In order to grow your income and impact you need to identify and embrace your "core message."

A core message is like a life theme that is uniquely yours. It's formed by your experiences, temperament, talents, and gifts. If categories like topics, styles, and target audiences were flowers, your core message would be the root system connecting and feeding them all.

Some might call it your "why" or your "calling" or your "Inner Red Power Ranger" (just us?). Whatever you call it, you have to understand it so that your decisions can be guided by it and not by an anxious striving to pick the most marketable topic or technique.

Nicki Joiner understands the importance of identifying your core message. More importantly, she's in the thick of it herself. And her journey to identify it (and the insight she's gleaned along the way) are PURE GOLD.

In this episode, we'll get to the gold through:

• 00:00:35 // Witty banter & tomfoolery
• 00:04:45 // Introducing Nicki Joiner
• 00:11:11 // Discovering how "working on yourself" is critical to unveiling your core message
• 00:15:42 // Asking the question: How clear should your core message be before you're ready to go public with it?
• 00:20:00 // Finding the link between your core message and your decision-making
• 00:24:20 // Listening in on the back and forth between Nicki and Josh as they discuss the "Shipp-tastic Ultimate Venn Diagram of Feedback & Success" (Editor's note: title pending): a Venn Diagram with the potential to launch an overwhelmingly successful next chapter of your life and business (Editor's other note: Josh didn't make this claim but the editor does).

Nicki Joiner is a public speaker and consultant who helps people navigate diverse environments with confidence and understanding. She takes a practical approach to addressing some of the most pressing issues in companies and organizations across North America. Nicki regularly speaks about community-building, confidence, self-awareness, and inclusion with companies like NASA, Girls, inc., Meeting Professionals International (MPI), and over sixty colleges and universities.

Join the conversation now and enjoy the pure gold that is Nicki Joiner!

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Thanks as always to our sponsor, YOUTH SPEAKER UNIVERSITY. At YSU, you can learn how to launch and grow your speaking business, write and publish your book, and launch your online course! Watch the intro video NOW:

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CONNECT WITH NICKI

Nicki's website: http://nickijoiner

Nicki on Insta: @thatsoniickki

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FREE TRAINING: Learn how to grow your impact and income on stage, page, and screen at https://stagepagescreen.com

Launching a book - whether as a first-time author or as a publishing superstar - is an exceedingly challenging endeavor. It involves both art and science.

And maybe a little secret sauce.

Not many people know that better than Aryn Van Dyke, owner of Book Rockstar, a book launch consultancy that helps authors develop marketing strategies, build their brand, sell more books, and “ feel like a rockstar throughout the process.” From growing an author’s platform to choosing just the right editorial quote for a book’s front cover, Aryn has seen what works and what definitely doesn’t when it comes to turning ideas into bestsellers. The result? A heaping plateful of insight and tools that could take YOUR book idea to the top of the charts..

On this exciting episode of SP&S you’ll learn:

• 00:00:00 // Tomfoolery and banter
• 00:02:56 // Introducing Aryn Van Dyke
• 00:05:11 // What first-time authors do for a successful launch
• 00:12:39 // How to successfully grow a platform
• 00:23:00 // What your role in marketing your book should look like
• 00:44:27 // How to develop content that will connect with an even bigger audience
• 01:02:13 // How to define your niche in the Amazon marketplace
• 01:24:57 // The reality of author platforms and what publishers are looking for

Aryn Van Dyke is a nonfiction book launch consultant and author coach. She spent five years at HarperCollins helping authors promote their books and build their brand. She’s worked on more than 100 book launches, including multiple New York Times bestsellers, spanning across multiple nonfiction genres.

Our delicious conversation with Aryn Van Dyke spills over with practical tips and behind-the-scenes insight as she delivers a recipe for successfully launching your book. Bon Appetit!

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Thanks as always to our sponsor, YOUTH SPEAKER UNIVERSITY. At YSU, you can learn how to launch and grow your speaking business, write and publish your book, and launch your online course! Watch the intro video NOW:

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CONNECT WITH ARYN

Aryn’s website: http://bookrockstar.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aryn-van-dyke/

Instagram: @thebookmarketer

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FREE TRAINING: Learn how to grow your impact and income on stage, page, and screen at https://stagepagescreen.com

Preparing a great presentation takes more than just practice.

It takes learning about your audience, developing channels of communication with them before and after, seeking feedback from trustworthy voices, revising and reiterating until your eyes are blurry. It also requires some personal reflection to discover WHY you’re doing things the way you are.

