Today’s guest loves solving the hardest puzzles, from crosswords to jigsaws to the meaning of life.

He is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, including "The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World" and "The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible."

His TED talks have been seen more than 10 million times. He writes for popular publications, including The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, and New York magazine. He has appeared on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and CNN.

Please join me in welcoming A.J. Jacobs.

In this episode we discuss:

• his thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is a suitcase word - it can mean a whole bunch of things. My favorite kind of leadership is mentorship.”
• tips on how to engage a mentor, including adding a bit of humor.
• how curiosity and openness made him a better leader.
  the experience of being friends with and navigating very different social circles.
• his origins of wanting to be a writer and his start as an author.
• his journey of reading the encyclopedia Brittanica to try and learn everything.
• the process of pitching his first book, including almost not pitching it.
• how relationships and networking led to his first TED talk, and how he almost deleted the invitation.
• finding his 12th cousin - another email where a “crazy email” led to something great.
• how he pitched “sex advice from the bible” to Glamour and not only did it get accepted but received millions of views.
• his cadence for creating projects in his life and business.
  the need for social interaction and why it’s so important.
• how he nurtures and sustains the outer layers of his network.
• what he is looking most forward to in the next year.

Today’s guest considers herself an accidental advocate, motivating others to embrace the kind of social behaviors that trigger societal shifts.

Experienced in fostering open dialogue in professional settings, she helps build awareness and visibility of equity, diversity, inclusion, and cultural competencies that serve as a foundation for improved collaboration, cooperation, and communication.

She is an inclusion activist whose TEDx Talk “Coming Out of Your Closet” became a viral sensation. Her intrepid, relatable, and intrinsically comical style has made her an in-demand speaker, including events at Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Bank of America, and keynoting an LGBTQ Conference at Harvard University.

She is a speaker, equality advocate, and author of “Step Up: How to Live with Courage and Become an Everyday Leader.”

Please join me in welcoming Ash Beckham.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is both a willingness and an ability to be the example.”
• how she learned to be an example of leadership while playing basketball in high school. “Heart doesn’t score baskets.”
• understanding the world outside of our responsibility.
• finding greatness in a supportive role.
• her desire to work in corporate America because her parents were entrepreneurs.
• how she learned that there wasn’t only one way to be.
• her first business owning a vegan Indian food cart.
• what she learned at her first Ignite event about being passionate while delivering a message.
• how to support and be visible authentically as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and avoid paralysis of politeness.
• how Ash nurtures and sustains the outer levels of her network.
• how she incorporates networking into the micro moments of her day.
• what she’s looking forward to in the next year.

Today’s guest is a maven, passionate about learning and sharing what she’s learned.

She is an accumulator of knowledge with an emphasis on technology, communication, and organization. She wants her team and her community to have access to the tools, resources, and information that will make their lives and jobs easier. She believes there is nothing better than helping someone else feel empowered with a new skill and newfound confidence.

Relationships are important to her, and working in a collaborative team environment excites her every day.

On a personal note, today’s guest is also my wife. My business success is possible because I have her ongoing support and encouragement.

Please join me in welcoming Jess M. Samuels.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is knowing what kind of leader to be. It’s being organized to see other people’s visions come to fruition. I lead from the middle.”
• her experience in school learning academics through the creative process.
• her college experience and going in undecided while following a science path just in case that’s what she wanted to do.
• how she became involved in Residence Life in her second year in college.
• her learning how to speak out in more creative ways.
  discovering how to make a plan to dive into Residence Life.
• the confidence Jess built in the position.
  the experience of nurturing her network in a big city (Boston, MA).
• what she learned during her 12-year position at Simmons College.
• how she transitioned into EdTech.
• her strategy of using her network to connect with people in the EdTech field.
• how she grows and nurtures her network.

Today’s guest is a Certified Virtual Event Professional who clears the tech headache from virtual events so his clients can deliver an engaging message.

As the founder of Calm Clear Communications, he produces virtual events for professional organizations. He has over 25 years of experience supporting business communication and technology strategy and has worked with corporate executives, compliance officers, and small businesses. He excels at engagingly conveying complex concepts.

He is involved in TEDxDetroit and Toastmasters, and hosts “Calm Clear Conversations” a LinkedIn Live interview show. To round out his modern Renaissance man talents, he is also a professional voice actor.

