Indeed, “Enchantment” charmed millions and hit three bestseller lists: The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Publisher’s Weekly. So we were keen to share his insights with our readers and thrilled when Guy agreed to be our Entrepreneur of the Month in the August 2011 issue of our national business magazine for entrepreneurs, Be Inkandescent.

Since then, we have reviewed another one of his fascinating books, Reality Check: The Irreverent Guide to Outsmarting, Outmanaging, and Outmarketing Your Competition, which was our Book of the Month in July 2012. With this tome, which was originally published in 2008, Guy said hits the mark on what he said was his mission for the book—to provide “hardcore information to hardcore people who want to kick ass.”

Amen to that. And these are some of the topics we’ll talk to Guy about today, and also feature in our upcoming book, “PR Rules: The Playbook.”

We were thrilled to interview Kawasaki, who explains:

• What marketing really is.
• When it comes to marketing his books, and there have been a dozen of them published, what has worked best—and what hasn’t worked very well?
• Does he think marketing books is similar to marketing any product or service? Or does the marketing campaign change depending on what you are selling?
• Kawasaki worked for Apple in its early days. Clearly, they have launched some of the best marketing campaigns in decades. What do he think is the secret to their marketing success?
• His book, Reality Check, is an encyclopedia of essential marketing information — and a must-read for every entrepreneur—including this useful 10-step checklist that includes important questions for business owners to ask themselves (see below). Kawasaki explains how answering these essential questions can help you create a powerful marketing campaign.
• The most realistic, enchanting marketing tip that he can offer our listeners and readers.

Don’t miss this exciting podcast! Download it, at right.

• Click here to read more about our interview with Kawasaki in 2011 when he published Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds, and Actions.
• Click here to read our review of Reality Check

Here’s Kawasaki’s 10-step checklist:

1. Are you making meaning?
2. Does your project jump to, or create, the next curve?
3. Is your product Deep, Intelligent, Complete, Elegant, and Emotive?
4. Do you have a mantra for what you do?
5. Do you have a 10-slide pitch with no font smaller than 30 points that you can give in 20 minutes?
6. Have you figured out a way to take your product to market with no budget?
7. Are you helping people who cannot help you?
8. Can you blow away any audience with a demo of your product?
9. Would you hire “imperfect” job candidates who love what you do, as well as people who are better than you are?
10. Are you only asking people to do things that you would do, too?

When the topic, the Flow of the Universe, popped up this month, I took it as a good omen for I learned a long time ago that anything worth building has a rhythm and flow of its own. It is the job of the creators to tap into it as this entry teaches:

Many people live their lives struggling against the current, while others use the flow like a mighty wind: The flow of the universe moves through everything. It’s in the rocks that form, get pounded into dust, and are blown away, the sprouting of a summer flower born from a seed planted in the spring, the growth cycle that every human being goes through, and the current that takes us down our life’s paths. When we move with the flow, rather than resisting it, we are riding on the universal current that allows us to flow with life. 

I invite you to take the ride! 

That is what I did when I received an invitation to be on the Visual WOW podcast show from Jack Harzman, a fabulous (and quite famous) photographer in Washington, DC.

“After more than 30 years as a professional photographer in the live events industry, I have learned all of the tricks and tips of the trade,” he shares and invites us to follow along each week as he discusses topics such as relationship building, scaling your business, and adjusting with the changing industry. “No matter your place in the live events world, we all have a Visual WOW moment to share.”

• Stream our interview here!
• Click here to listen to our 30-minute interview on Visual WOW
• Find more podcast interviews by Jack at visualwow.simplecast.com

This expansive 26,000-square-foot entrepreneurship training and community center provides shared workspace, in-person and distance courses, camaraderie, community, and more.

“Every entrepreneur has two choices when they feel the flash: Jump in and seize the day, or stand still and watch the door close — with you on the wrong side,” explains Singal, who since launching Lurn, Inc., in 2002, has helped thousands of entrepreneurs find success by utilizing his training courses that focus on digital advertising, social media marketing, email marketing, and consulting. For his work, BusinessWeek recognized him as one of the Best U.S. Entrepreneurs Under 25.

Click here to watch our video interview with this truly amazing entrepreneur on Inkandescent.TV

Come Lurn — for free — April 14-15, 2018

• From 10am-5pm both days, guests will tour the center’s 140-seat lecture hall, training classrooms, audio and video studio, and other areas to meet-up in the sociable high-tech environment.
• Throughout the weekend, speakers will share tips on supersizing a small business, including Kevin Harrington, founder of As Seen on TV; Kevin Strawbridge, CEO of Clickbank; Gina Schaefer, owner of a dozen ACE Hardware stores, and Laura Lee Williams, founder of the fashion firm Laura Lee Designs.
• On Sunday evening, attendees will meet the winner of the $50,000 prize from LurnVestor — the organization’s “Shark Tank” type event to help early-stage startups get off the ground.

