Meet Marcus The Motivator

Marcus The Motivator's positive attitude has resonated with his fans all around the globe. Marcus has traveled the world, is the author of The Pinnacle of Motivation, and is currently planning a large tour to promote its release. His prevalence at inspiring people, even those considered to be the hardest cases, has seen him rise to become a cult icon in the motivational industry.

1. What made you decide to become a motivational speaker?

I like to say life made me become a motivational speaker. I tried a lot of different things that just simply weren't me. I finished university then went to work a regular job, and it just didn’t feel right for me; at the same time, I helped a friend who was in real need and, well, I helped him out of that situation, and he said it was something I was really good at and that I should pursue it. So I did pursue it because I also loved the way it made me feel to help others.

2. Have people always recognized your positive attitude since you were a child, or is it something that has developed more over time?

I have always felt positive and looked at the positive side of life; that part has been easy. Learning to be a speaker and author, however, is something that took work. My initial attempts were kind of terrible, but it still felt right; it still felt like my calling, and those skills have developed over time.

3. Would you tell us a little more about your book, The Pinnacle of Motivation?

The Pinnacle of Motivation is basically a mind dump of everything I know about motivation. The book works on its own from start to finish, and I encourage people to read it that way to begin with, but there are also sections of the book designed to be referred to at different stages of life when you need help to get through tough times or the motivation you need to get up and achieve something big.

4. What personally keeps you motivated, especially when you have one of those days where you wake up feeling tired, or maybe things don't seem to be going your way all day long?

My biggest motivation is to get the message out there to those who need it most, and I have long-term goals of doing large, free events for the people who need it most in countries that most others ignore or are struggling the most. I want to reach that very large audience who really need positivity and inspiration to find their own success.

5. What do you like most about speaking with audiences about motivation and keeping a positive outlook?

Being able to help people and improve their lives and to help someone become a better person. There is something magical about being able to help someone improve their life, especially when they are in a time of need.

Thanks, Marcus!

Meet Michael Luchies, Entrepreneur and Writer

Founder of TrepRep, Michael Luchies is an entrepreneur, writer, and consultant who recently gave a TEDx talk on the subject of "The Importance of Being an Unselfish Storyteller." Check out his talk below, and visit him at MichaelLuchies.com.

1. Why is storytelling important for entrepreneurs?

Storytelling is extremely important for entrepreneurs. In fact, it's a necessity for their brand to be able to establish respect and resonance with their customers, grow, and survive, and it's what separates their brand from others.

The best brands today tell amazing stories.

Have you seen a Nike commercial lately, a can of Coca-Cola with someone's name on it, or even an episode of ABC's Shark Tank? These stories bring us closer to those companies.

There is a story (and in some cases thousands of stories) behind every company's brand, and the stronger that story (or stories), the more opportunities that brand has to earn and keep the loyalty of customers.

No one wants to connect with a logo; they want to connect with the brand and the people behind that logo.

After the homepage, a website's about page is the next highest viewed page. Why? Because we want to see how the business began, who's behind it, and why it began. This story helps us establish an understanding of and relationship with the business.

2. What separates a "selfish" from an "unselfish" storyteller?

Like storytelling in general, being a selfish storyteller is a natural part of our lives. It's also a necessity for the vast majority of human beings.

Examples of completely unselfish storytellers are monks and nuns. They dedicate their lives only to serve others, and the vows they take require unselfishly giving up the things that the rest of us seek to gain (money, family, fame, comfort, etc.).

With my TEDx Talk, "The Importance of Being an Unselfish Storyteller," I'm not suggesting that people become monks or nuns, but aware that the personal experiences and tough times and hardships they have been through can help others get through those tough times. These are the stories that can change the world.

What you ate for breakfast posted on Instagram or your blog post about reasons why someone should do business with you may serve a purpose, but are you posting these messages for you or someone else? The more we can even out the proportion of selfish and unselfish stories we tell, the better off the entire world will be. Inching closer to being an unselfish storyteller is something we should all strive for.

3. How did you come upon the opportunity to give a TEDx talk?

Networking and getting involved in things I love in the community.

In my years working for a nonprofit that worked with college students who had aspirations of becoming entrepreneurs, I learned the importance of building a network and the joy that came from selflessly helping others.

It was basically my job to help people--how cool is that?

From this experience I met many amazing people and continued to work with them after I had quit that job. When TEDx was launched in my area, Normal, Illinois, I was lucky enough to have been invited to participate.

If you want to speak at an event like TEDx, or do become involved in community events of this nature, start connecting with people who get stuff done. There are many people who talk about creating change and doing things, but very few people who take those thoughts and good intentions and turn it into actual action. I just got lucky enough to surround myself with a few of those people, and like to think I'm one of them as well.

4. In putting your talk together, what did you most hope that listeners would take away from it?

Too often, we worry about the way we will be perceived because of something we say instead of the positive impact it may have on others. We have to shift our mindsets a little bit to recognize how important being real and vulnerable in our communications to others is.

Leading up to the talk, I was scared and nervous about the talk. When talking to professional speaker coach and author Michael Port, he said that it's important to measure the fear you feel against your desire to get your message out to others. Since I had a significant desire to share the importance of being an unselfish storyteller with a large audience, my fear changed to anticipation. I was excited to share instead of being scared to mess up and fall flat on my face up onstage.