Please join me in welcoming Christopher G. Johnson.

In this episode we discuss:

• his thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is the ability to teach, engage, nurture, and help others to grow.”
• how being engaged changes the way he shows up.
• why he selected Architecture as his focus of study in high school and how that led to finding his passion in technology.
• his throughline of helping people with technology issues and how that is the cornerstone of his leadership style.
• his start in a local radio station and how that sparked a journey into learning about sports.
• when the pandemic shuttered his IT auditing business.
• how having a deep understanding of technology helped to build his confidence when starting his own business.
• realizing that supporting his clients is not the only part of running a business - he had to be the CEO.
• why he chose to sign up for Robbie’s Wake Up Your Network Mastermind.
• the difference between yes, no, and nuance when asking questions.
• why continued learning is his favorite part of being an entrepreneur.
• how he nurtures and sustains the outer layers of his network.

Today’s guest is on a big mission to change the academic culture from negativity and chronic stress to one where people express their unique brilliance and live a joyful, happy life.

She grew up in Berlin, Germany, and completed a Ph.D. in Neuroscience in Munich before relocating to the US to pursue her passion for brain research. She is an Associate Professor at an internationally renowned research university and academic medical center in the US. She is also the founder and head coach at Team Leadership In Research, a business that delivers leadership and management training programs for academic research teams.

She became a personal development and leadership nerd during her postdoctoral training, initially to increase her competitiveness for faculty appointments. She discovered she could use these strategies to create a happier, balanced life, AND increase her chances of success. That led her to train as a life coach to help other academics to achieve similar results.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Stefanie Robel.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership means having a vision and taking responsibility to get there. Leadership starts with leading yourself.”
• when she discovered her leadership capabilities during riding lessons in her teens.
• the importance of communication in entrepreneurial relationships.
• how her parents influenced her studies in the sciences.
• how she found her people - entrepreneurs and business owners - after moving to the US.
• her finding out that the overwhelm she felt was completely within her control to change once she learned to change her mindset.
• the joy she gets from empowering others.
• how she learned to sell, which helped her build her confidence and her business.
• the mastermind that helped her build relationships outside of academia and in entrepreneurship.
• how she turned contacts into thriving relationships and connections.
• why she loves having and is always on the lookout for new mentors.
• her personal policy of helping someone before she needs to ask for help.
• how she nurtures and sustains the outer levels of her network.

Today’s guest specializes in small business and entrepreneurship.

She’s an independent journalist and author who has contributed to publications such as Fortune (where she has written the David vs. Goliath column), Money, CNBC, Inc., Forbes, AARP Life Reimagined, Crain’s New York Business, Dr. Oz, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, and a variety of other outlets on the topics of entrepreneurship and careers. She is also a ghostwriter and collaborative editor.

She was twice nominated for the National Magazine Award for her features and edited the magazine’s website, building its traffic from 2 million to 5 million page views per month. She is co-founder of the $200KFreelancer blog, a site to help independent professionals earn a good living, and of the editing service EmergencyEditor. She is the author of “Tiny Business, Big Money,” and “The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business.”

Please join me in welcoming Elaine Pofeldt.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is being able to put the good of the group above all else. It’s also being open to what others’ gifts are.”
• the importance of trust in the growth process.
• being a freelancer and having to build our own communities through networking.
• mastering the business side of creative entrepreneurship.
• how her career has evolved over the years and the big break of working with Fortune Small Business.
• her thoughts on the idea of being an “overnight success”.
  the difference between freelancing and entrepreneurship.
• how she “accidentally,” wrote her first book by writing profiles on small business owners.
• publishing her first book with Random House after being denied by 19 other publishers.
• the pain points of freelancing and growing to the point of having to take on a team.
• the importance of finding the best way to communicate with your teams. There is a lot of wiggle room to curate your own life.
• tips on how to nurture and sustain the outer levels of her network.

Today’s guest is inspired by seeing others harness what makes them extraordinary as human beings.

He teaches people how to navigate the challenge of leadership. He draws on his 25-year career in the Royal Air Force and over 14 years of partnering with businesses around the world. He has worked in a wide range of sectors including aviation, oil & gas, construction, mining, banking, television, film, and media.

