won't want to hire me. It is just so amazing to have someone as successful as Tyler prove that all of that is just wrong. He explained that being who you are allows you to make an even stronger connection with the people you come in contact with. Whether that is potential clients or someone you meet casually. I had a great time talking with Tyler, and I hope that someday soon I'll be able to make it to their headquarters and meet him in person. About Tyler I love sharing my passion through a sales process. At 16, I was a new father and high school dropout with relatively no interests or skills. By 18, I had become a professional dishwasher after failing as a sandwich artist. My wife, who then was the trainer at the restaurant I worked at, suggested I work at a specialty shoe store in the mall. I immediately fell in love with sharing the gift of comfort with anyone that would listen. I became a subject matter expert on all things feet. This led me on a journey managing comfort shoe stores across three states, shattering countrywide sales records with each team I had the opportunity to lead. I became impatient with retail and moved back to my hometown to discover what else I was capable of. From managing higher education campuses to selling & supporting franchise businesses, I diversified my understanding of people and why they buy. As an integral member of the leadership team at Dan-O’s Seasoning, I get to do a lot more than just sell. We work together to innovate, creating new products and taking concepts from napkin to market. I enjoy time with my wife and three kids, cycling - road & gravel (I love crit racing!), disrupting the status quo (so cliché, but defines me to a tee!) and collaborating with CPG leaders on both sides of the desk. Connect with Tyler Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/watsontyler Connect With Dan-O's Website: www.danosseasoning.com/ref/TheBlindBlogger Facebook: www.facebook.com/danosseasoning Linked In: www.linkedin.com/company/danos-seasoning Twitter: www.twitter.com/danosseasoning Instagram: www.instagram.com/danosseasoning Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCyP9TINtZzvTJfN69GskqLQ I truly am grateful both to Dan-O's for allowing me to give my brother the gift of good tasting food and to Tyler for being such a wonderful example of someone who didn't give up and isn't afraid to talk about it. He is definitely a solutions finding kind of guy. I hope you will help me thank them by sharing this post with your friends, family members, coworkers, and social media networks. I hope you will help me grow the podcast by leaving a rating or review. It doesn't matter how educational, inspirational, or motivational an interview is if people don't hear it. So, my job is to do whatever I can to get great interviews like this one in front of more people. Would really appreciate your help with that. And I can't forget you my dear listener. Knowing that you are out there and watching for my next post is what keeps me going. I would never want to disappoint you or the faith you have put in me by regularly reading my posts and listening to my interviews. You are as much responsible for my success as I am. And you should really give yourself a pat on the back. Until next time take care out there, Max

  8. 06/15/2022

    Facing My Fears And Sharing My Second Song Titled What’s Your Excuse?