This same kind of shift in thinking is what I hoped to leave with listeners of my talk and people who watch it on the official TEDx YouTube channel. I want them to think of the value of their stories to help other people instead of worrying about how these stories may be used against them or the fear that comes with being vulnerable and giving away information that we’ve been told since an early age isn't appropriate to talk about.

Mentioning that I was held at gunpoint isn't fun or something I do to get people's sympathy or interest, but if one person gets the tiniest bit of comfort or decides to contact me to talk about it, I've been able to make a change that would've been impossible without sharing that piece of information.

We all have had our lives changed because of something someone else said. We can do this positively for others, but we have to be able to recognize these opportunities and not be afraid of opening up unselfishly to help. Each of us has the ability to be inspirational, motivational, and life-changing solely by speaking our truths and giving anecdotes and insight from our lives.

5. What else would you like readers to know about you--and about the ways that you help entrepreneurs?

Whether you're an entrepreneur, corporate professional, or unemployed, I'd like to encourage you to think deeply about how you communicate with others and what people around you need. Whether this is a story, helping hand, or something completely different, solving a need that people have around you will always be in demand.

With the entrepreneurs and small businesses I work with providing content strategy and management, I need to fill their need of connecting with people who need their help.

Regardless of what their business is and the products or services they offer, there are always more people they can serve and better ways to serve current customers. It may seem odd that writing can fill this need, but information is extremely valuable, and stories can be the vehicle for that information.

If you are interested in learning more about me or what I provide, I welcome you to visit MichaelLuchies.com, TrepRep.com, or email me right now at Michael@TrepRep.com and tell me how I may be able to help you or your business.

Thanks, Michael!

Meet Sultan Moni, Entrepreneur and CEO of Central Dominion

Sultan Moni is a Toronto-based entrepreneur, investor, start-up consultant, and public speaker. Starting at a very young age, Sultan launched number of ventures in various industries. He is currently the CEO and founder of Central Dominion, a company that works with entrepreneurs and helps them materialize their goals by providing the resources they need to launch their business.

1. As a teenager (and younger!), what motivated you to start your own business projects?

I grew up in a business family, so I always had that business environment around me. But what got me started at a young age was my parents' denial of letting me do things I want to do. I had expensive dreams; I wanted to help the poor, change the world, just like any normal kid. And whenever I tried reaching out for those, money became a problem, so I started studying rich people and figured out all the top rich people in the world are either business owners or investors. That's what got me started in this entrepreneurial journey.

2. How did you learn to be successful as an entrepreneur, and how much of what you learned was self-taught?

Business was always in me; my dad is a successful businessman. I used to help him with his work once in a while, and that taught me the basics. Other than that, most of it was self-taught. I just jumped in without much knowledge, and learned the most of it while managing a business. Experience is the best knowledge. I guess when you're hungry for success, you just find your way out.

3. You have a very unique way of handling your business. You tend to be friends with your clients rather than just making it a business deal. Why is that?

I am a relationship-oriented manager. Let's say you want to buy a new laptop; now if your friend or family member owns a laptop store, you would most likely purchase it from there. Because you know the seller personally, you trust the seller and know you won't get ripped off. That's why I don't look at my clients as just another business deal; I look at them as friends. That way they feel secure, and I gain their trust.

4. What's your best advice to someone who has never started a business before, wants to get started, but maybe feels a bit apprehensive?

Get rid off all the absurdity you have in your head as to why you can't succeed. There will always be drawbacks and weakness in every step. It's good to figure out the drawbacks, but don't let that demotivate you or be the reason why you never started. Turn your setbacks to your comebacks.

5. What are your plans for Central Dominion in 2015?

Our main focus this year is to make starting a business easy as ordering a pizza. We are developing an interactive platform, which will allow entrepreneurs to launch their business by just clicking a few buttons on their keyboard without stepping out of their home. We are trying to introduce the "ordering the pizza" concept to this. The clients choose the package or customize their own package based on what they need and we deliver it right to their doorstep hot and ready just like pizza. Also, it's affordable. We partnered up with some pioneers in the industry to provide our clients a paramount service for an affordable price.

Thanks, Sultan!

Meet Steve Austin, Author of Grace Is Messy

Steve Austin is an author, motivational speaker, worship leader, full-time sign language interpreter. He's been a husband for the past seven years, and is the father of Ben (2 1/2) and Caroline (3 months).

Learn more about Steve on his website, and by checking out the Go Fund Me campaign to publish his book, Grace Is Messy, which will help support The WellHouse, an organization combating sex trafficking in Birmingham, Alabama.

1. What motivated you to write your book, Grace Is Messy?

2. In writing the book, what resources did you draw on: your own experiences, the experiences of others, reflections on the Bible...?

Mandy, thanks so much for the interview. I'm honored to share with you and hope that my story and this new project will inspire others to seek honesty with themselves and the Hope that comes when they give themselves and others a second chance. An encounter with radical grace can truly change the course of one's life.

Growing up, I was molested as a four-year-old, I lived through the experience of my Mom's sister killing herself when I was a young teen and watching my two teenage cousins live through this grief, and lived through my own father's affair when I was in my early twenties. I watched my mother hurt so bad, but I also watched her show my dad grace like I had never experienced before, even though I had grown up as an active church member.

