Level Up Your Life - Mark Black and Natalie Davison

"Level Up Your Life" host Mark Black and guest Natalie Davison, co-founder of Marrow Marketing, talk about the value and benefits of attending live events for personal development vs online resources, which is also excellent! But, there's something special about being in a room with people that really cannot be duplicated in any other way. As speakers themselves, they also talk about their experience and growth and who influenced them in their speaking careers.

Get your tickets for Level Up, Sept 26, 27 2019 --> www.levelupimpact.com

Mark Black https://markblack.ca
Natalie Davison https://www.madeofmarrow.com
Dovico Software Inc - https://www.dovico.com

**Please Like, Share & Follow for upcoming episodes!**

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
So welcome to another edition of the level up your
life today.
It is my distinct pleasure tohave a cofounder of marrow
marketing and longtime friendclassmates, colleague, a
speaker.
So many titles.

(00:23):
I Dunno, you wear a lot ofthings.
A the amazing Natalie Davidson.
So Natalie, thank you forjoining us.
Oh, thank you so much for havingme here, mark.
I um, uh, I'm really excited.
I love that you said longtimefriends cause I think we have
some fun stories, old oldstories that we could share.
We just started doing that mathright.
And it's a little bit, it Kinda,no, I was going to say

(00:46):
depressing.
That's not the right word, butwork getting older.
That's just, yeah, there you go.
Yeah, it's encouraging.
I think it's like, I really dolike being at an age where I can
say somebody has been my friendfor decades.
Right.
I do.
I, I swear.
No, I really like it.
I agree with you.
Convinced.
No, absolutely.
Absolutely no.
Whenever I get in that mode of,you know, it's usually around

(01:07):
birthday times, right.
And then I'd get in that mode oflike, oh, another.
And then I remember like, youknow, first of all, it's a
pleasure.
It's a privilege to get older.
Right.
And that's what we have toremember.
And you know, the older we get,the more good memories we have.
Hopefully I'm still in a decade.
This starts with three.
Yeah.
Okay.
Thanks for a few more months forbringing that up for three more
months.
I'm still in my thirties and soI like to make sure everybody's

(01:30):
aware of that situation as oftenas possible.
I'm sure specifically with thepeople who are not in that
decade anymore and are perhapspast it, I don't throw that
around my business partners facewho's 27 right now.
Exactly.
And I was getting at, yeah, so Ithought when we were talking
about today, there's so manythings we could talk about and
we may delve into some of thoseother topics sort of, because I

(01:50):
know the nature of ourconversations, but, um, I
thought as a theme we would talkabout the value of attending
events, live eventsspecifically.
I mean, I know that, you know,we're in a digital world and
there's all kinds of availableresources, training, et Cetera,
online.
And those are great.

(02:11):
But my opinion is, and I thinkwe share this, that there's
something special about being ina room with people that really
can't be duplicated in any otherway.
Uh, I agree so much and I thinkit's interesting when we do this
for a living and where sometimeson the other side of that, you
know, it's interesting to thinkabout what it's like to sit in

(02:31):
the audience, but I actively sitin the audience regularly for
myself and, uh, I'm curious ifyou do the same.
Yeah, 100%.
So I mean, yeah, I speak, um, atabout, depends on the year 35 to
50 events a year, give or take.
Uh, but I also attend a halfdozen to a dozen depending on

(02:54):
the year and the budget and allof the rest of those things, uh,
events as, as a participant,both because

Speaker 2 (03:01):
I want it, I mean, just what I believe in lifelong
learning.
I think that's incrediblyimportant.
Um, but also you get theparticipant perspective on an
event which helps you hopefullydeliver a better event from the
other side of the, of the stageor whatever.
Yeah, definitely.
I think the same thing.
I mean, I love to study speakersas a speaker and to, you know,

(03:23):
see what works and what doesn'tand to watch the audience react.
But also sometimes it's justreally, really great to be in
the audience and justsurrendered that professional
side and just actually be therefor the reason the other people
are there and just be there tolet yourself listen and learn.

(03:44):
And I think when you do thisprofessionally, sometimes it's
hard.
That's hard to do.
Yeah.
So do you find, do you find, soI've, I've gotten better at
this, but I'm, I still findmyself attending events and kind
of doing speaker evaluations inmy head as opposed to like
really listening to what you'resaying.
The Lens this for yourevaluations that they didn't
give you a form for, right?

(04:05):
Ask.
Yeah.
They haven't asked my opinionnow, thankfully, thankfully I'm
not one of those people who thenoffers that feedback, whether
being asked to do so.
Yeah.
But I am like, catch myselfgoing, wait a minute.
They should be listening to whatthey're actually saying, not
watching how they're saying like, I mean, let's be honest, we
were both grown.
We both grew up in sports,families playing sports and
we're competitive edge people.

(04:27):
Um, so, you know, I, I wouldlove to say that I can just turn
that off.
Um, but I definitely don't.
Um, and it's, it's also, I thinkit's important that I, that
parts of me don't because that'show you learn and grow and get
better.
Right?
So it's less about like, oh,that person screwed up.
And it's more about like, okay,like, remember, you know, what

(04:48):
can happen, what can go wrongkind of thing.
But, um, it's not, I guess itdepends on the topic and the
speaker at my level of surrenderor professional surrender will
re really depends on who we'relistening to and what they're
talking about.
Because if it's something I talkabout, then I'm definitely a lot
more on in terms of, you know,evaluating.

(05:13):
But if it's not, that's where Ican really, like for example, I
know last year, um, I went toyour event level up and Jason
Cyrus, who's a hypnotist, youknow, I know point while Jason
Cyrus is delivering whateverhe's delivering on stage, am I
comparing myself to him?
I mean that would be obviouslydepressing and he has talent and
skill that I don't.

(05:34):
So you know, that those aremoments where you can really
just kind of surrender and learnand be open.
Um, and I think that's just suchan important thing to do as a
human right, is to allow that,that energy and connection to
come in.
I mean it's, um, I remember thefirst speaker I ever heard,

(05:54):
which was the same time yourspeaker for speaker, I order two
in high school.
It was, I hadn't even heard ofthey, I think they introduced
them as a motivational speaker.
I didn't even know this was likecareer.
Right.
Did you, so it's interestingcause I always tell the story
about how I became a speaker andsaying that I didn't really know

(06:14):
it was a thing.
And, and in retrospect, I guessI did, because I'd seen a
speaker question, you were kindof keeping mysterious cause
we'll talk about him, talk abouthim in a minute.
Um, but it, they didn't even, Idon't think even then the
registered with me that likethey were getting paid and this

(06:35):
is what they did for a living.
Like I was Kinda like, okay,these two guys are really funny
and they're coming to make uslaugh.
Um, which they did and theywere, that was, but I didn't, it
never registered to me as like,oh, this is a career option.
Right.
To add to my list of things Imight want to do when I grow up.
Yeah.
Uh, yeah, no, we had to go get,like, we were in high school, so
at that time in the 90s,everybody wanted you to go do

(06:56):
sciences and become a doctor asfast as possible, right?
Yeah.
Or in, yeah.
Or, or the like standard four orfive, you know, doctor, lawyer,
nurse, teacher, whatever thelike five Danner careers are.
Right.
Didn't hear, was that fifth onefor our year.
Anyway, so yeah.
So this was when we were in highschool at Monkton high school.
Yes.
And the speaker was, has ourfriend Steve Saunders.

