Jennifer McClure`

Equipping people leaders to navigate change — and design the future — with boldness and purpose.

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Discovering the Hidden Forces That Drive You to Do Your Best Work With Todd Henry

photo of Todd Henry

On Episode 49 of the Impact Makers Podcast, I’m speaking with someone that I admire and respect, and whom I’ve learned a great deal from over the past 10 years through his podcast, his books, and also by sometimes sharing stages with him speaking at conferences and events around the world.

Todd Henry positions himself as an “arms dealer for the creative revolution”, and he teaches leaders and organizations how to establish practices that lead to everyday brilliance.

He’s the author of five books (The Accidental Creative, Die Empty, Louder Than Words, Herding Tigers, and the latest – The Motivation Code), and he speaks and consults across dozens of industries on creativity, leadership, and passion for work.

Todd is also the host of The Accidental Creative podcast, where he offers weekly tips for how to stay prolific, brilliant, and healthy, and it’s been downloaded over 10 million times.

When I saw that he was releasing his latest book – his fifth – in early October, I immediately bought a copy to keep my streak going of having read all of his books, and I also reached out to ask if he would join me on the podcast to share more about it with you. I was thrilled when he said yes right away, and I think you’ll enjoy learning more about his books, as well as how you can do the best work of your life.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:​​

  • How starting a podcast in 2005 as a fun side project and creative outlet led unexpectedly to a book deal with a major publisher, and invitations to speak at events all over the world.
  • Why persistence is the key to success at work and in life.
  • What a 5-time published author who hates the writing process loves about writing books.
  • How to structure your life in a way that you’re going to produce great work.
  • How to avoid the seven forces that disrupt your ability to produce work you can be proud of.
  • The five key elements needed when putting your work into the world to ensure it will resonate with people.
  • The leadership framework necessary to lead highly creative people, and to provide the stability and challenge they need to thrive.
  • How identifying your core motivators can help you understand what drives you, and also how you can mitigate any of their negative effects.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 49

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“Part of the key to life and to success is that success comes in layers, and it’s just showing up over and over and over and over and over. Because you might show up today and get rejected, and then six months later you show up to the exact same person but the circumstances have changed, and you’re the greatest thing in the history of the world. All of a sudden, now you’re exactly what they’re looking for.” ~ Todd Henry

“For me, my love of the writing process has little to do with the actual writing, and more to do with the fact that it introduces the opportunity for me to put ideas out into the world in the way that they’re accessible to people.” ~ Todd Henry

“Every motivation is a gift. We should not feel guilty for the way that we’re motivated.” ~ Todd Henry

“Motivation is the base layer for everything else we do. If we understand what drives us, so much of our other behavior is explainable and we can mitigate so many of the negative effects of our actions.” ~ Todd Henry

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Todd Henry

Todd Henry LinkedIn

Todd Henry Twitter

Todd Henry Facebook

The Accidental Creative podcast

The Motivation Code / The Motivation Code Assessment

The Motivation Code: Discover the Hidden Forces That Drive Your Best Work by Todd Henry, Rod Penner, Todd W. Hall, and Joshua Miller

Herding Tigers: Be the Leader That Creative People Need by Todd Henry

Louder than Words: Harness the Power of Your Authentic Voice by Todd Henry

Die Empty: Unleash Your Best Work Every Day by Todd Henry

The Accidental Creative: How to Be Brilliant at a Moment’s Notice by Todd Henry

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

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Creating a Life of Adventure While Making the Workplace and the World Better With Kate Bischoff

With the Impact Makers Podcast, my goal is to inspire you to identify ways that you can make a difference at work and in life — either through providing education on a topic to increase your influence, clarify your message, or lead with greater impact, or to bring you conversations with interesting guests who are doing just that.

In Episode 48, I’m chatting with someone who not only inspires me, but who often pushes me to think bigger, and to think differently, and to take action.

My friend Kate Bischoff is a mom, a former US Foreign Service worker, an employment lawyer, a social justice warrior, and an avid adventurer.

Whether she’s working with clients, doing a free webinar on the latest rules and regulations affecting the workplace, or providing manager training, she brings an educated, experienced, and often witty perspective towards bringing about her goal of making both the workplace, and the world, better for all.