Get your free ticket today at LurnCenter.com. For more information, call 240-762-6155. Become a fan at facebook.com/lurninc

However, when confronting the myriad challenges we face in life, one oft-overlooked limiting factor might just be what some have called the “fear of success.”

That’s the topic we’ll be talking with Russell about on today’s episode of of the Inkandescent Entrepreneur Show on InkandescentRadio.com. I’m Hope Katz Gibbs, your host.

• Scroll down for our Q&A with Russell!

• Download the podcast now.

• Click here to read our cover story on Russell Bishop in the Be Inkandescent magazine.

Are You Afraid of Success?

Hope Katz Gibbs: So among your many accomplishments you were a writer and editor for the Huffington Post where you crafted a series of articles on this topic. In them you suggest that fear of success and fear of failure can be very closely aligned. Can you explain why?

Russell Bishop: On the surface, this notion might seem ridiculous — what on Earth could be scary about success? But if you dig a bit below the surface, you might discover some powerfully limiting aspects of your own mindset, of your own approach to life. Let’s do a little digging.

Consider this question: Have you become accustomed to life as it is for you now? What a dumb question — of course you have, even if what you have become accustomed to is not quite what you would prefer.

Hope Katz Gibbs: We’ve all heard of the “comfort zone,” and most of us have been in a discussion or two about the role of the comfort zone in holding people back. But you believe that most people miss the real power of this notion by wrongly assuming that the comfort zone refers to something about being comfortable.

Russell Bishop: I know this may sound a bit nuts, but hang in there a moment or two. As you think about this for a bit, you may realize that you are typically most comfortable in surroundings that are most familiar.

Even people who engage in dangerous activities like rock climbing will attest that while it’s not so physically comfortable out there hanging off a rock wall, and while the risks can be high, the experienced rock climber can still be quite comfortable, both with the lack of physical comfort as well as with the inherent risk. Why? Because she is extremely familiar with the environment and what it takes to succeed in climbing that sheer wall.

If you don’t particularly like your job or some other aspect of your life, you may also find that you have become comfortable with it if for no reason other than the fact that it is familiar. If this is you, if you grouse about your daily circumstances yet keep returning to them, then you may be a member of what I call the “ain’t-it-awful club.” Members of this club love to engage in “one-downsmanship”: “You think that’s bad, wait until you hear this one.” You may also know this one as “misery loves company.”

Hope Katz Gibbs: You also believe that settling for less is a very individual set of choices and definitions.

Russell Bishop: Right, and if you have the sense that you have settled more than strived for what you want, then it might be worth your while to explore how your fear of success is in the way. As much as you may complain about the job/company/boss, have you become comfortable or familiar with what it takes to get by in your current circumstance — not necessarily to succeed, but to at least get by? Breaking out from the familiar, from what got you here, may not be very comfortable, and it may conjure up some fears or risks in your mind. Giving up membership in the ain’t-it-awful club and letting go of weevily peanuts may have any number of risks associated with them, but the risks have more to do with new success behaviors than they do with the fear of failure.

Hope Katz Gibbs: What are some of the downsides to success?

Russell Bishop: What would happen if you were to achieve the success you think you would prefer? What if the job changed dramatically, the income surged, the relationships were vastly improved? Look beyond the obvious (“I’d be richer/happier/better off”) and ask yourself, “What demands would there be on me if …? What would I have to do or be differently?”

This is where it gets interesting. Let’s take a promotion as an example: If you did rise to a higher level in your job, what behaviors or skills would you have to evidence? What would others now demand of you? What would you have to do differently? How would you have to interact differently with co-workers, family, or friends? Are these skills or behaviors that you already have, skills or behaviors with which you are already comfortable? There’s a good chance that the answer is “no.”

Hope Katz Gibbs: In your career coaching managers and executives in businesses large and small, you must have often witnessed the changes that befall the person who wins a promotion, especially when someone moves from co-worker into a management position or from middle management to senior executive.

Russell Bishop: Indeed! Co-workers who used to be buddies somehow begin to distance themselves, and the newly minted manager needs to resign membership in the ain’t-it-awful club. No longer is grousing about the boss acceptable; the challenge now is to fix rather than complain. Fixing and complaining are different skill sets. Are you more complainer than fixer?

Hope Katz Gibbs: What do you tell yourself before you start?

Russell Bishop: Have you ever entertained thoughts about what might happen if …? Imagine telling yourself a story that goes something like this: “Well, first I’ll be the one with the office. Then I’ll be the one making decisions. But what if the decisions don’t work out? What if I don’t know what to do? What if I’m not very good at it?