I began to realize that there is much more to life than being a "Sunday morning Christian" and that I wanted to experience this radical, freeing grace.

3. What is The WellHouse, and how will your book help support this organization?

The WellHouse is a faith-based and Christ-centered nonprofit organization offering immediate shelter and transitional housing to women who have been trafficked, are prostituting, or otherwise sexually exploited. Food, clothing, spiritual guidance, Christian counseling, and other necessities are provided, along with assisting with referrals for substance abuse treatment, if needed. Life skills classes, GED preparation, and other enrichment services are part of the experience to help these women become self-sufficient and give them a sense of self-worth. The goal is for women to go on to live full and productive lives.

Few shelters exist for sexually exploited women.

The WellHouse is the only 24-hour shelter offering immediate housing assistance to women being prostituted in the Southeast. Other shelters have entry requirements undermining a woman's access to an immediate, safe environment, such as requiring state identification, proof of homelessness, and other prerequisites, which this population of women may not have. The WellHouse does not require qualifying information. While in the program, residents receive assistance in obtaining the identification and documentation they need to rebuild their lives.

Safety is an ongoing concern. Exploited women cannot experience personal progress and future success, if their safety is in question or jeopardized. The length of time in the program is guided by safety and individual needs, since most residents have no other resources available than those provided by the WellHouse.

50% of the proceeds from each book will go directly to support the mission of The WellHouse, in fighting sex trafficking on the I-20 corridor, from Texas to Atlanta.

4. I think many people hear about sex trafficking but might not realize why it's still so pervasive today. Could you tell us a little bit about why combating sex trafficking is so important?

When you consider that 27 million are trafficked each year, that 80% of those are women and 50% of those are children, it is a crushing statistic. My heart aches for those exploited ones, and I want to see us come together and do something about it. I wanted this book to do more than just sit on a shelf and collect dust.

5. Why did you choose to pursue funding for Grace Is Messy via crowdfunding, and would you tell us a little more about your Go Fund Me campaign?

I wanted to give everyone the opportunity to give back. In this country, we are so blessed. Blessed more than we could ever possibly imagine. I wanted people to be able to to join the fight against human trafficking, whether it's donating $5 or $500, and the GoFundMe Campaign allows people to do just that. My friend Susan said, "With this campaign, a handful of people can change the world." I couldn't have said it better myself.

If anyone wants to join the fight, please go to http://www.gofundme.com/93lbf8 and donate. Every single dollar counts towards our goal of $10,000.

You can also follow updates at www.graceismessy.com, facebook.com/iamsteveaustin, and twitter.com/iamsteveaustin.

Mandy, again, thanks for your time and for spreading this awareness to more people.

God bless you!

Thanks, Steve!

Meet Kevin Shird, Author and Cofounder of the Mario Do Right Foundation

Kevin Shird is president and co founder of The Mario Do Right Foundation along with Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and actor Mario. A much sought-after speaker, Kevin shares his story with lawmakers in DC and nationwide. Kevin is partnering with Baltimore-area universities and community organizations to use his story as a tool and resource for understanding the perspective of youth in similar circumstances and for planning more effective interventions to break the cycle.

Learn more by checking out Kevin's Facebook page and reading about his book on Amazon.

1. What inspired you to want to start sharing your story with others?

I thought that it was a story which needed to be shared. It's not only a story about the streets but also about the journey. How does a young kid get there, and then once he or she arrives at that place, how do they return to where they need to be? How do we pull them back in from the streets and a road to greatness?

2. In writing your book, what did you find most difficult about the process?

The editing was the toughest obstacle. Being comfortable enough to allow others to make changes to your work is very challenging, especially when it is your personal story. How can you edit your life? It can be stressful, but it's also a necessary part of the process to make your book readable.

3. In addition to helping others, do you feel that writing about your experiences has helped you, too?

Of course. Writing has been therapeutic for me. It's helped me get rid of the baggage I was dealing with. It helped me grow as a person and as a man. Writing has also helped me better understand the role I played in many of the bad situations I've encountered in my life. Reflecting and putting to words was a powerful exercise in healing and making amends, hence the title "Lessons Of Redemption".

4. Would you tell us a little bit about The Mario Do Right Foundation and how you became involved in this project?

The Do Right Foundation is a nonprofit which focuses on substance abuse prevention education. In 2007 MTV came to Baltimore specifically to film a piece on my business partner who is in the music business. The piece was highly successful and drew 4,000,000 viewers once aired, and focused on his mother's heroin addiction. MTV actually suggested that we should start a foundation to support children of addicts. My partner asked me to help build the organization, and we became partners from there. I became the co-founder, working diligently to grow an organization which could have a real impact. We wanted to support children struggling from the negative effects of their parents and addiction.

5. If you knew that a youth in crisis--or the parent of a youth in crisis--were reading this right now, what might you say?

Find them help immediately and don't waste time. Don't hesitate and don't second guess yourself. If you think something is abnormal, more often then not you are probably right. There are tons of resources online for substance abuse and mental health.

Thanks, Kevin!