Kate has an incredibly positive outlook about life, accompanied by a thirst for adventure. After listening to this episode, I hope that you’ll be inspired to think about your own life, and how you can find meaningful ways to do work that you love, while living life on your own terms.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:​​

  • How joining the foreign service on a whim resulted in Kate working as the Head of Human Resources for the Consulate General in Jerusalem and the US Embassy in Zambia.
  • What inspired Kate to become a lawyer, and to ultimately focus on making workplaces and the world better places.
  • Kate’s advice for how we can all add more adventure to our lives.
  • How the #MeToo movement, the global pandemic, and recent social unrest has impacted the work that Kate does, as well as the workplace.
  • What and why Kate is planning for her next travel adventure to Antarctica.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 48

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“Well, my life is kind of like that, you know, I’ve practiced in big management side firms, I’ve practiced in small firms, I’ve started my own business. My whole life has kind of been – I don’t set a goal for where I’m going to be in five years, I want to see how much adventure I can have in the next five years. I just sat and discussed dates for when I’m going to go to Antarctica hopefully next February, and that’s kind of what my life has been. I have this passion of trying to make workplaces and the world better, but I need to have adventure too and fun. And so I try to seize on those opportunities as they come.” ~ Kate Bischoff

“There’s no good reason not to be helping people when you have the time and the resources to do it.” ~ Kate Bischoff

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Kate Bischoff LinkedIn

Kate Bischoff Twitter

tHRive Law & Consulting

Hostile Work Environment Podcast

Marc Alifanz

Hostile Work EnvironmentPodcast S2E4 – The Poop Rails Come Off

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

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Combining the Power of Moonshot Thinking With Actionable Plans to Make an Impact in Work and Life With Ozan Varol

photo of Ozan Varol

How many times have you heard the phrase – “Well, it’s not exactly rocket science” – when someone is referring to something as easy?

I guess that means that we associate those who actually ARE rocket scientists with being exceptionally smart. 🙂

And while that’s probably true – actually it IS true – the reality is that you and I can THINK like a rocket scientist, without actually having to send anything into space.

So, just how do rocket scientists think? And how can you and I apply that thinking to our work and our lives in order to increase our impact?

My guest on Episode 47 of the Impact Makers Podcast has an idea. In fact, he’s been there, done that, and has written the book on it.

Ozan Varol is a rocket scientist turned award-winning professor and #1 bestselling author. He’s also one of the world’s foremost experts in creativity, innovation, and critical thinking.

Ozan grew up in Istanbul, Turkey, learned English as his second language, and moved to the United States by himself at the age of 17 to attend Cornell University, and major in astrophysics in order to achieve his dream of becoming an American astronaut.

While attending Cornell, he served on the operations team for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers project that sent two rovers – Spirit and Opportunity – to Mars. Then in a surprising twist, he ditched his dream of becoming an astronaut, and chose to attend law school instead, where – in true rocket scientist form – he graduated first in his class, earning the highest grade point average in the school’s history.

After practicing law for a few years, Ozan joined the ranks of academia at Lewis & Clark Law School in beautiful Portland, Oregon, where he became a law professor, with a goal of influencing others to make giant leaps on Earth.

In April 2020, Ozan’s book – Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life – was published, and it was recently named one Inc.com’s 6 Business Books You Need to Read in 2020. It’s also listed as one of Amazon’s Top 20 books of 2020 in three categories (non-fiction, business, and science), and was chosen as the number one pick on noted author Adam Grant’s list of the top 20 leadership books of 2020.

I recently connected with Ozan, and have enjoyed learning from him through his popular weekly emails, and I’m challenging myself to apply the 9 strategies in his book to make giant leaps in my work and in my life.