(07:19):
Yeah.
So Stu at that point was, it wasstu and Andy still together, um,
who they both still speaking.
Um, I get to see them both everyyear at least once, uh, at stews
conference, one of those, one ofSteve's conferences that he runs
now, he's got like four or five.
Um, yeah.
And I can still remember, Istill remember like bits of
that, you know, I don't know ifhe would call it a routine or

(07:41):
not, but um, I have that speechand uh, yeah, I mean, so you
might be embarrassed that I saythis, but it's been like 20,
what do we figure 23 yearssounds about right?
1996, I think it's longer thanthat actually.
Ah, I can't do math in highschool in 1995 maybe it was my

(08:02):
chanting five.
Yeah, I started in 93.
But anyway, yeah, it was, it wasback in the early to mid
nineties, which makes two olderthan us.
Way older way.
I say that only cause I hopehe's listening.
I'm gonna, I'm gonna make surethe damage to him.
What was really funny too.
So I had started to, um, lastyear, two years ago, I had

(08:23):
started to kind of encounterstudent and professional circles
and then knew he was coming toyour event to speak last year as
well.
So I was excited to hear himlive.
I had not connected that.
I had forgotten about the highschool stu and Andy Combo.
And um, and so I just startedto, you know, to know him as a

(08:45):
grown up like myself as a grownup.
And, uh, he was always a grownup cause he's older than me and,
um, anyway, so, so I juststarted to know.
So he came to this event and youintroduced as the first speaker
you ever saw and now it's like,oh my gosh, me too.
And so what I don't know that Idon't think I did tell you is I
went and found our yearbook fromthat year where they did a full

(09:08):
page on Stu and aids.
They did expose, Dario came toour high school and Stu talks a
lot about being stu pendis.
That's kind of his thing.
But back then the joke wasstupid and they had it in huge
print in the yearbook, like overhis head.
Um, and so I took a photo of itand uploaded it to a group that

(09:31):
we're in and he was really madat I think.
I don't think he's mad, mad, but, uh, afterwards I think, I
thought it was hilariouspersonally.
Um, but uh, but it's interestingthe impact that that had went.
And as soon as you said it, Ithought, oh my gosh, because the
first time I could really, likeas an adult, remember seeing a
speaker who just, you know,moved me.
I had a big day, big, big daywhere Scott Stratten open and

(09:53):
Gary v closed.
Yeah.
Till I know in 2012, so early,you know, early on and those,
well in their speaking careers,like ish, early ish.
And so that was a big day and Ialways kind of said that was
the, that moment where I waslike, wow, this is something
that I could dream of doing.
And uh, I was so grateful thatyou introduced to and told that

(10:17):
story because um, he deservessome credit there for sure.
100%.
Yeah.
I mean, he gave me my first realshot at speaking to a large
group.
I'd done a couple of schools anduh, and then spoke, spoke at a
conference.
I had no business speaking out,but it just happened to be in

(10:37):
bathrooms, which is for those,not around from around here, but
200 and a half hours away.
So I was local and cheap.
I think is really why I got it.
So when you say you had nobusiness, you mean it was like
out of your league?
100%.
It was the Canadian, it was thenational student leadership
conference and it was like thefourth speech I ever gave in my
life, which really leveling up.
Yeah.
Well I didn't even have enoughperspective to know that I
didn't like, I didn't, you don'tknow what you don't know.

(10:59):
Right.
And so I was just like, okay,like God, I'll go and do this.
And then he only later did Irealize like kind of what a big
deal it was to get to do that.
And I mean not to make this astu show, but like he's doing
that for me right now.
And uh, I have the incredibleopportunity to speak at his
conference epic 2020 this yearand I am, I'm 100% out of my

(11:20):
lake.
Like, like, I know I'll do agood job and I'm very confident
and I, I know that, you know,he's going to be like, okay,
like I'm glad I picked you, buthe has no on paper.
When you look at me and theother speakers, you would think
he's an idiot.
Perfect.
Like, it's like there's justnot, it's just wild when you

(11:41):
look at the caliber of eventhe's putting on and the fact
that he believes, I mean isgiving me a shot.
So I love it.
You share that because I knowhe's, he's doing that very thing
for me right now and it's, I'mso focused on not letting him
down.
It's almost overtaken my life.

Speaker 1 (11:58):
That's awesome.
That's awesome.
It's, it's an, and I can speak alittle bit from his perspective
now having run my own event andthis coming up on the third one
and, and the gratifying feelingthat comes from being able to
give people who, you know, a,have a message that needs to be
heard.

(12:18):
Um, and B, we'll do a reallygood job and we'll deliver good
value to people.
To give those people a platformthat they might not otherwise
have is, is a really, reallyfun.
And it's fun to watch peoplekind of sore and um, and, and
yeah, get an opportunity toshare their brilliance with
people.
So, uh, yeah, it's nice to, it's, it's one of those for, you

(12:40):
know, talking about full circlemoments.
It's another one of those fullcircle experiences.
It's really, really fun towatch.

Speaker 2 (12:46):
Well, and you know, I don't, I don't even know if you
know this, but today, um, I had,uh, I had lunch with Shelly
Butler who's going to bespeaking at your upcoming event
level up and we had lunch totalk about her talk cause this
is her dream and she's speakingand for her, this is her moment
like that.
And you know, we've all hadthem.

(13:06):
I mean, I can think about, Iprobably had three moments like
that and my speaking career, thefirst one I spoke out with you,
the first masterminds that itwas the first time I ever really
did anything like this.
And I, oh my God, mark.
I, so it was you, Dan Martell,myself, Eve Doucette, who's the
CEO of Novaco, Derek Martin, whowas running Tuba at the time and

(13:27):
had done a Tedx talk.
And, um, and when the order, theorganizer from Marcel called me,
he's, he said, look, I looked atthis lineup and it's all guys,
and he's like, I need somediversity, will you speak?
And I was like, oh my gosh, youknow, I'm the token woman, so
yes, I'll do it.

(13:47):
But like, but I was alsoterrified.
And then as I sat in it and likestarted, Dan had just come back
from a archangel summit inToronto where he just crushed
the top of his career.
And I mean, you know, theremight've been some sense, but at
that time, that was a very bigone for him.
And of course you do this for aliving and you have no idea how
many videos of you speaking.
I watched, um, cause I was likethe nerves, nerves central.

(14:12):
I can, I have so much compassionfor Shelly's process right now
going into that first onebecause that's how I felt that
day.
And uh, everybody was like a CEOof something, but me, it was a
really, really intimidatingmoment to take that step forward
from somebody who had been inthe audience so many times.
And you nail love, professionaldevelopment and personal

(14:33):
development events so much.
And I've always invested inthat.
And so to go from the crowd tothe stage was huge transition.
And uh, I'm so grateful for thatexperience.
Even though I was terrified ofall of you.
It was so

Speaker 1 (14:52):
rewarding and it's changed my entire career.
I'm sure.
That's right.
Yeah.
I mean, not that you weren't ona good trajectory already, but
to see where you've taken it andwhere it's taking you is, is
awesome.
Um, some might say leveled up,some might say that, some might
say that.
Uh, and I in speaking, speakingof, which is a good segue, uh,

(15:15):
you like that.
Yeah.
No, it's very[inaudible] Iworked with words.
Yeah.
It's very subtle.
Um, no, it's when I was thinkingabout who I wanted at level up,
which is the conference that Ifriend now this will be the
third one.
I, it's tricky cause I keepsaying like, oh this is like the
third and I want to say annualbut it's not, cause we had two
in one year, but anyway, now itwill be annual.

(15:36):
Um, and I was thinking about,yeah, who, Oh, who do I want to
come to this?
And you know, you're trying tothink about messaging and you're
trying to think aboutcomplimenting this speaker with
that speaker.
And you were on my very shortlist of people that I absolutely
wanted to be there.
Both because I've seen theenergy you bring to stage, which
is amazing.

(15:57):
Um, and also because yourexpertise is going to be really
complimentary to some of theother people there.
But it's, it's really fun andchallenging to design to try and
design an experience for people.
Like so previous to this and inthe rest of my career in day to

(16:17):
day life, I'm like one piece ofa puzzle, right?
But as the speaker, like allyou're focused on is your speech
and your, the experience thatyou give your audience and your
like 45 to 90 minutes wheneveryou have, um, these days,
sometimes 25, 30 minutes.
Um, and so yeah, it's just very,very interesting to see the
bigger picture and go, oh wait aminute.