Meet Xenia, Entrepreneur and Speaker

Xenia is an entrepreneur, international speaker, author, and Life Expansion Consultant. She is a strong advocate on creating wealth through expanding your life to reach the unlimited personal power she believes resides in each individual.

Xenia has developed many successful businesses including an award-winning real estate agency, ALEXA Real Estate, the Life Expansion Institute, and several others. She believes that the key to financial success lies in generating multiple streams of income and creating your own global economy independent of governments, systems and market trends. Learn more about Xenia by visiting http://www.leadersandvisionaries.com.

1. How did you first get started as an entrepreneur?

My professional career began as a medical research scientist. After three years of research during my PhD years and a further three year research placement as a post doctoral research fellow in Canada specializing in the area of recombinant vaccine design, I began to explore more liberal options for my life where there was no predefined government standard to the amount of money that I could make.

Although I loved science and research and was a very successful and sought after scientist, I quickly realized that the entrepreneurs running the pharmaceutical companies who funded the research made infinitely more money than the scientists working on the research. There was no cap on the amounts of money that landed in their bank accounts, and they were in full control. Scientists, like other employees, not only had a capped income, but were at the effect of decisions made by research funding companies and relied heavily on funding resources that they had no control and no influence over. This was not the game I wanted to play in my life, I needed a bigger playing field and I needed to be at full cause in my own life.

Having started investing at around 19 years old, I already had millions in property assets in my early thirties, but after six years in a medical research laboratory, it was time for this rat to escape and create an income outside the box.

It is said that if you do not have a goal or a vision for your life, you will always work for someone who has. The way to financial independence is to get clear on what you want for your own life and to create your own vision.

For me the vision was to create an income that would not only replace my scientist income but also support some of my property assets and growth of my property portfolio. I had a break away from the research laboratory once my son was born, and while I was home and away from coordinating multiple research projects and events, I was able to focus my energy not only on my newborn son (who was less challenging then because he couldn't talk) but also towards developing business ideas that later evolved to my first business--an Adelaide based real estate agency. The agency was a natural progression using my skills and experience as a property investor, and I was able to carve out a niche market aimed at the needs of property investors and their portfolios.

The agency was developed on my laptop in the first couple of years before finally being launched as a real business. The challenge for me was that although I knew the service well and was comfortable in what I was offering, my background expertise was in medical research and not business. I had no idea how to sell my services and how to attract clients and grow my business. I booked into a government-funded small business course to learn some much-needed business skills. I quickly discovered, however, that these courses are designed to teach people how to be an employee and manage a business that was owned by someone else. They were not designed to teach someone how to be completely independent financially. That is because you cannot really teach entrepreneurship--it's an awakening and a mindset not a learnable skill.

One thing I did find more useful than a small business course was joining a network marketing or multi-level marketing company (MLM), and that was my first introduction to being an entrepreneur. Many MLM companies are independent and run by entrepreneurs with a huge vision; their sales and business growth strategies are applicable directly to the business which they apply and therefore can teach you some exceptional skills not available anywhere else. It's on the job training. I am part of an MLM team right now; however, I did not join the first MLM team for the sake of growing that business--I needed to learn the sales and marketing skills that had helped me to transition between being an academic to being an entrepreneur and business owner. I used those skills to help develop and grow my real estate agency.

2. Why are multiple streams of income so important--and what do you suggest to someone who has been relying on a single stream of income for many years and wants to start branching out?

Once upon a time, the world was slow. If our grandparents or great grandparents were business owners, they would spend 20 years developing one single business and the next 20 years running it before the kids would take over and run it. If they were not business owners, it was normal to spend 30 to 40 years working for a company with no personal or professional growth and then retire and be content with very little like a laboratory dog who has been conditioned to receiving painful electric shocks and has learned to be helpless because nothing he does can escape the pain anyway. Humans were heavy and burdened with so much unconsciousness that they were slow and emotionally damaged enough to expect low life spans and lower intelligence.

In modern times children are born at a higher consciousness than ever before; they are intelligent enough to challenge the electric shocks and the systems and fast enough to become independent without relying on it, and although we are only at the beginning of a more conscious race of people, the world definitely is faster.

A business today needs to be designed, developed and running within a year to be viable. The 40 year model is obsolete. The marketplace is a constant evolution and extinction of products and services that are transient and adapted to certain market trends, and the new entrepreneurs need to be fast enough and intelligent enough to adapt or face extinction.

Depending on one stream of income in a constantly evolving and fast economy is suicide. Even if that stream of income is reliable for now, all it takes is a small variation in the economic environment to render that stream unfit for the market conditions and push it towards extinction.

It is therefore important to have multiple streams of income and for entrepreneurs to fine tune and adapt multiple businesses or services to the market. The streams of income need to be complementary to each other so that they enhance your business and not take time away from each other. An example is adding a sales division to a property management company or offering financial services or another complimentary product to your existing clients.

For people who are employed, I would not ever recommend giving up a paid position unless you have no time to be employed because you are too busy making money somewhere else.

Success is created in your spare time.

Instead, give up watching television at night, reading newspapers and magazines, gossip sessions with friends, or going out and getting drunk. Use that time to develop yourself and start your own business in a niche area that you know a lot about. If you do not have a niche area yet, try a network marketing company; choose one with a great upline support and good sales and marketing training and get good at growing it. The skills will be transferable to any other business if you want later on, or the network marketing company can explode beyond your paid income in a very short time. Take the time to learn new skills and apply them directly to your new business and completely within your own spare time. Develop the habit of starting, and start now: this will be the beginning of adding multiple income streams.