DK (yes, that’s his full legal name) is an expert guide when it comes to the entire preparation process. Having helped hundreds of speakers prepare and deliver their content, he knows the subtle differences between practicing and preparing. More importantly, he knows the difference between being just another talking head and being a truly engaging speaker that can bring insight and transformation to their audience.

On this episode of SP&S you’ll learn:

• 00:00:00 // Tomfoolery and banter
• 00:02:10 // Introducing DK
• 00:07:02 // Helpful tips on how to best use slides in your presentation
• 00:26:52 // The critical thing DK learned by “faking” his way through a TedX talk
• 00:32:26 // An unconventional (and potentially game-changing) approach to crafting your speech
• 01:00:55 // Pro tips on developing and presenting your content virtually
• 01:25:37 // What your responsibility is toward your audience

DK is a sought after speaker coach that helps leaders craft and deliver impressive presentations. For nearly ten years he organized and ran TedX Wellington (in New Zealand’s capital city). Hailing from Wales, formerly making his home in New Zealand, and now living in England, DK's international reputation and platform allows him to serve leaders around the world with his expertise (and his love for Minimalism). His insights and experience will absolutely help YOU better prepare great presentations that will impress and serve your audience well.

We hope you enjoy all the goodness and “rolled ‘R’s” in this episode as much as we did!

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Thanks as always to our sponsor, YOUTH SPEAKER UNIVERSITY. At YSU, you can learn how to launch and grow your speaking business, write and publish your book, and launch your online course! Watch the intro video NOW:

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CONNECT WITH DK

• DK’s website: http://justadandak.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justadandak/
• DK's TED x talk (discussed in the podcast): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSp78RwcAS4
• DK's video podcast (mentioned in the podcast), CreativeWelly

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FREE TRAINING: Learn how to grow your impact and income on stage, page, and screen at https://stagepagescreen.com

Confidence is necessary for building a satisfying and impactful life. Without it, we can miss opportunities to help others, feeling like “we don’t have what it takes.” Or move through life under a dark cloud of shame assuming we’re just “not enough” somehow.

At the same time, we know there are pitfalls found in over-confidence. We’ve felt the emotional exhaustion that comes from trying to “fake it until we make it.”

So what does having real confidence really mean? And how do we grow it in areas where we lack it? This episode’s guest has some game-changing insight and experience to offer any of us that struggle with confidence (i.e., all of us).

Juan Bendana went from dreaming about becoming a speaker in one moment to taking the main stage of education’s biggest event in the next. In between those moments, he had to face the ability he lacked while jumping whole-heartedly into an incredible opportunity. Those lessons - and the many he’s learned since while building a successful speaking business and getting a book deal with a major publisher - are now yours to glean.

In addition, you’ll find:

• 00:00:50 // Witty banter and tomfoolery
• 00:07:40 // An only-partially successful introduction of Juan Bendana
• 00:17:10 // How Juan confronted his inexperience and insecurity
• 00:24:20 // How to REALLY get to the biggest stages
• 00:43:09 // The details of Juan’s pre-big-event routine
• 00:55:05 // How over-confidence can trip you up
• 01:13:56 // The two-word secret to writing a bestselling book

Juan Bendana is an internationally-recognized keynote speaker that helps audiences build the confidence necessary to thrive in a changing world. Over the past decade, Juan has interviewed the top CEO’s, Olympians, actors and peak performers across every industry. From his research, the Confidence Cycle was born — a science-backed framework that helps leaders boost engagement and confidence so they can thrive in work and life.

So press play and enjoy the wisdom (and infectious energy) Juan has to share!

CONNECT WITH JUAN

Website: juanbendana.com

Instagram: @juanbendana

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Thanks as always to our sponsor, YOUTH SPEAKER UNIVERSITY. At YSU, you can learn how to launch and grow your speaking business, write and publish your book, and launch your online course! Watch the intro video NOW:

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MUSIC

Flourish by Londau

FREE TRAINING: Learn how to grow your impact and income on stage, page, and screen at https://stagepagescreen.com

As communicators, we pour our hearts, minds, and bodies into what we do. We put ourselves out there - on stages, pages, and screens - in the service of others. We try not to hold anything back. “Leave it all on the stage” is our motto.

But what about our faith? Is that something we need everyone to see from the stage or up on a screen? Are we hiding (or even lying) if we don’t talk about our faith as much as we talk about everything else? Is it important we share whatever faith or belief system we have, in whatever form we can, if we’re going to be true to ourselves and others?