(16:38):
Like this all has to kind offlow and we can't have two
people even though they're bothbrilliant, speak about similar
things and we don't even want tohave maybe two people who are
just very similar stylisticallythere's just so many.
And then yeah, you want to havediversity, you don't want to
have like five white menspeaking.
And so there's like all of thesemoving parts and it's again,

(16:58):
it's really like anything inlife.
I think the more diversity ofexperience you can give
yourself, the more just wisdomand perspective you can give
yourself in terms of a whole lotof things.
And so it's made me a bit, Iknow it's made me a better
speaker because having toorganize speakers and run an
event, it helps me to appreciatelike, why do I need your slide

(17:20):
show a week beforehand?
Or why do I need your bio?
And like, you know, yeah, no, Iget it now.
Right.
Like you need to have thesethings so that, that's one less
stressful thing.
You have to work.

Speaker 2 (17:28):
I hear that.
I hear that all the time fromany speakers I know that became
organizers.
I am like say that all the time.
So last year we ran the thirdmastermind set with Marcel
Kieran.
I curious my business partnerand um, because Marcel had a,
has a startup that's was takingall of his time and we, you
know, we wanted to get involvedand make sure that that event

(17:50):
had a third year.
Um, I'm not sure, I'm not surewhat's happening with that event
this year, but we did it lastyear.
And so neither of us spoke.
I mean, we opened and closed theshow, um, for like literally two
seconds.
We didn't speak at all.
It was my first time, not even sI spoke the next year as well.
Right.
So it was my first time notspeaking at the event.

(18:11):
Um, and we went with a verydifferent approach last year
with to that event.
And it was almost all novicespeakers, like first timers or
second timers, which meant, um,we found people who weren't
professional speakers but hadexceptional stories or insight
about their own exceptionalstories.
And then we coached them.

(18:33):
And I mean, they, I'm so proudof every one of them.
It was unbelievable to see that.
Um, it was, when you said it'srewarding to help somewhat, like
it was really super rewardingand, uh, it was very stressful.
Um, it was, it was very, verystressful and like, we joke a
lot that, uh, I'm the visionarycures the integrator.

(18:54):
So like without care I would bea disaster.
And that's the narrative that wespin.
And I mean by comparison to Kara, definitely.
But I am highly organized andhighly aid type and I don't
like, we don't talk about thatthat much because compared to
her, I'm, I'm a disaster really.
But, um, you know, I s and Ispent the event backstage

(19:15):
headset on talking to the Abguy, prepping everybody, sending
them out and, and just doingthat very hands on stage manager
job, which I learned in highschool Monkton high with Mr
McCartel.
Um, so I had this backgroundthat I hadn't used in 20 years.
Um, but you know, it was eventhat, just even coordinating

(19:36):
when you walk out, when you comein, getting people might, all of
that stuff that goes on behindan event, when you're sitting in
that, in that audience andyou're like, man, the energy is
really fueling me.
You don't even know how muchenergy is being output and that
you're taking in.
Like how many people are runningaround in the back and, um, how

(19:56):
hard they're working.
And you know, how like ifeverything's on schedule, if
it's not like, what's You d youhave no idea.
It just comes out seamless whenyou're sitting there in the
audience.
And I swear that it's like, it'slike going to life theater.
Like there's so many movingparts to these events that you

(20:16):
can't help but soak that in.
And it's the whole, I just lovelive events.
I just love it.
Yeah.
And, and you know, it'sinteresting because when you
look at especially professionaldevelopment events where it's
like their speakers and not thatsort of format, the typical way
to kind of evaluate if it's agood fit into evaluate the

(20:37):
return on investment of theticket price, et cetera.
I was looking at the lineup ofspeakers, right?
And you go, okay, well thisperson's really good.
Or I've watched this person fora long time.
You mentioned Gary v you seeyou, these names that you
recognize

Speaker 1 (20:48):
and you know, in some cases you're buying a ticket
just for the proximity factor oflike, I'm going to get to go and
do a Selfie or sign a book orwrite.
And that's the price ofadmission.
Like that's worth it.
Let's be honest.
Right?
You know, you're not probablygoing to high five them, but
like you're going to be there,right?
Like you're going to be in theroom, right?
100% and then, but when I thinka lot of people, maybe if they

(21:11):
don't do a lot of these, whatthey forget about and what I'm
trying to remind people about,um, for any live event, and
certainly for the one that I'mworking on coming up is
sometimes the biggest value isthe discussion you have in the
hallway at the Breek, like thecaliber of people in a room.
And I don't know that there'sany live event where the caliber

(21:32):
of people in the room, it's notgood because the type of people
that spend any amount of moneyto go to these things are
generally the kind of people youwant to be around.
But I say that all the time.
Like I go to an annualconvention for speakers caps,
it's called Canadian Associationof professional speakers.
Um, it's sideline, it's a superhilarious event because you get
like 300 people who all speakfor a living, right?

(21:52):
And it's the, the ultimate, theultimate was like two years ago
we had an event and at the samehotel, a convention of
Librarians was being hosted atthe same time.
We're like, so we're, we're yourworst nightmare disparity,
right?
It's like you're the people thatgo show all day and all we do is
talk nonstop.

(22:14):
So, but, but every time andthese, I mean this conference
brings in super high caliberpeople that teach us about how
to market ourselves and how tocreate messaging the matters and
all of this, all those importantstuff.
But I'm going to say 50% of thetime I leave after three days
and the Aha moment or the thingthat's gonna make me another 10

(22:35):
grand in my business came from a20 minute conversation after one
of the speakers are in thehallway or over drinks after or
whatever.
And I say that just because oneof the things I'm trying to kind
of reinforce for people is like,I'm, I'm seeing the names of
people that are registering forthis thing.
I know the people thatpreregistered last year, man, I

(22:57):
like, I would pay money just tokind of rub shoulders and hang
out with these people for twodays.
Right?
Like it's just, it's going to bean amazing experience.
And I think that's true of, I goto, or I go to like every year
I've been to, and I'm going tothis year, I'm archangel summit
in Toronto and that's, thespeakers are phenomenal and the
contents gonna be amazing, but Igo as much for the fact that the

(23:20):
caliber of that people in thatroom are just out of sight.
And so it's going to stretch mythinking.
It's going to challenge me andchances are good.
I'm going to meet a couple ofpeople that are going to become
longtime contacts and um, youknow, people that, who knows,
who knows where any of thatgoes.
But it's, it's just you're goingto meet[inaudible] and like live
10 years.

(23:40):
You're so right.
And you know, I teach marketingpretty much for living, right?
So we have a

Speaker 2 (23:45):
marketing agency.
Our marketing agency portion ofour businesses may be 30% of our
revenue.
Most of our revenue comes fromteaching entrepreneurs how to do
marketing themselves.
And, um, you know, whether it'sthose, those programs that we
deliver, whether they're inperson or online, whether it's
live events.
So like so much all, all of yoursuccess.

(24:10):
Like I say all the time, I canteach you my best content, but
it doesn't matter if you're justgoing to sit there and listen to
my best content, that's notgonna do anything for your life.
Like what are you going to go dowith that is the difference.
And so even going to archangelcome into level up, but you
know, what do you like, are youjust going to go there and sit

(24:30):
and be entertained and then goback to your regular life or are
you going to make this somethingthat can change your life and
what can change your life is thepeople you continue to surround
yourself with.
The relationships that you have,that people closest to you.
Um, are you meeting your nextbest friend?
They're like, are you meetingyour next business partner that
I met Cura at the firstmastermind, so she's my business

(24:51):
partner.
Um, I know for businessesprobably that were born that day
at that one afternoon event thatare existing still and are
successful still.
Just that one small event herein Monkton.
I mean, I said when we opened,you know, what would have
happened if I didn't go to thatconference where Scott Stratten

(25:12):
opened?
I don't, I wouldn't know my bestfriend for sure.
Um, w Chris for Ayas and he's,he's in Hamilton across the
country.
I wouldn't have a lot of theopportunities I have today for
sure.
And I don't even know, Scottknows the impact that that one
event had seven years ago on me.
And I went there to learn moreabout marketing.
You just don't know who you'resitting with.

(25:35):
And um, you do know if you don'tdo anything about it, if you
don't introduce yourself, if youdon't make those connections,
nothing, nothing's really gonnamove.
Like you know, the contents soimportant, but the content is
only, its importance is weightedon what you do with it.
100%, right.
The old knowledge isn't powerapplied.

