TrueLife - Philosophy of Impact: Crafting Content that Resonates

Episode Date: February 6, 2024

One on One Video Call W/George https://tidycal.com/georgepmonty/60-minute-meetingSupport the show:https://www.paypal.me/Truelifepodcast?locale.x=en_US🚨🚨Curious about the future of psychedelics? Imagine if Alan Watts started a secret society with Ram Dass and Hunter S. Thompson… now open the door. Use Promocode TRUELIFE for Get 25% off monthly or 30% off the annual plan For the first yearhttps://www.district216.com/Jason CroftLadies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming the remarkable Jason Croft, a trailblazer in empowering coaches and consultants with the invaluable tools of confidence and Video Visibility. Hailing from the picturesque Colorado Springs, Jason brings three decades of expertise in the realms of media, sales, marketing, podcasting, and business development.Embark on a transformative journey as Jason, the first of his kind, shares the mindset and mechanics for creating leadership-level content. As a podcast host and guest, Jason is dedicated to unraveling the secrets of elevating coaching businesses through Video Visibility. Imagine crafting an evergreen content machine that magnetically attracts your ideal clients!In a world where everyone advocates for video, podcasts, and social posts, Jason stands out by offering practical solutions. He understands the struggle of creating content from scratch and goes beyond the noise to provide simple, manageable ways to showcase your expertise. For experienced coaches seeking to amplify their impact, Jason is the guide to take control of your marketing and establish consistent authority.For those ready to witness the magic of content creation that resonates, reach out to Jason on LinkedIn or through email at [e-mail]. Get ready to unleash the full potential of your coaching business with the wisdom and experience of Jason Croft. Welcome to a new era of Video Visibility and content mastery!https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/power-content-7008060482347552768https://thejasoncroft.com/ One on One Video call W/George https://tidycal.com/georgepmonty/60-minute-meetingSupport the show:https://www.paypal.me/Truelifepodcast?locale.x=en_USCheck out our YouTube:https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPzfOaFtA1hF8UhnuvOQnTgKcIYPI9Ni9&si=Jgg9ATGwzhzdmjkg

Darkness struck, a gut-punched theft, Sun ripped away, her health bereft. I roar at the void. This ain't just fate, a cosmic scam I spit my hate. The games rigged tight, shadows deal, blood on their hands, I'll never kneel. Yet in the rage, a crack ignites, occulted sparks cut through the nights. The scar's my key, hermetic and stark. To see, to rise, I hunt in the dark, fumbling, fear. through ruins maze, lights my war cry, born from the blaze.

The poem is Angels with Rifles. The track, I Am Sorrow, I Am Lust by Codex Seraphene. Check out the entire song at the end of the cast. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope your day is beautiful. Hope the sun is shining. Hope the birds is singing. Hope the wind is at your back. Got an awesome show for you today. Jason Croft.

I hope you welcome me in welcoming this remarkable gentleman, a trailblazer and empowering coaches and consultants with the invaluable tools of confidence and video visibility. Hailing from the picturesque Colorado Springs. Jason brings three decades of expertise in the realms of media, sales, marketing, podcasting, and business development. Embark on a transformative journey as Jason, the first of his kind, shares the mindset and mechanics for creating leadership level content. As a podcast host and guest, Jason is dedicated to unraveling the secrets of elevating coaching businesses through video visibility. Imagine crafting an evergreen content machine that magnetically attracts your ideal clients. And there you will see Jason Croft. Jason, thanks for being here today, my friend. How are you?

I'm doing fantastic. And after that intro, my goodness, extra fantastic. First of my kind, most people would say, let's hope to last. There's something about being the first. and the last, right? It's like the alpha of the omega. That's right. I'll embrace it. Yeah, you got to, man. What's up, man? Maybe you can get people a little bit of background on on like a little bit of the, how long your career has spanned and who you were before you are today, man. Oh, my goodness. Yeah, happy to, happy to it. My background is, like you said, yeah, 30, what,

32 years now in video film, movies, corporate event, like just the gamut on the media side of things. Kind of traveling all over the world doing that kind of stuff, which has been a blast. Jumped in front of the camera, really for the first time in 2015 to do this Wacky Wild podcasting thing. Really started it as a marketing initiative. I was working for a production company at the time and found the startup community in Dallas where I was and there in Texas. And just like an amazing group of people could be, you know, perfect clients for us on an ongoing basis. What could we do to kind of break through the noise of just showing up at networking events and going, you want to buy a video?

You know, doing something a little unique there, right? I'm like, well, we've got the, we got the studio. We got a set. We've got lights. We've got cameras. Let's jump in and do a show. So I sat in the host chair and started up this show called Startup Dallas and on a fluke and fell in love with this whole thing. And I've done a show of some kind ever since. And I mean, that first experience was just that was everything. It just like, you know, we go through some things in life. Just like I had no idea I needed to do this. But I'll do this forever kind of feeling to something. thing, right? And it's, it's been awesome. I mean, I have dear close friends from to this day from doing that first show. And it's been an absolute blast. It's a, it's a truly fascinating time to be alive and get to partake in this level of communication. You know, not, I'm wondering, maybe you could speak to some of the differences and the differences in your journey from

like being behind the camera and then working in this. new sort of idea of podcasting. It seems to take the best of old school broadcast radio and film. And like on some level, it's just it's putting it into this way and shifting our sense ratios. Maybe you can talk about the transition a little bit and what do you think about it? Yeah, it's wild. It's definitely a different animal.

