Have you celebrated where you are today? It’s important to have big goals. It’s important to have high standards. But you also need to acknowledge all you’ve done. Life isn’t only about the grind. It’s also about joy. This is a lesson I’ve had to learn through the years, and I believe it’s a key to my success. You have to enjoy every step along the way. I share this thought and many more on this special episode of The School of Greatness where I invited the winners of the Inspiring Life Contest from around the world to join me in the studio. This past year, we held a contest on our Facebook Watch show, Inspiring Life. Those winners got a bunch of prizes including getting flown out to CA for an interview on the podcast. Amanda Michel from Dubai, Jackie Morey from Seattle, Pete Kotzbach from Redondo Beach, Julie Richard from New Brunswick, Canada, and Kelsey Ruger joined me for a live Q&A. They asked me questions on how I’ve created The School of Greatness, what makes a good interview, and my goals for the future. I also share some behind-the-scenes information on the podcast. Get ready to hear me answer questions from you, the listeners, on Episode 734. Some Questions They Ask: How did you start reaching out to people for your podcast? (5:30) How did you build up to live events? (11:00) At what point did you start to think of yourself as successful? (16:00) At what point did people start asking to come on your podcast? (21:00) When you started, did you feel that people supported you? (41:00) Who do you look up to? (46:00) How far out do you set your goals? (1:05:00) In This Episode You Will Learn: The importance of celebrating wins (18:00) Why you have to come from joy (20:00) The questions I ask every interviewee before we record (33:00) How to surround yourself with the right people (42:00) The lesson that took me six years to learn (43:00) About the interviews I felt didn’t go well (52:00) How The School of Greatness evolved into what it is today (55:00) How I map out the year to accomplish my goals (1:06:00) How I met my girlfriend (1:14:00)
Growth and development are essential for becoming a successful leader in all aspects of life. Without continuous effort and struggle, one cannot achieve their highest calling and manifest their desires.
The speaker shares his personal experience on building a brand and provides recommendations for individuals who don't yet have an audience, while highlighting a recent contest they ran to engage their listeners.
The podcast host gave away prizes to listeners, including flights, T-shirts, and the chance to ask questions about their careers and businesses.
The speaker suggests finding friends from existing communities or interviewing moms you already know for a podcast focused on celebrating motherhood.
Finding guests for your podcast can take time, but starting with everyday people building a business or pursuing their dreams, or local inspirations, can be a great place to start. It is also helpful to look for people with something to promote and following up every few months until you get them at the right time.
The host asks Lewis when he began his live event business and how he was able to successfully transition from just doing podcasts to live events.
The importance of acknowledging and celebrating progress towards personal goals, as well as overcoming shame to avoid feeling like you have to prove yourself to the world.
The importance of enjoying the process of grinding and having doubts on the way, without solely focusing on the end goal, is discussed. It is possible to work hard while still enjoying each day and ultimately sleeping better.
The speaker discusses how he previously wanted to interview people he admired and how he now gets asked to be interviewed, but prefers to not be in the spotlight.
Rebecca Minkoff discusses her mindset on personal projects and how it's important to take the time to invest in them to create something that will get other people excited.
The guest is thinking about creating a "Greatness 100" magazine, featuring one person per page and delving into a variety of topics, such as masculine vulnerability.
The intention of these interviews is that everyone who listens can take something away that they can apply to their lives. The goal is to impact people's hearts and leave them with a deeper level of connection.
The speaker emphasizes on the importance of setting the stage for interviews by acknowledging the interviewee, setting intentions, asking if there are any off-limits topics, and connecting to build rapport prior to the interview.
The speaker shares her experience of facing challenges in balancing motherhood, pursuing her passion, and staying true to her identity while learning to find the right people to surround herself with. By focusing on being with supportive people, she was able to stay positive and move forward in her journey.
The speaker discusses the importance of being grateful, making an impact, and developing relationships with inspiring individuals. They mention Scrooter Braun as an example of someone who is doing great things in business and music and emphasizes the value of surrounding oneself with positive influences.
The speaker discusses their selective process for interviewing guests on their podcast and their commitment to only featuring emotional and vulnerable interviews.
The speaker realized the potential of his podcast when listeners claimed it was helping them alleviate struggles. He decided to invest in the podcast full time and make money off of it.
The speaker discusses plans for a weekly video series to introduce his audience to notable individuals whose stories have not yet been widely shared, and reflects on the evolution of podcasting from its early days.
The speaker explains how they set achievable goals by breaking down their vision into three big goals for the year, rather than having longer-term goals. They then schedule out the year with dates of when each goal should be completed by.
The speaker discusses the importance of letting go of negative thoughts and embracing experiential design and positive energy when performing onstage.
The process of shedding old energy is vital for personal growth and expansion, as seen in the example of Obama and his ability to remain positive and graceful during times of chaos. This affirms the importance of energy and its impact on one's character and potential.
A person shares an experience of setting an intention to learn their favorite artist's song and instead received a 10-second meditation chant from the artist herself.
In this podcast snippet, the speaker talks about how someone becomes the most interesting person when they feel that someone is interested in them constantly. They also mention a conversation they had with a famous personality, who admitted to enjoying their show more than a more widely-known program.
The speaker talks about how being a multi-talented athlete helped him break out of his high school social circle and connect with a diverse group of people.
The speaker addresses the importance of belief in oneself and provides insight on how to overcome self-doubt and fear. Additionally, the speaker discusses the value of having proper resources and support to pursue personal goals.
The fear of what others will think when making introductions via video can stem from layers of self-doubt, but it is important to push through this fear in order to connect with a community.
In life, people are going to judge and potentially be disappointed no matter what you do. It's important to accept this fact and stay true to yourself.
The Inspiring Life Podcast hosts a live Q&A with four guests discussing their websites and social media handles.
A person shares that listening to podcasts and surrounding oneself with positive people who engage in self-development can be helpful for personal growth.
The speaker encourages listeners to push past their fears and insecurities in order to work towards achieving their dreams and becoming better leaders. This involves taking actionable steps and tackling things that scare you every day until the fear subsides.