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What if you stopped chasing magnetic north—the shifting pull of trends, approval, and quick wins—and locked onto a true north you can actually describe? That’s the pivot David Ask lays out as we unpack the real difference between grit and resilience, and how creators can build a voice that lasts in a noisy podcasting world.

We start with David’s retail success story and the hard lessons that came with it, then move into a simple, powerful model: grit is the long push toward a worthy outcome; resilience is the speed at which you bounce back to your shape after a hit. The shape matters. Without a defined identity—values, convictions, and the work that gives you goosebumps—every setback feels personal. With it, you rebound faster, choose better, and keep shipping even when guests cancel, interviews fall flat, or formats change.

Along the way, we draw a line between starting with who and starting with why. When you start with who, your why stops being borrowed from giants and becomes grounded in your own strengths. That shift powers a virtuous loop: acting as yourself creates a specific dent in the world, and that feedback reinforces your identity. We talk about resisting the urge to copy big shows, using authenticity to guide content and guest choices, and reframing on-air mistakes as human moments that build trust. We also explore how to raise grit at home and in teams by “mining for gold” in others, revealing their strengths instead of performing for applause.

If you’re a business owner, entrepreneur, or creator trying to build a durable show, this conversation gives you practical cues and a deeper compass. Define your true north, bring grit to the climb, and use resilience to return to form quickly when you fall. If this resonated, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs a steadier compass today.

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Got a question about something you heard today? Have a great suggestion for a topic or know someone who should be a guest? Reach out to us:
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Want more engaging interviews, warmer leads, and fewer awkward stalls? We sit down with sales whisperer and author Nancy Zare to decode how four personality styles quietly drive trust, timing, and the word choices that make people lean in. Nancy’s AlikeAbility system maps buyers by decision speed—2, 4, 6, and 8—and reveals the value language each style needs to hear: outcomes and efficiency for fast movers, process and proof for deep thinkers, and balanced blends for those in the middle. The twist: most of us show a social persona on a pre-call, then switch to a decision persona when the stakes rise, which explains why a great screening chat can turn into a sticky recording.

We dig into Nancy’s five-step framework: understand the four styles and their values, identify your own defaults, diagnose the other person in under a minute, shift your words to match their priorities, and sand down the habits that create friction. For podcasters, that means smarter guest selection, tighter prep, and on-the-fly adjustments that keep conversations crisp instead of combative. For creators and coaches selling services, it means dropping sales resistance without feeling pushy, using value words that feel natural and precise rather than resorting to mirroring tricks that can come off as phoney.

You’ll hear practical cues—vocal pace, question density, patience level—that help you spot a style fast and choose the right on-ramp: “Here’s the fastest path” for 2s, “Here’s the evidence behind the method” for 8s, and a calibrated mix for 4s and 6s. Nancy also shares a free AlikeAbility assessment to identify your ideal prospect’s dominant style so you can tailor offers, CTAs, and interview structures with intention. Ready to turn rapport into results and make every conversation smoother? Listen now, grab the assessment, and tell us which style challenges you most. If you found this helpful, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who hosts—or hopes to.

Support the show

Got a question about something you heard today? Have a great suggestion for a topic or know someone who should be a guest? Reach out to us:
askcarl@carlspeaks.ca

If you're ready to take the plunge and join the over 3 million people who have joined the podcast space, we'd love to hear your idea and help you get started! Book your Podcast Strategy Session today:
https://podcastsolutionsmadesimple.com/get-started/

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What if the career you built isn’t the life you want? That question sparked a midlife awakening for Dr. Agi Keramidas, who traded a thriving path in dentistry for a mission fuelled by curiosity, conversation, and service. We unpack how intuition led him from the clinic to the microphone, why public speaking unlocked confidence, and how podcasting became the platform to learn in public and help others do the same.

Across this candid conversation, we pull back the curtain on the real engine of a durable show: consistency, systems, and a clear why. Agi shares the early “coach every week” insight that transformed interviews into a powerful form of self-education, then explains how doubling his publishing schedule revealed both the workload and the joy that turned a hobby into a mission. We dig into the marathon mindset—why most creators quit before episode ten, how trust compounds around episodes 50–60, and why comparing yourself to celebrity brands misses the years of reputation those voices carried long before their first upload.

We also get tactical. If starting today, Agi would build systems first: booking workflows, prep templates, editing pipelines, and distribution checklists that make publishing inevitable. We talk about smart automation and AI as time-savers, not shortcuts, and the importance of protecting authenticity over gimmicks. Then we explore content leverage: turning a library of episodes into evergreen assets, including Agi's book, 88 Actionable Insights for Life, distilled from hundreds of interviews into practical guidance.

You’ll leave with a simple invitation—choose one small step you’ve been postponing and take it today. Subscribe for more conversations about podcast strategy, audience trust, and the creative habits that make meaningful work sustainable. If this resonated, share it with a friend, drop us a review, and tell us the one action you’re taking next.