(25:56):
Knowledge is power.
Like, and so one of the thingswe're doing with level up is one
of my frustrations with liveevents is that typically because
planners are working so hard todeliver value and they want to
give you as much value as I can,as they tend to fill the
schedule to the point ofbursting.

(26:16):
And so there's like no downtime.
There's no, like you just gofrom session to session to
session.
Um, the convention I go to forspeakers, it's three days of
like 8:00 AM til 6:00 PM andthen of course you socialize,
but like say you sleep six hoursa day and you're just like, I
leave there completely exhaustedand instead of energized.
Right.
Which is like, there's somethingwrong with that picture.

(26:38):
So one of the things that Ilooked at this year was, is one
of the reasons we went to twofull days is cause we did, we,
we did last last year and thefirst event when we did four
hours and four speakers, whichwas like drinking from a fire
hose for people, uh, is we wantto make sure that you have that
people have time to digest anddiscuss, right?

(26:59):
Because it doesn't take, I thinkthe mistake a lot of people make
when they go to their firstcouple of live events is
thinking like, at least ifyou're, the type of personality
that that is afraid of missingsomething is you sit there
furiously trying to captureevery, every takeaway, every
note, every strategy, everylike, cause I'm going to go home

(27:20):
and do all of this, right?
Which you're not.
And so it's taking, it only tookme like 10 events to figure out
like I'm going to here.
One thing.
I think when people go to eventsthinking they're going to take
in all this stuff, um, it'sactually, it's really can be
damaging because you're going tobe hard on yourself for not

(27:41):
actioning all that stuff whenyou never should have in the
first place.
Like so one of the, one of ourrevenue streams is live
workshops.
So we do workshops that teachvery tactical information, like
how to optimize Facebook foryour business.
Very, very tactical.
Three hours of like how tochoose because when we have a
room full of 30 people who arelearning tactical how to use

(28:01):
about how to use Facebook fortheir business, there are 30
different levels of people inthat room, right?
So we have to teach a widevariety of things and we open
every workshop the same way.
And it is, you need to writeone, two, three at the top of
your page and you need threetakeaways from this workshop.
And everybody here will havethat.
And once your three are full,just your job here is done.

(28:27):
Enjoy the ride seriously.
Because if you have a list ofsix, you're not going to do any
and you're going to befrustrated.
And we learned that really earlyon because people will come out
of some of our workshops and belike, oh, that was too
overwhelming.
Or Oh my God, I'm soembarrassed.
I didn't know what I didn'tknow.
And I'm like, well, no.
You know, the whole point oflive events is progress and

(28:49):
progress is dependent on whenwhere you start.
So yeah, and, and where you,yeah, exactly.
Where you start, where you arein that moment.
And it's, I don't know if you'vehad this experience as a speaker
yet, if you haven't, you will.
But I've had audience memberscome up afterwards at the event
and sometimes it's three weeks,six months, two years later, and

(29:09):
there'll be like, when you saidx, Y, Z, it blew my mind or
whatever we really touched me orwhatever it is.
And I think to myself, I know Ididn't say that.
I can promise you those wordsnever came out of my mouth.
And, and it took several peopledoing it before I realized
people hear what they need.
Yes, yes.

(29:32):
Like people will pull from whatI deliver, what you deliver,
what they need in that moment.
And which also means like if youhave a message that's difficult
to hear, you probably need tosay it 17 times cause they're
not going to really want to hearit and therefore they're not
gonna hear it initially.
But it also, it also gave methat real appreciation for the,
of the dynamic of a live event,which is half of the recipe is

(29:54):
the people in the room.
It's not just the person on thestage and what they're saying.
So true.
Um, do you know Mark Bowden?
Yeah.
Body language speaker.
So mark was here in February andum, I was very fortunate to go
to his, he had a workshop and hehad a three hour workshop and
I'm a huge fan of Mark's andI've studied him and learn from
him for a while.
And, um, he cracks me up becausehe walks into a three hour

(30:18):
workshop with no agenda, nothingprepared, and it's the best
three hours of your life.
Like it's just, he's, he'soozing talent and knowledge and
he, you know, he's somethingelse.
So, um, he opened with verycasually in passing, he said
something that I literally quoteat least three times a week,

(30:41):
which is, um, w leadership andinfluence come from two things.
Clarity and consistency.
We follow who is clear andconsistent.
So you go around the room andyou can say like, I'm the CEO,
but if that's not the person whois clear and consistent, they're
not the leader.
That person over there, maybeit's that person's admin

(31:03):
assistant who is clear andconsistent.
That's the real leader.
And uh, you know, he's talkingabout it in terms of like, like
physical interactions and bodylanguage and conversations.
But of course I talk and teachmarketing words influence all of
that.
And it is so relevant because wetalk so much and we teach so

(31:25):
much of a key messaging andunderstanding and trying to get
our clients on this page thatyou can't say you're everything.
You kind of have to be that onething.
What are you, are you fast?
Are you delicious?
Are you, you know, what w areyou intelligent?
Like what are you going to plantyour flag in the ground about?

(31:45):
So hearing that because weneeded more language to continue
to explain this was so powerful.
And so I started, you know,quoting mark shared it on
social, brought it into my brandpresentations so that, but
again, attributing it to him andyou, I had this moment, I was at

(32:06):
a conference, we were speakingat a client's conference that we
had been working with thisclient for months and it really
hit home how much I said itbecause my client was doing a
keynote opening their conferenceand the slide came up and it
said leadership is about twothings.
Clarity and consistency.
Mark Bowden, she didn't know whohe was.
Like I had, you know, I had saidthat so many times and she was

(32:29):
using that to deliver a messageto her audience.
Now when Mark said that it was atiny side note to what he was
teaching for three hours, it wasliterally like, and he said to
me after, he goes, I can'tbelieve, but that was like the
thing, you know?
And I was like, it was thething, I need it.
Like, I mean, I took it, I tookon her notebook full of notes
that morning, but that one thingI say three, four, five times a

(32:53):
week.
And it was just what I needed tohear.
So to your point a hundredpercent and then watching a
client take it and run with itis just something else, right?

Speaker 1 (33:02):
Yeah, it's, it's incredible.
So I've, you know, you and Ihave a common friend, Johnny
Gonzalez, who, who has remindedme a couple of times.
He's, uh, runs an amazingphysiotherapy clinic, just
opened a new location in StJohn.
And he told me like, I don'tknow, a year ago, maybe more as
they were kind of likeannouncing that they were going
to do it and I, he's like, youknow, that this, this like

(33:24):
started at your event.
Like I was sitting at level upand I can't even remember the
what was being said, but likeI'd been toying with it and that
was like the push I needed tokind of like take the step and
actually take action and do.
And so, you know, essentiallythis is going to be like, I
mean, I don't know if it'sdoubled his business yet, but
he's like IX totally doubled thesize of what he's doing.

(33:47):
Right.
Because of a couple of hours ina room that, and, and, and to be
really clear here, nothing thatI or any other speaker on a
stage says, ever makes anybodydo anything.
Like they have date.
They do all like he did all ofthem.

Speaker 2 (34:04):
Oh.
And like John's credit, I mean,you know, you're making a really
good point.
John goes to these events.
He is not passive about it.
Like, if you call John Right nowand you could say, Hey John,
what did Natalie talk about atwork of heart 2017 and he or
2018 the first one.
And he would give you my speech.
In fact, he recently had me comedo a talk, um, in the spring and

(34:28):
he said, I want you to do thattalk you did at work of heart
2018 or whatever, and you'relike me and had a 2017 notes and
no, I, no, I did have them.
And so I was like, oh, okay.
And I, I've never given it since.
So I was like, okay, better dustthat off, you know?
Yeah.
So I pull it out and I'm like,you know what, I'm going to
change a couple of things.
I think like, you know, I'veevolved a little bit as a

(34:49):
speaker.
I have better stories andwhatever.
And so big event at his physioclinic is a huge networking
event.
I give the talk, it's reallywell received and it comes over
after he's like, thank you somuch.
And you know, Johnny's like,just, he's something else.
He's one of my favorite people.
And I was like, so like what'dyou think?
He goes, it was really good.
And he's like, but why you left?
It's like you forgot when yousaid this.

