Deirdre Van Nest teaches entrepreneurs and subject matter experts how to become high-performance, high-impact speakers, storytellers, and content creators so they can increase not only their income, but their influence and their impact on the lives of others. In this episode, Deirdre shares how she’s found business success and happiness in helping her fellow entrepreneurs increase their effectiveness.

Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode:

• The experience that caused Deirdre to “leave the stage” for 24 years.
• What Deirdre did as a “fearless living coach.”
• How her business grew through speaking engagements.
• How she created a system to meet the needs of entrepreneurs.
• Why anyone can become a skilled speaker.
• The opportunities you get as a member of the Strategic Coach® community.

Show Notes:

• The promise of technology is that it’s going to improve teamwork. But it’s teamwork that gives rise to technology to start with.
• Technology doesn’t coach itself.
• Information technology is the fastest growing industry in the world. Coaching is the second.
• In coaching other entrepreneurs, you become a better entrepreneur.
• Doing speaking engagements means reaching more people.
• Speaking is a skill that lives inside of you and goes with you wherever you are.
• Your reason for doing something has to be greater than your fear of doing it.
• Whenever you speak, people are subconsciously making snap judgments on your competency based on your communication skills.
• It’s important that you treat every speaking opportunity as a high-stakes presentation.
• If another person is willing to give you their attention, you owe it to them to be good.
• Every time you speak, it’s an opportunity. You don’t know who’s in the audience.
• Whenever you open your mouth, it’s an audition for leadership.
• Delivery is only about 20% of what goes into being a great speaker.
• To be an incredible speaker, you have to be an incredible content creator.
• When you think differently, you become different. And when you become different, you do different.

Resources:

The Self-Managing Company by Dan Sullivan

The Entrepreneur’s Guide To Time Management

Your Business Is A Theater Production: Your Back Stage Shouldn’t Show On The Front Stage

Are you overwhelmed by the financial side of your business? In this episode, Patti Mara speaks with Colin Sanburg, founder of FinElevate, about the rise of fractional CFOs and how they empower entrepreneurs to focus on their strengths. Discover how these experts streamline financial operations and drive profitability, transforming challenges into opportunities for growth.

Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode:

• The key criteria that FinElevate looks for in an ideal client.
• Why some entrepreneurs don’t want to give up signing authority.
• The importance of identifying your dashboard KPIs.
• The entrepreneur motivation for freeing yourself up.
• What inspires Colin the most about being an entrepreneur.
• How to overcome analysis paralysis.

Show Notes:

If an entrepreneur isn’t closely monitoring their financials, they’re likely just wasting time.

No matter how skilled you are in a specific area, you need outside perspective.

Not every aspect of business suits every entrepreneur.

People are happy to offload parts of their businesses that they don’t like working in.

A better understanding of your metrics can help you structure your business for increased productivity.

The right players want the metrics of success because they want to win.

Taking action does tremendous things for your psyche.

Top team members are unlikely to stay if they can’t access accurate metrics to evaluate their performance.

You can’t be your own sounding board.

The only sustainable way to build an entrepreneurial business is to base it on the entrepreneur's strengths and weaknesses.

Much of the financial aspect of your business relies on discipline.

People are more likely to engage with a clear reflection of their hard work.

If you measure it, you can manage it. If you can manage it, you can improve it.

If a team member sees a disconnect between lead measures and lag measures, they’ll disengage completely.

Once you focus on a small set of key metrics, you'll be surprised at how much more efficient you become.

Resources:

We Choose Local

FinElevate

Unique Ability®

Who Not How by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy

The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday

The Gap And The Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy

Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne

In this episode, Kary Oberbrunner reveals essential strategies for entrepreneurs on publishing their first book and protecting intellectual property. Recorded at the inaugural CoachCon event in May 2024, Kary discusses his innovative IP-protection app with business coach Chad Johnson. Listen now to discover how these tools can streamline your processes and empower your entrepreneurial journey.

Here’s some of what you’ll learn in this episode:

• What made Kary feel like he’d found his place in his first hour at Strategic Coach®.
• How and why Kary’s original IP protection idea was rejected by Coach co-founder Dan Sullivan.
• Why you don’t need a traditional publisher anymore.
• The key mindset shifts Kary has experienced since joining Strategic Coach.
• The biggest dangers Kary sees entrepreneurs facing right now.
• Why most entrepreneurs come to The Strategic Coach® Program as frustrated visionaries.

Show Notes:

• Suing someone costs you time, money, and aggravation.
• If you’re afraid someone’s going to steal what you’ve created, at a certain point, you’ll stop creating.
• Getting your creations protected isn’t a cost—it’s an investment in your creativity.
• More than 90% of the value of S&P 500 companies lies in their intellectual property.
• All of the obstacles you see are actually the raw material for achieving your vision.
• All IP is based on timing.
• Being a hero is more fulfilling than being the messenger.
• Not all money is good money, and not all clients are good clients.
• Visionaries don’t need their brains filled with all kinds of to-dos.
• Entrepreneurs can’t do it all themselves.
• You can operate so well that your competitors become your collaborators.

Resources:

Blockchain

Extraordinary Impact Filter by Dan Sullivan

Igniting Souls

What Is A Self-Managing Company®?

Kolbe A™ Index

Unique Ability®

Entrepreneurial Operating System®

Who Not How by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy

What Free Days™ Are And How To Know When You Need Them

How to Win a Heart: One Man’s Adventure in Finding and Winning His Life-Long Love by Chad Johnson