3. What do you mean when you say that people need to create their own global economies?

Creating your own global economy means that you focus your time, energy, and resources on creating wealth within your circle of influence. Your time, energy, and resources are also directed at growing and expanding your circle of influence and your own personal and professional skills.

Most people, in contrast, focus their time and energy on things they are unable to influence or control: the government, their employer, or any other system they currently have no control over. They therefore waste time and energy blaming, criticizing, reacting, and making a fuss over something they dislike but do not have the skills to change. Most people are therefore unsuccessful in their own lives, and the more they stay unsuccessful, the less they are able to influence and change the things they don't like, and the more they spend time complaining about those things. Its a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Any endeavor to change the government has always resulted in frustration and wasted effort. Putting blame and focus on anything outside of yourself is not only taking away from your own personal power, it is also in many ways an excuse to hold onto being a victim.

Creating your own economy means focusing instead on bringing people to you and selling or enrolling people into your idea, product, or service. The internet and social media tools now allow us to have a huge global influence and surround ourselves with like-minded people that support what we are doing and what we have to offer.

Wealth is proportional to the value you can create for others. The more you focus on creating a greater and greater value and the more people you can create that value for, the greater will be your wealth. This combined with multiple streams of income, and you have your own mini global economy that grows as you grow and expand professionally and personally.

4. What is the Leaders and Visionaries conference?

The Leaders and Visionaries Conference is a full-day personal and professional training conference designed for business owners and entrepreneurs. Leaders are people who inspire others to be leaders, and visionaries are the two percent of the population who are consciously aware.

When a person is undergoing personal evolution, it's important to be surrounded by people that will validate and support your awareness and avoid the unconscious masses who can bring you down to their level to justify their own lower existence. The leaders and visionaries conference shows entrepreneurs how to live life through their higher self and not their conditioning, how to stay on track and not be derailed by the masses, and how to use their skills and personal gifts to become the flame that lights up the light of others. Inspired people go forth and help other people to become not only financially free, but leaders and visionaries in their own lives.

The Leaders and Visionaries conference is a free event, and we have an Australian tour coming up in May/June this year (2014) where I will be sharing my own visions for a more conscious existence. Free tickets are available at www.leadersandvisionaries.com.

5. Can readers see a sample of the material they'll find at your conference?

The video below is a three-hour recording from a previous Leaders and Visionaries conference.

Thanks, Xenia!

Meet Mark P. Salsbury, Human Capital Management Consultant and Author

Mark P. Salsbury is a Human Capital Management Consultant who has over 30 years of business experience. He is a popular speaker as well as a consultant and the author of the book, Human Capital Management: Leveraging Your Workforce for a Competitive Advantage. Mark's firm is called Salsbury Human Capital Management, LLC.

1. Why are people more important to organizations today than they were in the past?

Having a motivated and mobilized workforce has always been important, but in today's global marketplace, having a workforce that is a competitive advantage is more critical than ever. The reality is that competition can come from anyone, anytime, anywhere. Best practice process management is now a commodity, and product advantages are short-term, so the only real sustainable advantage left is people. When considering that demographic trends will make the competition for people even more intense in coming years, it should be no surprise that human capital will be the most critical asset that organizations need to maximize going forward. 

2. Why do many organizations under-utilize their human capital?

Too many companies still consider people a commodity, and others don't have the know-how, interest, or commitment to taking the actions necessary to make Human Capital Management a centerpiece of its organizational strategy. Additionally, many CEOs come from functions that are more concerned about products or profits, and since human capital programs are often difficult to measure, some managers see them as "nice-to's" rather than "need-to's."

3. What inspired you to write your book, Human Capital Management: Leveraging Your Workforce for a Competitive Advantage?

Human Capital Management is a much misunderstood and under-appreciated subject. I felt it was time to take the concept mainstream and recognize it for what it really is, an organizational practice that utilizes people as a tangible asset. Human capital is as much an organizational asset as buildings, manufacturing equipment, or cash. Recognizing this, I felt compelled to share my understanding of this topic and provide a roadmap for leaders who are committed to transforming their people into a competitive advantage. 

4. What is the difference between a Human Capital Management consultant and an HR consultant?

HR consultants typically have an expertise in a particular aspect of HR, like compensation or organizational development. They may focus on bringing a specific training program into a company. 

In Human Capital Management, the consultant's focus is in examining how the client organization can utilize its people more effectively with particular attention on the return-on-investment of the company's people investment. The consultant then guides senior management and/or HR to identify and build a plan to maximize the utilization of the workforce.

5. How did you personally become interested in Human Capital Management?

Over the course of my career, and especially in the last 20 years, I learned that there are certain organizational components that when utilized together, produce tremendous results in mobilizing the workforce to achieve great things. My curiosity on the subject began many years ago when I discovered an employee survey that was targeted at the effectiveness of an organization's human capital rather than how satisfied employees were. This is when the light bulb went on for me, and ever since, I've concentrated my efforts on building organizational systems that maximize the use of people as a competitive differentiator.