Today he is a keynote speaker and facilitator presenting around the world and virtually. He co-authored his first book “Find Your Why” with Simon Sinek and David Mead. Published in September 2017, it has been translated into more than 25 languages and has sold over 420,000 copies. He was a founding Igniter at Simon Sinek Inc. working with Simon for over seven years.

His latest book, “Leading From The Jumpseat: How to Create Extraordinary Opportunities by Handing Over Control,” delivers the message that leadership is about lifting people up and giving them the space they need so that, when the time is right, they can take the lead.

Please join me in welcoming Peter Docker.

In this episode we discuss:

• his thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is the ability to lift up others so when the time is right, they can take the lead.”
• being selected as an officer in the Royal Air Force.
• specific examples of times leaders need to give up control.
• the difference between leading from a place of love rather than a place of fear.
• the people in his early life that helped to shape him to be the man he is today.
• his initial plans to go to university prior to joining the Royal Air Force.
• the values he holds deeply important in his life.
• how he began working with Simon Sinek.
• the importance of having trust in others.
• how he supports and nurtures the outer levels of his networks.
• the relationship between feeling a sense of belonging and innovation.

Today’s guest helps people be better humans.

She is an accidental marketer, ex-corporate executive, and multi-potentialite with a smart mouth and a willingness to shout what most will only quietly think. She spent much of the last two decades working in marketing for startups and large organizations, and left that world in a blaze of glory, on a mission to get the business world to focus on the humanity of their teams and put people over profits.

She works with new leaders and visionary experienced execs who want to transform their workplaces into humancentric powerhouses by implementing lucid leadership and people-first practices and policies.

She is loud, proud, heavily caffeinated, and usually not safe for work, although she will try to be for this interview.

Please join me in welcoming Anne Bono.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is creating simplicity while managing complexity.”
• how being thrust into a leadership role helped her develop her leadership skills.
• her desperate desire to be kind to others.
• how she’s always been pulled into situations to lead and support others.
• her experience attending Yale and feeling like an underachiever.
• how she accidentally set herself up into being a CMO.
• how her first agency helped authors market their book launches
• the pressure of perfection when one is a marketer.
• her transition from corporate to coaching and consulting.
• how getting fired set her on a path to open her current company.
• who her dream clients are.
• how she nurtures and sustains the outer levels of her network.
• her passionate answer of where she sees herself in one year.

Today’s guest believes relationships are at the heart of everything she does.

She knows that you can't be successful in business, or in life unless you are successful in cultivating winning relationships.

She is a sought-out executive coach and leadership expert who helps leaders achieve outstanding results through the power of their professional relationships. At last count, she and her company, SkyeTeam, have supported the development of more than 10,000 leaders from 20 countries and on 6 continents.

She’s the award-winning author of three books: “Cultivate: The Power of Winning Relationships,” “The Future-Proof Workplace,” and her latest book “You, Me, We: Why we all need friends at work (and how to show up as one!).” She's recognized by Thinkers360 and PeopleHum as an HR Thought Leader to Watch.

Please join me in welcoming Morag Barrett.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership means being the best I can be in this moment in order to help you be the best you can be so that we can succeed together.”
• the moment she decided to hold her head up high physically and metaphorically.
• the awe she still feels when being called a thought leader.
  recognizing imposter syndrome in her personal life and business life.
• how she seized the opportunity and moved her family to the US.
• how seizing the moment helped to skyrocket her finance and banking career.
• her bridge from being a numbers person to being a people and relationships person.
• how being fired from her job propelled her to start her own business.
• how and why she named her company SkyeTeam
• how she nurtures and sustains the outer layers of her network.
• her three-step process for life and business - look up, show up, and step up.

Today’s guest has made a career of making the very complex awesomely simple.

He has spent the last three decades helping companies and people be more successful. He serves his clients as an executive coach, training facilitator, keynote speaker, and strategy advisor. Recognized as one of the top business thought leaders and leadership development experts in the world, he was named by the American Management Association as one of America's Top 50 Leaders to Watch along with Sergey Brin and Larry Page of Google and Jeff Bezos of Amazon.

He has been a guest lecturer at more than 90 colleges and universities, including MIT,

Stanford, Cornell, and the Wharton School of Business. He has been the owner or CEO of five companies and currently serves as a board member or adviser to several organizations.

