Defining Success Podcast

John Sparks owns his own social media company, an internet marketing business where he helps businesses expand their reach online. One of the things he prides himself on is his experience on Twitter and how he’s been able to use Twitter to build a massive following and build some word-of-mouth marketing. In this interview he has some great tips and advice on using Twitter. John Sparks is the Owner and CEO of Online ImageWorks. He has a passion for helping others learn about social media and technology and has become known as a nationally recognized social media coach.

This episode I interview the Mingling Maven, Susan RoAne. She is the author of How to Work a Room. In the interview she gives great ideas on having conversations with people, how to start those conversations, and how to feel comfortable in those scenarios. One of the things she highlighted was the difference between working a room and networking. The real key to networking is in the follow-up.   Susan RoAne, or the Mingling Maven, is the best selling author of How to Work a Room.  If you’ve ever walked into a roomful of strangers and felt uncomfortable, you’re not alone.  According to research, over 90% feel the same way.  Because it’s essential, to building our businesses as well as our personal life, we must be able to comfortably attend gatherings and meet, connect and converse with people we don’t know as well as the ones we do.

Brian Basilico is the owner of his own social media company. One of the things we talked about was return on investment, and looking at ROI when you are using social media and actually many things you are probably doing.   Brian Basilico is the owner of B2B Interactive Marketing. B2b Interactive Marketing combines audio, video, interactive, web, communications, and advertising, with branding and marketing experience of almost 30 years in the communications industry.

Ben Alexander is the owner of Balloon Distractions, who appeared on an episode of the Shark Tank. He didn’t get a deal with any of the Sharks, but he gained a lot of experience through the process. He talks with us about his experience on the Shark Tank as well as with his business. His advice to start with a small scale business is something that resonates with me. Ben Alexander started Balloon Distractions in the Fall of 2003, starting an adventure that continues to this day. Balloon Distractions has been a blessing in his life, and the lives of all those who have learned a new skill, income, confidence and poise.

Richard McKinnon is the owner and President of System 1 Incorporated. Because of Richard's business sense, he realizes the importance on people to people interactions. That and advice from his father have helped him and his business get through the recession and thrive. System 1 Interiors specializes in interior home remodeling including acoustic ceiling removal, plaster ceiling resurfacing, recessed lighting and interior & exterior painting. System 1 has been the leader in Acoustic Ceiling removal in southern California for over 30 years.

Nancy Dunn-Kato is a very well respected golf instructor, one ot the top junior golf instructors in the country. In our interview she talks about the gamification of teaching the golf swing; how she makes these simple little games to help kids learn the golf swing. There’s a movement in education about gamification, working to make the learning experience more fun and enjoyable. Nancy Dunn-Kato has been a Certified Class A LPGA Teaching & Club Professional Member since 1989. She has played and taught golf for over 24 years. Nancy’s company SWINGplay and its concepts are a direct result of her dedicated work with junior golfers and a real, practical, understanding of what works best. SWINGplay’s unique programs are specifically designed to focus the learning needs of young and adult golfers at all levels from beginner to advanced players. The SWINGplay systems and methods reinforce the play in golf – to keep the learning experience fun, positive, and filled with success that grows naturally out of childre

Michael Peshkam is the founder and CEO of Xincus. Xincus gives businesses an opportunity to collaborate and communicate with each other on his platform and creates the opportunity to leverage social media. Michael talks about businesses and social media, noting that there is a difference between a business that uses social media and a business that is a social business. Xincus is the first-of-its-kind online Social Marketplace for Business that makes the power of mass collaboration available to everyone by bringing together Experts, Businesses, and Enterprises to engage each other and create new business value and opportunities that they could not develop independently.

Danielle Tucker’s Golf Club has been broadcasting from Hawaii since 1999.   Danielle interviews PGA, LPGA and International Golf Professionals, Young Rising Stars, Teaching Pros, Sports Shrinks, Authors, Mental Coaches, Golf Equipment Companies, Club Designers and Golf Broadcasters. Danielle Tucker is the host of Radio Golf Club. It's a radio show that takes place in Hawaii. It's live. One of the things that came up in the interview that I thought was interesting, because it's a different point of view from other guests of our podcast. She's doing this as a side job. This radio show, she does it on a saturday. She has her normal work week and then she goes in and does this podcast on a Saturday because it's something she really loves and she has the opportunity to do it.

