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Feb 18

Five Reasons Your Business Should Be Telling More Stories

By Ryan Avery Motivation No Comments

Since the beginning of time people have shared stories to teach, preach and get their points across. Since the beginning of our lives parents, teachers and preachers have shared stories with us illustrating life’s greatest lessons.

So if we learn through stories, why shouldn’t businesses use them to promote and sell products, services, and ideas? They should, and here is why:

People buy stories: Customers are constantly consuming stories. From books to TV shows, from trips to cars, we buy things because of the story that is attached to it.

People share stories: Whether it is the company gossip in the breakroom, or the stories of what happened during the weekend while you are in the classroom, people share stories.

People remember stories: From little Red Riding Hood to Robin Hood, from Pretty Women to that embarrassing moment that happened to you in middle school – people remember the lessons they learned from the stories they heard and/or experienced.

People like stories: Good stories can make you feel good, can make you experience several emotions, and can bring a smile to your face. People are constantly looking for stories to entertain, educate, or inspire them.

People learn from stories: The major lessons in life you live by were all taught through stories. Whether it was from the Bible or the Koran, from Disney or Grimm’s Fairy Tales, we know the difference between right or wrong because of the heroes and villains with whom we are familiar.

So why are you not using stories in your business?

Why are you not wrapping a story around your product, service, and idea? If you want people to buy, share, remember, and like your product start sharing stories around what it is you sell and offer. Those leaders who

Happy storytelling, and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Feb 16

Love0

Giveaway for Post V-Day

By Ryan Avery Motivation 9 Comments

Ahh, V-Day! The day some couples love, and a day most single people dread!

A holiday institutionalized by Hallmark and chocolate companies everywhere. Instead of debating whether you like, love, or hate this day, why not participate in a fun giveaway?

GIVEAWAY: In the comments below, share about one thing you love (person, place or thing) and why you feel love towards it!

One lucky winner will receive a very, very special Post-Valentine’s Day giveaway that will include 75% off Valentine’s Day chocolate and a Starbucks gift card! I will post the winner in the comments below in 48 hours!

Hope you had a great V-Day! I am looking forward to reading your answers. As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Feb 13

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What Makes A Great Story?

By Ryan Avery Motivation No Comments

What makes a great story? If you are not familiar with the Hero’s Journey I would recommend you familiarizing yourself with it. Once you learn how to tell a great story, you can inspire, influence, and motivate people to take action.

As we know, people buy stories, share stories, like stories, and remember stories. So as a leader, why wouldn’t you want to be a good storyteller? Here are three things that make a great story:

A challenge: The harder you have to work to obtain your goal, the better the story you will have.

A fight: The stronger the contrast you can create between the person, idea or thing your “hero” is up against, the better story you will have.

A feeling: The more opportunities you give your audience to feel happy, sad, fearful, disgusted, surprised and angry, the more connected your audience will be to your story.

Think about all the great stories you have ever heard, watched, or read. All incorporate these three things. Start looking for them. Consider the world’s great stories and how those stories made you feel, what fight the heroes were up against, and what they tried to accomplish!

So the next time you are faced with an everyday challenge, fight or experience major feelings, know you are creating a solid life story for yourself! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Feb 11

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Six Lessons Leaders Can Learn From Tiny Little Babies

By Ryan Avery Motivation One Comment

I had the chance to hang out with a few of my entrepreneur friends this weekend who happen to have the cutest babies I know! After spending the day with them, I realized we, as leaders, can learn a lot from these miniature humans!

1) Cry and get over it: Babies fall, they fail, and they make mistakes. They cry for a minute, and then they move on to the next thing. They don’t look back.

2) Be happy with the simple things: Babies have fancy toys, nice clothes, and fancy food! What do they play with that makes them the happiest? The boxes the toys came in. They have no care for fancy clothes other than what feels good to wear. They are happy, too, with a simple diet of milk and mushy food high in nutrients! Now, I am one who likes to wear nice clothes, and I prefer tasteful food; but, I can do a better job being happier with the simple things in life!

3) Tell people how you really feel: Babies don’t keep their emotions inside. When they are angry, they let you know. When you are happy, they let you know. When they like someone or don’t like them, they let the person know. They don’t care what people think of them. They care about letting others know what they think!

