The Playbook – Everyday skills for every professional

I am stressed. You are stressed. Everybody seems to be stressed. But. But...we don't need to simply be victims of stress. Instead of complaining about your job for the 73rd consecutive day...you have the power to mitigate, manage and deal with your stress. In this edition of the Podcast, we talk about all the common and not-so-common ways you can do that – including something called "The...

“What if we retired in Europe?” It’s a Tuesday night in January. You’ve just shovelled the driveway for the 83rd time this winter. As you open a bottle of red wine, THAT question crosses your mind. For Alper Ozdemir…the fun didn’t stop there. When I met him a decade ago, he was talking about retiring in Spain. Just after the pandemic, he and his wife made the jump (to Italy). How they did it — and...

This is a weird story about safety. Warren Coughlin is one of the smartest, most original people I know. He's been a lawyer, an actor and a pretty nifty business consultant. After doing a show on identifying fear a few weeks back, I asked him if he had any odd thoughts on Safety. Boy, oh boy, does he ever. In this episode, he talks about how to create the space for safety even before "fe...

James Stewart has a new movie hitting theatres this week. And he wants you to know how his team made it happen. "Sway" is an blisteringly fast thriller, with an equally incredible backstory – shoot an entire 90-minute film in just six days.  This doesn't happen by accident.  James drops by with his own Weird List – a little film knowledge that works equally well for your own life. L...

Funny how an episode about "intention" started with a bit of serendipity.  I was walking around Fredericton after a recent keynote I gave. About a kilometre from the Convention Centre, who do I bump into, but the very well dressed Marc Smith. Marc's the sort of guy that it's easy to become instant friends with. When he told me the genius story about how he held an actual event...

Spend ten seconds listening to this guy — and you’re gonna want to rip the doors off the place to change the world. I met Ross “Memphis” Pambrun on a gig last month. It’s impossible not to get caught up in his energy, passion and sense of motivation. The biggest challenge with bringing so much energy to the table? Understanding how YOU can replicate it and apply it to your work and life. Ross outl...

“It’s easy to find me…I’m the guy walking around with a bicycle under his arm.” If you are late to meet a storyteller, THAT is the text you want to receive. Earlier this year, I was on the floor of the Northwest Event Show in Seattle, and I was trying to find Brad Cochrane. Brad has something I wanted — a foolproof process to improve my storytelling ability. I run workshops on this stuff, and I’m...

Here’s something that’s kinda awful to admit. I once dropped out of journalism school because I was terrified of networking.  During a radio production class, I had to go out onto the street and do interviews with passers by. It was terrifying, and I vowed not to do that anymore. I have a feeling my experience would have been different if I’d run into E.J. Corporan.  This guy makes Networking seem...

This is the most uncomfortable you’ll ever be. I’m talking about “transition” — the time between things. I know. I’ve been moving through a few of those transitions over the past couple of years. Whether it’s relationships, jobs, gigs or life stages — “transitions” run wild on your mental and physical health. Luckily, Rachelle Stone is on the case. She kicks off an all new Season 10 of the Playboo...

What's ACTUALLY going on? You'd be amazed by how you think differently, feel differently and act differently when you peel away the layers and ask that one question. What's ACTUALLY going on? Your awareness is most of the battle when it comes to work and life. Understanding what's beneath the superficial surface helps you navigate emotion, expectations, understanding, challenge...

Motivation is a scam (how's that for a clickbait headline?).  If you've ever seen something that makes you feel like you can take on the world, only to watch it fizzle out an hour later...this is the show for you. Things are tough out there right now, and it can be nearly impossible to keep your head up and move forward with confidence. Here's my Playbook for doing exactly that. Seg...

Pitching is about people.  Yes, yes, you've got a great product...and service...and value proposition. But f you try to bring it to the people by telling everyone how great you are...you're not pitching. You're gambling. Don't gamble. Looking to land a job, a client, a second date? Remember these four things... Segment 01 – Remember that it's not a "moment." You...

You got the job. Congratulations? Now what? Do you get out there and start making waves in your new gig, or sit back and take it in? What you need...is a plan, and this week's episode gives you the exact plan you need to succeed in any new engagement... Segment 01 – Get off of autopilot. Win with four specific, and helpful skills. Segment 02 – Your 4-step plan. Listen. Win. Recommend. Execute...

