Franklin Taggart's Virtual Coffee Break

I've been online since 1995. I've seen all kinds of platforms come and go, from Usenet groups to AOL and Yahoo groups, to MySpace, to every iteration of Facebook and Twitter. I'm late to the Instagram and Pinterest game, and I was possessed by the recent success my friend Meridith Grundei has had on TikTok to just take a look. Social media platforms haven't been easy places to build and maintain g...

Friends don't let friends write weak elevator pitches. No matter how good they are, they can always be better.  In this Coffee Break, Franklin has some hints that will help your introductions have a more memorable and valuable impact and lead to a natural next step in your relationships with potential clients and customers. Not included in the video - don't use the word "help." There are ten...

When I inquire more deeply into the question of what I need, I find that the list of things I truly need is relatively small. The list of things I've convinced myself I need is longer than my life will allow. And there are things I say I need, but they're just means of getting something I really need. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs identified a few layers of gradually more sophisticated needs, but be...

Do you have enough time to work on your dream creative project? What other commitments, responsibilities, and distractions keep you from getting started and finished?  For many of us, the frustration of working on our projects only sporadically keeps us from seeing them through. I've experienced that on many of my projects.  My first and only CD took over two years to finish, from when t...

Personal development insights from season 1 guests of Your Own Best Company - a podcast for people who love to work alone. Eli Hans https://outoftheblueshow.com Full episode: https://youtu.be/i-tM_AMKqMs Yifat Cohen https://yifatcohen.com Full episode: https://youtu.be/lVPPbP5neUY Regan Espinosa https://thevisitbox.com Full episode: https://youtu.be/w169MuW_b7A Larry Kaul https://revenueclimber.co...

On days like today, when I've worked for hours and only have three small tasks finished from a much longer list, it's easy to feel like I'm not doing enough. Time for a different list. I made another list of all the things I've done and helped others do in 2022, and I was amazed to see that this year has been one of my most productive and prolific. I've stuck with my original commitments, and I'm...

Lots of friends publicly announced on Facebook today that they've deleted their Twitter accounts in response to the news that Elon Musk has raised the money to buy it. I seriously doubt that any of them have tweeted anything since 2009, but those accounts will surely be missed. I'd like to see what he does with it before I make a decision one way or another. I was more active on Twitter in my earl...

Listening to my son practicing drums. He started only a couple of months ago, and he's finding a knack for it quickly. It's also the first instrument he's played that he hasn't lost interest in after only a few lessons. I'm enjoying watching this happen. Creative activities teach us more about ourselves, life, and the world we inhabit as much or more than any other pursuit. In the video, I compare...

I've spent probably $100,000 on creative tools in my lifetime, and that's a conservative estimate. My output should be so much more based on the embarrassment of technical riches I possess. But Shiny Object Syndrome isn't the real problem here. That's a made-up name and another side of perfectionism that creative people deal with constantly. But I refuse to make it a pathology; it's just a feature...

A friend who is raising funds to produce a new album was accused by an acquaintance of begging for money. That didn't sit well. In this Coffee Break, I have some history to share, and I reveal what it's been like to watch my chosen profession and industry be disrupted and devalued to the point where I wonder if there will be any creative industry that will survive the digital age.  Those who...

If you're questioning your path because you're feeling insecure or unstable, I'd like you to stop fighting the feelings and just let them be. They don't mean anything. You don't need to second-guess yourself. Feeling uncertain, insecure, worried, anxious, and other future-focused emotions is normal for people who are taking risks. And you are taking a risk here. Life itself is risky.  If you'...

Some of the best creativity-themed moments from season one of Your Own Best Company with Franklin Taggart. Cheryl Benedict https://thewisdomoftransition.com Full Episode: https://youtu.be/7typuPJFogI Jillian Lee Antinora https://jillianleeantinoramusic.com Full Episode: https://youtu.be/k7o7-xLvfU4 Cynthia Trevino https://shemarketsmentor.com Full Episode: https://youtu.be/g3Yg2JcKh9M Breanna Gunn...

