As we head into the homestretch of 2025, I'm taking a moment to reflect on the year and, more importantly, look ahead to what's next. In this solo episode, it's just you and me. No guests, just a straightforward conversation about how to make 2026 your best year yet.

I've been thinking about the phrase: "You can't get second-gear results with first-gear strategies." But I believe the flip side is even more critical for most of us: you can't succeed in first gear if you're trying to use third-gear strategies. We see complex funnels and multi-platform approaches and think we need to do it all now. The result? Overwhelm.

This episode is about mastering the fundamentals-the "first gear" work that truly powers your journey. I break down the six practical steps that form the foundation for creating your own reality and making your goals not just possible, but probable.

Here are the six steps I cover for mastering your "first gear" in 2026:

🎯 Clarity: You can't hit a target you can't see. It's about getting specific on what you truly want, not just what sounds good. The future responds to focus, not fog.

⚡ Energy: Where your attention goes, your energy flows. This is about purposeful engagement and investing your focus in the things you say you want to achieve.

🔥 Necessity: Desire gets you started, but necessity gets you across the finish line. Your goal has to shift from a "nice-to-have" to a non-negotiable part of your identity.

🚀 Productivity: This is the action part of the equation. It’s about creating, shipping the work, and moving your dream from an idea in your head to a tangible thing in the world.

🤝 Influence: Big dreams are rarely a solo mission. This is about building genuine relationships, a strong reputation, and a support system that opens doors you never knew existed.

🦁 Courage: This is the final leap. It’s not the absence of fear but moving forward despite it because your mission has become more important than your comfort.

I hope this gives you a practical framework to think about your goals for the year ahead. I'd love to know which of these steps you're focusing on for 2026. Reach out and let me know.

(00:00) Introduction: Why You Need First-Gear Strategies for 2026

Bob sets the stage for the year ahead, explaining why trying to use advanced, "third-gear" strategies can lead to overwhelm and why mastering the fundamentals is the key to real progress.

(05:17) Step 1: Clarity - The Future Responds to Focus

The first and most critical step. Learn why vague goals like "be successful" don't work and how getting specific gives you a clear target to aim for.

(06:28) Step 2: Energy - Where Your Attention Goes, Reality Follows

This step is about directing your focus. It's not about hustle, but about purposeful engagement and investing your energy in the things you truly want.

(09:04) Step 3: Necessity - Moving from 'Nice-to-Have' to Non-Negotiable

Desire gets you started, but necessity gets you across the finish line. This is where your goal becomes a core part of your identity, making excuses irrelevant.

(10:32) Step 4: Productivity - The Action Part of the Law of Attraction

You can't just visualize success; you have to create it. This section covers the importance of output, shipping the work, and turning ideas into tangible reality.

(11:57) Step 5: Influence - Building Your Support System

Big dreams are rarely a solo mission. Learn how to build genuine relationships and a strong network that will open doors and support your journey.

(13:23) Step 6: Courage - The Leap Beyond Your Comfort Zone

The final step is about taking the leap. Courage isn't the...

If you've ever felt stuck or that some invisible force is holding you and your business back, this episode is for you. It's easy to blame external factors like technology or strategy, but more often than not, the real barriers are internal. Fear is a powerful force that can keep us from reaching our full potential, often in ways we don't even recognize.

In this conversation with Mark Franklin, author of "The Four Fears of Business Ownership," we get to the heart of what's really stopping you. We explore the common fears that show up for almost every entrepreneur and discuss how to move past them, not by ignoring them, but by understanding and embracing them.

Here are a few key things we explored:

The Four "Surface" Fears 👹: We break down the four most common fears that hold business owners back: perfectionism ("I'm not ready"), imposter syndrome ("I'm not good enough"), overwhelm ("I don't have time"), and the fear of failure.

Your Internal "Thermostat" 🌡️: We discuss the idea that we all have a subconscious comfort zone or "thermostat" that dictates the level of success we allow ourselves to achieve. Pushing past this setting is key to growth.

The Power of "What Do You Really Want?" ✨: Mark shares the two simple but powerful questions he asks every client to cut through the noise and connect with their deepest motivations, making it easier to take brave action.

To help you start exploring this for yourself, here are three actions you can take:

✍️ Journal with intention: At the end of each day, write down three things that went well or made you happy. It shifts your brain into a more positive mode.

🏃‍♂️ Move your body: Even a 15-minute walk or workout can help clear your head and reset the mental noise.

🫂 Explore "Havening": Look into this simple self-soothing technique of gentle touch to calm your brain and disarm historic limiting beliefs.

Apple Podcasts & Spotify Chapters:

(00:00) - The Two Most Important Questions for Clarity

(01:59) - Meet Mark Franklin: The Four Fears Guy

(03:26) - What Are The Four Fears of Business Ownership?

(09:44) - Why Business Owners Are on a "Quest"

(16:13) - The Alchemist's Metaphor for Personal Growth

(20:48) - Moving from "Small" Fears to "Big" Fears

(27:26) - How to Start Exploring Your Own Fears

(31:47) - Practical Tools for Building Self-Awareness

(37:28) - What Does an Amazing Client Look Like?

(39:22) - How to Connect with Mark

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Get your copy of my Personal Brand Business Blueprint

It's the FREE roadmap to starting, scaling or just fixing your expert business.

www.amplifyme.agency/roadmap

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If you're an expert, consultant, or coach trying to explain what you do, you've probably experienced that sinking feeling when someone's eyes glaze over mid-conversation. You know your work matters, but somehow the message isn't landing. This episode tackles one of the most critical skills for building your personal brand: the ability to communicate your expertise in a way that actually connects.

Brian Miller, founder of a message design firm, joins me to break down how smart people can explain their big ideas to the rest of us. We explore why traditional presentation skills training often fails, how to design speeches that do the heavy lifting for you, and why your next keynote shouldn't try to teach everything you know.

Three Key Areas We Discussed:

🎯 The Audience-First Principle - Brian introduces the AFA (Audience First, Always) framework and explains why most experts lose their audience in the first three lines. We dig into the four ways to build a compelling premise: wants, problems, beliefs, and fears.

🎤 The One Page Keynote Method - Forget charisma training and presentation skills workshops. Brian reveals why great speeches matter more than great speakers, and how his framework treats keynotes as a sequence of questions the audience is already asking.

📝 Structure vs. Improvisation - We tackle the controversial question of how much you should script your talks. Brian's take? You need a plan, and "being authentic" isn't an excuse for winging it.

Three Actions You Can Take:

✅ Create Your Filter Framework - Before any communication (keynote, email, networking conversation), write one sentence: "For [audience] to achieve [impact] via [action]." This becomes your filter for what belongs in your message and what doesn't.

🤔 Practice Curiosity Over Interest - When someone talks about something you don't care about, ask yourself: "Why do they care about this?" This shift creates genuine connection and opens doors to unexpected relationships.

💬 Embrace Radical Responsibility - Adopt Brian's mantra: "Everything can be said clearly." When people don't understand you, it's not because they're not smart enough. It's because you haven't found the right way to explain it yet.

https://keynotedesignbook.scoreapp.com/

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Get your copy of my Personal Brand Business Blueprint

It's the FREE roadmap to starting, scaling or just fixing your expert business.

www.amplifyme.agency/roadmap

----

Subscribe to my Youtube!!

Follow on Instagram and Twitter @bobgentle

Join the Amplify Insiders Facebook Community : www.amplifyme.agency/insiders

Please take a second to rate this show in Apple Podcasts. ❤ It will mean a lot to me.