The Impact Entrepreneur

• Ep. 195 - Necessary Endings and New Beginnings

  The end of the year presents us with a great opportunity to reflect and decide what we will take with us into the future. Dr. Henry Cloud wrote a great book called Necessary Endings. The book helps readers make decisions on businesses, relationships, habits and ventures that must come to a necessary ending. Like a gardener that must prune the rosebuds that are stealing valuable nutrients and resources from the buds with the potential to blossom into the most beautiful flowers, we must prune things in our own lives. Although pruning doesn’t come easily to me, it’s something I’m always thinking about. When I need to change something, I initially get a gut feeling about it. Then I take it to prayer and meditation and seek wise counsel from people like my wife, spiritual director and priest. I ask them to pray for me and offer practical advice and wisdom. This has not been an easy decision to make, but this will be the final episode of The Impact Entrepreneur. I started the podcast in December 2015 to facilitate a higher level of personal growth for myself and serve others. I wanted to learn how others are using the lessons from their lives to have a game-changing impact in the lives of others. Hundreds of listeners have reached out to me over the last three years to share how the show has impacted you. I've had conversations with some of my personal heroes like Lou Holtz. I’ve been able to honor my wife on the podcast and share our journey with you and I've been deeply inspired by the strength, courage and resilience of each of my guests. I discovered the concepts that would become my first book, Master the Key: A Story to Free Your Potential, Find Meaning and Live Life on Purpose.The Impact Entrepreneur will still be my personal brand for my writing, speaking and other media appearances because my mission is still to have a game-changing impact in the lives of others. But in 2020, I am co-creating something that more closely aligns with and encompasses my Catholic faith as well as my role as an entrepreneur. It's called Catholiceo and will create spaces where Catholic entrepreneurs, executives and evangelists from around the globe can gather to enrich their faith, thrive at home, win well in business and deepen connection.Thank you so much to everyone who has helped and supported me during this podcast journey, especially you, the listener. I invite you to join me on this next adventure, but thank you for tuning in each week, sharing the message and allowing me to breathe life into your potential. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I will certainly be keeping you in...

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• Ep. 194 - How to Have More Fun & Be More Productive - with Mike Rucker, Ph.D

  Mike Rucker, Ph.D. is a self-described fun expert who helps people have more fun and be more productive as a result. But he certainly didn’t start his career going down that path.Mike’s first job, so to speak, was creating a fanzine for skateboarders in the seventh grade. And his willingness to put himself out there, coupled with a bit of ingenuity, got him the opportunity to interview some big musicians. He went on to study Communications and Filmmaking at college, and his first professional job was at Universal Studios. While he loved the work, watching his colleagues get in at 7 am, not leave till 8 am, and miss out on having significant relationships outside of work didn't appeal to him. He pivoted into creating advertisements and websites, making a name for himself in the technology sector. Here’s where things went too good for Mike, or so he believes. Because Mike thinks entrepreneurs that get too many wins too early can get too cocky for their own good. So, full of confidence, Mike decided to do something he knew nothing about — open a taco stand at Manhattan Beach near LAX. He spent all of the money that he made from his last tech exit, and then he lost it all. So he pivoted, again, going back to university to get a Ph.D. in Psychology. His research centered on the importance of fun and play, and that’s what Mike continues to focus on today.Mike’s top tips for fun and productivity are:Stop using social media to wind down Create a time log for your week and be honest about the activities that aren’t moving you forwardReplace unproductive time with opportunities for fun, delight, wonder, and playUse lunch hours and weekends as actual breaks from workDedicate big chunks of time to particular tasks rather than trying to grab a few minutes here and thereAvoid multitasking, especially when you’re with your children and other loved onesHe says, “If you’re multitasking while you're also supposed to be spending time with the ones that you love, they feel that, and there's just no way to skirt around that.”Don’t be a podcast junkie…Resources:michaelrucker.comTwitter: @performbetterInstagram:

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• Ep. 193 - Helping Others Grow - with Tim Croll