Support the show

Got a question about something you heard today? Have a great suggestion for a topic or know someone who should be a guest? Reach out to us:
askcarl@carlspeaks.ca

If you're ready to take the plunge and join the over 3 million people who have joined the podcast space, we'd love to hear your idea and help you get started! Book your Podcast Strategy Session today:
https://podcastsolutionsmadesimple.com/get-started/

Never miss an episode! Subscribe wherever you get your podcast by clicking here:
https://communicationconnectioncommunity.buzzsprout.com

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Sick of long flights and awkward trade-show chatter? Chris Lipper and James Prokop share how a mastermind-led community transformed trade shows into high-ROI virtual events that actually feel human.

From early Zoom “booths” to a polished metaverse-style floor, they reveal the systems that help business owners meet the right people, learn faster, and close smarter. The results speak: new clients, nationwide partnerships, and attendees who show up for 10 minutes and stay for hours.

We also hit lessons learned (RIP Lipperville), simple onboarding that calms newbies, and the next frontier—AI-assisted mastermind sessions for sharper feedback.

If you want networking that actually works, this convo is your roadmap. Tune in and register for the next On The Bus virtual conference at onthebus.biz.

Chris Lipper
Business Coaching, Sales Training & Mastermind Programs | Since 2008

Phone: 973-285-3993
Email: chris@onthebus.biz
Website: onthebus.biz
Schedule a Meeting with Chris Lipper

Books:
The Entrepreneur’s Big Book
– Amazon | Audible also in Paperback/Hardcover | Kindle | Audiobook

The On The Bus™ Sales Training WorkBook
– Amazon | Audible

Please come as my guest, at NO CHARGE, to the December 4th On The Bus™ International Virtual Conference from 2:00 - 6:00 EST, and 11:00 - 3:00 PST.
Register here: https://onthebus.biz/ivc-signup-q4

James Prokop
CEO/ Website Designer/ Digital Marketing Specialist Vogue Website Design
Phone: 424-281-9415
Address: 1211 Sunset Plaza Drive, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Email: voguewebsitedesign@gmail.com
Website: www.voguewebsitedesign.com

Support the show

Got a question about something you heard today? Have a great suggestion for a topic or know someone who should be a guest? Reach out to us:
askcarl@carlspeaks.ca

If you're ready to take the plunge and join the over 3 million people who have joined the podcast space, we'd love to hear your idea and help you get started! Book your Podcast Strategy Session today:
https://podcastsolutionsmadesimple.com/get-started/

Never miss an episode! Subscribe wherever you get your podcast by clicking here:
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Ready to grow your voice without chasing vanity metrics? We sit down with Duncan Bhaskaran Brown—author, speaker, and unapologetic Morris dancer—to unpack how small, aligned audiences can move the needle more than massive but passive ones, and why guesting early and often builds skill, credibility, and genuine reach. Duncan’s journey from overindulgence to helping people rewire habits gives him a rare blend of empathy and edge. He shares how a playful hook makes you relatable, how to turn interviews into research that benefits listeners, and why your “ordinary” insights might be exactly what someone needs to hear today.

We explore hosting and guesting from both chairs: the shift from rigid question lists to guided, human conversations; how to ask questions that spark fresh thinking instead of rehearsed talking points; and a simple production mindset that favours incremental upgrades over perfection. Duncan breaks down the art of resilient outreach, the value of showing up for smaller shows, and the compounding return of being kind—you never know who someone knows or who they’ll become. You’ll also pick up smart, practical tactics: prepare out loud, make your CTA unforgettable with a short domain, and design segments that keep pace without sacrificing depth.

Along the way, Duncan shares a teaser about a future Guinness World Record and why embracing personal stories—yes, even Morris dancing—can illuminate serious topics like sobriety, community, and joy. Whether you’re levelling up your pitch, refreshing your format, or just getting started, this conversation gives you tools to grow your authority while staying human. If it resonates, follow, rate, and share with a friend who’s ready to launch or to land bigger shows—then tell us: where do you win more right now, hosting or guesting?

Support the show

Got a question about something you heard today? Have a great suggestion for a topic or know someone who should be a guest? Reach out to us:
askcarl@carlspeaks.ca

If you're ready to take the plunge and join the over 3 million people who have joined the podcast space, we'd love to hear your idea and help you get started! Book your Podcast Strategy Session today:
https://podcastsolutionsmadesimple.com/get-started/

Never miss an episode! Subscribe wherever you get your podcast by clicking here:
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A teenage band with no instruments, a DIY studio built on curiosity, and a philosophy show that grew for six years without chasing ad money—Joel Bouchard’s story is a masterclass in building something meaningful and letting it compound. We sit down with Joel, a doctoral student in psychology, multi-instrumentalist producer, author, painter, veteran, and host of From Nowhere To Nothing, to unpack why so many podcasts fade and how to design one that lasts.

We trace Joel’s path from learning music the hard way to launching a philosophy podcast with his former professor, and we get real about expectations. Joel explains why purpose must come before monetization, how to know when a sponsorship fits, and why he turned down early ad offers to protect the show’s flow. He shares a simple structure that balances familiarity and novelty—start with foundations, explore the core tensions, then ask what it means for our lives—so listeners feel guided, not lectured.