6. Could you give us an example or two of an organization that would benefit from a transformation to Human Capital Management? 

Many organizations don't perform to the expectations of management or their shareholders for a variety of reasons, and many of them are people-related. Maybe a company hasn't been able to develop a strong performance culture, or the development of a customer-focused environment hasn't been created. Other companies may take such a strong performance approach that they burn people out and have high people attrition. I've also seen good companies who had a solid base of people and good management, but they've underperformed as a total organization because they didn't know how to combine all the elements of a Human Capital Management System together. When companies are able to transform to Human Capital Management, ultimately they will see it in their bottom line results.  

Thanks, Mark!

Meet John Culbertson, Spiritual Teacher and New Age Author

"Mystic" John Culbertson is a shamanic practitioner, spiritual teacher, new age author, and professional psychic/intuitive counselor.

A published author, motivational speaker, and in 2010 nominated as one of the best psychics in Southwest Florida by readers of The Natural Awakening magazine, John has positively influenced many people to become masters of their own lives.

John not only provides insights into the past and present and makes predictions about the future, but also teaches his clients and students how to tap into their own intuitive and spiritual side, changing lives forever.

Learn more about John by checking out the Life Improvement Toolbox.

1. As an author, what are your main goals in terms of what you want to share with your readers?

As an author, my main goal is to inform the reader and give them insights into what I've had to spend lots money, time, energy, and effort in learning. If I can take what I've learned and put it into a form where someone else can more easily digest that information, then I've done my job as an author.

Right now my main aim is focusing on spirituality and helping those that choose to follow a more spiritual (as opposed to religious path) to understand the world from a spiritual perspective and an energy and wisdom based perspective.

To this end, my books Psychic Self Defense and Protection and Improve Your Intuition really hone in and focus on topics which those that choose to follow more spiritually oriented paths will find both enlightening and useful.

2. How do you help clients develop their own intuitive abilities?

Observation is the key word. I help people tune into their own observations thereby learning to trust their own inner selves. All people are intuitive. Be you call it intuition, sixth sense, psychic ability, or something else... it's a natural skill and ability that all people possess and are capable of developing more fully.

There are numerous techniques one can use in their quest for development and that's what my book Improve Your Intuition is all about. It starts at base zero, assuming someone has little to no knowledge of intuitive or psychic energy and helps them, through a series of exercises, to both develop it as well as learn more fully about the success principle that all people are capable of embracing.

3. What is the role of meditation in your life, and how have you seen it help your clients?

I typically meditate daily. Normally three times a day barring life events and so forth. When I get up I do a standard pranic or breath focused meditation. Before I start sessions with my clients I will usually do a progressive relaxation, chakra meditation, and guided visualizations that help me to enhance my session. Finally, in the evening before bed I will do a guided visualization focusing on the law of attraction or a shamanic journey to learn something new.

Meditation keeps me calm, centered, grounded, and down to earth. It helps me to relax and helps me to release stress that I pick up on a constant bases with the type of work I do.

As for my clients and students, I have seen people with high anxiety or deep depressions do a complete turnaround. I have also seen people with pain find some relief. I've seen people with little to no focus in life take life from a point of feeling like they are worthless and a failure to being popular and successful. Meditation and its cousin hypnosis can have so many different positive effects on people; they just have to be willing to work with it and make it a habit as opposed to thinking it is a one-time cure all.

4. What is your Life Improvement Toolbox? My Life Improvement Toolbox isn't really my Life Improvement Toolbox. It's the people who are reading's toolbox.

Essentially the Life Improvement Toolbox is a type of "secret society," if you will. Think of it as a membership area where people who want to learn more about various new age, self-help, and success topics can find "tools" to do just that.

It's a place where a collection of E-Books, Guided Meditations, Subliminal Sessions, Hypnotherapy Sessions, and Videos are hosted. Members pay a one-time fee to have access to all of this and all future updates (which happens about once a month). It's even backed by a 60 day money back guarantee.

Despite there being a members area, the fee a person pays to get access is a one-time fee. So there are no recurring fees or dues. Once you're in, you're in. You are entitled to free updates and all the materials in the toolbox as long as you choose to do so.

It's getting a new design and remake soon and the price of it is about to jump due to its success. So now is the time for people to get on board before those changes go into effect.

The redesign is going to include a forum for members to communicate with each other and better organization of the materials.

Right now topics inside include tarot, psychic protection, numerology, meditation, law of attraction based learning, and much more.

5. How do you find that developing audio and video content is similar to and different from writing books?

When I write books I typically am channeling them. In other words, I set them and just let the information flow. I let editors take the content and arrange it. I usually just try to get the information out on paper though. When I do video and audio content, the result is similar, just a different forum. It's all about providing to people something useful that they can use to either learn something fun and fascinating or something to improve their life in some way.

For those who are reading that want to know how to develop your own products, it starts with an idea and the belief that the idea can be successful no matter what anyone else may tell you or what you may hear anywhere. Without that foundation, I will tell you things will eventually fall apart. With that idea and thought process, however, you will discover exactly what you need to do and talk to exactly who you need to talk to in order to move your projects forward. This, my friends, is the law of attraction at its best. You don't have to know the how-to; you just have to have an idea that you can follow and believe passionately in. Let the Universe (also called God, God force energy, the Divine Goddess, and so many other names) help you find the how to.