  When Tim Croll grew up, he really wanted to be a cowboy. There were a lot of adults in his life who promised a taste of that life, to take him fishing or hunting, but they didn’t come through. So Tim wanted to be self-reliant but also dependable.In adulthood, he ended up taking on a lot of responsibility... then found himself trying to beat up a garage door that had fallen down one day. This was a turning point in Tim’s life. He felt like an idiot for acting like that in front of his wife and kids. He knew that he had to change things. A mentor helped Tim realize that he was totally drained. He walked away from his highly successful eCommerce businesses and started journaling and reflecting with the help of books like Master the Key and the BeFulfilled Journal. This led him to discover his true purpose — helping others grow. He now helps business owners get unstuck, whether it’s with their strategy or sales and marketing. But what he loves most about coaching is helping entrepreneurs do the important things, like spending more time with their family.A huge part of his journey has involved giving up control and letting God take care of the results of his work. As he says, “It is definitely a test of faith.”Don’t be a podcast junkie…Resources:timcroll.comFacebook: @tim.crollLinkedIn: Tim Croll CoachingThe BeFulfilled JournalGet your copy of Master the Key: A Story to Free Your Potential, Find Meaning and Live Life on Purpose--We are brought to you by the Lawton Marketing Group, a full-service advertising and design agency serving companies and entrepreneurs at all levels. They are your one-stop shop for all your website, logo, social media, print, app design and reputable management needs.Visit

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• Ep. 192 - Sound Impact: How Music Changes, Heals, & Unites - with Rebecca Jackson (Replay)

  Today I’m re-releasing this amazing episode with musician Rebecca Jackson.Rebecca grew up in a family of self-taught artists, with diverse backgrounds – the intersection of Midwestern fiddle jams and South Korean karaoke. Music has given Rebecca a lot over the years, and now she is using music as a tool to give back as co-founder of Sound Impact, a collective of musicians dedicated to serving communities and igniting positive change in the U.S. and abroad through live performances, educational programs, and creative collaborations.Rebecca is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Music in May, an annual festival serving the Santa Cruz community with chamber music, and a violinist with the Ensemble in San Francisco, a collective of talented Bay Area musicians who make chamber music hip again.Learning to play music taught Rebecca many valuable lessons as a child, all of which helped her get to where she is today:Humility. “You never stop growing. You always have something more to learn.”Teamwork. “You’re not the only voice and you have to learn to play together to create a collective, beautiful sound.”Perseverance. “Because some days are tough and you just have to keep on going, and trust the process and your teacher.”Communication. Learning to have a stage presence teaches both verbal and nonverbal communication skills.Mentorship. The student-teacher relationship is really important in learning music, and it’s a good introduction to the idea that there’s always someone to learn from.Sound ImpactRebecca co-founded Sound Impact because she believes music is an incredibly powerful tool for changing, healing, and uniting communities. It’s so much more than notes on a page – it’s capable of bridging nationalities, religions, and ideologies.Rebecca has used music to honor Holocaust survivors, unite refugees, and empower children. She’s very much creating a positive Sound Impact in communities all around the world.Below you can watch a video of Sound Impact playing “Haim” by Polina Nazaykinskaya. Rebecca commissioned this piece to remember the incredible life of David Arden, the sole survivor of his family during the holocaust and one of Rebecca’s mentors.--

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• Ep. 191 - In Pursuit of Wholeness - with Evan Herrman

  Evan Herrman recently interviewed me on his show The Whole Person Podcast and we had such a great conversation I wanted to share it here. Evan and I got to know each other when he reached out to me after hearing me talk on someone else’s podcast. He wanted some financial advice, but also just to connect and make friends — and I’m so happy that he did. It’s truly amazing how podcasts can help people tap into new relationships and powerful communities.When Evan was seven years old, he wanted to be a pastor. He went to college, graduated with a degree in theology, got married the next week, and was then unemployed for nine months. So he became a real estate agent, and that felt very much like a second choice for him until he realized that fulfillment isn’t about your job. It’s about the person that you’re being. He started his podcast out of a desire to learn and grow, and he has been thrilled with the guests he’s been able to interview so far, including David Allen, author of Getting Things Done, and leadership mentor Michael Hyatt.Before he started podcasting, one of the stories he was telling himself was that he didn’t have anything value-wise to give to people because he was hurt and broken. He had this idea that he needed to come from a place of almost perfection to speak to people and give them advice to grow and develop.Then he thought, what if I don't come at my life from the perspective of having it together, but instead from the perspective of being a broken individual who's in the pursuit of wholeness? This new story enabled him to get the podcast started, but also to see himself with more love. In this conversation, we talk about the six bridges that are fundamental to self-worth and fulfillment - faith, family, finances, friendship, fitness, and fun. We also discuss how traditional measures of status and achievement can be taken away in the blink of an eye and how important it is to be vulnerable, humble, and open to the plan that God has for us. As Evan shares about his experience, “As soon as I abandoned my thoughts of what I was supposed to be, God naturally brought things together into something that I wasn't expecting.”Don’t be a podcast junkie…Resources:The Whole Person PodcastGet your copy of Master the Key: A Story to Free Your Potential, Find Meaning and Live Life on...

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