Yeah. Being on both sides helps you appreciate the other side. A lot. I took a, I took an acting class in, back in college, really for that same reason. If I want to direct, if I want to make movies,

I need to understand that other side and just have some kind of working knowledge to kind of speak to, at least that experience a little bit. And that's carried over into this, to your point. And it really is. It's wild that, you know, we can be across the world and have a conversation and produce this content that not only, you know, spans the world and we can have these things,

but also spans and breaks through this, you know, short attention span that we hear, you know, is crammed down on my throat, you know, all the time. And you have to do, you know, 12 and a half seconds or faster, you know, to get anybody's attention and all of that. And I love hearing from people who say, well, well, no, like, You can in order to break through. But if you're interesting enough, people will sit and listen to a three-hour interview, too. And we know that to be true because we all do it.

You know, we get caught up and the marketing speak and the tactics and the data and all of that. And there's value in creating these short form pieces like that to break through and grab attention. But yeah, there's, you know, one of the most. successful podcasts. I mean, look at all of the most successful podcast and shows. And this kind of in it to your point too blurs that line of, you know, most are video and audio, you know, going down that road. But, you know, Joe Rogan, Tim Ferriss, Andrew Lieberman, like all these long form shows because that's where the meaty stuff is. And I think there's there's power in kind of standing in that and going, you know, the conversation is going to take as long as it takes.

And there's an art to that flow as well and knowing when it's done and knowing when it's, you know, we got to dig a little deeper. And I don't know, it's an amazing, it's amazing medium that we all have access to. And yet, you know, it can be hard. You got to love it. Like I know you do. and I think it starts though at the very core of of this right here being interested in this I would do this and I do do this even when you know we're not recording right and I think

that's where the most interesting conversations come from when from that intent I love it I would add to that there's something so interesting about a good conversation. And at least me, I'm almost 50. And so I came up in this world of conditioned response in some levels where, you know, in the beginning, you had like the old school cable that had like five or six channels and I will listen to like coast to coast radio, you know. But then gradually we got cable. But I would also have really cool conversations with my friends or some people that I admired. And I feel like podcasting on some level really opens up the door for people to begin to understand that everybody's interact.

in the given the right circumstances. Like everybody's got something cool to say. And when we broaden that microphone, we broaden that conversation, you can really tap into the beauty of everyone around. You can be like, yeah, I don't need to listen to some celebrity.

Like, this is a guy that's just like me over here. I mean, hear his story. And you can identify so much more with that story on some level. It just seems so much more, like, authentic on some levels.

What do you think? Yeah, it's funny you say that that was, I mean, my group of friends in high school, that's what we gave. When we got together, we sat in the back of somebody's truck and we just talked. Like that was for hours. That was hanging out, right? And it is.

It's, it's, it's, I think it's both sides, though, too. When you talk about celebrity, non-celebrity, all of that, I think it's, it's fascinating to dig in and get those real world stories that we can relate to. I know, um, there's the actor John Bernthal, I think. played the Punisher and all of that. His show is he's got some of those, you know, Shia La Bouffe will be on there and he'll dig in in a conversation

that you've never heard before, you know, from them. But his core audience, even being a celebrity himself, are frontline firefighters and, you know, these folks out there doing those things for that same reason. I think the flip side, though, too, is fascinating this day of social media and podcasts that we can see how human are celebrities of the day really are too.

And I think that's a gift, especially for the ones who aren't just performing, you know, in those mediums. And actually, hey, I just, I'm a human here too. I love that I entertain you. That's great. I'm a human. And here's what I do great and wrong. And it's just a, that's another aspect of all this that I just.

I love because it's one more connection to humanity, I guess, with everyone. Yeah, it's well said. It's interesting when I first started podcasting, you know, and I think when people begin to get into it, they start seeing it as like, wow, it would be cool to have like this ad revenue. It would be cool to have this thing. But I think the more you do it, the more you realize it's a vehicle for relationships. Like you really get to meet a lot of cool people and you sit down and you have this long

conversation with them and there's this sort of camaraderie that happens. But what's your take on podcast as a vehicle for relationships and how is that changing the business world? Yeah. I mean, that's at the core of what I do for my clients. So experts, coaches, speakers, those are my peeps, right? Those are people I love working with and my friends, right? Like it's just, again, it's a beautiful thing.

And that's my core just offering is not just to put together a video podcast for them, but why, why it's the perfect vehicle for this. And what I usually lead with to kind of break through the noise and get people to think differently about this platform is the sales tool that it is, right? You know, having a big audience, great. One day maybe that'll happen. Having ad revenue, maybe one of that. Great.

what it can do right now, if you recorded one of these a day and threw them all in the trash, it would still be a benefit because of exactly what you're talking about. You had a conversation. If you bring on your ideal client, you bring on a strategic partner who has an audience of your clients. You get to have what you hope to have whenever you are reaching out to a potential client, which is just a first conversation. I, you know, especially, again, we go back to intent at all of it. It's just like, I don't know if you'd be a great client.