I look forward to seeing and hearing from some of you in the near future.

Blessings to all,
John Culbertson

Thanks, John!

A Great Blog about Kids and Communication by Nigel Lane

Nigel Lane is a speaker and coach who works with schools and parents on a variety of issues related to communication, motivation, professional development for teachers, and negotiating contemporary issues as parents. I enjoyed visiting Nigel's blog recently and reading his thoughts on a variety of topics, especially topics related to how to talk with kids about their use of online technologies.

Should your kids have smartphones? What are some ways to initiate thoughtful conversations with kids? These are just a couple of the questions that Nigel's posts bring up.

Nigel has a wealth of personal and professional experience. He's a dad and a grandfather, and he has worked with children and teenagers in several contexts, from schools to correctional facilities. He was a chaplain in a young offenders institution for a number of years, and he has worked in schools in many different capacities.

In addition to his speaking, coaching, and consulting work, Nigel is the author of 101 Practical Ways to Motivate Your Child, an ebook filled with practical tips.

For more about Nigel and his work, check out http://nigellane.com.au/.

Bryan Fiese on Educating "Generation Next"

Bryan Fiese is an educational expert who has been working with both students and educators for over 14 years. His thesis states that modern youth's (Generation Next) dependence on technology is causing a widespread lack of interpersonal communication skills. Bryan's insights are helpful toward educators' and parents' understanding of this generation; through understanding, we work together and clear and effective methods of communication and motivation can be determined. Learn more about these methods at the Motivated Teacher website.

Bryan's strategies and methods have been adopted by schools across the United States. He has appeared on radio broadcasts and national television and presented to countless types of audiences across this great nation through a continual calendar of conferences, training sessions and workshops. Visit Bryan's personal website for more about his writing, speaking, and training work.

He is also an author, with his latest book, No Teacher Left Behind: Keeping Up With and Captivating "Generation Next" in the Classroom, available now in its second edition on Amazon.com.

Bryan has uploaded a series of videos to YouTube as an introduction to his work. The video below is the first in his "No Teacher Left Behind" sequence.

Meet Elizabeth Dodwell, Author and Speaker

Elizabeth Dodwell is an author, speaker and champion of the under-dog. Inspired by the need of her own rescued pets for healthy treats, she has created a selection of dogtail and pupcake recipes that are delicious, nutritious and served liberally with humor.

For more information about The BARKtender's Guide to Dogtails and Pupcakes, see Elizabeth Dodwell's website, as well as her Facebook page.

1. What motivated you to write a book of nutritious recipes for dogs?

Over the years I've had a number of rescued dogs with digestive issues. Currently, two of my pets have problems, in particular, Angel, who had a brutal start in life and was nearly starved to death. Although she's now a very healthy and happy seven-year-old, two bouts of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas that prevents the digestion of fat and can be deadly) and allergy problems require that she maintains a strict diet regimen, which translates to "boring." The vast majority of commercial pet foods and treats contain gluten (a protein found in wheat, barley and rye) and tend to be high in fat, so a large percentage of my dogs' diet has always been homemade. The idea for "Dogtails and Pupcakes" sprang from the Cocktail and Cupcake enthusiasm for people. It occurred to me that I could create nutritious and delicious doggy versions that would also be easy and fun, and it worked.

2. How did you come up with the recipes, and how did you test them?

Creating the recipes was tons of fun. I spent a lot of time researching "safe" foods for dogs and then matched ingredients that I thought would work well together. Mixing the drinks is as easy as shaking up or blending a cocktail for yourself. The pupcakes took a little more effort to perfect because some of the ingredients--meat, for instance--are not the sort of thing you'd normally use in a cupcake.

Anyway, my "kids" (Angel, Vinny and Coco) along with several of their pooch pals had a wonderful time as taste-testers. Their number one dogtail pick was the Angel's Kiss--yogurt, peanut butter, carob and vanilla--and there were several favorite pupcakes including Droolin' On a Sunday Afternoon and You Can't Lick It, made with cheddar cheese, beef, and carrot.

I should mention here that some of the pupcake recipes in The BARKtender's Guide... are made with wheat. However, if your pup is gluten free, the flour can simply be substituted.

3. Why don't more people cook for their pets, rather than relying on store-bought foods?

Many of us don't even cook for ourselves, let alone our pets. We lead busy, sometimes hectic lives and the fast food mentality has become part of our culture. Sadly, I must say. Because it takes only a little time and effort to prepare simple foods that are much healthier and tastier than any pre-packaged items you buy off the shelf, and meal preparation is a great time for ALL the family (people and pets) to bond. When I make pupcakes, somehow the dogs just know it's for them, and they line up in the kitchen to "oversee" operations. And when I pull the first batch from the oven, they are beside themselves with joy and anticipation. It makes me laugh every time.

4. As an author, how do you strike a balance between sharing (how-to) information and offering humor to your readers?

Hmm. I've never thought in those terms. I simply love to laugh, and I like to share the humor. And people are far more likely to pay attention to something that gives them a chuckle or two than to read through a boring tome or listen to a dull speech. I actually give talks on lessons you can learn from your dog with subjects like "How to take the ball and run with it" and "How to sniff out the possibilities," and humor is a big part of that.