Those are questions this episode’s guest has wrestled with for years in a variety of contexts. Former youth pastor turned nonprofit founder turned full-time speaker, Ketric Newell, has found some answers along the way. He’s also discovered some helpful questions that shape how he’s integrating his faith and work.

Here’s where we’re going:

• 00:00:00 // Silly banter
• 00:01:22 // Introducing Ketric
• 00:05:49 // A framework for marketing yourself while being true to a belief system rooted in humility
• 00:15:29 // How to keep your content fresh - for you and for your audiences
• 00:33:30 // How to integrate what you’re learning from “growing in your faith” with your current message or audience
• 00:42:20 // Why and how personal growth is key to growing your impact on others
• 01:08:28 // How to become more action-oriented and not get bogged down in distracting ideas

In a world where faith can often be weaponized, how do we communicate hope and practical help that respectfully meets others where they’re at, regardless of their beliefs or ours?

Whether you’re a person of faith, an agnostic, an atheistic, or a worshipper of giant, invisible cats named Tony, you’re going to feel welcome in this conversation and will glean some powerful tools and tips from Ketric that to make your speaking and writing soar. Let’s do this. 

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Thanks as always to our sponsor, YOUTH SPEAKER UNIVERSITY. At YSU, you can learn how to launch and grow your speaking business, write and publish your book, and launch your online course! Watch the intro video NOW: 

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CONNECT WITH KETRIC

Ketric's website: http://ketric.tv

Ketric's speaking site: https://topyouthspeakers.com/speakers-topics/ketric-newell

Ketric's Teen Dream Center: https://www.teendreamcenter.com/

Instagram: @ketric

INTRO MUSIC

Flourish by Londau

FREE Training! Learn how to grow your impact and income on stage, page, and screen at https://stagepagescreen.com

Self-publishing is no longer a stigmatized hobby (“Oh, you couldn’t attract a real publisher, huh?”). It’s the path to potentially big impact and income.

Louise Ross, for example, has sold over 7 million copies of her self-published books worldwide, and 18 of her novels have hit #1 on various bestseller lists. Mark Dawson pulls in a seven-figure income from his self-published crime novels. And the exponential increase in demand for self-publishing insight and tools has given rise to industry-disrupting ventures like the one created by this episode’s brilliant guest, Morgan Gist MacDonald.

Morgan started in traditional publishing but soon ventured out to form her own company, Paper Raven Books, designed to combine the best of traditional publishing with the control and speed of self-publishing. Her hard work and experience translates into the best ways to market your book. In this episode, you’ll hear:

• 00:00:00 // Witty banter
• 00:06:18 // Morgan’s intro
• 00:09:41 // The critical importance of creating teams for crafting, editing, and marketing your book
• 00:22:10 // How to grow your mailing list with book links and opt-ins
• 00:49:13 // The pros and cons of self, traditional, and hybrid-publishing
• 01:08:16 // How to choose the best category for your book
• 01:24:53 // How to get a steady stream of great reviews for your book

Self-publishing is no longer a backup plan for authors that couldn’t make it in traditional publishing. It’s quickly becoming a proven and powerful way to take your book from idea to bestseller, in less time and with more money-making potential.

So get ready to turn that book idea into something REAL.

Enjoy!

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Thanks as always to our sponsor, YOUTH SPEAKER UNIVERSITY. At YSU, you can learn how to launch and grow your speaking business, write and publish your book, and launch your online course! Watch the intro video NOW:

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CONNECT WITH MORGAN

Morgan's website: Paper Raven Books

Morgan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-gist-macdonald/

Paper Raven Books' LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/6625040/admin/

Morgan's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morgangmac

Paper Raven Books' Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaperRavenBooks

Morgan's X: https://twitter.com/morgangmac

Paper Raven Books' X: https://twitter.com/PaperRavenBooks

Paper Raven Books' YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/paperravenbooks

Morgan's Instagram: https://instagram.com/morgangmac

Paper Raven Books Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paperravenbooksllc/

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What happens when someone with a hit TV show decides to transfer their finely-honed skills and years of experience into a keynote speech? 

Five people show up.

That was Taes Leavitt’s experience as she began reinventing her life and her work after years of writing and performing in her own award-winning TV show. It was humbling to say the least. Taes had to reevaluate who she was and what (and why) she was doing. And as she did, she discovered a new world of opportunities, personal growth, and dynamic impact on the kinds of audiences she cared about most: elementary-aged kids.