John Corcoran knows how to connect with influential people.  He has worked in the White House, he has met presidents, he has his own law firm, there are so many different things this guy has done. He’s great at networking with very important people, he has lots of tips and information on how we can network better.   John Corcoran shows entrepreneurs and small business owners how to bring in more clients, customers and revenue by building relationships with VIPs and top performers.  He’s also the host of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast. Learn how to connect with influential people in Episode 73 of the DSP.  

In Episode 72 of the Defining Success Podcast we go through our book chapter by chapter and discuss the ideas presented in the book. At the end of each chapter we present a question in our book, which we encourage readers to engage with on our website, SocialGolfCourse.com.   In Episode 72 of the Defining Success Podcast, Zeb Welborn and John Hakim discuss the second half of their book, The Social Golf Course.  Learn valuable insights about how to turn golf courses into social golf courses, and how to use social media to get golfers to play golf, play more often and spend more money on the golf course.

Melissa Krivachek has had lots of ups and downs in her professional career. At a young age she was promoted quickly at the retail store she worked for, but when the recession hit, she lost her job. During that time she became homeless and even spent some time in jail. She rebounded nicely by creating her own business, Briella Arion, which she is running today. Learn how Melissa worked toward overcoming career disaster in episode 71 of the Defining Success Podcast. Melissa Krivachek is the President of Briella Arion. She has been captivating, inspiring and motivating entrepreneurs across the globe since her early twenties. Chosen as Evolution Magazines 2013 Top Power Player Under 40, and featured on CNN, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, and receiving dozens of other accolades, Melissa’s passion for personal growth resonates with audiences looking for more fulfillment in all aspects of life and business. As the Author of Be Ballsy! How Not To Suck At Love, Success, & Happiness she loves teaching audiences how to brea

Don't let your ego get in the way.  Virgil Herring is one of the top teaching professionals in golf and when one of his best players, Brandt Snedeker became the PGA Tour's Rookie of the Year, Virgil expected recognition.  Brandt recognized another golf coach for his success and Virgil's ego got in the way.  Learn from Virgil in Episode 70 of the Defining Success Podcast. Best-selling author Virgil Herring is Director of Instruction at the acclaimed Westhaven Golf Club and is founder of Higher Performance Golf Academy. Virgil received the 2003 Tennessee Section PGA Teacher of the Year Award and was named 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006 Middle TN Chapter PGA Teacher of the Year. He was named a 2009 U.S. Kids Golf Top 50 Instructor (source) by U.S. Kids Golf. And he also worked with PGA Tour player Brandt Snedeker. Virgil Herring discusses the time he let his ego get in the way and how he regrets it today.  Don't let your ego get in the way and listen to Episode 70 of the Defining Success Podcast.

As a DUI offender, Griffen Halko made a mistake that changed his life forever.  In Episode 69 of the Defining Success Podcast, we discuss how important it is to evaluate every decision.  Griffen's decision resulted in the death of a good friend, sent him to jail and forever changed his future.  Stay Designated, Inc. was conceptualized in March of 2008, in a hospital bed located in the Intensive Care Unit at UCI Medical Center. While recovering from critical, life threatening injuries, Griffen Halko came face to face with reality. Successful people evaluate every decision and leave nothing to chance.  Learn to avoid making poor decisions that can affect the rest of your life in Episode 69 of the Defining Success Podcast with Griffen Halko from Stay Designated.

In Episode 68 of the Defining Success Podcast we go through our book, The Social Golf Course chapter by chapter and discuss the ideas presented in the book.  At the end of each chapter we present a question in our book, which we encourage readers to engage with on our website, SocialGolfCourse.com. 

