Ryan Avery, Author at Ryan Avery

Nov 12

What would you do without social media?

By Ryan Avery Motivation 2 Comments

(DISCLAIMER: This post was written without my editor’s approval and I have been traveling for more than 24 hours! Edited posts will resume next week).

I just landed back in the United States after 17 days in China and Hong Kong! The trip was fantastic and I will be sharing stories and speaking strategies on the blog all next week.

I am five minutes away from bed because I have been up for almost 32 hours but before I do I wanted pose a question to you:

What would you do without social media?

In China, without a VPN, you cannot access social media. I have not had Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram for three weeks and truthfully it has been a bit freeing. What did I do without social media?

1) Focused: My mind was clear to not think about “What did he post?” or, “I wonder what she did this weekend?” on all my accounts. Instead I thought about my goals, dreams and what I wanted to accomplish in 2015.

2) Engaged: I didn’t have a need to bring my phone with me or set it on the table when I went out to eat. So instead of checking my texts, Facebook posts and Twitter updates I engaged in quality conversation and felt connected to everyone I was talking to at the table.

3) Enjoyed: I looked at scenery, skyscrapers and food without the intention of posting it online or looking at it through a screen but rather looking at it with my eyes.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time away from social media and I think this is something I am going to look into doing more of on a regular basis. So the question is, what would you do without social media? What are the pros and cons to using social media in your world?

As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Nov 10

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The Best Business Question You Need To Be Able To Answer!

By Ryan Avery Leadership, Motivation 2 Comments

What is the best business question you need to be able to answer when determining your worth to a client or customer?

What value do I bring?

What is your answer to that question?

Can you quantify it?

Can you show and illustrate what value you bring to those who buy your product, service or ideas?

Until you know the answer to this question, you will never know what you are worth, what position you should be in, or what you should charge!

Take time this week to find out what value you, your team or company bring. Write it out and know the value!

Keep making things happen and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Nov 08

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GIVEAWAY: 2-Hour Public Speaking Training

By Ryan Avery Motivation 7 Comments

My blog readership has grown and more people are sharing my articles than ever on social media. So for fun, and to say thank you, I want to give something away today!

HOW TO WIN: Those who have signed up for the blog (in the right-hand corner of this webpage) or who sign up in the next 24 hours, will be entered to win a copy of REFLECTIONS: 32 Strategies to Win the World Championship of Public Speaking. I will post the winners names in the comment section below by Sunday!

BONUS: I will pick THREE winners this time instead of one because I really appreciate all of you who have continued to follow me on my journey and support what we are doing! My goal is to continue building up a community of Todayers!

TODAYER: Someone who takes advantage of today, plans for tomorrow and works towards accomplishing their goals!

Thank you again and I hope you have a fantastic weekend! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Nov 05

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How to Accept a Business Card in China

By Ryan Avery Motivation No Comments

In the United States, we often quickly whip out our business card, hand it over with one hand and watch the recipient place it directly in their pocket without barely looking at it! This is the opposite of what you want to do while you are in China.

There is etiquette to giving and receiving a business card.

First: When giving a business card, always hand over the card with two hands touching the top corners and handing it over to them where they can read your name (as shown in the above image).

Second: When receiving a business card make sure to grab the bottom with two hands, review it, look at it for a second or two. Then provide at least one compliment about them, their position or the card itself.

Third: Don’t place the card in your back pocket or any place that would indicate you do not care about the card. If you put it in your front pocket, or suit jacket or wallet, make sure you are looking at the card when you are placing it there to show them you care about it and will follow up shortly.

Here is a quick tip that can make a big difference when you are doing business the next time you are in China or working with someone from China. Keep using your voice to make a difference and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Nov 03

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10 Chinese Proverbs to Remember

By Ryan Avery Adventure One Comment

We are having a blast in China. People are teaching us so much and I feel like everyone has a proverb, quote and profound answer for every question I ask. It is amazing!

After doing some research here are 10 of my favorite Chinese proverbs and quotes:

1) When you drink the water, remember the spring.

2) A bad workman blames his tools.

3) A clever person turns great troubles into little ones and little ones into none at all.

4) Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream. – Lao Tzu

5) Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still.

6) By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. – Confucius

7) Dig the well before you are thirsty.

8) Never hesitate to ask a lesser person.

9) Respond intelligently even to unintelligent treatment. – Lao Tzu

10) To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.

Do you have a favorite or one that is not on this list? Share one in the comments below! Hope you are having a great day and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Oct 31

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3 Things To Avoid When Speaking in China

By Ryan Avery Motivation No Comments

China has been a terrific trip so far! We have explored the Great Wall, enjoyed dishes that include jellyfish and pig intestines, scuba dived with whales and met with so many amazing people.

During my first five speeches here I have learned three things you should avoid before, during and after you speak in China!

1) Never sign in red ink – In the United States I sign all of my books with a red Sharpie. Here in China, that is considered bad luck to write in red. Whoops! Luckily someone had a black one near by I could use!

2) Never give a gift wrapped in white – Gift giving and exchanging is common here and Chelsea and I wanted to make sure we brought gifts from Oregon to those who have helped us during our trip. Well, white is a symbol of death here so never wrap your gifts in white paper. Use gold, red or a vibrant color.

3) Never use four when making a point – Four is unlucky as well because the word for “death” in Chinese sounds like “four.” So if you are speaking and have four stories, or four points, or four takeaways, consider making it three, six or eight! (Although I think eight would be too many, eight is a very lucky number in China).