Please join me in welcoming John Spence.

In this episode we discuss:

• his thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is when you become a living example of what you hope your followers will one day become.”
• how being selected captain of his football team helped him establish himself as a leader.
• how he went from extreme success in high school to failing out of college.
• the three key points that changed the trajectory of his college career.
• his first job and becoming CEO of that organization shortly thereafter.
• the impact of his parents on his life and entrepreneurship goals.
• the three things he believes are the essence of excellence - focus, discipline, and action.
• the actions he takes to grow his network and stay connected with them.
• why doing things you enjoy is such an important trait in business.
• how he finds and chooses mentees and the assignment he gives each potential mentee.
• his thoughts surrounding adaptability and how important it is.
• an incredible statistic he learned about reading.

Today’s guest has reinvented herself many times.

She is a best-selling author, executive communications coach, motivational speaker, podcast host, and Emmy award-winning journalist. Her television career spanned 28 years and featured many memorable highlights including one-on-one interviews with prominent figures ranging from professional athletes to global political leaders including President Barack Obama as well as cultural icons such as Oprah Winfrey. She also co-anchored the #1 rated 6 pm newscast at WCVB-TV, NewsCenter 5, and the ABC affiliate in Boston.

She is the author of “Dare to Own You: Taking Your Authenticity and Dreams into Your Next Chapter.” In this book, she shares that every experience—good or bad, every career step we’ve taken all adds up to experience and skills. All of it is valuable knowledge and can be used to re-create one’s next chapter...if one is willing to think differently about their experiences and can connect the dots, discover the themes and patterns that exist.

Please join me in welcoming Liz Brunner.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “There’s a leader living within all of us. We are not born knowing how to lead, we learn it. Leadership is a journey.”
• her one-time political adversary, Charlie Brown.
• how her ancestry has influenced her life.
• her humble beginnings of being a high school music teacher.
• the bravery it took for Liz to quit her safe job and apply for her first television job.
• how she connects the themes and patterns of all the different jobs in her life.
• an interesting exercise she does as personal development and waking up her network.
• her many mentors, how she finds them, and the lessons she has learned about herself in the process.
• her love of networking events and the importance of networking.
• a LinkedIn tip to clarify the job you’re looking for.
  how she stays in touch with her network.

Today’s guest teaches women how to be badass entrepreneurs!  She believes women have the power to change their financial picture by building profit in their business.

She specializes in supporting successful six-figure service-based business owners to make profit a priority using her proprietary CRUSH Formula. She is a profit coach and money-making strategist with over 14 years in PR & marketing, finance strategy, and business development.

She is the host of “She Needs Grit” a podcast for entrepreneurs to explore, learn about, and implement actionable takeaways in each of the four pillars of business success -  grit, confidence, strategy, and simplicity. Each client she works with has a different story, but her heart lights up when she sees her clients truly understand they are able to create the reality of their dreams.

Please join me in welcoming Samantha Varner.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is leading by example. It’s demonstrating skill and inviting them to follow your example.”
• the first time Samantha found herself in a position to lead and motivate others at a mere 20 years old.
• how her birth order prepared her for future leadership roles.
• her initial desire to work in law but finding communications in the process.
• her experience moving from Canada to Australia to Texas.
  growing up with an example of entrepreneurship from her father.
• the value of community and how to use it to your advantage.
• how she started in the finance world and why she empowers women to look at their finances.
• how she nurtures and sustains the outer layers of her network.

Today’s guest has been called "The da Vinci of visionary leadership".

Named among the top eight global experts in leadership and shortlisted for the Distinguished Award in Leadership by Thinkers50, he is a global thought leader, author, business educator, consultant, and C-suite coach.

He is helping companies to create and execute their vision, and achieve superior business performance. You can find him on Global Gurus Top 30 in Leadership and is the #1 Global Leading Coach (Marshall Goldsmith Thinkers50).

His research identifies entrepreneurs’ and managers’ strategic needs in the areas of leadership and helps leaders to become the masters of the future and achieve new levels of success. He is the author of five books including “The Vision Code,” “LEADEROLOGY,” and “Corporate Superpower.”

Please join me in welcoming Oleg Konovalov.