(35:11):
I really liked that last time.
And I'm like, who are you?
You know what I mean?
Like he's one of a kind of heat.
He takes your words to heartlike nobody I've ever seen.
And it's a, it's pretty amazing.

Speaker 1 (35:24):
Yeah.
And that's, that's typical ofthe kinds of people who are
going to take the time, theeffort that the, you know, time
in their calendar and, andinvest the dollars, go to events
like this.
You know, it's reallyinteresting.
We know where we live.
There is a culture or a part ofthe culture that is very like,

(35:46):
or at least there's a perceptionthat people are very price
sensitive to things like this.
Right.
And it's like, okay, wellsomething's more than like Katie
dollars.
Then like, oh it's, andcertainly there's also a portion
of the culture that's kind oflike, who do you think you are?
If you're going to charge peopleany more than like the bottom of
the barrel price for anything,right?
Yeah.
Which is fine.

(36:06):
Like I learned a long time agothat you're not going to be for
everybody and that's part of thedeal.
But I've also learned and I wasone of those people so, but
slowly as I felt comfortableenough to fast, okay, I'll go to
the navy, I'll go to the ahundred dollars event and then
I'll go to like the$500 eventand then I'll go to like the two
that I remember the first time Ibought a$2,000 course and went
to the live event.
I was like, I can't believe I'mspending this much money on.

(36:29):
But the ROI, like again, youhave to do something with it,
but it took it depending on thecontext of what you do and, and
your, and your life.
Like it takes one decision, onedeal, one interaction, one
connection, one whatever to makelike three, five, 10 x.

Speaker 2 (36:45):
And how much harder did you work on the 2009 100%
yeah, that's it.
Right?
I think we, we don't giveourselves enough credit when we
say, Oh, you know, I can'tafford this event cause it's$500
or$1,000 I mean the reality isyou, we, I think what happens,
and I mean I've certainly beenthere too where it's like, oh, I
don't know.
I don't know if it's spendingthat money on this.
Well that's going to be worth itif you make it worth it.

(37:08):
Right.
What you're saying when you'relike, oh, I don't want to spend
a couple hundred dollars on thisticket, what you're really
saying is I don't believe I canturn this investment of a couple
hundred dollars into more.
I don't believe that I will dothat or I can do that and that
is super crappy.
You know what I mean?
Like, like if you could turn$50into$100 by going to a$50 event

(37:30):
and that's okay to you, then youshould be able to do the same
thing with$500.
There should be no differencethere.
The difference is, I think I'mreally ranting right now by
[inaudible] and I have some lowprice point offers out there in
the world right now because, youknow, I do, but what I'm, but
the difference is sometimes islike when people will say, okay,

(37:52):
you know what, I'll go, if it's$50 they're not, they're still
not thinking about it.
Like an investment stillproblematic because they're
saying, okay, well if I don'tget my money's worth, who cares?
Justifiable cost.
They're not, exactly, they'renot taking responsibility for
turning that$50 into$100 or$1,000 or, or whatever impact.
Maybe it's not profit.

(38:12):
Maybe it's something else, butthey're not saying, I'm going to
use this event as a tool to goout and accomplish my dreams.
And if you haven't, if you'renot going into the event with
that mindset, then you might getdisappointed because you're not
going to go to do the work afterthe fact like Johnny did or
whatever.
Yeah.
Um, now I'll tell you, like lastyear I went to your event a

(38:35):
participant, like at part, isthat the right word?
I sat in the audience.
Yeah.
I was just a, I was just a fanof the member community member.
I came to the event and Ibrought my mom and uh, and I
went and I, that whole summerand fall, I didn't, I barely
spoke at all, at anything.

(38:56):
And I said, I told everybodythat I was talked to you.
I was, I'm going to season forlistening.
I'm like, well what does thatmean?
And my grandfather had passedaway that summer was just really
hard for me cause I have, Istill have all my other
grandparents.
I'm very, very lucky.
Um, cause I'm so young and so mygrandfather passed away.
So I was passing, I was passinga lot of emotions through my

(39:16):
heart and soul and um, you know,I really wanted to be in a
season for listening.
I really wanted to go now.
I did not buy a ticket sayingI'm going to go and action
everything.
I wanted to just go and listenand be, but I bought my ticket
knowing that I didn't, I was notlooking at that ticket saying,

(39:37):
what kind of ROI are you goingto give me?
I didn't care.
I just wanted to go and listen.
It was time for me to listen.
And so there's different reasonsto go to personal development
events based on what you'regoing through in your life.
But if you're going to look atevery dollar you output as, what
is this going to give me back?
Then it's time to take someresponsibility for the money

(40:00):
that's coming into yourbusiness.
100% yeah, I love that.
And you're right, and, and, andoftentimes, so I believe there's
always a payoff.
It might be six months, sixyears down the road, like it's
doesn't, right?
As long as you're being activein your, you're conscientious
about it.
But you're right.
There's sometimes where I'mgoing to go into Archangel and,

(40:23):
and I have, I mean, I, I want togo and see the speed.
The speaker lineup is crazy andit's going to be awesome, but I
really have no agenda.
I just know that I'm going to bein a room with a bunch of really
smart people, most of whom waysmarter than me.
And that's gonna rub off inpositive ways.
And I don't know what that lookslike at all, but I don't know
yet.
It doesn't matter.
You're taking some faith and,well, like I met Stu at that

(40:46):
event when I went as a, in myseason for listening, I met Stu
for the first time and um, andlike we said earlier, I'm
speaking at his event epic andobviously that was worth it,
right?
I mean that was like, that wasjust one thing and I was an
audience member and I thinksometimes we need to really step
back.
And I think the other thing weforget to do is really make

(41:08):
those connections.
So if you said, you know, howdid, if you said to me, how did
you land epic, which a lot ofpeople have said to me, how did
you get on this roster?
I mean, you know, we can starttracing that back and you know,
we can trace it way back to thatday if we wanted to.
And that's the thing that wedon't do enough is say, okay,
when did this start?

(41:29):
What actions did I take?
Somebody said to me the otherday, this person love very much
is my grandmother.
Um, so my grandmother is one ofthose people who loves you so
much that they're so scared whenyou show up in the world to be
seen because they're like, oh mygosh, the people are going to
hurt you and not everybody'sgonna like you.
And that terrifies me.
So, um, this whole adventurewith speaking and everything is

(41:51):
just like she's proud of me andjust subsequently constantly,
constantly freaking out.
Okay.
And, uh, so I was telling themabout this whole adventure and
what epic is and, and all ofthat.
And uh, my grandfather's firedup and super pumped and my
grandmother is just like, youcan just see the stress and
yeah.
And then she looked at me, shesays, you are so lucky.

(42:14):
And I was like, well, that's oneway to put it.
But you know, I've referred atrace back.
All of the things that I didright, like the hard work that I
put in the conversations that Iwas scared to have, that I felt
inadequate, but I did anyway.
And The Times I was terrified tospeak on stage next to Mark
Black and did it anyway.

(42:35):
And all of those moments of youcould call it luck I guess, but
that's not what I call it.
And um, you know, that meanssometimes I'm speaking,
sometimes I'm in the crowd, butI'm never passively just there

Speaker 1 (42:50):
right now.
Absolutely.
That's, yeah, that's a veryimportant thing for people to
kind of get their head around.
Right.
Is that is, and it's a, I say toclients all the time when the,
when they're looking at bookingme, I'll say even what your
people bring to that room is asimportant as what I'm going to

(43:14):
do on the stage.
Because if they're there to,let's say if they're in a season
of listening, that might be mynew phrase letter to use with
them.
I think that should be the titleof your next book.
Um, but, but if you, you know,in other words, if they are open
to hearing anything, thenthey're going to get value.
And if they aren't, then I canbe more eloquent than anybody

(43:34):
you've ever heard.
And it's not gonna matter.