Job interviews are harder than they should be. And a big reason for that is that we don't step back and think about what it takes to succeed with a job interview. Instead...we hyper focus on individual questions, and try to think about what they mean. There is a better way, one that starts with not getting into the cattle call challenge for a job interview...and instead, building relationship...

Resumes suck. Not ALL of them, but way, way too many of them. As someone who has worked as a professional CV writer in the past, I have a hunch as to why: We don't actually THINK about our resume. We just sort of follow a template of telling people about us. But here's the thing – many people don't care about us. They care about what we can do for them. And to that end, your resume...

“Exactly what to do.” I’ve noticed a problem with too much of LinkedIn’s content. It tends to sit in the broader “strategic” layer of thinking. We give advice like “Go out there and network” and “Take care of your mental health.” But the devil’s in the details. What do you actually do to network (stand where people hang out) and take care of your mental health (do 2-minute instant mindfulness exer...

Everything you need to know about presentations in 46 minutes. When The Playbook first began, the goal was to get past the “strategic layer” of thinking, and down to the very specific things you can do to succeed. That’s what this BRAND NEW SEASON is all about. I’m calling it “Exactly What To Do.” Every week, I’m tackling one real world topic – How to get a job, How to build a brand, How to networ...

There’s this great idea that just about anything can be transformed from a challenge into a gift and opportunity. For Joleigh Sherwood, it’s not just an idea…it’s a way to attack and create every day. It’s how she overcame tragedy. It’s how she started her own national Nanny-matching business, and it’s her ceaseless piece of advice for just about everyone. On this week’s show, Joleigh gives the st...

Leanne Velky’s LinkedIn profile reads “I build reg sites.” But it should probably read, “I give great advice to anyone in transition.” A couple of years back, Leanne decided to make some changes in her life, including taking the leap into a brand new business (for those of you in events, her colleagues call her “The Reg Queen.”). If you’re starting your career, changing jobs or moving through any...

My pal Jen Febel just published a new book — it’s called: “How to set boundaries (without feeling like a dick).” Awesome topic, great twist.  Jen joins The Playbook recently for one of the best conversations ever. Here’s what you’ll learn to apply to your own career: Segment 01 — My Coach “Coaching” is “how.” “Therapy” is “why.” Jen describes what a good coach can bring to your life. Segment 02 —...

Possibly the most touching, most harrowing, most inspiring episode we have ever done. I hit the floor at a massive conference in October, and go the chance to talk with two incredible leaders in the event space. Both Debbie Garcia and Nelia Nunes brought a showstopper insight for your career and your life. Here’s what we learned: Segment 01 — Debbie Garcia — The Pandemic So many entrepreneurs took...

Imagine you get the chance to install software on Prince’s laptop — Prince, as in the greatest musician of all time Prince. In a situation like that you have to wonder, “how on earth did I get HERE?” Marc Stevenson has the answer to that question — and more than a few stories about the world’s best musicians. This week, he shares his four Gamechangers to help you level up you career and take on th...

It's finally happening! If you know the name Cynthia Richards, you know this is going to an Oprah-level episode (seriously, she gives me so many glow ups, it's nutty). Cynthia is a powerhouse of inspiration, who co-founded the events agency Event Spectrum (Hi Zora!). Here, she shows how some of the indelible ideas of connection are STILL essential in our media drenched universe. LISTEN T...

Julie Gropp is my energy doppelgänger, so you know that's going to be trouble. Be sure to turn your radio down a tick or two to capture all the super insight of someone who knows who to practically de-escalate and break into the brains of those she works with. If you like real world mental health, this is your episode. Segment 01 - Mental Clutter Our brains are buzzing cities of information,...

Every time I talk to Brandy Ryan, our 15 minute scheduled call turns into 90...and we have to force ourselves to stop talking to one another. She's just that engaging, interesting and empathetic.  Brandy Ryan is a Creative Director who really really really takes the care and time to understand audiences. On this show, she shares great ideas on how she unlocks creativity...and how you can to:...