“Now I’m going to tell them what to do, and then I’m going to have to do their performance reviews. How will my friends/co-workers respond to me being in charge? What if they start complaining about me? What if they abandon me?”

These negative “what if” scenarios may sound pretty darn close to fear of failure. However, underneath them lies a precursor fear: “What if I get what I say I want and I’m not prepared to handle it? What if I’m just an imposter pretending that I know what to do?”

The subtle little twist here is that while you might be able to imagine success and even create it, the doubt remains that you will be able to handle it. The fear of success then often shows up as self-doubt, as an inner voice reminding you that you probably can’t handle the success you want. Fear of success might be in your way. Keep asking yourself what you want out of life and why you want it. What have you told yourself about taking the risks necessary to create what you want?

Hope Katz Gibbs: What have you found useful in overcoming obstacles, in creating your own version of success in life?

Russell Bishop: That’s where my “Nine Tips for Stepping Out of Your Fear of Success and Into the Life You Deserve” comes in.

Hope Katz Gibbs: Yes, and these are great guidelines. Let’s talk about the top 3, then refer people to our interview online so they can ponder all nine on their own. Tip number one is if you don’t know where you are going, any road will do.

Russell Bishop: Right. Get yourself as clear as possible on where you are going and, more importantly, why you are going there. Everyone has had the experience of wanting something, busting their tail to get it, and then wondering why they ever wanted it in the first place. Keep in mind that what you are really after is the underlying experience — for most people that’s a combination of joy, freedom, security, expansion, and love. Click here to for more information and perspective.

Hope Katz Gibbs: Next, imagine success before you even start.

Russell Bishop: Begin with the end in mind — we all know that one. If you know what experience you truly seek, make certain that you begin by imagining yourself succeeding. What will it look like? What will you feel like? What will it be like along the way?

Keep imagining that positive outcome. The more you practice succeeding in your mind, the more familiar success will become for you — a new comfort zone will begin emerging, one where success is the new normal. And the more practiced you are at being successful along the way, the more observant you will become on choices you can make along the way that will help you get to the outcome you seek.

Hope Katz Gibbs: And tip number three is perhaps my favorite. You don’t get what you deserve — you get what you focus on.

Russell Bishop: If you don’t think you deserve success, then you will focus on the roadblocks, what can go wrong, and myriad other issues, all of which will add up to encountering all manner of challenges, perhaps even self-defeating challenges, along the way. And you may wind up telling yourself that you were right — you don’t deserve success or that people like you don’t win — why else would all of these problems keep showing up? So, keep your focus on those images of success and positive feelings that come with them.

_Thank you so much Russell! To find all of Russell’s great advice, including the rest of his “Nine Tips for Stepping Out of Your Fear of Success and Into the Life You Deserve,” visit BeInkandescent.com and click on the June 2016 issue.

And be sure to check out Russell’s book, Workarounds that Work.

To learn more about the book, Russell’s workshops, and more, log on to www.RussellBishop.com.”:http://www.russellbishop.com

You are listening to the Inkandescent Entrepreneur Show on the Inkandescent Radio Network. I’m Hope Katz Gibbs, your host, and as always it was a pleasure talking to you. Be Inkandescent!

That’s exactly what BJ Kocen and Tammy Rostov decided to do when the two Richmond retailers founded West Main Village, a community of 35 restaurants, galleries, retail shops and small businesses that will close down a three-block area in front of their shops and host an array of events during the UCI 2015 Bicycle Race, September 19-27.

So we sat down for a podcast interview with these two enterprising entrepreneurs!

You’ll learn:

• The plan for West Main Village during Richmond2015
• The challenges the organization has faced
• Expectations for the Sept. 19-27 event
• Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to tackle such a big project

Download the podcast now!

For more on Richmond2015, and the businesses that stand to make a mint during the big bike race, be sure to check out the September 2015 issue of BeInkandescent.com.

Because the beer has gotten so popular around the country that the cost of shipping it caused the company to set up a second manufacturing plant in the mid-Atlantic. In January 2014, Stone’s C-team put out a bid — and the competition to woo the brewery turned out to be steep. Proposals were submitted from 250 communities from 20 states, but when it came down to the final three cities, Richmond, VA, sealed the deal.

Here’s what’s in it for Richmond:

• Starting this year, Stone will begin to invest $74 million to construct a production brewery, packaging hall, destination restaurant, gardens, retail store, and administrative offices in Richmond.
• Stone has been listed 10 times on the Inc. 500 | 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies.
• Stone was called the “All-Time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine — twice.
• It is also the first American craft brewer to independently own and operate facilities in Berlin.