Avoid these three things when speaking and traveling in China and you will make a lasting impression. For those of you who have been to China or spoken in China, what are other things we should avoid? Remember to keep making things happen and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

P.S. I still have no access to Facebook, Twitter and any social media while I am here (I get back on November 12th).

Oct 29

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How to Start a Speech When Speaking in China

By Ryan Avery Motivation 2 Comments

Hey Todayers,

In 17 days I am giving 15 speeches here in China! We are already off to a great start at our first stop in Beijing!

Speaker Leader Champion will be released in China in May 2015 and McGraw-Hill put on an event while we were there to about 200+ students at the University of Foreign Languages! It was awesome to see so many young people interested in public speaking!

I wanted to make it a point to start every speech with a couple sentences of Chinese. It has been a combination of a lot of practice, asking several friends to listen to my pronunciation (which apparently sounds like I am from Japan) and me being scared I am saying a completely different word because of their focus on tones.

Here is one of the venues from yesterday. We also spoke at Motorola for HR managers and during the D85 Toastmasters event! Thank you to D85 and D89 for bringing us out here and for McGraw-Hill in China for coordinating this event!

If you want to know how to start a speech when speaking in China, I would highly recommend you learn some Chinese.

This catches the audience’s attention, shows that you care and lets them know you are interested in being there! It worked for me during all three of my speeches yesterday. Here is what you can say:

1) Hi Everyone!
2) How are you doing today?
3) My name is (BLANK)
4) I am happy to be with you!
5) This is my first time speaking in China!
6) I have already enjoyed great food!
7) I am having a great time here!

8) I don’t speak Chinese (So I will speak in English now)
END: Thank you everyone!

We are off to the Great Wall today! I will post an “adventures of public speaking” video this Friday and I look forward to sharing more with you soon! Enjoy the rest of your week and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

p.s. We can not access Facebook, Twitter or Instagram in China so we will not be able to share this on our social media accounts or communicate via social media.

Oct 27

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How to Feel Productive Everyday

By Ryan Avery Motivation, Videos No Comments

I was going through my first published YouTube videos and found this one on

Dream BIG,
Ryan

P.s. If you watch YouTube videos, make sure to subscribe to AveryToday’s channel!

Oct 24

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One Awesome Way To Promote Your Book

By Ryan Avery Motivation No Comments

(DISCLAIMER: My editor gets back this weekend from vacation so if there are any typos I am deeply sorry. I am out of the country and she is on vacation and I still wanted to show you the best way to promote your book.)

My latest book, Speaker Leader Champion, came out in April and I wanted to sell enough copies at first to hit #1 on Amazon. We accomplished that goal but I wanted to do more. The book teaches people how to use their voice to make a difference in their personal and professional life and how to deliver a winning speech or presentation.

Besides the book tour, the World Record attempt, countless interviews and hundreds of emails I believe the best thing I did, and that had the biggest amount of engagement and long-term payoff, was this:

How to Promote Your Book with Ryan Avery

Screenshot from the backend of my YouTube channel where I uploaded almost 100 personal videos to promote the book!

Write down 100 people you know, who you believe the book will help, and create a personal video for them to say thank you for supporting you throughout the years you have known them, what the book is about and how they can help promote it.

In fact, you could do this with anything you are selling and believe in! Today, people want that personal touch! How are you giving it to them?

I had a 95% response rate to those videos and in turn each helped me promote it, they shared it with their friends on social media and eventually helped us make Speaker Leader Champion a successful book launch. Did it take me a long time! Yes! Was it tiring and complicated at first! Of course! But was it worth it? Absolutely!

I am still hard at work looking for new ways to promote Speaker Leader Champion and to get it in the hands of as many people as I can because I believe in this book. The strategies inside it empower people to use their voice and make a difference and to learn how they can advance in their career by developing their public speaking skills.

What are you doing to create and show a personal touch for your friends, family and followers who can benefit from your resources? Take time this weekend to plan how you can be more personal in your approach and see how you can make a difference and a dollar doing something you love! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Oct 22

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Free Webinar for Blog Subscribers Only

By Ryan Avery Motivation No Comments

I had coffee with a friend of mine who is becoming a successful writer and has been challenging me to be a better blogger.

At our meeting I set a goal to have 500 subscribers to my blog by October 31^st. I have grown my email list (4,500 people), but have neglected to promote my writings and build my subscription on this blog.

At present, 122 subscribers receive my weekly articles. I want to reach more people with my writing. So, let’s create a win-win situation.

For those subscribed to this blog before October 31^st, I will provide a private webinar training exclusively for you. I will not post it on my blog, or send it out in my newsletter. It will only be for those subscribed to this blog.

I will present the webinar live in November. If you cannot attend the live webinar, I will have it recorded and sent to you to make sure you get the materials.

Can you help me reach my goal of 500 subscribers? If you enjoy my writing and advice on public speaking and leadership, I would love to have you stick around, interact with me, and receive these tips on a weekly basis.

You can subscribe in the top right hand corner of this page. I hope you will join me and be part of a community where we plan for tomorrow and take advantage of today! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Oct 20

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How to create a to-do list that works

By Ryan Avery Motivation, Videos 3 Comments

Here is how you can improve your to-do list so you can accomplish your short-term and long-term goals! Make sure you have a balance between what you are doing to maintain your lifestyle and items you are doing to improve (gain) your lifestyle. If you like this method share it using one of the social media icons below!