The Cliff Ravenscraft Show - Mindset Answer Man Cliff Ravenscraft

In this episode, I share a deeply personal and transformative journey - one that challenges the very way I interact with the wisdom that crosses my path. It's a reflection of my own almost insatiable need to capture every insightful word, every profound idea, and then put it in a single repository so that I can instantly retrieve it at a later date.

This compulsion to document, store, and then have the ability to retrieve every nugget of wisdom has, in many ways, cluttered my mind and spirit. It stemmed from a scarcity mindset, a fear that the insight and/or wisdom would not be available to me at some point in the future when needed. But what if I could shift that perspective? What if I could see wisdom as a flowing river, abundant and continually accessible?

Here’s what you will discover:


The Trap of Shortage Consciousness: I open up about how the urge to highlight nearly every sentence of every book and transcribe countless insights, with the intention of being able to search and find them instantly in the future, has paradoxically led to overwhelm and diluted the joy of learning itself.
Mindful Consumption: I share my intention to practice mindfulness before engaging with new knowledge. I know that I can transform my experience, allowing me to be fully present and deeply connect with the material on a more profound level.
Trust in Recollection and Reconnection: I explore the power of trust in my ability to recall information exactly when I need it.
A Ritual for Release: I talk about establishing a ritual that allows me to release the need to transfer every documented insight into a single notes repository. I find freedom in trusting that truly significant insights will remain with me, subtly influencing my journey.
Selective Documentation and Reflection: I affirm my commitment to becoming more selective in what I choose to document and store in my knowledge base. I will focus on insights that genuinely move me, understanding that some of my documentation exists simply as a method of reflection to deepen my understanding and integration of these ideas.

Here are the four suggestions that I shared:


Practice Mindful Consumption:

Engage with content consciously, focusing on the present experience rather than the future utility of the information.
Before beginning a new book or listening to a lecture, take a moment to center yourself with the intention of being fully present.


Cultivate Trust in Your Ability to Recall and Reconnect:

Develop confidence in your innate capacity to remember and revisit ideas that truly resonate with you.
Understand that the most impactful insights will emerge in your thoughts when needed.
Trust that your mind and soul are capable of holding onto the essential, allowing you to let go of the compulsion to document everything for the purpose of later retrieval.


Create a Ritual for Letting Go:

Introduce a practice of intentionally releasing the urge to store every insight in a central repository.
For me, it has been more along the lines of capturing my thoughts in whatever documented form, but letting go of the need to make sure that it’s all in the right database within whatever software tool(s) that I am using at the time.


Embrace Selective Documentation:

Shift towards a more selective approach to what you choose to document for later retrieval. This reduces the volume of material you need to manage.



I hope that sharing this personal journey leads you to some insights of your own. Are there any areas where what I shared resonated with you and your own journey of discovery? I'd love to hear from you. Send me an email at Cliff@CliffRavenscraft.com.

In this podcast episode, I interview my dear friend Jessica Rhodes about her podcast guesting service business, Interview Connections, which she started in 2013.

Over the past decade, her business has become a powerful entity that helps individuals reach their ideal clients and expand their audience.

Listen in to learn valuable tips on how to make a strong impact when given the opportunity to be a guest on other people's podcasts.

Hear are just a few of the key insights from this episode


Appearing as a guest on other podcasts has proven to be the most effective method for reaching your ideal clients and exposing your message to a large audience.
Over the past decade, I have referred numerous clients to Interview Connections and have received entirely positive feedback.
The importance of thorough preparation for podcast interviews cannot be overstated. This includes researching the host and having a clear call to action.
Having a clear call to action is important, but possessing unwavering confidence in the value of your course of action is the key to eliciting responses.
There is a need to be fully present and engaged during interviews to establish a connection with the listeners and hosts.
Using a clear, compelling "one sheet" to make it easy for hosts to say yes and ask questions that help you achieve your goals.
Audience size numbers from directories are not accurate or transparent, and the right audience is more important than a large size.
Thorough onboarding, training, and pitching over multiple months is important for services like Interview Connections to deliver top-notch results.
Authenticity and vulnerability build strong business relationships, and local employees provide personalized service better than outsourcing.
Referral partnerships can help promote services when there is trust, integrity, and a track record of success.
Ongoing coaching can help overcome mindset blocks keeping clients from achieving their goals.
Jessica Rhodes has been running her "Interview Connections" podcast guesting service for over a decade. Our conversation in this podcast episode has convinced me to be a long-term advocate for her company.