Speaker 2 (43:36):
And it's interesting when you go speak to companies
because whether they're open tolistening is going to, there's
going to be, that's gonna betwofold.
It's going to be other peopleopen to listening.
But do they have a culture ofpsychological safety where
they're allowed to be opening toopen, to listening.
And I've been in rooms wherethat's not the case and it is
really weird.

(43:57):
And if you're a leader who hasthat situation, you may not be
aware of it because you're init.
Um, but I encourage you to askprofessionals that you're
bringing in to help your team ormotivate your team, what they
feel because it is when you'rean outsider coming into that
situation, does crystal crystalclear?
Absolutely.

Speaker 1 (44:15):
But, and it, but it also gives you a neat and a
unique voice for that, which iswhy smart leaders bring in
outside people to work withtheir people is because you have
a unique opportunity to saysomething to them in a way or
from a point of view.
That person they work with everyday or the person who is their
superior that they have toanswer to that they have baggage

(44:37):
around or who knows what the,you know, the background of that
relationship is cannot dobecause they can't say it's
states similar to how a teacheror a peer or an honor an uncle
or an older brother can saysomething to your child that you
as a parent have been saying for10 years that they haven't heard
and all of a sudden this lightbulb goes on and they've had

(44:57):
this brilliant insight and it'slike, yeah, I've been telling
you that every day for like yourwhole life.
Right?
But you're open to hearing itfrom that person and you're not
opening to yourself.

Speaker 2 (45:06):
It's so true.
I, well, we have people rightnow and I love my students and
they love me despite the toughlove that I left.
I like to throw around.
Sometimes they say they like it,but, um, we'll have people, I
mean we, you know, we werejoking around today with some of
our students that have beenthrough our marketing lab, which
is the most intense of, we'retalking four to five hours a

(45:28):
week for seven weeks straight.
It's a really big timeinvestment with us.
Um, then after that, you know,they've taken that, they've come
to everything we've ever done.
Monthly workshops.
They, the, a crew of them justwent through content camp, which
is our four week online programand now they're signing up for a
membership site.
We just launched today andthey're all in all the time.

(45:51):
But I'll say something andthey'll be like, oh, light bulb
went off.
And I'm like, and I'm like, youknow, I've told you this seven
times.
And I'm like, yeah, but today,today I needed it.
And that comes back to the thingabout only taking three things
from the event, right?
Yeah.
It doesn't matter that I saidthis thing over here, that would

(46:12):
have been 0.6 on your point ofimportance that matters that you
move.
And so if you move forward, itdoesn't matter if you didn't
hear 90% of what I said, you'llhear it eventually.
Just keep coming to all of ourevents.
That's right.
I keep saying the same stuff.
Right?

Speaker 1 (46:26):
Well it's why it's why we read or at least some
people do read the same bookmultiple times.
Right?
It's because of what you readthat fees and of your life, that
period of your business, youneeded this piece of it and now
you're ready for, you're readyfor this piece that you weren't
ready for before or, or you haveany perspective on things that
makes you open to this ideawhere before you weren't

Speaker 2 (46:44):
or you learn.
Yeah, like I'm, I'm actuallylike I'm reading alter ego for
the second time right now andI'm pretty sure I'm gonna read a
third time and I'm just goingdeeper and deeper every time.
Right.
And, and a lot of times thiswork is not something you do
once.
Like it's for life.
So when you're working ondeveloping yourself, you know,
you don't just be like, okay, Idid the exercises, now I'm done.

(47:06):
I mean, that's very rare thatthat would be the case.
It's like, well, you know, youcan do it again.

Speaker 1 (47:10):
Yeah, there's a great, there, there's a great
line from Zig Ziglar who is likethe grandfather of speaking per
motivational speaking.
He was like the guy.
Um, and, and he was addressingwhat a lot of people say, where
does he go to events like this?
And it's a lot of Rah Rah.
And then two days later it's allworn off.
And you and he s and he says, um, to say that motivation isn't

(47:34):
effective, it's kind of likesaying showering isn't effective
because you have to do it everyday.
Like he's a little more eloquentabout how he phrased it, but
that was the gist of thestatement.
Right?
And it's so true.
Like, yeah, bully for you ifyou're the kind of person that
can go and learn something onetime and apply it flawlessly and
consistently for the rest ofyour life.

Speaker 2 (47:51):
But I don't know anybody like that.
It's so eye high literally wasjust exploring this idea the
other day because, um, I'm sureyou do the same as me.
We take a lot of calls withpeople who are organizing
events.
Yeah.
And sometimes those peopleorganize lots of events and
sometimes those people havenever organized an event before.
And usually, um, when it's, uh,somebody who's not like the kind

(48:14):
of green at event organizingI've heard.
And in one week I heard ittwice.
So when I hear something morethan once in a row, I'm like,
what is this?
And so what I had heard twice ontwo back-to-back phone calls was
, um, how did, how would I putthis?
Events are great in all whenspeakers get people all riled

(48:36):
up, but we need to make sureyou're going to give people
tangible takeaways that they cango and action.
Yeah.
And I'm like, okay, like, yeah,I can do that.
I can do that all day long.
But do you know what the worlddoesn't need more of tangible
tactics.
Like, like just Google, how do Ido this thing?

(48:56):
And it's there time, 700 there'svideos, there's tutorials,
there's walkthroughs.
Like we don't need more how todo things.
We don't need more exercises.
I mean, like, yeah, they can beeffective if they're accompanied
with what you really need, whichis an exchange of energy, a
connection in a moment thatopens you to something bigger

(49:18):
and makes a movement in you.
That's what we need.
And so that is the unique thingabout what can take place at an
event with the right speakers.
And the right audience is aconnection and a movement that
changes you.
It doesn't matter if that meansyou're going to go journal
tomorrow or go running tomorrowor eat vegan tomorrow.
Like the tactics.

(49:40):
Like I can't tell you thetactics that are going to be
right for your life, but what Ican tell you is that you're
capable of putting them in yourlife.
Yeah, it's different.

Speaker 1 (49:50):
So, so true.
And I know[inaudible] I knowwe've got to wrap up, but, um,
yeah, I, it's funny.
So as every event planner doesand as most speakers do that we
did events, surveys with peoplepost event, um, from both
conferences and, and it's reallyfascinating to watch.
One of the questions they ask islike, what's, what's your big

(50:11):
takeaway?
Or we'll give us a couple oftakeaways from what, um, and
overwhelmingly the things peopletalked about were emotional,
heart centered, soft skill, kindof like very, you've got a
couple people wrote down veryspecific, I learned how to do x,
Y, Z or I'm going to do x, y, zmore often or what want, and

(50:31):
that's fine of the collapse here.
Right?
But you know, I know forexample, Johnny did not learn a
single tactical thing aboutrunning a physio clinic or
growing a business specificallyat that event and have you went
and you took something from thatand it pushed him to take action
to do what he already knew howto do.
Oh, of course.
Right.
Like as you, as you rightfullysay that the, any, you already

(50:56):
know what you need to knowprobably in whatever it is
you're pursuing.
Or you can find it for 40 of youcan't, you can find it for free.
Yeah.
Right.
So why buy a ticket to go to seesomething?
It's why it's interestingbecause, because right now we're
in that era where techtechnological development is
like skyrocketing exponentially.
It's crazy.

(51:17):
We've literally had now robotsspeaking at conferences, right?
And you're like, oh, so everyonce in a while in the speaker
groups I met online and peoplewould be like, oh well, so like
the robots are taking over andhow much longer before we don't,
and maybe I'm super naive, butlike I'm not worried at all
because human connection ishuman connection.
And having people in a spacetogether is not duplicatable

(51:39):
with an outlook.
I love zoom and facetime and allthat stuff.
That's great.
But there's something abouthaving like the intangibles of
people in the same space,sharing the same energy that is
not duplicatable online orvirtually or whatever.

Speaker 2 (51:56):
Amen.
I mean, I, I completely agreeand we'll continue to go to live
events for as long as I'm on theplanet, I can't wait to take my
kids.
Like, like there's just nothinglike it, but it's really, we
need to get over our culture ofwhat's the quick fix pill and
understand that.