5. Have you utilized The BARKtender's Guide... to help support pet rescue?

Yes! A portion of all sales is donated to pet rescue. I have a couple of "pet" (ha ha) charities; however, I am always willing to consider partnering with pet-affiliated groups and companies to help them raise awareness or funds for their business or cause.

Thanks, Elizabeth!

Meet Mickey Mikeworth, Business Consultant

Mickey Mikeworth was presented with the honor of being voted the "Top Women in Finance" twice by her industry, hosted by Finance and Commerce Magazine. She works with communities and private clients on the topics of business and philanthropy. She also hosts a six week class called "The Everyday Philanthropist."

Learn more about Mickey's work through this video.

1. As a business consultant and financial educator, how do you help people achieve prosperity in difficult economic times?

Building prosperity for the average person's budget is the same in good times and rough times.

You have to create an action that leads to positive growth. Turn your attention to actions that create positive change, which is first looking at your current fiscal relationships to see if they are the best ones.

I find that 8/10 people are doing business with banks they hate, use credit cards that have awful rates, have investments that are inappropriate, or have no idea what they actually ARE insured for. These relationships run large portions of our lives, but most people just "accept" the relationships as being fine.

Everyone could use a prosperity tune-up.

2. What are some important connections between prosperity and philanthropy?

This is where the magic really is. If done well, they feed each other, especially in business.

Philanthropy is a private act that does a public good, and prosperity is an action that leads sustainable growth.

You can't just give blindly and expect sustainability: it needs to match emotionally, physically, and financially. When our actions of gifting to the world also gift back to us, it creates a thriving circle of life. The more you give in actions that also support you as an individual, the more you are able to give. It just takes a bit of thought...

An example as a business owner is that the ways you give back to the community can also build social capital, create sales, and change the lives of others in a meaningful way.

Philanthropy should be a natural expressions of self.

3. If business owners are feeling the financial pinch, what can they do to continue to participate in giving back to their communities?

Business has the most to offer the world and the least amount of great advice on HOW to give back in a meaningful way. So many owners are left with a sort of paralysis on the philanthropy subject.

Business can find so many ways to be a valued partner in the community. Here are 7 ideas most business owners may have missed:

1) Create internships which offer training with pay, create smaller jobs that are after school hours and provide jobs for teens, or add in extra staff for an event.

2) Consider matching gifts the employees make to other organizations in a specific dollar amount.

3) Give staff paid time off to volunteer in the community.

4) Take a consistent paid advertisement in publications from organizations that need the support to do other great work in the community: a high school concert playbill, small press paper, or community program newsletter.

5) See what can be gifted "in kind": this may be giving away extra stock, recycling items that are not in use, gifting the services the company provides, or offering use of space. Then define the organizations that would benefit from those gifts.

6) Put together an annual drive and invite the community in. Many businesses offer an in-store benefit for participation: coat drive, book drive, pantry drive...

7) BOGO: BUY one, GIVE one. This is great fit for a retailer and also offers a chance for client sales to drive gifting. Pick items that are needed in the community and have a simple "BUY one and the business will GIFT one" exactly like it to the community.

4. What are some strategies individuals can use to be more philanthropic even when they are short on resources?

OK, I am going to jump on top of my chair and start yelling into my bullhorn! The number one thing philanthropy needs is ORGANIZATION. If you can organize, you can totally save the world.

The virtual world has made it a BILLION times easier to share information and gather resources from others. Forwarding an email, inviting people on your mailing list to participate on a project, or physically gathering items are all ways that help projects move forward.

We had a homeless shelter that was empty of resources, so I asked eight people to host a truck in front of their house for a single Saturday. We sent a flyer around the neighborhood that asked neighbors to bring good stuff they did not use to the truck for families in need. We raised 18,000 pounds: that is nine TONS.

Philanthropy needs organization. Groups are always looking for someone to help in organizing a fundraiser, and the budgets for non-profits shrink every second of the day. Want to get started immediately? Pick something that is meaningful to you personally, and look for ways to add your special sauce. Be specific when you offer your skills to the organization because the organization may not know how to utilize your network. (I have 10 hours available to help do graphic design work; I would like to host an event; I have 300 handbags to donate for a fundraiser.)

5. How do you personally incorporate philanthropic giving in your own life as a financial professional and community member?

I make a plan with my heart and THEN with my expertise. Finding what feeds a person emotionally, intellectually, and physically is part of the job description of being a great philanthropist. Each of us needs to do the internal work needed to identify what we have to offer the world; if you start the equation the other way--"what does the world need"--the internal drivers may get lost.

First I look at the gifts I love to share with the world and identify if those gifts will also offer benefit to a specific organization. I am an excellent consultant and a speaker, so I set aside 100 hours a year to donate my services at no fee. I will teach, consult small start-up non-profits, or lead business groups and share my knowledge.

I gave philanthropy a budget in my business model that is attached to a percentage of sales, and 2% of all sales automatically flow into the philanthropy budget.

I also share resources in meaningful ways; I am part of the World Community Grid, so I share the office computers' spare memory on a secure grid that does lengthy calculations that match organ transplant donors. I offer my office to non-profits that need a meeting area, and I help others make connections in the community.

Thanks, Mickey!