In this podcast interview, we interview two of Stone’s top leaders, COO Pat Tiernan and CFO Craig Spitz. They were in the River City to meet with Richmond Economic Development COO Jane Ferrara, the exec who led the charge to bring Stone to town. You’ll learn:

1. What made Richmond stand out from the 250 other cities
2. What the big brewer has in store for 2015 and beyond
3. Why so many people love beer — and why Stone’s marketshare is growing
4. How the other craft brewers in town felt about Stone moving in.

And more!

Listen to the entire podcast now!

And click here to read more about Ferrara’s coup in the May 2015 issue of Be Inkandescent magazine.

We are thrilled to interview Jane, our cover girl for the “May 2015 issue of Be Inkandescent magazine.”:

She’s going to tell us about how she brought to Richmond Stone Brewing Co., the 10th largest craft brewer in the US that generates $185 million in annual sales, and employs more than 1,000 people.

• Starting this year, Stone will begin to invest $74 million to construct a production brewery, packaging hall, destination restaurant, gardens, retail store and administrative offices in Richmond.
• Richmond was selected among more than 20 states that submitted proposals after Stone’s request for proposal was sent out in January 2014.
• Stone has been listed 10 times on the Inc. 500 | 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies,
• And it was called the “All-time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine — twice.
• It is also the first American craft brewer to independently own and operate facilities in Berlin.

In this episode we learn:

1. Why did Stone choose Richmond?

2. What were the biggest challenges to bringing Stone home? And how did Jane differentiate Richmond from the other 20 cities that Stone was considering?

3. Who did she pull onto your team? And who did she know who to listen to?

4. What was the communities’ response?

5. What are some of your biggest lessons learned? And given the option, would she do it all again?

Listen to the podcast now!

That doesn’t mean the research that Andrea Kuszewski does has no connection to our companies.

Rather, the science she studies has turned up some fascinating facts that cross the line between work and play. Intrigued?

In this podcast interview you’ll learn:

• What is the science of sex
• How dopamine and oxytocin affect us
• Whether these neurotransmitters can have a negative effect on our relationships
• How neuroscience is relevant to all of our relationships, including the bonds we develop with employees, colleagues, customers, and vendors
• And more!

Download or Stream the podcast now!

• Click here to read all about it in February 2015 issue of Be Inkandescent magazine.

That was the vision of actor Paul Newman, who in 1988 created this incredible program that in the years since has served 440,000+ children in more than 50 countries. SeriousFun has 30 initiatives worldwide, including 14 full member camps, 13 Global Partnership Programs, and 3 new camps in development.

Equally impressive are the backgrounds of Steve and Kelly.

Before joining SeriousFun in 2002, Steve was an Assistant Professor and the founding Clinical Director of the Yale University Child Study Center Family Support Service for almost 20 years.

The Family Support Service provided home based child mental health and child welfare service to abused, neglected, drug affected, HIV affected, and at risk children. From 1995-1999 he was the Country Director of the United States Peace Corps in Samoa. From 1998 through 2002 he was the Director of the Peace Corps Pacific Initiative.

Kelly has been with the organization for the last 8 years. Prior to joining SeriousFun, she spent time at Children’s Aid Foundation in Toronto where she helped establish a corporate development and communications program. Prior to joining SeriousFun, Kelly was responsible for in-country communications for Right to Play in Ghana (West Africa), helping to promote sport and play as a vehicle for health education.

In this podcast interview you’ll learn:

• All about the SeriousFun Children’s Network and what it does
• How these camps and programs different than other types of camps that you hear about
• How the camps are able to effectively manage and care for the variety of illnesses they serve
• The mission of creating a sense of possibility—and why that’s so important for a child
• How camp heals
• How we can all get involved with SeriousFun
• And more!

Download the podcast now!

Stay tuned for more interviews at SeriousFun hq:

• With Alyson Fox, Director, Global Partnership Program of the SeriousFun Children’s Network.
• And Clea Newman, Paul’s daughter who took over joined SeriousFun Children’s Network as Senior Director of External Affairs in January 2013. Additionally, Clea is building a Legacy Giving Program and an International Board of Governors chaired by her mother, Joanne Woodward.

Sitting at the helm is David Mattson, Sandler’s CEO and president, who oversees the organization’s more than 225 locations around the globe. Since 1986, he has been a trainer and business consultant for management, sales, interpersonal communication, corporate team building and strategic planning throughout the United States and Europe.

So we sat down with Mattson to talk about how small business owners can improve their sales techniques and help their businesses grow.

In this podcast interview you’ll learn:

• The goal of sales—and how it differs from PR, marketing, and advertising.
• What makes so many people uncomfortable about doing sales—even when they feel passionate about their business product or service.
• How you measure success in sales.
• What salespeople must do to generate sales leads.
• And how to overcome customer resistance, and the stereotype of the pushy salesperson.

Download our podcast interview now!

• And click here to read more of our interview with Sandler in the Febraury 2014 issue of Be Inkandescent.