I don't know if I'd be a good client for you. Like, let's find out. Let's just have a conversation. Let the guard down. And that's a piece of this that it's, it really lets you do that and have that first conversation with the other person's guard down because they're getting something right from the beginning, right? Like I'm giving you this piece of content to go out and use this spotlight on

you to go out and put in front of your audience. And so that's what I lead with. But when I have a deeper conversation with someone, to your point of networking, like this is, it's exactly up there as well. Like to build your network of folks, all those same principles apply.

Like you can reach out to someone offering this, you know, to them as a, you know, as just, let that guard down a little bit so you have that relationship. And it is, it's an amazing thing that bond that does get created in 30 minutes, an hour, you know, that it's, it's a beautiful thing.

Yeah, it's fascinating to me to, there's been some question and I'm curious to get your opinion on it. Some people think that, you know, AI or podcasting, it's missing that sort of felt presence of the other. You know what I mean? Like I can't, I can't like patch you on the back or I can't maybe get some pheromones or something like that. But on another level, too, it seems that a long, deep conversation with someone radiates to the audience. And the audience feels like they know that person.

So maybe it is there in a way. But what's your thoughts on that? Yeah, it was a transition for me to go from in person to this virtual version for sure. Because I love it. I'm the, hey, let's get together and talk in that big shift. happened. So the first and second show that I did were both in person. So that first startup Dallas, you know, we're bringing people sit down in the studio. I love it. I mean, I ran networking groups there in Dallas. That's what I love to do, that human, that purposeful,

the in person, you know, all the things you just described. Like, it's just that happens. You know, when you can look someone in the eye, you can, you can see a body language shift. when you can just get that sense a little bit. Second show I did, I left that company. I needed, you know, I had to keep going. So I did Seinfeld style and drove entrepreneurs around, right? It just had that. And that was a blast, you know, and a different dynamic and everything.

So when I came out here, I came out here to Colorado and in 2019. And so not only did I leave my network of peeps there in Dallas, but pandemic hits, all of that stuff. And then it's just, I've got to figure out this remote thing and still make it look really good and, you know, be up to my video and filmmaking standards. And I'm just so grateful that I did because, you know, ideally, sure, it'd be great to be in person for every conversation I have. But wow, the scalability, wow, the accessibility that happens that's possible because of this. And, you know, it's one of those things that, honestly, I think we're, you know, we're 90% there, at least in terms of all the benefits still that you can get from, you know, it's still a deep connected conversation. And that's most of what you're going for anyway.

Have you found that? Have you felt like the remote is lacking? more benefit than lack? I haven't done a whole lot in person. I've done a few in person. And sometimes I wonder, like I, I feel sort of alienated sometimes because I spend a lot of time doing cool podcasts

and meeting people. And so on some level, I feel like, hey, I'm in my, I'm in the office here. I'm doing this thing. I love it. And I'm meeting people from around the world. So in some ways, I feel like I'm alienated. But on the other hand,

I feel like I'm finding my tribe. Like I'm finding all these like-minded people from different cultures that see the world differently, different age groups, different experiences. I'm like, this person, I totally identify with that. That's so cool. And it's like you get to find your own tribe around the world where when you were growing up,

you would have your friends play some soccer or play some kickball or something out in the street. That was your tribe. These are the people in your neighborhood. It's almost like this world of interconnectedness allows you to find your peeps throughout the world, man. And it's both, you know, it's different. It's different.

It's both, you know, confining because I'm in here doing it. I'm looking through this window. But it's also liberating because I'm halfway around the world talking to people from different time zones and stuff. I don't know. Does that answer the question? Yeah, yeah, for sure. And I think that's the beautiful middle ground, right?

Because it really is. It's, you know, like you may get to encounter somebody in real life and finally connect and do all that you never would have met in a million years without this medium and this platform i mean our mutual peep uh you know patricia linder you know the wonderful patricia linder like she's the reason we're connected right yes absolutely and she's in germany i'm in colorado in the states you're in hawai like it's just and it's just seamless in terms of that conversation and connection and hey you should meet this person and i just i think that's beautiful And honestly, that's where I go.

I am on that optimist side for social media, for this platform, for technology. Because of what you just described for that interconnectedness that is so strong, because my heart breaks for those kids in high school who, you know, are stuck, certainly 20 years ago, but we're stuck with that, who's that tribe around them, and none of them resonate with me. I don't resonate with them. There's nothing. And you talk about confining.

You talk about, and at that age, you're thinking that way anyway. This is the world, right? This is my world. Nothing's ever going to change. You just, you think that way anyway. And if all you see is everyone around you, not like you at all. And I can't connect with them, of course that goes to super. of course that goes to because you think that's your world and I look at the beauty of social media

and the internet and everything to where that kid in middle America can find their tribe in Tokyo online in a group like oh there's hope you know I don't know I'd see the beauty on on stuff like that that's where I lean you know when it comes to all this stuff for sure yeah I agree. And it doesn't take, you don't even have to really squint your eyes to see the ideas that are beginning to manifest. You have all like these, these entrepreneurial studios starting up, you know, and you've done it. Like, I'm sure when you talk to cultures and consultants, you know, it's one thing to get the ideas of the people in your immediate environment. But it's a whole other thing to run your idea through the lens of Patricia Linder in Germany, you know, and be like, oh, I never thought about that angle. You know, and all of a sudden, this flow that begins to happen between. is mind bending. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I mean, Patricia and I talk about a lot because she's, you know, she feels that way. She doesn't feel fully connected to that traditional German culture.

