This week I had to be creative while being on the road and in a hotel room to deliver one of my virtual presentations. Here is the set up!
My challenge for us this week is to get creative the next time something comes our way that we are not used to or puts us in a different environment.
Where can we get creative this week? Ready… set… go!
I have 17 virtual keynotes this month and more than a dozen coaching sessions.
I had one client ask me how I get ready and prepare for all my virtual meetings and thought I would share it with all of us this week.
We use the acronym C.L.A.P. to get ready for our virtual meetings:
CONTENT – Do I have the content I need in front of me for this specific meeting?
LIGHTING – Is my lighting what I want it to be?
AUDIO – Is my audio working correctly?
POSITION – What is the angle of my camera and does my background represent me personally and professionally?
This allows us to stay ready, present ourselves that best represents us and our company, and allows us to connect with those we are speaking to online. Remember, “How we are perceived, dictates what we receive!”
Make sure to use C.L.A.P. for your next virtual meeting this week and see how you feel different online.
For those who want it, here is the infographic you can share with your team.
Have the best week and remember to always be THE!
Here are my notes this week about being offended and what we can do when we are offended!
Why should we have a routine?
This week I looked into what differentiates A leader vs THE leader when it comes to routine and why routines matter so much to us!
This week’s notes come from taking a look at Ryan Holiday’s Ego is The Enemy, research from various publications and listening to friends who cheer us along the way!
Action Items of the week: #1 Think about who you want to be vs what you want to do and #2 Come up your routine around the PPP.
For the past year I have been working to get my P2 Pilots license for paragliding. There are so many parallels between paragliding and leadership and one hit me hard this week when my coach says, “When you jump off this cliff, if you don’t give 100% you will hurt yourself!”
Running full speed ahead off a mountain when your entire body is screaming NO but your mind is saying YES is a wild thing! We have taken all the precautions, steps and have we have our contingency plan in place. But why can it be so hard to jump, when we know it is safe?
What really happens if we don’t give 100% when we are going for our goals? Where are we not giving 100% and is it hurting us? Where is one place we can step up to give 100% this week? Watch how you start to fly when you give 100%!
Here is my definition of a leader:
Leader: Someone whose actions, inspire others to take action.
You don’t need a title, money or power to be a leader. When you do something, say something or share something that gets someone else to take action, in my book you are a leader!
The world needs more leaders now than ever. Take time this week to take action on something you have been wanting to do and see who you inspire, motivate and lead!
What is your definition? Share, like or comment to get the conversation started! As always…
Dream BIG,
Ryan
I recently had the opportunity to go scuba diving at Ocean Park in Hong Kong. When you visit, I highly recommend you go and be prepared to spend the entire day there because it has a lot to offer!
I was giving a couple speeches in Hong Kong and instead of hopping from hotel to hotel I thought I would be adventurous in-between speeches.
You are 2 feet away from hammer head sharks and hundreds of other fish!
I knew Ocean Park was one of the top rated tourist attractions in the world, so I reached out to the theme park’s PR department to ask if I could scuba dive with the hammerhead sharks, manta rays and more than 5,000 other fish they have in their 2.5 million gallon grand aquarium.
A week later, they said yes and granted me access to a behind-the-scene tour of how the aquarium works and an up close and personal experience with the animals.
Just in case you want to know what a manta ray eats.
Wherever I go, I enjoy doing adventurous things (skydiving, white water rafting or rock climbing) for a variety of reasons. When we as leaders and speakers become adventure seekers it allows us to:
Meet New People: As leaders, the more people we know, the more people we can help. Being a good leader means you are good at building relationships. I think if more people traveled, the world would be a better place because you learn that your way is not the right way or the only way, rather it is the way that works for you. As leaders we need to meet more people so we can make better decisions, expand our thinking and continue to learn.
Create New Stories: There are people who think that your life is what it is and you can’t do much to change it; you have to play the cards that you are dealt. Well I say, if you don’t like your cards, play a different card game. A card game that allows you to have the winning hand! We can create our own stories, we don’t have to wait for them to come to us! What story have you been waiting to create? Go out there and make it happen!
Enjoy New Experiences: Sometimes we get stuck in routine. That is where boredom can sink in. We as leaders need to be trying, exploring and having new experiences on a regular basis to keep our minds fresh, our perspective open and to see all the world has to offer outside of our own little bubble. What is one experience you can create for yourself this week that will let you grow as a leader?
My friends at D89 joined us on the adventure and they were so amazing. They showed Chelsea and I around the entire city after we got done. They hosted one of our events, took us to a party and were so gracious to host us while we were in Hong Kong (Thank you Derek)! All of D89 is amazing and I learned a lot from them.
So the next time you are feeling less than motivated or you feel like you are searching for something to do in life, instead of drowning in self doubt, build up the courage to ask, do and try! Who knows where it will take you?
Thank you to the team at Ocean Park for the awesome experience and to Donna for making it happen! I can’t wait to come back and visit and to see what my next adventure will be.
Remember it’s the dreamers who take action that change our world. Take advantage of today, plan for tomorrow and always…
Dream BIG,
Ryan
Because you enjoyed last week’s infographic and because my high school reunion is a week away, I thought I would share another infographic today by MBC! This time, it helps us identify what type of leadership style we are drawn too more! Which one are you?
I want to wish all the Todayers out there a Merry Christmas from the Averys! For those Todayers who don’t celebrate Christmas I hope your holiday season has been amazing and you enjoy spending time with your family and friends, eating way too many cookies and watching enough reruns of A Christmas Story to last all year!
December is a month of reflection and opportunity to give thanks for those we care about most! This week we are spending time with our entire family. We haven’t all been together since Chelsea and I married four years ago, so it really means a lot to us!
With that, I have decided to take a week off and spend it with my family! My next article will pick back up on December 29th and we have an awesome schedule or articles already planned for 2015!
As for the GIVEAWAY: I have wrapped a present I want to send to one of you! If you want it, all you have to do is write in the comments below what you are thankful for this year and why! One random winner will be selected by December 29th and the winner will be posted in the comment section. All I ask is if you are selected you are willing to share with the group what was in the box!
Soak up the time with your family and friends this week. I am looking forward to starting a new year with you in a few days! Merry Christmas, Happy Giveaway Day, and as always…
Dream BIG!
Ryan
(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:
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