Along the way, we explore the mindset that sustains long projects: be a beginner often, fail in public, and keep your early episodes as proof of growth. We talk psychology, language, and attention; audience-first guesting; and practical ways to launch, avoid podfade, and stay consistent without burning out. Joel’s filter is refreshingly clear: passion plus knowledge plus responsibility. If your work helps people think better and feel braver, keep going. The audience will come.

Listen for straight talk on purpose, structure, and craft—and leave with a calm plan for the long game. If this conversation sparks something, follow, share with a friend, and drop a review to tell us what you’ll try next.

Support the show

Got a question about something you heard today? Have a great suggestion for a topic or know someone who should be a guest? Reach out to us:
askcarl@carlspeaks.ca

If you're ready to take the plunge and join the over 3 million people who have joined the podcast space, we'd love to hear your idea and help you get started! Book your Podcast Strategy Session today:
https://podcastsolutionsmadesimple.com/get-started/

Never miss an episode! Subscribe wherever you get your podcast by clicking here:
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If you’ve ever wondered why some podcasts quietly stack momentum while others sputter out by episode 21, this conversation with Alan Lazarus pulls back the curtain. We get honest about the real work: pairing repeatable systems with genuine people skills, playing the long game with weekly cadence, and aligning passion with purpose so profit arrives as a result—not the goal.

Alan traces a winding path from a life‑altering car crash to building Next Level University, revealing how each iteration of his show sharpened the niche and strengthened the promise: 1% improvement, every day. He explains the two‑train model that keeps creators afloat—let a short‑term train fund your life while a long‑term train (your podcast) compounds trust and opportunity. We break down the “triad of failure” that derails new hosts—wrong expectations, wrong approach, wrong time perspective—and replace it with a durable blueprint: clear listener targeting, dependable publishing, and continuous upgrades to titles, artwork, audio, and show notes that boost discoverability and retention.

We also dig into the craft that separates memorable voices from forgettable feeds: storytelling with hook‑story‑lesson‑future pace, asking “who is the listener?” before you hit record, and using analogies that bridge the abstract to the obvious. Alan’s take on the industry’s future is practical and optimistic—barriers keep falling, reach keeps rising, and the most serious creators will win bigger than ever by mixing consistency with care. If you’re ready to stop dabbling and start compounding, this conversation gives you the mindset, the model, and the next steps to become unignorable.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review. Tell us your current publishing cadence and what you’re changing after this episode—we’ll cheer you on.

Support the show

Got a question about something you heard today? Have a great suggestion for a topic or know someone who should be a guest? Reach out to us:
askcarl@carlspeaks.ca

If you're ready to take the plunge and join the over 3 million people who have joined the podcast space, we'd love to hear your idea and help you get started! Book your Podcast Strategy Session today:
https://podcastsolutionsmadesimple.com/get-started/

Never miss an episode! Subscribe wherever you get your podcast by clicking here:
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Four and a half rejections and still pushing forward—that’s how Julie Pham, PhD, found her footing on the TEDx stage and, later, across 66 podcast guest appearances. We dive into the real mechanics of turning a complex personal journey—refugee roots, historian training, community organizing, and Seattle tech—into a clear message listeners remember and hosts want to book.

Julie breaks down the core idea behind her book, Seven Forms of Respect: respect feels the same but often looks different. From CC’ing everyone to prove transparency to keeping inboxes light to show trust, these mismatched “looks” spark friction at work. She shares how to name and align expectations so teams communicate better and collaborate faster. Then we get practical. Instead of waiting for invitations, Julie treats guesting like a craft and a numbers game: research shows that are still publishing, listen for tone and the closing question, write short pitches, and include 2–3 custom episode titles in the host’s style. We talk boundaries—what not to discuss—and how to stay specific with stories so your ideas stick.

There’s also a frank look at preparation. Some hosts send long questionnaires; others prefer a loose flow. Julie adapts to both, but she always keeps bullet-note stories ready to avoid rambling and to protect the edit. For new hosts and guests, her mantra is simple: do the best you can with today’s resources. Quality matters, perfection stalls. Learn in public, iterate fast, and let curiosity be the muscle you train, not a trait you either have or don’t.

If you’re ready to sharpen your message, land better bookings, and show up with clarity and warmth, this conversation gives you the playbook. Subscribe for more smart, real-world conversations on podcasting, communication, and community. And if this episode helped, share it with a friend and leave a quick review—it makes a big difference.

Support the show

Got a question about something you heard today? Have a great suggestion for a topic or know someone who should be a guest? Reach out to us:

askcarl@carlspeaks.ca

If you're ready to take the plunge and join the over 3 million people who have joined the podcast space, we'd love to hear your idea and help you get started! Book your Podcast Strategy Session today:
https://podcastsolutionsmadesimple.com/get-started/

Never miss an episode! Subscribe wherever you get your podcast by clicking here:
https://communicationconnectioncommunity.buzzsprout.com

Follow us on LinkedIn:
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