You know, like she wants to do is much more in line with a Western, you know, the U.S. sort of approach to being out there, having a show and things like that. And wow, that's, you know, you can break out of that. You can go and connect across the world and find your tribe that way. She's a perfect example of that. Yeah. What do you think it does? Like on some level, you know, growing up and hearing about, you know, I got a pretty big map behind me.

There's all these borders and stuff on there, you know. And it's really interesting to think about the way in which migration and immigration and trade routes and all these things happen cross borders and supply chains. Isn't it fascinating the way information is finding a new way to traverse the world on some level? It's almost like neuroplasticity for the world on some level, right? Like this communication? Oh, yeah. Yeah, absolutely.

It's because that's one of those things that, like, as much as certain governments try to stop it and things like that, like, yeah, it's just too strong. Like, and I think that's a, I think that's a, again, that's a beautiful thing, you know, They get these stories out. And, you know, it's the same, it's the same thing that people who travel a lot speak about having, you know, just that mind expanding, eye-opening experience of understanding other cultures and stuff. And we can do that so quickly now in so many different ways, you know, without even leaving the house. You know, of course, it's a different. It's a beautiful thing to still go and travel.

But it's, yeah, it's at the speed of light now, you know, to have that understanding and, oh, wow, that's what's really going on over there, not what's being fed to me on the news or something. Yeah, it blows my mind. Shout to Thomas Hutchison here. He says, for me, it's all about the energy. I find it easier to feel the vibe in person. But time flies online a lot quicker. If you're having a good chat and you meet more people, you resonate. with that. I have to agree. What do you think? Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, hi, Thomas. Hi, Mark

popping in there as well. Yes, Mark Davis, thank you. Yes, indeed. Yeah, it is. It's, you know, again, I think it's just, it's those layers. It's, you know, when you can, awesome, connect up in person. Like, I want to do that more. You know, I miss it, you know, like you. But at the same time, it's, it's funny because I have to look up every few weeks and go, oh yeah I guess I haven't you know had coffee with that person in three years but I still feel connected to them completely because we're able to do this you know we're able to you know quickly do a catch up on social we were able to oh you know what let's have this video call this is this is awesome or you know or an old-fashioned just phone call crazy as that sounds right

Yeah. I think it's, yeah, it's great. What do you think about as someone who's been behind the camera, you know, and spent a lot of time figuring out what that looks like and then being at the forefront now with podcasting, how do you think that affects it like your sense ratios? You know what I mean by that? Because when you're behind the camera, like you're seeing the situation from almost like a different perspective.

And then when you're in the mix right here, you're seeing it from like this first person perspective. So I would imagine someone with your experience has this nice blend of two different perspectives working simultaneously. Yeah, it's interesting. And I think that really comes into play when I'm helping my clients out in that way. Because if they've only had, you know, the experience in front of the camera like this because they're trying to get out there and build their business and grow, you know, there's some great insight that can come from, hey, you know, look at the lens when you're doing it. I know it feels weird and you're not looking at the person. Look at the, you know, here's this aspect of it or this, you know, giving them those things

that are that are nuanced and, you know, helping them with their setup because I know what's going, even remotely. I can help them like, okay, I promise. I know what you're seeing here, but if you just do this, this and this, and they go, oh, that's amazing, you know, having those kind of skills in there. And what I tell everyone to do, nobody wants to. and the greatest thing that I did from the very first episode

to the one I've just recorded I watch and listen to every single one back even when that first show I wasn't editing the show had someone on stat like I was still watching everything back listening

and just like every single personnel 99% of the people are playing I don't like my voice I don't like how a little you know we all feel that way It's great. But an amazing thing happens. And two big takeaways from that. Number one, it's the greatest communication training in your life to go through that and realize those things that you say over and over again.

The amount of times I was just yelling at myself listening to these things back. Like, complete a sentence, man. What is your problem? it's the greatest tool that you'll be able to apply in real life on Zoom call, like all of, you know, run the gamut. And second, you don't think this will happen, but I promise you actually do get this objective view of the whole thing. You know, you're 10, 20 episodes.

And you really, you stop going, oh, my voice, you know, and you're just like, oh, that's a really good. Oh, that's great. Oh, I could have said this a little bit better. That's, oh, that's good. And it's just an amazing shift that happens. And that's how you're able to move on and do it quicker. Just jumping in, doing the reps and then watching that stuff back.

It's powerful. Yeah, it's like watching tapes and sports. Like whenever you would perform. I was a wrestler. I was to go back and watch, oh, I should have shot. My arm was down or I telegraph that thing right there. You see it all the time, right? Oh, yeah.