4) Be curious and try new things: Babies are constantly crawling to explore new territory and scanning for new things to touch! They are alive and happy to be alive, because there is so much out there to explore, see, taste, and touch!

5) Always be learning: Babies are digesting new things everyday! They are thirsty for knowledge.

6) Laugh often: No matter how much they cry, babies always laugh. They smile, they enjoy, and they experience happiness. They want to be happy and do what it takes. They say what they need to say in order to find that happiness.

Sure, babies scream on planes, make a mess, and deprive their parents of sleep; but, we as leaders can do many things to be more like tiny little babies! Move on! Be happy with the simple things, tell people how you feel, try new things, learn something new, and laugh often! Enjoy the day, and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

P.s. Thank you Jessica and Devin for letting me use your little one for this post! Y’all are awesome!

Feb 09

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Do You Have a Loser or a Winner Mindset?

By Ryan Avery Motivation, Uncategorized One Comment

After my last article, I thought I would share some insight on what losers say versus what winners say on various subjects and to see where we land on the loser versus winner mindset scale!

Dreams and Goals

Losers Say: “I have goals. I have them in my head. I don’t share them with anyone because it’s not their business. I think about them every so often, and I am pretty sure I will make them happen this year!”

Winners Say: “I have goals. I have written them down and have shared them with my family and friends to hold me accountable. I look at them everyday! They are clear, obtainable, and I believe I can and will accomplish them.”

Money

Losers Say: “If I had X amount of dollars, my life would be so different!”

Winners Say: “I am going find a way to earn X amount of dollars so I can change my life, give more, and do more for myself, my family and my friends!”

Love

Losers Say: “I wish someone would love me!”

Winners Say: “I can’t find love until I love myself.”

Happiness

Losers Say: “I just want to be happy!”

Winners Say: “What are the things that already make me happy, and what can I do starting today to be happier on a regular basis?”

Family and Friends

Losers Say: “My friends and family take up so much time. They always annoy me. They seem to cause more pain than good.”

Winners Say: “I love my family. I take care of my family. We communicate on a regular basis to avoid misunderstandings.”

Profession

Losers Say: “Ugh, I hate my job!”

Winners Say: “I will do what it takes to get the job of my dreams! I deserve to love what I do!”

Health

Losers Say: “We all die, sometime!”

Winners Say: “The healthier I am, the more I can do!”

So, do you have a loser mindset or a winner mindset? What are the things you need to start telling yourself to gain that championship mindset? As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Feb 06

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What is a Todayer?

By Ryan Avery Communication, Leadership, Motivation 3 Comments

The reason I started this blog was to motivate and inspire people to take action on their big goals. I believe we all have the opportunity to add value to this world, and the bigger we dream, the more value we add.

I see my friends, family and community go through the motions of life rather than utilizing their potential and giving their gifts to the world. It’s been said, “The biggest obstacle keeping you from becoming the greatest, is you settling for being good at what you do!”

Just like a car needs gasoline, humans need motivation to move. The farther you plan to go the more you need! My articles, videos, speeches, and life are dedicated to motivating you toward accomplishing your goals and helping you make things happen.

This blog is for those who want to take advantage of today, plan for tomorrow, and to achieve their BIG dreams. I write, speak, and share stories to motivate you to pursue your goals while being open and honest as I strive to attain mine.

So where does the term “Todayer” come into play?

I want to build a like-minded community of people who think, “I am sick of being average, and I am ready to be the best!” I looked at those who were accomplishing big things and I found that each one of them

Takes advantage of what he or she has right now
Plans for the future
Has a positive attitude
Takes action
Gives back

So, for me a Todayer is someone who takes advantage of today, plans for tomorrow, and actively goes after BIG dreams!

We learn as we go, we support each other while we are on our way, and we make things happen. Do we mess up? Yes! Do we give up! No! We take advantage of what we are given and use it to help others, build up those around us, and make an impact.

After seeing this quote, “The goal is not to live forever, the goal is to create something that will!” on an old journal I thought… I want to build a community around people who want more motivation, want to make a difference in this world, and want to go after their big dreams… no matter how crazy, outlandish, and far-fetched the dream seems!

I hope you will join us. Read, share, and comment on articles and videos you see here. I am here for you. I am here to offer motivational stories, strategies, and insights of real value to you.