A lot of people are investing in new microphones as videos and podcasts become more popular. Many of these people are excited to open the box and plug in the USB, but the microphone's performance is less than stellar when they do.  Like the emperor with the new clothes, everyone tells them it sounds great, but tin cans with a string would sound better than the laptop mic they've been using. W...

The Coffee Breaks are adding up! Today is number 100. Still holding true to my goal of posting a new video every day. I'm a huge fan of Interact quizzes as leading-edge marketing tools, and the people who work there are gems. Go try Interact now and see why I've decided to be one of their affiliates: https://interact.grsm.io/jboh69i54xwj One of their recently added quiz templates asks, "What Does...

How do you decide what not to do? Every business owner I know has a huge list of possible ways to spend their time and focus, and they somehow choose those items from the list that are a priority. But the other things on the list matter, too.  There are things I choose not to do as a podcast host that allow my process to work the way I need it to. The choice I make to communicate with guests...

My friend, Dre Beltrami at https://thesolopreneursociety.com is ready to release a new offer later this week. I reviewed it today, and my jaw dropped to the floor. Dre is reliably generous and knows how to put a lot of value into any package, but this will be over the top. The package that she'll be giving away could be priced at hundreds of dollars, yet she is giving it away in exchange for an em...

Easter morning reflections... Many people are celebrating a variety of overlapping holidays this weekend. Ramadan, Passover, Easter, and a few others all coincide. Remembering family dinners at the Sims Hotel in Evanston, Wyoming. The kids' table, spiral ham, prime rib, and scalloped potatoes.  Easter required new church clothes, starchy, stiff, and too clean. The candy was all gone by noon,...

Stories about a couple of people who showed up in quiet but meaningful ways and made a memorable difference. Is there something you love to create or nurture that could be shared with other people as a gift without strings? Is there a way to show up to serve that no one else may notice, but it's a perfect spot for you to contribute? Thanks for spending your time and attention with me. #quietcallin...

A recap of some of the best business moments from the first season of Your Own Best Company, featuring: Cat Stancik https://ActionIncubator.com Full Episode: https://youtu.be/BIYdUP2ZNlw Danielle Lammon https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielleshannonagency/ Full Episode: https://youtu.be/H5oP6KYv5NI Craig Cannings https://FreelanceU.com Full Episode: https://youtu.be/mEZ9clV30os Steven Hoffman https:/...

If you would rather be stung by bees than give a talk or presentation, this one is for you. If you would rather wash dishes than go to networking meetings, this one is for you. If you make better connections working shoulder to shoulder with other people than through social media, this one is definitely for you. In this Coffee Break, I share one of my favorite marketing strategies - Behind the Sce...

Your imagination pays much closer attention to desire than to reason. It's not interested in what is reasonable or logical. It feeds on fancy. Some of the people I work with are coming out of traumatic work situations where they've stayed too long and have come away with a lot of fear about making the wrong decisions again. I have one question: How do you want to spend your time? This question get...

I rarely experience creative blocks like writer's block and similar things. I'm pretty sure part of the reason why is I don't wait for inspiration. The three questions I talk about in today's Coffee Break are a simple but effective framework to help me take the first steps in my creative process.  Write these down and keep them close: Who is it for? What difference will it make? Where will it...

Had the calendar cleared for a full production day with an open microphone and at least seven hours uninterrupted. The utility company had a different plan :| This is why I've always been a night owl. There are too many distractions during daylight hours. So it looks like I might be up late. Thankfully, the crew took a lunch break, giving me enough time to record this Coffee Break. I'm tired of pi...

Following on yesterday's observation about getting married on the first DM, this Coffee Break encourages us all to remember that not only do our customers need to know, like, and trust us; we also need to know, like, and trust them. If your marketing is really based on relationships, it can't be all about you. I find way too many examples of marketing based on inaccurate assumptions rather than fi...

So you paid for the LinkedIn strategy course that told you that you should be sending direct messages (DMs) to potential leads, and you've paid extra for the search bots, LinkedIn Sales Manager, and the one-on-one coaching session. Now you're diligently sending your copied and pasted initial contact to the people who unwittingly accepted your connection request, and the first thing you do is make...