Yeah. And it's not the fun part. Right? Like it's not what we want to do. I just want to do it. Like I want to play the game. I don't want to practice. I don't want to review tape. I don't want to. But it really helps. Yeah. It's fascinating to think about some of the projections for podcasting moving forward. You know, it seems that everybody's beginning to have one. And I think it's a good thing. I think the more voices out there, the more people learn to communicate better, the more people begin to discover what interests them and they get to discover relationships. What's your take on the? the podcasting as a as a market and a podcasting as a vehicle moving forward. Are we going to continue to see growth? Or what do you think moving forward are some of the speculations you have? Yeah.

I mean, all indications are it's still just in its infancy. Because it's like a lot of things. If you step into this, as soon as you start getting into the world, it feels like everyone's doing it. Right. And then when you actually, yeah. And when you look at the numbers, it's, oh, 3% of, you know, Anyone is doing this and stuff.

And it also, though, goes back to what we were talking about before and the real benefit of it. For me, like any endeavor, I think you've got to have those immediate wins for it. And then if all the big giant stuff happens later, cool, that's icing on the cake. But this has to benefit you now. Right. So again, it goes back to that approach of how you structure a show and why you're doing a show in the first place. and make sure there are wins all along the way because even if you're not paying someone to help you or edit or anything like that, it's a lot of time. It's a lot of effort and focused effort.

And if you have never done this stuff before, you're learning this brand new thing. And if it's not benefiting your business in some way right from the beginning, you're never going to stick with it. Right. You're just not. As much as you love it, it's still hard. It's still just from a, man, This is a new thing. This is fantastic.

I love it. But oh my gosh, I got to do this. And if it's, again, if it's not benefiting your business, it's going to get pushed down the list of priorities. And it'll sit there and,

you know, not get attention. And that's, I mean, that's why we see, you know, so many podcasts with four episodes and back from 2018. And,

you know, that's just the nature of it, you know. Yeah. I do. It's interesting to, to see that journey of people beginning and see where your journey is beginning and ending and all the trials and tribulations you go through.

And it seems that there's a lot of self-starters in the world of podcasting. You know, you don't really see, I haven't seen it or maybe I haven't looked that much, but it doesn't seem to me that you can go to Arizona State and take podcasting, or they don't have it in these schools or, you know, I'm curious. Like, do you see this particular medium becoming synonymous with like broadcasting and having courses or can people that start their own podcast? Is there a position in companies that they can move towards or is a new industry that they can leverage to?

Do you see it kind of crossing over on some level? Yeah. It's interesting. I would imagine that happens. And again, I wouldn't begin to speak on the landscape of what's being offered at colleges and things like that. I have no idea. It is trickling into companies.

And it's, it's one of those things. I made a shift when I first started a couple of years ago, really offering this as a specific, you know, medium as a sales tool, right? In leading with that. I mean, my world has been in that B2B space from my video days and all of that stuff. And that's who I really was targeting from the beginning because it's perfect. It's if you have a long sales cycle, a high ticket item, any of those things, I mean, it's just the perfect medium for that.

What I found was there was such an education process first. There were so many conversations just to finally get to someone like, oh, I see how you're using it. And you're just like, yeah, that's what I'm saying. Like the last 12 conversations. You know, there was such an education process from the B2B mind to go, a show for sale. You want my sales team to have?

Are you talking? You know? And so whereas coaches and consultants, like, we're in that headspace anyway. And, you know, half of them like, oh, I know, I should do a podcast. They might even be thinking about all the benefits and why. But, oh, yeah, I'd love to do that someday. And it would be great. So there was already, oh, yeah, I'd love to do that.

Oh, here's why I should do it now. That coming into play. And, you know, I think one of the most powerful things that I haven't seen many people doing or internal podcast. You know, having... Yes, that's a great one, yes. Oh, yeah, just within a company for company communication, you know, you can utilize, there's certain platforms out there, you can utilize the same podcasting platforms and keep them,

you know, private just to the people who are the members and everything. And, you know, it's this idea of, you know, meeting your employees where they are, you know, we've, I mean, we've had variations of, you know, here's the company. any memo down to, you know, the, you know, they started rolling out videos and they would do these things. You meet them where they are. Like, if you really want to get this message down, you know, have that, you know, open forum, that message from the CEO weekly, you know, and have it be something that's, oh, that's actually interesting. Oh, cool. I can listen to that on the weekend while I'm working, you know, like to be kind of caught up. Here's what's going on in on the company. Spread that out.

And then for the really open and bold companies to like make that a public or certain amount of them public as well. Like, hey, here's what we're all about. And then it becomes an incredible recruiting tool. If you have these open conversations from a forward thinking CEO about, hey, here's what we're trying to accomplish within this company. Here's why this company exists. All of those things. That's I don't see that out there too much. And I think it's it's a not it's a big opportunity.

Yeah, that's really well said. I'm glad you brought that up. I think that we will see that, but it's going to take some forward-thinking CEOs to thoroughly understand. That's just the best way to get the message out. And you could do it from the bottom up. You could do it from the top down. You could have someone that travels around.