You will see a lot more of the word “Todayers” on this blog. My hope is to one day see the word spread and have a community full of those who take advantage of today, plan for tomorrow, and go after their BIG dreams!” As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

* Subscribe to this blog via email at the top right hand corner of this article if you feel you would like to join us in being a Todayer!

Feb 04

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Five Ways to Increase Your Productivity

By Ryan Avery Family & Personal Life One Comment

So you need help being more productive and finding ways to increase your productivity? You and me, both! Wouldn’t it be great if we had four or even three more hours in the day? Better yet, wouldn’t it be nice to only need four or three hours of sleep each night so you could do more!

Well, we only get 24 hours in a day and for those of us who would like to be more productive with our time, here are five ways to increase productivity:

Complete things in threes. Write down

Do a time audit. The first thing I make my clients do is a time audit. I want to see– and I want them to see–how they are spending their time. It is crazy how much time people spend on social media, Hulu, Netflix, and lounging around. See how much time you can save in the week by being more productive. I am all for social media, Hulu, and lounging around, but maybe you are doing it too often or too much!

Block out time for time-wasters. Instead of taking time everyday to plan your meals or what clothes you are going to wear, take time at the end of each week to plan them out and get them ready. Schedule your email, keynote practice, social media, and TV consumption. Don’t check and respond to email throughout the entire day. Block out time in the morning and at night to do them rather than being interrupted on a regular basis.

De-clutter your work space. Stop letting your office space get in the way of what you need to accomplish. If you have paperwork you need to file, letters you need to write, bills you need to pay or things you see you need to do, clutter can stop you from being productive and fully engaged with the work at hand because it lingers in your mind.

Turn off that thing you still call a phone. Its buzzers, whistles, alerts, and photos comprise of a ticking time bomb to distract you. Put your phone on airplane mode when working and see how productive you really are.

Take time to incorporate one or more of these five things this week and see how much more productive you will be! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Feb 01

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15 Best and Worst Super Bowl Commercials 2015

By Ryan Avery Motivation 3 Comments

Which were the best and worst Super Bowl commercials this year? Some watch the BIG Game to show support for their team, or to bet BIG money on the game, or to indulge their passion for football! But if you are like me, I switch between watching the Puppy Bowl and watching the BIG Game because of the commercials.

This year we had ones that made us laugh, cry, cringe, think, and feel! What do you think topped the cake for the best and worst Super Bowl commercial in 2015?

Here are the 15 best and worst Super Bowl commercials of 2015 in my opinion:

Jan 30

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My 4 Favorite Speeches of 2014

By Ryan Avery Communication, Motivation No Comments

I watch TED talks every week. Sometimes, I lose track of time as I watch speech after speech soaking up knowledge and critiquing a speaker’s style.

In 2014 I heard four different speakers who each moved me in different ways. Here are my four favorite speeches in 2014 and why:

Dananjaya Hettiarachchi: The 2014 World Champion of Public Speaking rocked the stage in Kuala Lumpur at the Toastmasters International Convention. He had the world captivated with his message and is doing a great job representing the organization!

Edward Snowden: What I loved about this speech is how we can utilize technology to get our voice heard. We no longer need to be on stage to share a message. This speech is inspiring, futuristic, and insightful. You can see the government’s response to Snowden’s speech here. In my opinion, whether you agree with Snowden or not, he did a much better job presenting. You can tell why how you present makes just as much of a difference as what you present.

Simon Sinek: I may or may not have a man crush on Simon Sinek. He is genuine, full of knowledge and uses his voice to create better leaders. His books are fantastic and his speaking style and ability is of the quality of Ziglar and Robbins. His speech inspires me to be a better leader and motivates me to “up my game” as a speaker!

I realize there are no women on this list and I am going to do a much better job this year keeping my eyes open for amazing females who rock the world with their voice!

What were some of your favorite speeches of 2014? If you know of someone who moved you last year, please share in the comments below! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

Five Reasons Your Business Should Be Telling More Stories

Giveaway for Post V-Day

What Makes A Great Story?

Six Lessons Leaders Can Learn From Tiny Little Babies

Do You Have a Loser or a Winner Mindset?

What is a Todayer?

Five Ways to Increase Your Productivity

15 Best and Worst Super Bowl Commercials 2015

My 4 Favorite Speeches of 2014

How to Deal With People Who Are Better Than You

The 5 Best Books for Speakers