In this episode we discuss:

his thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is not about solving for today. Leadership is defining what the future will be and how to lead people into that future.”
Oleg’s focus on thinking forward and how to unlock your mindset to be a better leader.
why it’s OK to be a troublemaker.
his focus on being of service to those around him.
why his favorite saying is “if you are the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room” and why that’s important to him.
Oleg’s interesting take on accolades and awards vs. always working hard.
his collaboration with his colleague, John Spence, who I will be interviewing in a future episode.
Oleg’s definition of coaching and why he only coaches people in specific topics.
how he uses time zones to his advantage for connecting and engaging with others.
how he nurtures and sustains the outer layers of his network.

Today’s guest helps leaders and teams become the best of who they are and what they do.

She is the founder and owner of Cognitas, an executive and team coaching firm. Her clients include premier brands such as Adobe, Netflix, PwC, Gap, Dropbox, Stripe, and numerous high-growth start-ups. She specializes in helping her clients lead and thrive in fast-paced, constantly changing, and uncertain environments.

Earlier in her career, she was a management consultant with PwC and led numerous teams and projects to help companies scale and implement large-scale strategic change. Following that, she held executive-level positions at both a digital marketing agency and a private equity firm.

In her coaching practice, she helps leaders and teams create adaptive solutions that address their most pressing challenges, enhance their effectiveness, and capitalize on opportunities.

She is a regular contributor to HBR, Fast Company, and Forbes, writing about leadership and strategies for high performance.

Please join me in welcoming Dina Denham Smith.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is a choice or a stance, not a title. Leaders inspire others to follow through free-will, not authority.”
• her mentors throwing her to the “deep end” in her job and how that affected her leadership skills.
• the lessons her dad has shared with her, including the power of purpose.
• growing up at an all-boys boarding school where her parents taught.
• how she chose her field in college and all the things she had considered being entrepreneurially-minded.
• how an internship and experience at PwC led to a full-time offer.
• her dedication for wanting to improve people’s experience at their jobs because they spend the majority of their time working.
• her tips on equipping oneself with a toolbox to be the very best at anything.
• how she nurtures and sustains the outer layers of her network.
• why she feels networking is a loaded word and should be rebranded.

Today’s guest is passionate about helping thought leaders, business leaders, and podcast hosts design and elevate their podcast presence.

She is a podcasting coach & consultant with deep experience in podcasting and content creation. She built Spartan's podcast from zero to over 35 million views and downloads and has worked on a range of projects from social media advisor on a gubernatorial campaign, to creating the documentary film "Flood Bound", to directing TV ads for Vermont Lottery.

On her podcast "Grounded Content" she explores what works, what drives customer actions, and where the lines are between persuasion and manipulation.

Please join me in welcoming Marion Abrams.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is keeping everyone focused on the ultimate goal.”
• how growing up in a small town instilled some very important values in her life.
• the best library story you might ever hear in your life.
• her college experience, including transferring to three different schools in 3 years.
• her love of film, and eventually, podcast.
• the circumstances around why and how she started a podcast.
• the importance of knowing and understanding goals along with the resources available to you.
• her passion for directing the podcast experience.
• how to create a truly engaging experience for both your podcast guest and your audience.
• how she nurtures and sustains her network.

Today’s guest knows the power of mentorship and self-development.

He started his first company right out of college in advertising.  He eventually pivoted from advertising into technology and now is a business automation consultant. He is big on self-development and loves to inspire people to get out of their comfort zone, through speaking engagements or coaching and mentoring.

He is a master connector with over 17,000 contacts on his phone and over 13,000 connections on LinkedIn. He contributes much of his successes to a strong work ethic, a can-do, never-quit attitude, discipline, integrity, and fearlessness that he cultivated in the martial arts. He does a LinkedIn Live broadcast every week called the Master Connections Series.

Please join me in welcoming Steve Spiro.

In this episode we discuss:

• his thoughts on leadership: “My leadership is a work in progress. Leaders empower and develop people instead of managing them.”
• the two biggest sources of his experience; working at his dad’s store and karate.
• his experience not being the guy that was picked for things and how that contributed to his growth and his empathy.
• how he reinvented himself at camp because he had the freedom of being around people that didn’t know him.
• his education experience and his shift from childhood anonymity to being a master connector.
• a life-changing trip to Ireland during his advertising career and how he met his mentor (his GPS).
• understanding the impact of relationships and connections.
  his deep mission for wanting to impact others.
• solid advice for how to get started with any mentor.
• the difference between coach & mentor.
• how he nurtures and sustains his vast network.