You can really begin to integrate company platforms and company ideas and morale and understanding and messaging. You can really synchronize that if you have an internal podcast versus having a memo that's sent around or some morning meeting where you listen to some and no one's paying attention, you know, at least it's engaging when you have people there and, you know, why not have the CEO come on and take questions the same way Putin takes questions. You know what I mean? Like, that's such a great way to bring people in and make them feel like part of a community. And I think that's what's lacking in a lot of places, the sense of community in the workplace.

It's a beautiful idea, man. Yeah. And when you, it's one thing to, you know, tell everyone that you're open to ideas and you're open to everyone's voice and feedback, you know, it's another thing when you demonstrate it over and over again. When you, you know, every Tuesday, you're interviewing someone within the company whose idea has been implemented. And, wow, somebody from accounting is affecting. you know, a new product because of something that they did. And to be able to highlight that. And it's, you know, and again, you've got companies like Mitsubishi and so, you know,

you've got these massive corporations who, you don't have a first clue what anybody's doing across the world in your own company. And you can, it can be such a great mechanism for making that happen. Yeah, it really opens up dialogue and communication, even brings up some of that felt presence of the other. Just to know you're connected, if you're part of a multinational corporation, to know you're connected and get to see,

if you're left-hand, you get to see what your right hand is doing, it's pretty profound, I think, to do that. I guess when you talk about sales leads or getting leads through podcasts, like maybe you can speak to that a little bit. Like, how do you do that? I think it goes back to, so there's two sides, right?

There's the who you're talking to and the audience that you hopefully build over time. And again, it goes back to first and foremost, if you think someone even might be a good client for you, have them on the show, have that conversation, find out, you know, have that. That's the first way to do that. Again, strategic partners, people who have an audience of, you know, full of your ideal clients. get that connection and understand somebody who's, you know, running a community of those folks or serving them in another way, understand what maybe you could, you know,

create a core offer that's just unique to that community because now you have this understanding of what they really need as opposed to, you know, what you've been building, you know, behind closed doors or something. And then the audience over time, I mean, that's, that's the beauty of this platform too is that, You know, the numbers on podcasting, on the audio version of the podcasting, it's wild that that's where the conversion is. Those are where the clients are, you know, seven, eight, you know,

listens of an episode and they're going to that host who's offering something in there. They're educated. They know how that host works. They know what they believe in. They know how they can help people because they've demonstrated it in the show. Like, yeah, where do I sign up? You know, it's a much shorter sales conference. You're not convincing anybody. You've told them how you work with people all this time. I think the, what is it? Like YouTube for that searchability and that first finding,

and then the numbers are there on the audio version in terms of, you know, really creating clients. It's, yeah, it's fascinating. And that's another piece that I encourage people to do. Even if they're doing an interview based, show like this phenomenal. It's great. I really encourage them to also have solo episodes so that, you know, you're, again, you're, you're teaching people, hey, here's how I help people. Here's who exactly I help. And when you can, you know, do some of your coaching, your helping,

you're educating, do that in public, you know. And when you, not everyone can. Some folks have the way they're helping people is so, it's just, it's so private, right, that you just couldn't. But there's a lot of coaches, consultants, things like that,

who could really share that and coach in public or give that case study, you know, on a solo episode. And those are, those are the, they're just a gold because I know from,

as a consumer, too, like, they're phenomenal. Coaches that I follow and listen to. helping someone else, I get so much out of that. And it makes me want to work with that coach both at the same time. It's powerful.

It is powerful. What is the difference between a coach and a consultant? The best way I've, that I align with, what I've heard people describe it is that, that coach is really on that, almost on that, it's that human level.

We're going to get you accomplishing these things in whatever. health, business, all of that, consulting is, hey, I'm going to help you fix this problem, right, in your, usually in your business, right? Like, here's the exact things to go and do. And the coach is going to equip you to be able to handle those problems and whatever comes up overall. It's a little subtlety and nuance, but I like that differentiation. Yeah, it's interesting.

You can see both people, coaches and consultants, making profound changes in other people's lives. And maybe it comes down to lived experience in a particular field or maybe it just comes down to semantics and words, you know what I mean, on some level. Yeah, they do blend so much in terms of people out there. I think in both sides, I mean, that's what I love about working with them is the ripple effect that they have.

It's just amazing, you know. I mean, on both sides, too, not just, you know, a personal coach who's going to fix someone's mindset. It's that coach. Like, I've got a dear friend. I do a show called Concentric with Gary DeRodriguez. And he's an amazing coach. And he works with folks one-on-one, but he'll, he also, half his clients are, you know,

he's working with the CEO of an organization. And the CEO's just like, you've got to come in and help with everyone, too. And he starts at that top. And it's the amount of times that he's been able to, you know, make that shift in the CEO to build just a better organization and help us a whole organization be better humans. You're changing the lives of those employees' families, their kids, their spouses and the people they interact with. I just, I love that ripple effect. Yeah, me too. It kind of brings up, Clint Kyle jumps in here and he's, he, I think he's speaking to the idea of the internal podcast. And he says, George, that takes leadership, not management. But maybe that also speaks to the idea of what you're talking about, someone like a CEO coming in wanting to make changes for his people. I once heard it said that, um, the difference between a leader and a manager is that a leader does the right thing and a manager does things right. What's your take on that?