I think you’ll get a lot of great takeaways from my conversation with Ozan, and I encourage you to connect with him, buy the book, and sign up for his weekly email that shares one big idea that you can read in 3 minutes or less.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:​​

  • Why moonshot thinking can produce great results – even if you don’t reach what you’re aiming for.
  • What we can learn from snakes that can create space for new ideas to emerge.
  • The importance of just starting – and not waiting until everything is in place – to facilitate the emergence of new ideas.
  • The benefits of moonshot thinking during times of chaos and uncertainty.
  • How looking at the assumptions in your life and applying first principles thinking can generate original insights.
  • 3 ways to open up your mind to allow for moonshot thinking – even if you don’t consider yourself a visionary thinker.
  • What George Costanza and rocket scientists have in common – and what you can learn from both.
  • The power of putting yourself into “Airplane Mode”, and why doing nothing is more valuable than you think.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 47

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“We really are a species of moonshots, even though we’ve largely forgotten it. We’ve been seduced into believing that small dreams are wiser than moonshots, that coasting is better than soaring, that flying lower is safer than flying higher. So even in moments like this, where the world is turned topsy-turvy, where there is so much uncertainty, there is a lot of room for moonshot thinking.” ~ Ozan Varol

“The great thing about moonshot thinking is – even if you don’t get what you’re aiming for, you end up soaring far higher than you otherwise would.” ~ Ozan Varol

“Moonshot thinking isn’t just about dreaming big, and then sprinkling some fairy dust and hoping that your dreams magically take flight. That’s not what moonshot thinking is. Moonshot thinking is that intersection between pragmatism and idealism. So you’re dreaming big, yeah, but you’re also combining it with a very actionable plan for actually making your dreams reality.” ~ Ozan Varol

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Ozan Varol

Weekly Contrarian – one big idea you can read in 3 minutes or less

Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life Hardcover by Ozan Varol

Impact Makers Podcast episode 009 – Prison to Plan to Payoff: Becoming an Entrepreneur with Kary Oberbrunner

Adam Grant

X, the Moonshot Factory

Astro Teller

SpaceX

Elon Musk

Blue Origin

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

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Creating High-Impact Presentations and Building a Profitable Speaking Business With Jennifer McClure and Dr. Daniel Crosby

photo of Jennifer McClure and Dr. Daniel Crosby

I’ve had the best job in the world for over 10 years now – where I have the privilege of speaking on stages and in training rooms to groups of leaders around the world about how to increase their influence, focus strategically, and make a positive impact at work and in life.

When I stepped out on my own in 2010 to start my business, I had a little bit of experience, a healthy dose of confidence, and a whole lot of hope that I could build the relationships, and create impactful presentations that would result in a successful speaking business.

But like a lot of things in my life where I tend to jump off the cliff first, and then think about my parachute later, I wasn’t fully prepared for what it would take to find my lane, to determine how to set my speaking fees, or how to become a recognized expert.

So, queue admission into the school of hard knocks, where I’ve gained quite an education along the way, and as a result, have ultimately managed to build a business and life that I truly love.

Last year, my friend Dr. Daniel Crosby – who is a great public speaker himself, and was a also my guest on episode 14 of the Impact Makers Podcast, where he talked about understanding human behavior to do well, do good and do you – asked if I would join him on his Standard Deviations podcast to talk about what it takes to create great presentations — and if you’re into that kind of thing, how to actually get paid to speak, which is one of the most frequently asked questions we both receive.

Over a year later, the content of our conversation is still accurate and timely, and I continue to hear from people in Dr. Crosby’s audience who have found it helpful. So I asked him if I could share it with you today, and if you’re interested in crafting great presentations, and/or getting paid to speak, I think you’ll find it helpful.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:​​

  • My path from HR executive to professional speaker, and why I felt like I needed at least 20 years of work experience before starting.
  • How giving away 10% of my time to help others helped me to get started as a speaker, and discover the work that I truly loved.
  • My personal recipe for crafting a great presentation.
  • What comedians and preachers can teach us about giving great presentations.
  • What adult learning theory tells us about what makes for a good speech.
  • Strategies for determining your speaking fee, what can happen if your price is too low, and how to get paid more.
  • Three books that I recommend for speakers to help with picking a lane, determining your pricing strategy, and building a memorable brand.
  • What Dr. Crosby did that 10x’d his speaking revenue.
  • 3 concrete steps to take to build a profitable speaking business.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 46

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

Key Quotes From This Episode:

“I always tell people who want to be a speaker – it’s a journey. I don’t know anybody who is a speaker – who is doing this for a living, or either a big component of their business – who just one day said, ‘I’m going to be a speaker’ – and hung their shingle up and people start clamoring to pay them.” ~ Jennifer McClure

“My advice to people who want to be a speaker? First – what do you know, and how can you give that knowledge away? And if you’re adding value to people while doing that, then they’re going to start asking you to do that more and more.” ~ Jennifer McClure

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

FREE RESOURCE: 10 Tips To BUILD YOUR BRAND and LAND Gigs as a Speaker!

