Give The People What They Want (Hint: It’s You) With Jeanne DeClue & Imari Graves

This one is for everyone who has something important to share, but are doubting themselves.

For those hiding their gifts…

Their vision…

Their passion…

Whether out of fear, 

Worry, 

Trauma, 

Or that lying feeling of unworthiness. 

This one is for you.

You are brilliant. 

You are enough. 

You matter. 

What you have to say is exactly what someone, somewhere, in this very moment, needs to hear. 

That video you’re thinking about recording…

That course you’re thinking about launching…

That podcast you’re considering starting…

Those words you're itching to start writing…

They are the key someone is looking for to unlock a new essence of greatness. 

In case you needed that extra push.

This one is for you.

My guests this week - Jeanne DeClue & Imari Graves - are here for you. 

And they want to share this reminder: 

Give The People What They Want 

Hint: It’s You

If that doesn’t do it for you.  Let’s drop the bios. 

Jeanne (genie) DeClue is a content strategist who thrives in driving campaigns and products for retail and CPG businesses, software companies, and online publishers. For over 10 years, she’s helped both small business and enterprise platforms solve creative problems and improve user experiences.

Imari Graves is a blogger, social media, and digital marketing specialist. She’s been featured in media outlets like voyage ATL magazine and WALB news 10 in Albany, GA. Her mission is to help small business owners create time and money-saving strategies to take their businesses to the next level.

This is one of my favorite episodes of 2021. 

Do yourself this favor. 

Hit play on this one. 

Dive in. 

And remember: 

You Rock. 

Listen to "Give The People What They Want (Hint: It’s You) With Jeanne DeClue & Imari Graves" on Spreaker.

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7 Negotiation Strategies (That Build Relationships & Get You Your Yes)

Whenever I play the “what superpower would you pick” game - my answer is always: to speak every language in existence.

If I could choose a superpower it would be to speak every language in existence.

Imagine being able to effectively communicate with every single person on the planet.

This usually sets me up nicely for the joke, “well Tom, you can barely effectively communicate in English, why don’t you start there.”

Cue the laughter. 

Whether you are a marketer, activist, creative, educator or you’re just living your daily life - the ability to communicate with influence has a huge impact on our lives.

Negation is a particular form of communication that carries a lot of stress, and sometimes even baggage.

Usually you’re negotiating in stressful situations, and for many people it may even feel that you are in an unbalanced relationship within the negotiation.

While the ability to negotiate is such a crucial skill, most of us are never given any formal training in negotiation.

At the heart of negotiation is empathy, active listening and relationship building.

This is certainly contrary to the stereotype of what we think of when we think of negotiations.

Another misconception is that the tools of negotiation aren’t particularly complex or tricky.

Like all things they do require practice to hone your skill but the concepts can be grasped fairly quickly.

On this week's episode, we are going to explore 7 core negotiation strategies. 

This episode originally aired a few years ago. 

And so, I can share that I’ve received many emails from folks on how this episode really had a huge impact on their lives.

We’re going to explore ways to use negation beyond business as well as within your personal life and relationships.

I’d love to know what your biggest takeaway is! 

Enjoy! 

Listen to "7 Negotiation Strategies (That Build Relationships & Get You Your Yes)" on Spreaker.

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Segways, Birthdays, and Becoming Comfortable With Yourself With Alex and Ash Sullivan

In 1982, in a speech to Harvard University, Audrey Lorde famously said, “. . .If I didn't define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people's fantasies for me and eaten alive.”

Quotes are inspiring.

And, seeing them put into action is empowering. 

That is why this week’s guests, Alex and Ash Sullivan, are two of my favorite people. 

Despite the pressure of a white supremacist capitalist patriarchy, 

They define themselves for themselves every single day. 

As they will share in the episode - that doesn’t mean it is easy. 

I mean - how does one go about living their bold self without being eaten alive? 

Let this interview be a roadmap that can guide you to your own internal answer to that question. 

Oh - and did I mention that this episode is being released on their birthday?  

*Cue the confetti*

For real though - Ash and Alex are the best. 

Alex Sullivan is the Co-Founder of Artists Call to Action.  They are also a dope poet, facilitator, activist, educator and freelance diversity consultant in academia. 

As a mixed agender human being, Alex’s work is often reflective of how the self is presented in the digital world and how current socio-political events can distort that presentation. 

Their creative and academic work is focused on the black queer experience and every aspect of it, frequently tying in themes of womanism, examination of power structures in the United States, and the experience of the Afro-Caribbean diaspora as the communities have spread out all over the world. 

Ashley Sullivan is a counselor-in-training and poet who is currently being considered for licensure, actively publishing, and putting energy into other creative endeavors such as starting their own business. 

Ash is balancing pursuing a career in poetry while also pursuing work in mental health and public health. Currently, they have been published in five or more running publications as well as fulfilling activism work centered around gender, creativity, and community. 

They are a current candidate for their Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Long Island University. 

On this week’s episode we go all in on: 

creativity, 

activism,

learning to trust yourself, 

finding your own voice,

the unique relationship Ash and Alex have with each other, 

getting comfortable with your own silence,

getting to know yourself better, and,

Well...you’re gonna need to push play to find that out! 

We could all invite a little more grace, community and courage into our lives. 

And Ash and Alex deliver all of that and more in abundance on this week’s episode. 

Let’s do this. 

Hit play.

And join us. 