(52:16):
You know, my, one of my favoritequotes is there's no glory
except straight through yourstory by Glennon Doyle Melton.
And we really need to understandthat when you go to these
events, you're opening yourmind, you're opening your heart,
and you're allowing yourself tosee yourself by listening.
And that is really what this isall about.

(52:38):
100%, which is, which is whatlevel up is all about, right?

Speaker 1 (52:42):
Which is what we kind of want to make sure that people
hear about before we go.
You're speaking at it, which I'msuper stoked about.
Um, and this is, I shouldprobably let you talk about it
maybe because it's going tosound really self-serving.
The, the speaker lineup at thisthing, I'm, I'm super excited
and super honored that thecaliber of people that are

(53:05):
coming have agreed to come, manyof whom for look, all of whom
for less than they're worth.
Because I can't afford to paythem what the word, cause I know
what they're worth.
And it's an instant credible.

Speaker 2 (53:15):
So much.
Yeah.
Millions and millions uponmillions of dollars.
Um, but one of the things thatI've done in selecting the
people I is, yeah,

Speaker 1 (53:26):
obviously I want them to know what they're talking
about and I want them to beexperts at what they talk about.
Absolutely.
But quite honestly, ox experts,our diamond doesn't like,
there's lots of people.
I mean this with all respect,there's lots of people who teach
the s at least different piecesof the material that you teach.
Yep.
It's out there.
It's a hunt.
Like I get copied every day.

(53:46):
Right.
But you do it in a way that issuper, first of all, super
authentic.
That's one of my high valueswith any speaker like talking to
you like this across the table.
It needs to feel the same aswhen you're on a stage talking
to me.
If it doesn't, and you can saywhat you like about performance
and whatever, but to me likethat has to be consistent.

(54:07):
Yeah.
It's amplified because there's ahigher energy level, fine, but
it's gotta be consistent.
You can't be a different personwhen we talk in the hallway
after you're done on the stage.
So all of the people I pickedkind of meet that criteria.
We're friends, all of them.
Um, just cause I'm fortunate toget to meet some really cool
people.
And most of all, I know thatyes, they do this for a living

(54:30):
and yes, some of them aregetting paid and some of them
are doing it because they arekind to people.
But they would all do it in aheartbeat for free if they could
write like[inaudible].
None of them are doing it forthe financial rewards.
They're doing it because theybelieve to the core of their
soul in what they speak about,whether that's marketing or
whether that's wellness orwhether that's leadership or

(54:52):
whether that's recognition or,um, which are just some of the
topics that we're going tocover.
Um, and that's, it's the mostcherished feedback that I get
when I get it is when peoplecome up and say, whatever you
just sounded, felt like it wascoming from the core of your
soul.
And I was like, okay, go.

(55:13):
We'll good.
Like I don't know what you tookfrom that.
I hope that was good.
But at least I know that, that Iwas 100% believable because
that's why I'm not selling yousome.
Like I'm not selling you amessage.
I'm telling you what I believeto be true.
I might be wrong, but this istruth as I know it and I hope it
helps you.

Speaker 2 (55:32):
No, it, you're telling yeah, we're, you know,
we're telling our storiesthrough our lens of our
expertise and we're sharingthat.
And that's not, that can't bewrong.
It can't be wrong.
And even though, you know, Iteach marketing and I talk
specifically about businesstactics all the time, like my,
you know, my big goal is thatpeople, like my company's named

(55:57):
Miro, our tagline is what you'remade of.
I want people to understand thatwhether it's an organization
with a hundred people or it's asolo preneur or it's a 25 year
old person in their first job,that they hate that everything
they need to get everything theywant to reach, all of their
goals already exists inside ofthem.

(56:19):
So marrow, what you're made of,it's that we, we don't craft
narratives to make you lookgood.
You already are good.
We're gonna figure that out.
We're going to pull out what'sgood.
It might be something that youdon't realize as good.
It might be what you're mostashamed of, frankly.
But we're gonna find it.
We're gonna pull it out andwe're going to share it with the

(56:40):
world so that people are notonly profitable and they're not
only making impact and gaininginfluence, but they're able to
show up in the world and be seenfor who they really are.
Hopefully in a way that theyhave never really had the
courage too, because that's whenyou start living life on a whole
other level.
When you can just show up andjust be, and there's no

(57:02):
pretense.
There's no rehearsal.
You don't have to think, what'smy messaging today?
Well, your messaging is who youare, so you don't have to think
about it.
You can just show up.
And that changes everything forpeople.
And so if it's that I'm doing atalk or someone's in a program
or they're my client and inagency work, that does not

(57:23):
change.
The story's already there.
We're just going to tell thetrue stories.
And um, I really, really hopethat, um, and I, and I know
it'll be true, that it level upyour audience is going to get to
see some more true stories thatwill make them feel empowered
enough to face their own truestories into, into live those.

(57:47):
And that's just, I mean, I can'teven wait.
Yeah.
End to end to then go out intothe world with that and make an
impact, which is why the themelevel of impact came from is
because the whole goal of doingthis, because again, I've been
to events where it is raw, raw,and it, and we all go our
separate ways.
And nothing really happens islike, we want people, because

(58:10):
we're, because we're modelingit, we're showing them people
who walk their talk, who go outand use the things that they
teach every day, who eat,breathe the messaging that
they're delivering, that theycan take that and go out and,
and use it in their own way, intheir own space, in their own
world to make up some sort ofpositive lasting impact on their

(58:31):
family, their community, their,you know, their workplace,
whatever.
Um, and yeah, I'm, I'm super,super, super excited to see what
like the, you know, we've talkedabout John's story, but there's
a bunch of stories of like justconnections that were made,
people, friendships that weredeveloped, all of those kinds of
things to watch that ripple issuper, super exciting.

(58:54):
And like, let's be honest, Imean, we've known each other
since high school.
Uh, our friend drew who went toUniversity of us is speaking as
well.
True Dudley who's like, likeeven that like bit of a
homecoming is crazy and soexciting to me too.
And, and just having that likemount a connection.
Very, I'm very proud.

(59:14):
Oh, and he's, he is withoutexaggeration, world-class.
Like we're talking on the phone,we're

Speaker 1 (59:21):
talking on the phone today.
We're talking on the phone todayand he's, um, so his book hit
the Wall Street Journalbestseller list like two months
ago.
He's, his book is now on the top10 leadership books of the year
in the chain chapters list ofleadership books.
Like you walk into any chaptersin the country and his book is
like highlighted on the shelf.
Yeah.

(59:42):
It's hard to separate that fromlike the guy that you drank at
the pub with.
Right.
But like it's the same guy.
Um, but, but what I went, youknow, what I hope people
appreciate is like, this is aguy who in our conversation he
casually mentioned like, so Iwas talking to American Express
earlier today, like one of hisclients, right?
I'm like, so he's at that level,he's working with the like

(01:00:02):
fortune 100 companies.
I have no business with thebudget of this conference that
brings somebody like him hereand he's going to be here and
he's going to be here for thewhole two days.
Like he's speaking for twohours, but he's going be there
for two days and um, and Iwould've sent it two years ago
before he got to where he istoday.
Always has been one of thesmartest people I have ever met.

(01:00:27):
Like just, yeah, I did well inschool.
Drew makes me feel like I shouldhave been remedial math my whole
life.
So, so smart and has a brilliantcapacity for transferring that
brilliance in a way that you canlike as average folks can absorb
it and apply it.

Speaker 2 (01:00:45):
Yeah.
Yeah.
He's something else.
I mean, um, actually I told mymom he was coming.
She's so excited because myparents had a restaurant in the
town where we went to universityand everybody knew Joe.
So, you know, I was first dayof, I was going for state
university, nervous, getting allready to go and mom's like, have
you met drew Dudley yet?

(01:01:06):
And I'm like, why?
It's like, how do you know peopmy mom, my parents knew
everybody at school because theyhad, they had a pizza restaurant
town and she's like, oh, yougotta meet Drew Dudley.
He's the best.
I'm 18 years old.
I'm like, what is she talkingabout?
Right.
That was like my first memory ofJoe Dudley.
And then my second memoryprobably would have been our a
restaurant was right on mainstreet.