Speaking to the K-5th grade crowd is no easy feat. You have to hold the space and keep their attention while delivering simple insights and practical tools  young kids can actually understand and apply. But resources for that age group are rapidly becoming more important than ever, and when Taes recognized that and decided the bumps and bruises of starting over were worth it, she discovered a level of connection and impact like never before.

On this episode of SP&S you’ll learn:

• 00:00:00 // Tomfoolery and banter
• 00:04:13 // Introducing Taes Leavitt
• 00:08:25 // How Taes pivoted from screen to stage
• 00:17:28 // Why you may have to integrate “audience training” into you presentations
• 00:23:58 // A critical insight into the power of ego and the imposter syndrome
• 00:37:42 // Pro tips on how to write and remember your speech
• 00:48:15 // Helpful insights from Taes’ crash course in script-writing for her own TV show

Taes (pronounced: TESS) has spent the last 15 years creating empowering television and stage content for kids as one half of the musical duo, Splash’N Boots. Her goal is to empower kids to move confidently through their big feelings. Her research has revealed the number one thing that holds people back is not knowing how to navigate big feelings— such as bullying, failure, guilt, sadness, and heartbreak.

Taes’ insight into children’s entertainment combined with developmental psychology and mindfulness training has led to the creation of her child psychologist-recommended program for kids called the Big Heart Journey. 

Whether your target audience is the under-10-crowd or not,  you’ve likely had a “do over” or three along the way. Taes’ stories and insights will help you better navigate those pivotal moments and build a better, stronger, more authentic way of impacting your audiences. Enjoy the show!

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Thanks as always to our sponsor, YOUTH SPEAKER UNIVERSITY. At YSU, you can learn how to launch and grow your speaking business, write and publish your book, and launch your online course! Watch the intro video NOW: 

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CONNECT WITH TAES

Taes' website: http://bigheartjourney.com

Taes' former gig: http://splashnboots.com/

Instagram: @bigheartjourney 

Facebook: bigheartjourney

INTRO MUSIC

Flourish by Londau

FREE Training! Learn how to grow your impact and income on stage, page, and screen at https://stagepagescreen.com

Remodeling your kitchen without any tools will likely result in something your friends, family, and neighbors  joke about for years to come. 

Because even if you’re strong enough to drive a nail through a board with your bare hands, a good ol’ hammer will always win the day. And save you some serious discomfort.

Let’s apply that analogy to public speaking.

Jumping on a stage and hoping for the best will never match the power and impact of preparing well. We all know that intuitively, but how do we do it practically? Presentation coach Eva Daniel has some brilliant insight and a host of tools she’s used for years to turn even the most accomplished speakers into even better speakers. Now you and I get to enjoy a master class with Eva that can help all of us remodel our presentations into something an audience will admire and be transformed by.

More specifically, you’ll learn:

• 00:00:00 // Tomfoolery and banter
• 00:02:53 // Introducing Eva Daniel
• 00:08:03 // How to contextualize your speech for even greater impact
• 00:11:10 // How to measure how well your speech is connecting with an audience
• 00:33:40 // What worked and what didn’t in one of Josh’s Tedx speeches when we asked Eva to dissect it in real-time
• 00:57:30 // Why it’s critical to find and lean into your “authentic voice”

Eva Daniel is the founder of The Speak Shop, a boutique speaker-coaching business that helps thought leaders develop and deliver compelling content. She spent a couple decades working with some of the nation’s top authors, speakers, pastors, innovators, renegades, and rebel-rousers, producing broadcasts, podcasts, YouTube shows, and writing speeches. 

Grab your notebook and get ready for a masterclass in speaking and presenting that will level-up your speaking game, whether you’re just starting out or speaking full-time. Enjoy our delightful and enlightening conversation with Eva!

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Thanks as always to our sponsor, YOUTH SPEAKER UNIVERSITY. At YSU, you can learn how to launch and grow your speaking business, write and publish your book, and launch your online course! Watch the intro video NOW: 

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CONNECT WITH EVA

Eva’s website: http://thespeakshop.com

www.linkedin.com/in/eva-rose-daniel

Eva’s free e-book: 12 Questions You Must Ask For A Killer Speech

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Flourish by Londau

FREE Training: Learn how to grow your impact and income on stage, page, and screen at https://stagepagescreen.com