Today’s guest’s mission is to open event leaders' minds and hearts to the possibility within them.

She is a 2x TEDx speaker and host of the popular podcast From Fear to Fire. She stimulates vibrant energy, focus, and action for those who want to collaborate effectively, lead change, and achieve massive results. She is an international speaker, behavioral expert, author of several books, including “Where's the Office?: Moving Today's Leaders from What IS to What CAN BE.”

With expertise in virtual, hybrid, and live events, as well as her focus on helping individuals and companies break through fears, judgments, and blocks to reach sales and leadership success, her innovative keynotes are in high demand during these changing times.

Please join me in welcoming Heather Hansen O'Neill.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is the ability to lead oneself in a way that comes from character and showing up so that it inspires and energizes others to be better leaders.”
• why she asks her teams how would they solve a problem.
  the importance of embracing who you are in order to move forward.
• how she had to calm herself down growing up and learned to express herself through dance and using her body as her voice.
• the importance of being grounded and going deeper inside oneself.
• her college experience and making a huge decision honoring herself and what she wanted and needed.
• the end of her dance career and deciding on entrepreneurship as the next step.
• the journey of finding a mentor and following through on his advice and building her business.
• her strategies in networking.
• how she nurtures and sustains her network along with some great suggestions to nurture your own network.

Today’s guest believes in the importance of building strategic partnerships.

She is a virtual and in-person networking trainer and an international speaker. As an expert in business networking and relationship marketing for 15+ years, she has worked with thousands of entrepreneurs at TEAM Referral Network in Southern California teaching them how to network in the most lucrative way.

She is the author or co-author of five books including “High Level Networking: Strategies to Build Referral Relationships and Joint Venture Partnerships, and Grow Your Email List.” Today, she works with professionals with borderless boundary businesses from all of North America, the UK, Australia, South Africa, and beyond.

Please join me in welcoming Terilee Harrison.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is when you show up in a group/team context and show up with your giftings (tech, facilitator, consistency).”
• her experience in 6th grade that set her on her leadership trajectory.
• what her initial plans for her career were when she was in college.
• her initial career in collections.
• how she unlocked her audience after discovering her passion for networking.
• why she feels referral networking is hardcore networking.
• the importance of growing your email list.
• how we met and although we serve different niches, our ideas work in tandem.
• how she nurtures and sustains the outer levels of her network.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com.

Today’s guest wants you to know that he can relate if you feel queasy about networking and hate to sell yourself.

Through study, practice, and lots of trial and error, he has transformed himself into a genuine networking professional — a transformation he would like to help all entrepreneurs make.

He coaches individuals, trains staff, and presents to associations and other groups to develop their skills and systems to build better connections and robust networks. He works with audiences to get past their networking reluctance to establish better relationships and increase bottom-line results.

He is the author of "Hello and a Handshake," the host of the "Third Generation Networking Podcast,” and author of the acclaimed blog, “The Reluctant Networker.” With his mom and his wife, he is the co-founder of the family business "Third Generation Networking."

Please join me in welcoming Greg Peters.

In this episode we discuss:

• his thoughts on leadership: “A leader sees that something needs to get done and takes action to get it done.”
• why he thinks children are born leaders.
• the tools and freedom his mother provided him which led him to entrepreneurship.
• his decision between staying at his computer programming job or leaping into entrepreneurship.
• the challenges he faced deciding to be an entrepreneur.
• growing up with his mom who taught networking and how they’ve combined their businesses.
• the evolution of his business and discovering his ideal client.
• his belief that almost every business problem is a networking problem.
• the importance of networking intentionally and listening to your audience.
• how he nurtures and sustains the outer layers of his network.
• the importance of reconnecting with people on a regular basis.
• his connect 5 system which helped him network.
• making things as easy as possible for others to take action to help you.

Today’s guest’s life’s purpose is to be a catalyst for inspired action.

She is a relationship marketing coach helping micropreneurs find their microinfluencer magic so they attract the right clients for the products and services.