(01:01:27):
And she's like, oh there he is.
I, he's going on the street forSchein.
Arama yeah, I'm raising moneyfor cystic fibrosis with like,
you know, banging on a potscreaming like what a parade of
people behind him raising moneyfor, for this cause.
And, and I was like at a time, Idon't know if you were like this

(01:01:48):
at that time mark, but I waslike highly concerned with
people what people thought aboutme during those years, my entire
existence.
Like I almost became an account,thank God that that didn't
happen.
But like it was going to beabout getting out in the world
and being successful and beingtaken seriously.
And those were the importantthings to me.
And so watching him go down thestreet banging pots, you know,

(01:02:09):
as far as like how does this guyeven, oh my God, I would die, be
so embarrassed that that was meat the time.
And at that time a life to havethat kind of level of purpose
and focus and confidence reallygives you a glimpse into the guy
we're talking about because he'sbrilliant, but he's also just,

(01:02:30):
he's got a light that he justwould never have let anybody
ever dem.
Yeah, it's really, it's reallyinteresting.
And, and at the same time,

Speaker 1 (01:02:43):
I mean I lived with them for a year and we can get
into all kinds of stories atsome point but, but he has
flaws.
I mean that, not to like takeanything away from him, but just
to say like, and one of thethings that I love about, about
level up is everybody thatcomes, especially everybody that
speaks is humble enough toacknowledge their own humanity

(01:03:06):
and which is what helps themconnect with people as they're
not the like three piece suitpolished speaker on the stage
shoe shows up and does, they'reperfectly rehearsed hour and
then leaves and disappears andOh, that's what I was planning
to do.
Right.
Yeah.
Cause you're very good at.
That's very consistent with here.
Just kidding.

Speaker 2 (01:03:21):
[inaudible] he's like, what are you talking
about?
I'm like, well whatever's reallyon my mind that week and I know
that stresses you out.
[inaudible] it's not verymarketable.
What did I say?
Well, leadership being clear andconsistent will be clear and
consistent because

Speaker 1 (01:03:39):
you're always speaking with what's in
alignment with who you are andwhat you do.
And so

Speaker 2 (01:03:43):
there, for base, you could literally do the whole
thing off the top of your headand it would still be
consistent.
Yeah, I could, cause I'm, I'mthat in touch with who I am and
I was not always this way, butI'm so clear about who I am as a
person.
The places I give value in theworld and the lessons I still
need to learn that I don't haveto think about it over all

(01:04:05):
rehearse.
I'll know what I'm saying.
No, take a breath.
Um, but I, but I don't have toworry the way that I once did.
And that is what I thought.
That's what I hope I can helpmore people do.
That's fantastic.
So thank you so much.
Like I know how busy you are andmy pleasure, but I need you to
tell people where they can gettickets.

Speaker 1 (01:04:27):
Um, so level up impact.com level up impact.com
is the website.
Um, and really quickly, like notto distract, but one of the
things I'm super proud of aboutthis event is we have a special
ticket that we call a VIP.
Um, but it's really, it's reallynot a VIP in the traditional

(01:04:50):
sense.
Yeah.
You'll get some perks and yeah,we're going to give you some
books and some nice stuff.
But what really what it's aboutis when you buy a VIP ticket,
you, you give the gift ofimpact, which means you provide
a scholarship ticket.
This, this happened by accident.
I wish it was my brain child,but it wasn't, but I had a
couple of really generousfriends, uh, at the very first
event that I did who said, look,we want to support you.

(01:05:10):
We're in town.
We can't come.
Would it be okay if we just gaveyou some money to support your
event?
I was like, oh, that feelsreally weird.
Um, so how about dance?
How about we take your money?
And we give away the equivalentamount of tickets that, that
money would buy to people whomaybe would like to come and can
afford to come.
And so the first year was likethree or four.

(01:05:31):
The second year we was moreintentionally done and we sent
30 people, um, who fill out asmall application form to say
like, here's why I want to cometo the event, but here's why.
I can't, I can't make thathappen.
Um, and the stories first of allof the applications like makes
you cry.
I made me cry anyway.
Um, like from the person who'scoming out of Substance Abuse

(01:05:55):
Rehab to the 18 year old kid whohas a dream to be an
entrepreneur and has no moneyto, to access this event to the
single mom who's working twojobs and work in her side hustle
at night to try and make thishappen to like the stories were
all amazing.
And to be able to give thosepeople access to that caliber of
speakers and to be in that roomwas the most gratifying part of

(01:06:19):
the whole experience.
And so now it's become likeunintentional piece of the event
that we don't have a little VIPin the sense that you're going
to go to a separate room and bein your own space.
Like everybody gets access tothe speakers.
Everybody gets, but you're goingto know that what you bought was
supporting somebody else who youwon't know who they are, but
they're not going to like standup and be like, oh, we're the

(01:06:39):
people that can afford to behere.
They're going to sit beside youlike everybody else, man.
Tee Shirt or anything.
Yeah, we don't, you're not goingto wear it.
They're not gonna wear a littlebeanies or anything.
Um, but, but you'll, yeah, andso you don't, you know, you
won't know which person in thatroom you helped, but y'all know
that somebody in that room isthere.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:06:53):
I mean, I'm like, and I knew there was a scholarship,
but I, the way you justdescribed it was so powerful
because I'm sitting herethinking about how much courage
it would take to write yourstory right in that moment when
you're in it, right when you'relike waist deep in a write that
story.
And to put it up there in acommunity as small as ours and

(01:07:15):
to have the courage to apply,and I'm sorry, but for most of
us, a ticket price is nothingnear the risk that that person's
taking by putting it out therelike at like what the, the
potential cost that they'redealing with, like what it's
taking for them to make thatinvestment is huge, huge.
[inaudible] bigger, more hugethan, um, than anybody that's

(01:07:38):
paying the ticket price.
And so mark my words, I can'teven wait to hear, you know, in
five years, the stories thatyou're gonna have about these
people, because they're makingsuch a huge investment in
putting themselves out there inthat way, you know, they're
going to take like 10 x andthey're going to take the
information and just use it.
That's the thing, right?
And like a

Speaker 1 (01:07:59):
people, you know, I've gotten a few pieces of
feedback from people, they'relike, well, how do you know that
they couldn't, like they canmaybe afford their ticket and
they're just making that.
But then like there's always aPhoenix, right?
And I'm like, first of all, ifsomebody really wants to go to
that length to do that, thenwhatever.
Fine.
Yeah.
But I'm way more happy to.

Speaker 2 (01:08:16):
Yeah, exactly.
Um, but to your point, thepeople that have the courage to
open up and to be vulnerableenough and humble enough to be
like, I see the value, I want tobe there.
I just can't make it happen.
Ward and are willing to accepthelp in a world where a lot of
us are too proud to admit thatwe need that is just like so

(01:08:38):
special.
And so it's, it's superexciting.
I hope we have a dozen people[inaudible] application.
They believe this and it's goingto change the life.
And if they believe this event'sgonna Change Your Life is gonna
change the life, right?
That be that easy.
It sounds ridiculous when I sayit out loud, but it's true.
If you believe it's going tochange your life and you're

(01:08:58):
going to do the things that youneed to do to make sure to
change your life.
And I mean, that's what you do.
That's what I do.
And, um, I feel every day moreblessed than the day before to
live this life where I get to bean action taker and I'm so
grateful, 100% to be able to dowhat we do is, is like, here's a
gift in and of itself.

(01:09:19):
I say all the time quietly thatI would do for free cause I want
my clients to still pay mebecause they, I do need to feed
my children.
You might want to edit that out.
Yeah.
My, yeah.
This is the longest rap up inthe history of fine.
Yes.
We're having the best time.
So thank you again.
I look forward to, well, I meanI'll see you before then, but I
look forward to seeing you atthe event.

(01:09:40):
Me Too.
Thanks for joining us.
It's going to be awesome.
Thanks for having me.