    Hello again, I hope you and your family are doing as well as you possibly can. And I hope this post and the accompanying video will encourage you. I have written a second song called What's Your Excuse? I share some of my life's accomplishments in a way that I hope will challenge people to overcome the excuses that are holding them back. When you listen, please remember that I am not a professional singer, song writer, arranger, editor, or performer. I'm a guy who does the best he can at the moment given the circumstances at that time. This song has scared me more than most things I have done. Read below if you want to learn more about the process and how I finally overcame my fear to share this with the world. It started in February of 2021. I fell in love with Better Together by Luke Combes. But I wasn't crazy about some of the lyrics in his chorus. So I re-wrote them and recorded it. After hearing that, a friend from church challenged me to write a song of my own. That lead to my writing and recording If You Don't Ask a song about asking for help based on an expression my dad used to use all the time. That one came out in March of last year. At the time there were a few friends who encouraged me to write more music. And maybe record an album. lol Then I got busy with the Holman Prize and the beginning of the WYE, What's Your Excuse, podcast network. I helped my friend Emily Trepanier launch her show Shredding For Gold. Finally, my good friend Lorraine Reguly reminded me about my song writing during one of our fairly frequent calls. She even got me started by suggesting that I do something around the What's Your Excuse? line. So many people have said if Max can do it, then what's my excuse. So, I took up the challenge and started the writing process. The chorus was the easy part. The words and rhythm just came to me right away. But that made coming up with the verses so much harder. Because in my mind that meant that the lines of words couldn't have more than about nine syllables in them. I finally came up with a couple of verses. I recorded myself singing them and then shared them to social media. Addressing Criticism There was a lot more critical feedback this time than there was with my first song. It was positive, but it still put me back on my heals a bit. I did my best to incorporate as much of it as possible. I re-examined all the lyrics to find words that could be eliminated or replaced with ones that better fit the melody. I practiced singing the song while tapping my fingers or slapping my pants leg. I tried to learn a bit about editing my audios using audacity, but I'm afraid I didn't make such a great student. It might be easier for me to learn that software in person. I listened to suggestions for more powerful lyrics. However, I chose to stick mostly with what I had as I had already started memorizing the original lines. And I thought about ways to change up the tune so it isn't so repetitive. But I just couldn't figure that out. Trust me, I know this song could be so much better in a technical or professional sense. And I'm open to working with someone to do just that. If and when I meet that person. But I doubt it could be much better as an example of facing our fears, overcoming our excuses, and bravely putting ourselves and our work out there. I finally had to remind myself what I have told aspiring podcasters in the past. That by putting our work out there we give our audience the opportunity to find something to love. Why So Nervous? In all honesty this song still makes me nervous. Even more than releasing that first song. And I think I have finally figured out why. You see since I went online for the first time in 2007 and started selling amusement equipment on the Midway marketplace I have always done it first and asked for opinions later. With this song my desire for it to be so much better than my first has had me sharing it with a lot more people. The process has taken weeks instead of hours. And I find myself waiting impatiently for those emails from friends to tell me what they think. The song is probably much better because of this process, but it was not natural to me. Decision Process Knowing Yourself The first step was knowing who Max is. I mean that I know I am not going to make music my profession. For me music, comedy, and story telling are part of my draw as a coach, speaker, and podcaster. They help me connect with people and share important messages in ways the audience can better understand and more easily adopt. Knowing this meant releasing a song that is pretty good would be much easier than it would be for one of my friends who is a professional musician. Having Personal Goals When a professional musician releases a song, their goal is centered around plays, listens, downloads, and sales. When I release a new song I am focused on inspiring and challenging the people who hear it. Yes, I want as many people as possible to hear my songs because they can't be inspired by me if they never hear me. But the number of people who hear it isn't my primary motivation. For me the more important part is how many people are moved to understanding or action after hearing. And one of the best ways I inspire people is by not letting the desire for the great keep me from sharing the really good. Also, by sharing my song as is I may actually attract that right person to help me make it better. Past Happy Accidents In the past I have made a lot of mistakes. And for the most part the people I wanted to reach found something they wanted or needed in those mistakes. Like that first blog post titled I Think I'm Ready to be An Inspiration. Where I mixed up a train photo and my headshot. Most people thought I was going for a Little Engine That Could reference. Or how about when I recorded my first video not knowing the lights were off. Most people thought it was a metaphor for my being a blind man who was going to lead them out of the darkness. Most people will find the good in your work if you give them the opportunity to do so. Fear Effecting Other Work Another factor in my final decision was how I have been feeling. I have been dealing with a lot of fatigue lately. I am physically pretty healthy. I actually had a check up just to be sure. But I have had to force myself more often to do the work that people are relying on me to do. I thought about what if anything in my personal or professional life might be causing these feelings of tiredness. This regular self-evaluation is critical to the success of all entrepreneurs. Last year I discovered a less than ideal work project was dragging me down. Things improved when I withdrew from the assignment. This time the only thing I could come up with was my refusal to go ahead and share my song with the world. Hopefully I am on the right track here. It wouldn't be the first time that fear showed up as a lack of energy or a feeling of not having enough time. Being True To Myself What finally helped me decide was to listen to the words in my song. To think about the things I have accomplished and how I did so. While I have had a lot of help and encouragement along the way, I always started where I was. I would learn from the experience and get better along the way. It has worked for me so far. What I see as necessity others see as fearlessness. And that willingness to share my work even when I know it could be a little better is a big part of my attraction. Ryan Biddulph likes to call me Marvel's Dare Devil of the online world. Friends who do sing professionally have commented on how I will sing acapella and live during podcast interviews. And that first website that people complained about helped me sell rides on five continents. I would never purposely put bad work out into the world, but I'm not going to wonder what if I had just shared either. So, when given a choice, I am almost always going to choose to publish. Even though it makes me nervous. Especially because it makes me nervous. Let's not forget that even now I am nervous about singing in public. That fear will always be with me. But I do it anyway so people can see me walk my talk. Sharing Is Caring This is the place where I usually ask you to share my post with your community. And I definitely want you to do that, but I also want you to share with me. I want to hear what you think of the song. I hope you enjoy it and get something good out of it. But feel free to say I should have waited to make it better if that is how you feel. Also, I want to hear something you have done in your life that was challenging, scary, or both. I want to hear what lessons you believe people could take from your experiences. And maybe, just maybe, you will offer some of your own lyrics to this song. It would be so cool if one of you took the What's Your Excuse song and made it. your own sharing back with me. I do want you to know how much I appreciate your support. Knowing that I disappoint you when I fail to post is sometimes the only thing that keeps me going. And I know you could spend your time in a lot of other places both online and in person. So thanks. I really appreciate you and look forward to your comments. Stay safe out there, Max

See All (82)

4.9
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

Interview show where my guests and I will challenge those excuses that are holding you back from accomplishing your big goals and dreams.

Information

  • Creator
    The Blind Blogger Maxwell Ivey
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    82
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©The Blind Blogger Maxwell Ivey July 2015 to present
  • Show Website
    The What's Your Excuse? Show