I fully endorse Jessica Rhodes and her podcast booking services. Book a call with Jessica today at InterviewConnections.com. Let her know that Cliff sent you.
 

In this episode, I had the pleasure of coaching Freya Casey, a successful singing coach and single mother of twins based in Germany. Freya has built her coaching business to over six figures but desires to scale even bigger to reach $1 million in annual revenue.

We dove deep into Freya's dreams and goals, uncovering her treasure of becoming the business owner who scales rapidly with a great team behind her. Through our discussion, Freya gained clarity on specific actions she can take to help grow her profits.

If you're a single mom entrepreneur looking for inspiration and community, be sure to connect with Freya through her new podcast "The Single Mom CEO" launching next week. You can also download her free guide at TheSingleMomCEO.com. It has been a pleasure to coaching Freya over the past several years and I look forward to seeing her continued success!

If you are a full-time self-employed business owner and would like to experience a coaching session with me, email me right now at Cliff@CliffRavenscraft.com.

In the timeless words of Maya Angelou, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Drawing inspiration from this profound insight, today's episode shares the most significant lesson I learned from my friend and mentor, Dan Miller.It is my sincere hope that the essence of this message touches you profoundly.

 

In this episode, I express who improving your public speaking skills can unlock new opportunities for business growth. More significantly, I highlight how powerful and effective communication can be pivotal, sometimes even a matter of life and death.

At a key moment, about an hour and four minutes in, I recount a powerful story. During the pandemic, a woman entered a Clubhouse room, expressing she was contemplating suicide and sought a reason to keep living. This incident underscores the vital importance of clarity, focus, and memorability in our communication.

Whether we're speaking, teaching, or training, it's crucial to convey our messages in a way that resonates and sticks with the audience, guiding them to grasp and remember our intended message.

Here's what I promised would be in the show notes:


Scorre Speaker Training: https://www.scorretraining.com
Next Level Mastermind: https://nextlevelmastermind.info
Next Level Coaching Program: CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS
Email Me About Coaching: Cliff@CliffRavenscraft.com

Someone once reacted to a suggestion to reach out to me by saying, "Oh, yeah, but he's Cliff, freaking Ravenscraft." This reaction, while amusing, brings to the surface an essential truth about journeys to success.

It's easy to forget that there was a time when I was just Cliff, an ordinary individual unknown to the world. This transition from obscurity to recognition is a journey filled with learning, growth, and the realization that everyone starts somewhere.

Keeping this in mind, let's delve into some critical takeaways from this episode, highlighting how you can shape your path to becoming a thought leader through authentic and passionate content creation.

Here are a few key takeaways from this episode:
Align Content with Mission and Passion: It's crucial to align your content creation with your true passion, mission, purpose, and calling. This approach enables a deeper connection with the audience. I started without much knowledge about content creation but progressed by aligning my efforts with my passion.

Intentional Content for a Select Audience: Crafting content that is very intentional and targeted towards a select audience can help establish a professional reputation. This approach ensures that the content resonates deeply with the intended audience and reflects the creator's expertise and offerings. Note: The more targeted you get with your content, the less appealing it will be to the "broader audience."

Invest in Your Passions and Interests: Giving yourself permission to invest time and resources into your passions and interests can lead to content that is genuine and engaging. This investment not only enriches the content but also helps in personal growth and the realization of dreams.

Commitment to Quality: This isn't for everyone.  However, a few years ago, I made the decision that every piece of content should be "inspired" and of high quality. I've chosen that I will not produced an episode, for this podcast, that is not a '10 out of 10' in quality. This standard ensures that the content is always valuable and worth the "intended audience's" time.

Authenticity and Encouragement: Success in building a following and being a thought leader can be attributed to being authentic and uplifting. Sharing personal stories and encouraging others through your content can create a strong connection with the audience and inspire them, as illustrated by the experience of a follower who attributed his success to influence of the content that I created over the years.