Guest featured in this episode:

Merit Kahn, CSP, is the CEO of SELLect Sales Development, author of Myth Shift: Challenging The Truths That Sabotage Success, co-host of The Smarter Sales Show, Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach and Certified Speaking Professional.

Since 1998, Merit has worked with salespeople, entrepreneurs, professionals and business leaders who are frustrated because their ideal prospects were not receptive to their offers so they struggled to reach their aggressive sales goals while the pace of change meant always being in catch up mode and there was never time for creating innovative ideas especially while profit margins were slowly shrinking. If that sounds familiar, you are not alone and Merit’s Open for Business Framework will take the guess work out of exactly where to begin to create long lasting change and consistent growth.

Oh, and in her spare time she is a stand-up comedian counting down the days until she trades in her title “single parent” for “empty nester.”

Things you will learn in this episode:

• • What is the distinction between marketing and sales?

  • What is the first step to closing the sale?

  • Which is more important to sales success these days… technology or technique?

  • What is and is not an appropriate offer?

  • and much more…

Today I want to share my two cents on a negative thought I hear way too often. So many people have this thought which is I’m not creative enough or I’m not creative at all so I’m here to debunk this myth of being creative. 

I think as I grew up by definition when I hear the word creativity usually involves the imagination of original ideas in producing art. But as I grew older, not only does it include artistic work, it also means to me to just be. Being Human Being Alive just being you means being creative. I use to think I’m not creative but now honestly think we are all creatives. As long as you are living and breathing you are creating. You are creating your life, you are creating tangible and intangible things all day long. You make a post on IG, you are being creative. You make a different dish, you are being creative. You are creative and you are amazing!

I think the biggest block from being creative or thinking we are creative is the limiting belief that gives us the false belief that we are not creative.  For example I used to think I’m a bad writer so I never really write but in 2020,I wrote a couple articles for example for the elephant journal or Thrive global and people complimented me on what a great writer I was and I was shocked. By simply starting to believe that I am indeed a great writer I also co-authored in two co-authoring books both hitting #1 bestseller in early 2021.So you see we are usually our own blocks. We self-impose these glass ceilings that traps us from being more creative and doing the things that we have the potential to do.

As I said earlier in my early memories being creative only meant artistic works I did take painting and other art classes when I was young so drawing penciling and doodling and painting was definitely in my books and watercolor was my favorite. I still have a couple of watercolor pieces I did from childhood hanging in my dining room right now and I definitely believe being creative in early life sets a foundation for a happy life. However there is no age limit to starting in anything. Whether it’s art, dance, or starting and growing a new hobby or business, any activity you can think of, you can be a beginner at any age! 

When you start thinking you are creative, opportunities for more creation will arise. I am here today because of so many people or things that inspired me. It’s the collective of everything I’ve learned along the way of life. I believe that the well of wisdom is inside all of us inside of you inside of me it’s just that sometimes we don’t see it hidden behind bushes so along the way life we get inspired and it’s like every Inspiration Point where cleaning off those bushes that’s covering our well of wisdom and eventually you’ll realize you’ve had it all along. 

I do need to mention community impact is very important to influencing our creativity.

If something in your feed is making you think you are not creative, do a social detox, mute all influence that’s not positive. 

Being creative is also being flexible. For example when there is a pandemic like we are going through for these past 2 years, how you reduce stress, how you pivot in your life and business these all can be changed and any change in life requires creativity. 

If you want to be even more creative, start by making the decision and intention to be more creative, start by committing that you will be more creative.  Devote yourself and your thoughts to developing your creative abilities. Start rewarding your curiosities, explore new ideas or thoughts, it’s ok to have more fun. Have you ever noticed how one great idea or thought often leads directly to another idea or thought? You can take advantage of these ideas and thoughts snowball as you take more action. So go ahead, let your messy actions snowball and watch how you get more creative. Challenge yourself to create more opportunities for more creation. Just the fact that you are open to be more creative means you’re already more creative.

If you feel you need more confidence, send me a private message anywhere social go ahead, just DM me IamRemarkable, I’ll get you in on my next pitch free workshop to skyrocket your confidence level. 

Guest featured in this episode:

​Andrena Sawyer is an author, consultant, strategist and ministry founder whose background includes surviving the civil war in Sierra Leone. Her authenticity and battle-tested principles inspire audiences to embrace their past, own their present and maximize their future.

She is the President of P.E.R.K. Consulting, an advisory firm for small to mid-sized nonprofits and businesses, and the Founder of MCWEN—a faith-based network for women of color entrepreneurs.

Originally from Freetown, Sierra Leone, she and her family moved to the United States when she was nine years old due to a civil war that left thousands dead and untold numbers maimed and displaced. She now credits her family’s move during the war for her interest in human triumph and perseverance. She has since actively worked to mobilize and empower others.