Oh, it's interesting. Yeah. Yeah, and you can, certainly you can be both, right? You can become a leader as a manager. Of course, and hopefully you do, you know, but it is. Those are very different, different things, right? Yeah, yeah, I think that it's interesting because it's like that the feeling to me is that manager is, it's very me focused, right?

I've got to manage time and these and the spreadsheets and the people, and it's all just one big jumble. And a leadership is more outward focused, more like, how can I help this tribe of folks? If I'm managing them, they're the people under me, or lead in this direction, lead by example, lead by, hey, let's, you know, what's going on? And rather than just sort of, I think management in terms of things and leadership in terms of, you know, having that mindset of, no, I'm dealing with with people and in the humanity part of it there a little bit and standing in that and embracing it, not just what's going to make, what's going to get me my bonus next week, you know.

Yeah. I think we need to come up like, we need to take some time to. re-evaluate the language we use in in structured business like manager just it just seems lacking to me like you're managed like are you barely managing you know like it sounds like you're managing it sounds like you're right on the cusp of failing like you're managing of managing to do it you know what I mean and people don't like managers and managers like it seems to me like you have this elevated position but you you hold on to that when you're so much more you know when you're a manager you're someone who has the ability to see things in a way that are helpful for other people.

And that's such a way, more liberating way to explain it on some level. Like, which is important, right? What do you think? Oh, yeah. Yeah, it's fascinating. It is, yeah, because it's one of those things that's so weighted in just negative connotation. And yet it's such an important role, right? It's not like you're like, no more manager.

It's insane, right? Like there's a reason for these hierarchies to work and everything. Yeah. And I think it is, maybe it is semantics a little bit. You know, it's finding that just different, maybe different terms for the same thing that is, that isn't just so heavy in, in that negative connotation. It's all, I mean, but it also goes into, you know, within each company. really training those managers too because that's you know we we hear those stories a lot too i get them from from gary at times and you know he shares some of those that you know the person gets

promoted up through the company um because they were great in their role and now you're managing and like cool what does that mean so that's the other part of it too equipping those folks with the tools that it really means to manage other people and now you have this set of responsibilities It goes back to our conversation of having that experience behind the camera or in front of the camera. It can be great to bring that person up who has an awareness within that department. Like, here's what's really going on, folks. You know, they can speak and have that voice now at a management level.

But it also means they need to develop all of those other skills that it takes to have that bird's eye view of things to, you know, there's a lot of, there's that translation, right, you know, that interpreter, you know, role to be in between both. And that's its own skill set, you know, to speak both sides and make sure that the C-suite is understanding what's going on down in this one specific department in a way that means something to them and vice versa. Yeah, that's well said. there is this translation that needs to happen in order to. It's almost like being a doctor. Like if you see like, hey, this could lead to cancer over here.

We need to fix this thing. That's going to affect up here in no time, man. We've got to fix this thing down here. Yeah. And to be able to put it in a way that your patient understands so they'll take action, right? Yeah. Right.

Yeah, that's good. Another idea that kind of was thinking about is we seem to be in this transition right now. And I think podcasting is a huge part of like the individual becoming their own brand on some level. Like so many of us grew up in this place with multinationals and they're still there. And we kind of grew up with branding and maybe some people read some Edward Bernays about propaganda and messaging and stuff like that. Yeah. On some level, I feel like right now is a really unique time for an individual. to investigate their selves as a brand.

What do you think about that? Yeah, it's huge. And again, we talk about negative connotations or things like that. You know, people will roll their eyes at personal brand and all of that. And you can call it what you want, but it's critical. Like, you are a brand. You can call it reputation. You know, Rory Vaden talks about, you know, the digitization of your reputation.

You know, that's your personal brand. I love that. I'm sorry. Rory Vaden. Yeah, he's got brand builders group. Phenomenal group. Ooh. That's my chair falls.

How's it go? Yeah, and I love his definition of that because it really, it brings it to a practical level. Like, this is, you can, you've got one, you've got a reputation, you've got a brand, you've got these things, you can be intentional with it or just let it happen. I think we can all agree that with like most things, being intentional with is probably better. And it really is. The beauty of it too is, though, just like we've been talking about with the accessibility of technology and podcasting, social media and stuff, that you can really stand apart because so few people are really being intentional about their personal brand. And then absolutely as a coach, consultant, entrepreneur at all, it's really critical.

But this applies to everyone in corporate America. If you want to do anything, you know, moving forward, moving up through the company, it's just where we are. You can, you know, it really doesn't matter if you like it or not. That's, this is our world, you know. And you can argue all day, if you like, about shoulds. And, you know, should it matter that I posted this thing on LinkedIn or this is what I talk about all the time and that Matt? Maybe, maybe not, but it does.

And so you can embrace the good side of it, which is, okay, I can be intentional with what I put out there and build a little micro celebrity with this so that now even just within the LinkedIn ecosystem, you can be this microcelebrity. to where now you go interview for that job and people are just like they've watched you know six 10 hours of you talking about this core you know content topic that you talk about which directly applies to the job that you're you know and you're just light years ahead of anybody else who's going in there because we're we're just wired this way again it's I mean it has to to be a, I guess it's a modern phenomenon because we're talking about TV and radio, right? But we are wired as from the time we're little kids of like, oh, this person is telling me something important.