Her entrepreneurial journey began in 1998 when she and her husband, Shane, pioneered online custom furniture sales. They quickly grew into a nationwide operation working with world-renowned interior design firms, Fortune 500 executives, plus music and film celebrities.

In 2012, she was introduced to a network marketing company that offered a relationship marketing service her custom furniture business needed. She joined the company as an independent referral partner and is now one of their Top 100 affiliates.

She is also the host of the Gratitude Geek, a relationship marketing podcast that celebrates the benefits of living a grateful life. For her, this includes being a metastatic breast cancer thriver since being diagnosed in 2014. As she says, “Stage IV is just a small piece of my story, not the end of it.”

Join me in welcoming Kandas Rodarte.

In this episode, we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “A true leader is approachable and leads from the back.”
• three examples in her own life always make her think about her definition of leadership.
• how being called bossy at a young age helped her embody that in her life.
• how she organized a large Star Wars festival in her town on a whim.
• how to make people feel included when asking them to volunteer.
• exploring her ancestry and finding entrepreneurship in her family’s history.
• selling her husband’s furniture and setting up the initial business structure.
• a mini deep-dive into AOL and how she marketed her business then.
• the importance of collaboration.
• how she stays in touch with people including her top 100 list.
• how she nurtures and sustains the outer tiers of her network.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com.

Today’s guest creates big value for business owners by connecting them with their ideal customers and clients using creative, strategic, and authentic digital advertisements.

In 2021 she managed over $50,000 worth of ad spend on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest helping about 20 small business owners expand their reach and explode their sales with digital ads.

She is a CPA who spent the first 6 years of her career with PWC. The combination of her experience: Big 6 accounting, small business ownership, and advertising for 100s of locally owned Miami businesses proved to be perfect to create her new Facebook and Instagram Ad Strategy and Management Agency.

Please join me in welcoming Meredith Kallaher.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is influencing others to use their expertise and skill to create value for the world.”
• her experience in elementary trying to find opportunities to be in a leadership role.
• how she found permission to ask questions from her high school mentor.
• her thoughts on how crippling it can be to care about what others think.
• her morning gratitude practice which has changed how she looks at her life.
• her initial plan of becoming a doctor before deciding on accounting.
• her experience owning a franchise selling baby announcements.
• her decision to leave PWC after 6 years while working abroad in Switzerland.
• her second franchise of a high-end magazine and her experience learning the  Facebook and Instagram platforms.
• her experience running her business after Hurricane Irma and what caused her to pivot.
• her desire to keep her customers as authentic as possible in their ad messaging.
• her advice for sticking with the social media platform that you like.
• how she nurtures and sustains her network.

Today’s guest is a serial entrepreneur that has started over 30 business ventures. While most didn’t work out he did find his passion as a mobile notary and loan signing agent.

He finds the work fulfilling because as a notary he is with people on their best days or most difficult days. He believes it takes someone special to tap into empathy and compassion while striving to build a business that has the power to change lives.

He learned the hard way that knowledge without consistent implementation is practically worthless. That’s why he became a notary coach teaching others how to start and grow their own successful notary businesses.

He's is the CEO of NotaryCoach.com and author of two bestsellers, “Sign & Thrive: How to Make Six Figures as a Mobile Notary and Loan Signing Agent,” and “SuperCharge Your Notary Business with LinkedIn.” He is also the host of the SideHustle Lounge Podcast.

Please join me in welcoming Bill Soroka.

In this episode we discuss:

• his thoughts on leadership: “Leadership starts with self. True personal leadership comes down to taking 100% responsibility for results and aligning your thoughts, words, and behaviors.”
• how solopreneurs can be impactful leaders despite working alone.
• the traps he fell into as an entrepreneur because he didn’t have the right tools in place.
• the importance of taking ownership of the things you are responsible for.
• his experience growing up pretending to be a businessman but not a very social kid.
• how learning the enneagram helped him understand himself.
• him being the shy introvert who was always motivated to be team captains by his peers.
• his desire from childhood to always be a businessman (including carrying a briefcase to school every day).
• the significance of Thanksgiving weekend for him and his business.
• his college experience and changing majors a few times.
  why he shares his vulnerabilities.
• his discovery of the notary business world.
• how he has been changing the way he thinks about the notary business to inspire others.
• how systematizing his business helped him nail his business so that he could scale it into what it is today.
• how he nurtures and sustains his network using network stacking.

