Three Tools to Make Better Decisions

Star Wars First Order

We make decisions all day long. Some are simple (froot loops or cheerios?) while others can be quite complex (quit my job or stay?) Some internet sources say it could be as many as 35,000 per day, which obviously includes all the simple decisions. How can we get better at making the tough decisions without […]

Hate your job? If your Side-gig has Grown, You’ve got 3 Choices

... and two very important questions to answer

man looking up

“I hate my job.” That’s all he said. Then he just sat there with a blank stare focused somewhere between me and the back wall. It’s a look I’d seen before… but I was the one wearing it back then. Have you been there before? It’s not a fun place. But, you do have choices. […]

7 Ways to Improve Your Cold Calling Results

Reviving The Lost Art of the Sales Cold Call

female sales rep

Nobody answers their phone anymore and they never return a cold call voice mail! Right? I’d beg to differ. iSpeak has been using outbound calling for almost 15 years now and we still see positive results. Much of what I share below was learned from Dara, our Sr. Sales Consultant. She’s the highest caliber professional in […]

21 Inspiring Quotes for Leaders

I've always loved the wisdom found in sticky statements like these!

lead means change

I’ve always loved the wisdom found in a short statement. In keynote speaker terms, we call these “sticky statements.” If you’re speaking to an audience and you make a statement that causes everyone to write it down, you just gave them a sticky statement. As we’ve brought the first quarter of 2018 to a close […]

Failure doesn’t teach a lesson without this…

The Best Way to Turn Failure Into Learning

Midway game gorilla

My son had his eyes set on the biggest stuffed animal, but throwing the balls into the basket was not going to be as easy as it appeared. After three failed attempts at tossing the balls he looked up at me and said, “I want to try again.” I could see where this was going. […]

The One Sure Sign of a Future Leader

... and how you can develop it within yourself!

Titan vs Giant

I coach my students to remove “hedging” phrases when speaking, and I get asked, “Why is that so important?” Hedging phrases are non-committal to the audience. These phrases show hesitancy in your thoughts and actions. Your audience will subconsciously interpret these phrases as a lack of confidence on your part. Your audience may even see you […]

Do you have the mindset to be a leader in a crisis?

Hurricane Harvey gave Texas its worst, Texas replied with...

During my college years, I’m ashamed to admit it, but I was self-centered. It was all about me. For an infant or a small toddler to think this way, you’d probably expect it. But, as a college-aged student, it just looks selfish. Not a great way to meet new friends. Since that time I’ve discovered […]

What is Truth to a Leader?

3 Characteristics of Truth We Can Apply to Leadership

truth and justice

I bet you didn’t think I’d drop that deep question on you so early in the morning! Don’t worry, I’m not going to get all philosophical here on you. Pondering an answer to this question could take a couple lifetimes! So, let me tell you why I bring it up… It’s the foundation for anyone in […]

Four Steps to Becoming a Better Coach

How to help your team reach goals outside their comfort zone

face to face business meeting

Providing constructive feedback to the people I coach can be challenging for several reasons. For my students, it can be difficult for them to receive feedback from someone they’ve just met! They know I’m going to point out areas in need of improvement. This creates feelings of exposure and vulnerability. Here’s how I approach the coaching in 4 steps. As a […]

Part 1 of 2: Why are You Speaking?

Video - 3 Questions to define your purpose

I was heading back to LAX to catch my flight back to Houston and my Senior VP called to ask how my sales meeting with my customer went. I said, “I think it went pretty well.” After a long pause, he replied, “What the hell does that mean?” Based on my Senior VP’s response I […]