Igniting Souls Podcast with Kary Oberbrunner

If you're not careful, you will always be preparing because preparation is never done. You can actually miss the very thing you're after. Preparation can actually rob you from reaching people. There is definitely a time for preparation. But you're never totally prepared. Preparation can lead to procrastination. Think of your product as the life-giving water inside a dirty cup to a person who is dying of thirst. They don't care about the cup; only that the water can save their life.

Have you ever seen someone who tells you that you haven't changed a bit? That's actually one of the worst things someone can say to you. Jon Giganti shares where he was three years ago and how he's evolved to today with his "With Intention" Video Series. We all should be looking for how to evolve every day.

Let's take a look inside the hide out at Spark Space. It is a great place for meetings, masterminds, events, etc. It is a perfect example of growing as you go and being ready to grow when the opportunity arises. A big congrats to Mark Henson for all he has done with the space. We're looking forward to having our private mastermind (our Fire Ring) there later this month.  Whether you're hiring your first person, looking at doubling your ad spend or looking to go forward with office space of your own, it can be scary to grow. A lot of people wait because they're scared or unsure, but that often means you miss an opportunity. Don't be afraid of failure. That's part of growing. Take action. With action comes clarity.  If you're asking yourself if now is the right time to grow, then it probably is.

You've heard of OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. But have you heard of CCD, Clear Concise and Direct. When you're writing an e-mail or reaching out to someone, strive to do it in two to five sentences. There's value in brevity. It forces you to be clear. Being clear is actually hard. Are you operating a life with CCD?

When you renovate your house it increases the value of the house. Most people think when they invest in themselves they're wasting money, but that says more about you than the investment you're making. You can get the same result from renovating your brain. The cost of ignorance can kill you. The Bible tells us that we're supposed to renew our mind. Here's how I renewed my mind to build a global business.

We pick up the habits of the people we associate with — IQ, exercise habits, finances, etc. You not only become like them, you pick up their habits. Therefore, associate with people that you want to be like. Tag someone who has a habit you have benefitted from.

I hear a lot people ask why someone would ever write a second book. Books capture ideas that impact causes, like this book written by a friend of mine.

Do you hear this, "We'd love to work with you, but we just can't afford you?"  In actuality, they can't afford NOT to hire you.  People buy belief. Don't make an agreement with people's non-belief. Believe in yourself and tell them they can't afford NOT to hire you.

I recently attended a workshop with Chad Johnson, who has 11 children and created bigskifamily.com. He is a perfect example of using what you've got. They all ski together as a family. We all have things that are unique to us.

On Christmas, let's celebrate being grateful — being grateful for all that God has given us. Even when life isn't good, God is still good. We can't see the end of the story. Grace is God's favor give Into us. This is dedicated to my friend Eric Smith.

This morning I got up at 3:45 am and flew to Chicago for a workshop. People say personal growth is hard. They don't have the time or the money for it. But it's each person's responsibility to find a way to continue to grow. It's hypocritical to ask others to invest in our products and services but not continue to grow ourselves — even if it frustrates and angers you because you can't apply it in your current context.

We've all heard the saying, "Success leaves clues." While that makes a good meme, I think it's more accurate to say, "Success gives invitations" or "Success is about taking action." Look at the person giving the advice. Has that person become the person you want to be? I don't know anyone who is taking too much action.

One of the little things my favorite restaurant does that we all could learn from is sending a confirmation email. Automation is genius. These kinds of touch points are "talk triggers," something that encourages people to talk about them. All of our businesses can take a lesson from this restaurant, whether it's to send a confirmation email before a webinar or do some pre-marketing before a book launch. We need to remember that the sale starts with the first touch, way before the person walks in the door or purchases your product. Find out more about Talk Triggers at the December Igniting Souls Fellowship.

I took my kids to The Ohio State Buckeye's wrestling match. If the Ohio State team member pinned his opponent, Cane's Chicken gave everyone chicken fingers. My kids were so excited and followed the match all the way to the end. Why? Because they could understand the metric of success. That's what we all need as entrepreneurs. We need to have visible metrics. If we do, then our team can help us win. What does success look like for your business?

Some of us can't take a step forward unless we have enough feedback. But sometimes beta readers conflict each other on their favorite parts of your book. I tell my authors to not put a lot of weight in beta readers. Be careful of other people's opinions. Be selective of your truthtellers.