Dr. Daniel Crosby LinkedIn

Dr. Daniel Crosby Twitter

Standard Deviations Podcast

Impact Makers Podcast Episode 014: Understanding Human Behavior to Do Well, Do Good and Do You with Dr. Daniel Crosby

Standard Deviations Podcast Episode 14: Jennifer McClure – On Becoming a Public Speaker

Centennial, Inc.

Mike Sipple, Sr.

Michelle Cushatt 

Million Dollar Speaking: The Professional’s Guide to Building Your Platform by Alan Weiss

Million Dollar Consulting: The Professional’s Guide to Growing a Practice by Alan Weiss

Ryan Estis

Jane Atkinson

The Wealthy Speaker 2.0: The Proven Formula for Building Your Successful Speaking Business by Jane Atkinson

Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt

Laurie Ruettimann

Jon Acuff

Toastmasters International

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

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Using the Content Fuel Framework to Find Your Story and Create Better Content With Melanie Deziel

photo of Melanie Deziel

Whether you work for a corporate brand – or you’re a personal brand – we all have something in common.

In order to persuade people to buy from us, work with us, or tell others about us, we have to be able to create powerful messages and stories that connect with our intended audience, and position us for success.

So, wouldn’t it be nice if there was some type of framework that could help us to choose a focus and format to tell our story, so we could create content that serves our mission in the best possible way?

Well, thankfully, there is a framework, and my guest today literally wrote the book on it.

Melanie Deziel is a keynote speaker, award-winning branded content creator, and a lifelong storyteller on a mission to share the power of creating compelling and credible content with others.

Melanie is the Founder and Chief Content Officer of StoryFuel, a company that teaches marketers, creators and organizations how to tell better brand stories, and she’s the author of the best-selling book – The Content Fuel Framework: How to Generate Unlimited Story Ideas.

I’ve enjoyed reading Melanie’s book, and have found the 10 x 10 content fuel framework helpful as I’ve had to re-think how I connect with my community, and share my message while speaking on stages around the world is not an option.

In our conversation today, Melanie shares how her experience as a journalist and content strategist for some of the most well-known companies and brands in the world was helpful to her when she decided to start and market her own business, and how she’s now on a mission to help others to create content that they can be proud of, and will get their messages heard.

Topics Discussed In This Episode:​​

  • How the storytelling process used by corporate brands is similar to telling your own story as a personal brand.
  • The importance of understanding what is important to you, the message that you want to convey to your audience, and how your personal experiences can provide relevance and timeliness about your topic.
  • How Melanie applied her experience as a journalist and with storytelling to market her business once she went out on her own.
  • How volunteering to help sales people with client pitches led to Melanie becoming a successful international keynote speaker.
  • How the 10 x 10 grid of the Content Fuel Framework evolved from a series of presentations, to a workshop, then a keynote, and ultimately a book.
  • The challenges associated with launching a book during a global pandemic, and how Melanie has gotten creative to promote the book in non-traditional ways.
  • How to choose a focus and format to tell your story, and to create content that serves your mission in the best possible way.
  • Two things that a company – or a person – needs to consider before creating and sharing content, in order to get their message heard.

IMPACT MAKERS PODCAST – EPISODE 45

(Email subscribers – click HERE to listen to the podcast.)

People & Resources Mentioned In This episode:

Melanie Deziel

Melanie Deziel LinkedIn

Melanie Deziel Twitter

Melanie Deziel Instagram

Storyfuel

The Content Fuel Framework: How to Generate Unlimited Story Ideas (For Marketers and Creators) by Melanie Deziel

Connect with Jennifer:

Send her a message [https://jennifermcclure.net/contact/]

On LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifermcclure

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenniferMcClure

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_mcclure/

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMcClureSpeaker

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