Today’s guest loves to help people who are not comfortable with technology to embrace its power.

She is a social sales, social media, and LinkedIn trainer, consultant, and speaker. She works with organizations, and individuals who know they should be using LinkedIn to: extend their networking, fill their sales pipeline, build their professional brand, advance in their career, and create advocates within their organizations.

She knows people are often afraid, even if they don't admit it, of clicking in the wrong place or saying the wrong thing. She helps to remove fear and accelerate the LinkedIn, social sales, and networking learning curve.

Her clients call her part friend, part consultant, part confidante, a sales enabler, and LinkedIn whisperer.

Please join me in welcoming Beth Granger.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is undefinable. You know it when you see it. Leaders do things to make you trust them and ask them for advice.”
• how being an artist opened up new opportunities to be a leader.
• her early career using her art degree at the forefront.
• how her colleagues encouraged her to start her own business.
• how being fluid with her idea of what her business would be led to more success than if she had been locked to a specific idea.
• how she organizes herself to identify the tasks she should be doing vs. what she could outsource.
• how she nurtures and sustains her network.
• some tips on how to share content on social media.
• LinkedIn’s newest feature having a newsletter along with some content tips.

Listen, subscribe and read show notes at www.OnTheSchmooze.com.

Today’s guest is all about building rock-solid relationships and exceeding people’s expectations.

Having an innate curiosity, she has leveraged that into building business relationships and teaches others how to do the same. Her passion is working with people who want to build their businesses through relationship marketing and networking. She shares online and offline strategies to build and sustain solid relationships with past, present, and future customers that lead to more sales and more referrals.

She is the host of the Relationships Rule podcast, interviewing people who share her value of the importance of relationships - and nurturing them.

Please join me in welcoming Janice Porter.

In this episode we discuss:

• her thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is being able to teach people and influence them through teaching.”
• the distinction between leading and coaching.
• the dynamic of being the older child as it relates to expectations put upon her.
• her first teaching job and realizing what an enormous responsibility it was.
• her bravery in challenging a colleague and standing up for what she believed in.
• her transition from teaching to corporate training due to finding teaching became too political.
• how she started her entrepreneurship journey after being a contractor for many years.
• how she learned to be a good networker and that experience helped her on her entrepreneurship journey.
• how she finds her ideal clients for LinkedIn strategy and how she helps her referrals.
• how she sells her services to different professional clients as opposed to Solopreneurs.
• her thoughts on LinkedIn and how it changed over the years.
• how she nurtures and sustains her network.

Today’s guest’s passion lies in helping clients build profitable businesses rooted in purpose and impact.

He is a strategy entrepreneur, author, and speaker. He has built and scaled companies in Europe and Canada, and led client projects across the world. He believes a solid strategy is key to leaving a business legacy.

His forthcoming book, “The Strategy Legacy” presents a framework called "The Nine Elements of Organizational Identity" to help you build better businesses.

I’m honored to have been invited to be interviewed by him for LEGACY: The Premier Strategic Business Event that he is organizing in February 2022.

Please join me in welcoming Alex Brueckmann.

In this episode we discuss:

• his thoughts on leadership: “Leadership is collaborating with people even if you don’t have a leadership title, authority, or position. Leadership is influence.”
• his experience as a child of directing the games and wanting things to go a certain way even while playing.
• his gratitude for growing up without being officially diagnosed or medicated with ADHD but instead having the space to explore and use his energy.
• his admiration of Axel Rose’s (Guns N Roses lead singer) energy and how he showed up in the world.
• his initial passion for music and why he did not pursue that in his career goals.
• his nights of only sleeping 4 hours a night and realizing that while it was fun, it was not healthy.
• his journey into corporate and getting his first taste of entrepreneurship.
• the freedom he felt when deciding to release himself from “the golden handcuffs” and striking out on his own.
• how he helps organizations leverage their entire leadership organization to be strategically savvy.
• how he is building a legacy.
• his passion for strategy and why he believes every entrepreneur should have a vision for the destination of their business journey.
• how he honed in on his niche and how that developed how he reached out to people and served them.
• how he continues to evaluate and nurture his network.
  his Legacy event in 2022.