Things you will learn in this episode:

• • Bloomberg Research suggests that 8 out of every 10 businesses fail within the first 19 months. The Small Business Administration suggests that only half of new businesses survive the first five years, while only 35% are able to survive for 10 years. What does she think is the determining factor for a business’s success?
  • How to plan for the future/longevity for your business?
  • The importance of a business plan if you are only a small business? 
  • How to navigate your way around barriers such as access to resources and funding
  • How has being a civil war survivor shaped her life and helped her with her businesses? 
  • Last tip on how entrepreneurs and visionaries can navigate discouragement?
  • and much more…

Guest featured in this episode:

Janice Schacter Lintz is a passionate, accomplished hearing loss consultant and advocate. She is well known and respected for her ability to assess situations, identify areas for improvement, recommend solutions, and implement programs that help organizations improve customer service and grow profits. Her ability to break down issues and do what is needed to affect change has earned her unprecedented access to business leaders, government officials, political leaders, and respected academians around the world.

Since 2002, Janice has become the global “go-to” person on all matters related to access for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Equipped with an undergraduate degree in business, a law degree, and experience as a successful litigator, Janice leverages her broad background to articulate compelling business cases for organizations in both the for-profit and not-for-profit worlds to improve hearing access for customers with hearing loss. See http://www.hearingaccess.com

A culture lover, Janice felt her heart sink whenever her daughter – diagnosed with hearing loss at 2 ½ – struggled to understand museum guides and actors on stage, even with hearing aids. Not one to wait, Janice plunged into the research and learned that cultural venues could provide better hearing access with relatively standard technology, such as the induction loop, a coil placed around a room that wirelessly transmits amplified sound to a hearing aid.

Janice works with domestic and international organizations to benchmark best practices and helps clients leverage the most effective solutions for their situations. Working with multiple organizations, she helped the NYC Transit recommend that induction loops be included in all NYC subway information booths and call boxes as part of President Obama’s $13.5 million Stimulus Package. She also worked with the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission to implement this same technology in all taxis. New York City is the first United States city to offer this technology in its transit systems.

The New York City resident and mother of two is a 2023 Harvard Kennedy School MC/MPA Candidate, 2021 Tell Her She Can’t Changemaker, 2018 The Points Guy + Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Goalkeepers Partnership Travel Grant Recipient, 2016 Aspen Institute Spotlight Health Scholar, 2016 United State of Women Summit ‘Nominated Changemaker and 2008 People magazine Hero. New York State Governor David Paterson appointed her to the Interagency Council for Services to the Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and Hard of Hearing twice. Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Chairman Kevin J. Martin appointed her twice to represent the interests of people with hearing loss for two terms on the FCC’s Consumer Advisory Committee. The New York City Mayor’s Office appointed her to the Taxi of Tomorrow Stakeholder Committee. The US Access Board appointed Janice to both the Rail Committee and the Passenger Vessel Emergency Alarms Advisory Committee.

Janice is an Advisory Board member of The Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University. She is a former member of The Lower East Side Tenement Museum’s Advisory Committee. She has participated in six Renaissance Weekend retreats for leaders in business and finance, government, the media, religion, medicine, science, technology, and the arts.

Janice is also a Consumer Education/Travel/Food writer. Thrive Global, The Outdoor Journal, Forbes/Lifestyle, Forbes Woman Africa, Yahoo Travel, Huffington Post, Johnny Jet, and Consumer Mojo published her articles. Condé Nast Traveler, Departures, Travel + Leisure, Good Housekeeping, Skift, Southern Living, Fox Business, NPR, MSN.com, and Reader’s Digest have quoted her and included her recommendations. She has traveled to 139+3 UN countries and 194 Travelers’ Century Club destinations and is on a quest to visit every country in the world.

Things you will learn in this episode:

“It’s easier to change the world than to change my standards, so I set upon affecting change”

• • • How she started her business
    • Challenges and surprises along the way while building her business 
    • How to gain confidence to advocate your cause
    • Having an inquisitive nature will get you in front of the right people
    • When emailing a proposal start reaching out to the person at the top of the company
    • And much more…

Guest featured in this episode:

Dr. Debi Silber is the founder of the Post Betrayal Transformation Institute and is a holistic psychologist, a health, mindset and personal development expert, the author of the #1 bestselling book: The Unshakable Woman: 4 Steps to Rebuilding Your Body, Mind and Life After a Life Crisis and her newest book: Trust Again: Overcoming Betrayal and Regaining Health, Confidence and Happiness. Her recent PhD study on how we experience betrayal made 3 groundbreaking discoveries that changes how long it takes to heal.

In addition to being on FOX, CBS, The Dr. Oz Show, TEDx (twice) and more, she’s an award winning speaker, coach and author dedicated to helping people move past their betrayals as well as any other blocks preventing them from the health, work, relationships, confidence and happiness they want most.

Things you will learn in this episode:

• why betrayals hurt so much and  what does it impact?
• What’s post betrayal syndrome and how do we know if we have it?
• What are the 5 stages from betrayal to breakthrough
• How do we know if we haven’t healed from a betrayal?
• How can we learn to trust again?
• Why we sabotage ourselves and how to stop
• And much more