Check out their past interviews here

And here

Check out Ash’s LinkedIn here

Check out Ash’s Instagram here

Find out more about the Artist’s Call to Action here

Check out ACTA on Facebook and Instagram

Listen to "Segways, Birthdays, and Becoming Comfortable With Yourself With Alex and Ash Sullivan" on Spreaker.

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Ecommerce Marketing Strategies with Veena Gandhi

A few months ago, my nephew and I came up with an epic idea for a T-shirt company. 

It began when I asked when he planned to come out and visit Adaora and I again.  

He said he needed to get the funds first; so I proposed we sell t-shirts to get the money that he needed. We decided that he’d design them, and I’ll sell them through Facebook and IG ads. 

And boom. Just like that we had an e-commerce company. 

Even before COVID-19 disrupted the economy and the way we shop, e-commerce was a trillion dollar industry in the U.S. alone.  

E-commerce has revolutionized our ability to sell products directly to consumers without having to go through gatekeepers or big box retail.

Now, while it is relatively easy to get your product loaded onto Etsy or Shopify, marketing that product can be quite a task. 

That is where e-commerce consultants like Veena Gandhi step in. Veena is a strategic digital marketer who specializes in providing creative and innovative solutions to advertising agencies, small businesses, start-ups, and entrepreneurs on the cluttered world of the Internet.

She is also the founder of Digital Street, which is a marketing agency that builds successful sales funnels for fashion, beauty, lifestyle and fitness e-commerce brands.

Whether you’re a seasoned brand or are just getting started in e-commerce, this interview will serve you. 

Rather than just giving general information you could google for yourself, Veena got down to the nitty gritty of how to build a successful e-commerce campaign. 

Veena shared her knowledge on:

• How to build audience personas for your Facebook ads.

• The importance of data, and how to analyze it. 

• How to set up your creative strategy for an ads campaign. 

• Which metrics to use in determining which ads to turn off and which ones to increase ad spend on. 

• The importance of testing your ads and campaigns.

• How to use Instagram stories as a retargeting strategy.

For agency owners, media buyers, and ad managers, you will walk away from this interview with a plethora of industry secrets 

If you’re just getting started in e-commerce and are worried this might go over your head, don’t worry! Jump in and learn from a master of her craft. 

Alright. That’s enough from me.  

Let’s jump into this week’s episode.

If you have any questions or would like to reach out to Veena, you can do so through her website - http://digitalstreetau.com/.

Listen to "Ecommerce Marketing Strategies with Veena Gandhi" on Spreaker.

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Racism, Whiteness, and Evolving

Today, our guest is Fanshen Cox DiGiovanni, who works in film and entertainment as both a creative and a gamechanger in the world of representational diversity. We talk about whiteness and white supremacy, race and racism, forgiving ourselves and others, call-out culture, and the importance of emotional stamina.

This was a deep and vulnerable conversation where Fanshen and I dialogued and worked through important conversations. I really appreciate where we went with this interview

Fanshen is an award-winning playwright, actor, producer and educator, as well as Head of Strategic Outreach at Pearl Street Films. In this role, she advises Pearl Street’s owners, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, on taking specific steps towards inclusive representation in the entertainment industry. One of her first initiatives on the job was to co-author the Inclusion Rider, and she was recently named one of 12 ‘Hollywood Disruptors’ by The Wrap. She frequently performs her one-woman show, One Drop of Love, across the country.

She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Cape Verde, West Africa, and has designed curricula for and taught English as a Second Language to students from all over the world.

Listen to "Racism, Whiteness, and Evolving" on Spreaker.

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Social Media for Entrepreneurs, Creatives and Side Hustlers Q and A Replay

This week’s episode is a replay of a ‘Social Media for Entrepreneurs, Side Hustlers and Creatives’ Q&A session that I hosted a while back. It’s a great one for anybody interested in making an impact and income while doing what you love. Especially if you’re looking to use social media to build a brand, business and community.

A lot of awesome questions were asked that I bet you have too. They ranged from how to start a podcast, how to grow your audience on IG, how to run Facebook Ads, what to do if you don’t have a focus or know what you want your business to be, and lots of other awesome ones.

Q&A is my favorite form of content because rather than the given feedback being general advice, it is specific and nuanced according to the asker’s concerns. This session was no exception.

If any questions come up for you be sure to reach out on social media or email me tom@tomearl.com.  

Would you like access to the Social Media Toolkit that I mention in this episode? Head to tomearl.me/toolkit.

For our next Live Q and A session, visit - tomearl.com/events.

Listen to "Social Media for Entrepreneurs, Side Hustlers and Creatives Q and A Replay" on Spreaker.

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Business Development Q&A

This week’s episode is a live Q&A session from my Inner-Power Group Coaching session. I really believe there is a ton of value in this one, and a lot of questions you may have are likely to be answered.

We cover:

• The best way to start a podcast

• How to grow your audience as a musician

• How to create products that sell

• Efficient ways to create content

• Ways to connect with new clients

If you are passionate about learning how to grow your side hustle, business, or creative project, I highly recommend this week’s episode.

Guests who asked questions:

Rayesa Gheewala: @rayesagheewala instagram.com/rayesagheewala

Aretha Scruggs @arethascruggsmusic

Ashlee Tezino @beautyambassador

Dale Leopold @BSdeResistance

Grant Hartwell @grantsyourguy

Sadiya Sassine FB: Sadiya Sassine

Listen to "Business Development Q&A" on Spreaker.

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