In Episode 67 of the Defining Success Podcast, Fred discusses what he's learned teaching golf and how people tend to learn best and enjoy the experience when they are allowed to learn for themselves.  As a coach, Fred avoids passing judgement and simply guides his students to be more aware of their experience during the process.  Learn how Fred Shoemaker cultivates the best learning experience.   Fred Shoemaker is the founder of Extraordinary Golf which provides an environment where golfers could know their remarkable ability and learn to unfold it moment to moment.  The school has been named One of America’s Top 25 Golf Schools in America by Golf Magazine and has been a life-changing experience for many participants. Fred has spent most of his career—over 42,000 lessons, and thousands of golf schools and workshops—helping people overcome the obstacles that prevent them from discovering and expressing their potential.   The learning experience is unique for each person and as an educator or coach, you should

The host of Mobile Mixed, Greg Hickman shares his insights into mobile marketing and how business owners must start to incorporate mobile strategies into their internet marketing campaign.  Incorporate mobile marketing into your business to market effectively in the 21st century.  Learn from the best when it comes to developing your mobile marketing strategy in Episode 66 of the Defining Success Podcast. Greg Hickman is the Creator/Host of Mobile Mixed. He is a Mobile Marketing Consultant focused on retail.  He is the Co-Founder of Thumbfound, Entrepreneur & Mountain Biker.  He started off as an agency guy having the opportunity to work on brands like Pepsi, Lipton, and Walmart, creating and managing digital, in-store and grassroots initiatives. Incorporate mobile marketing into your business.  Learn from Greg Hickman, the host of the mobile mixed podcast about the importance of mobile marketing and how you can apply it to your business in Episode 66 of the Defining Success Podcast. 

Creating an online community is no easy task.  The key ingredient toward building an online community of people who take action is consistency, persistence and greatness.   Creating an online community is no easy task.  Many who set out to achieve that goal quickly realize the amount of work it takes to establish and develop an online presence and quit.  To develop a strong online community it takes consistency and persistence.  Develop a loyal customer base and have those loyal customers promote and build your brand online and you'll be well on your way to developing a strong social media presence.

In this episode of the Defining Success Podcast, Cynthia Sanchez shares her thoughts on Pinterest and how to optimize your website to take advantage of Pinterest and SEO.  She also discusses the importance of including proper descriptions so you can be found in the Pinterest search engines and reach more people. Cynthia Sanchez first started to use Pinterest in 2011, and launched Oh So Pinteresting in February 2012.   After a few months she was approached by a company to see if she could help them with Pinterest and manage their social media accounts. In September 2012, she left her job as a full-time radiation oncology nurse to focus on building Oh So Pinteresting and my business. . . . and the rest is history. Learn about Pinterest and SEO and how you can apply SEO strategies to all of your social media platforms to help you rank higher in the search enginges when people are looking for pictures, videos, or posts about the things that interest them. Cynthia Sanchez from the Oh So Pinteresting Podcast shares

To be a success you must be obsessed with being successful.  There are hundreds of people out there who do the same things you do and the only way to be better than them is to be obsessed with your business.    The definition of obsession is the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc. When you think of Steve Jobs, Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Barrack Obama, Oprah Winfrey and others like them, you'll understand the sacrifices you must make to become successful.  These people are absolutely obsessed with what they do.  So, if you want to be successful, think of the career you’re in and think to yourself can you become obsessed with it?  Can you work in it day in and day out?  If you can answer yes than you’ve found yourself a new business or a new career.

Dr. Maisel shares his thoughts on creativity and how developing a process and sticking to it regardless of outcomes can help you to become creative.  The struggle with many creative people is that they expect something to happen when they create something and when the outcome doesn't match their expectation they get discouraged.  Don't get attached to outcomes and learn why it's important not to in Episode 62 of the Defining Success Podcast. Dr. Eric Maisel is the author of more than 40 books. His interests include creativity and the creative life, the field of creativity coaching which he founded, and natural psychology, the new psychology of meaning that he has recently been developing. Don't get attached to outcomes.  Dr. Eric Maisel explains how creating and developing a process will help you achieve your ultimate goals.  Learn how process and not getting attached to outcomes can help you become successful.