Like if I'm watching them on a screen and I watch them, I've, I'm educated in this. I do. I'm in this world. And I still, I'll watch somebody, you know, on their stuff and see them in real life. And there's just, I recognize that feeling like, oh, it's. it's them. Oh, it's that, you know, there's just, it just elicits that, you know, that response. And that's something we can lean into and embrace and cultivate for ourselves. And I mean, why not, you know, and have that just that little bit of extra leverage. Again, it's a,

just like with the show, right, that we were talking about, it's this chance. It's an extra chance to have that conversation and to be, you know, to get that meeting that maybe you wouldn't have otherwise gotten to even just have a chance and a seat at the table to pitch your wares or, you know, build that first connection. I love it. On some level, I think for a lot of people, it levels the playing field. Like maybe you don't have a master's degree in communications, but maybe you've talked to some of the most intriguing people in the world of influence for five years. You could sit down and have an interview with said company. And I think that that person that has talked to all these people may have a similar or even a better understanding of what that company might want.

And it's beginning to level the playing field from stuff that you may have learned in school versus lived experience. And like, who do you want on your team, right? Oh, yeah. And seeing, and I think, I think it's a generational thing too, which I think is great that, you know, we're moving up, you know, was it like, I think Christopher Lockhead talks about, you know, the digital natives, you know, the people who are just, they're born into this. There wasn't a translation time. They were just, they've always had a screen, a phone that does all these things. And as those folks move into these hiring positions, management positions, CEO positions, they're looking for that. They recognize. those kind of things that, oh, there is a worldliness. They're looking beyond, okay, what's your degree? How many places have you worked? Oh, you've worked at a bunch of places.

That doesn't look like that's going out the window. And it's what have you experienced and, hey, let's have this conversation. How are you going to mesh with our people here? You know, and we're moving that direction more and more, which is great in my opinion. Yeah, it is. It's interesting. I think it speaks to the ever-changing definition of influence. And you talk about someone who was born with a screen.

They see influence different than like an exor like me who is like, oh, well, influence is this or, you know, depending on what culture you're in. And I'm curious, like, when I say the word influence, Jason, what do you think of? Yeah, I think it goes back to that personal brand talk as well. you know, there's, there's, um, heavy connotation, you know, around it that's, especially the term influencer, you know, I think those two things. And it, again, you can call it what you want. You can roll your eyes if you want. But it's, we're all being influenced all the time by things we have no idea about all the way to intentionally being influenced and following certain people. And I think it's been the theme of this conversation is we have that power like never before to both be aware of that influence and control it and, you know, guide our focus so that we can choose some of that influence like never before.

And we have the ability to influence others like never before. And we can do it in such a way that we're being ourselves while we do it. And we're attracting the folks across the world who resonate with our ideas. And I think I love both sides of it. I love, you know, the Robert Chaldean, you know, like let's dig in and learn the tools of influence and persuasion and everything all for good. Because again, you can sit there on a Friday night and argue all night long of like, oh, well, you shouldn't do this and you shouldn't do that, you know. But this is what's happening.

So if you want to get your voice and your message across, why not use the tools that are, that tap into human psychology that will get that message across. Yes, all those things could be used for good or evil. Well, go use them for good. Awesome. There. There's your argument. It's soft, you know, but you got to use them because that's how you break through.

And I don't think there's, there's nothing inauthentic about, you know, restructuring a message in your copy in a way that you know is going to trigger and make someone go like, oh, wait, what? You know, like if what you're trying to get across, you believe in, you know, like, I know, I know this. will help a certain amount of people. And if I put this, it's going to stop those people in their tracks who need this the most. I think it's lazy to just dismiss all of that as, well, I don't want to be inauthentic. So I'm just going to say it, how I'm going to say it, it's lazy. You know, like you're not studying what works and what's really going to move your business or your, you know, your charity organization or any of it, like move that forward.

So. Yeah. That makes me think everybody should have a chief curiosity officer. Because, right? Like, it comes down to, like, being curious. Like, why do they respond to that? You know, and there's so much that comes out of that, whether it's Caldini or never split the difference, you know. Like, there's all these crazy, amazing people.

And I mean, crazy in a good way. They have figured out little heuristics, probably in their own mind. They probably figured out what flip them. And they're like, let me throw this out here. And we throw this net and see what it catches. Like, it's so wonderful, this gift of community. that we have and what's possible when we can wield it in a way that is influential. It's pretty wonderful.

Oh, yeah. Yeah, I love it. I mean, me too. It's also like I understand and I try to acknowledge all the time too that there's a, like I love this stuff. I love conversation and I love this. I love understanding those books and those nuances like that's fascinating to me.

And I understand that it's not to everyone. So I try to get that across of, yes, it's easier in some ways when you do really love it. And it's going to make you dig in. But there's a level that I don't care if you don't love it. You better get a working knowledge of some of these things. Just like for me, like I don't love data. I don't love client research. you know, in its traditional form,

and all of those things, but I better get a working knowledge of it and I better dig into it to some level or my business will suffer, right? This is the same thing. You find that it's also not only helpful to learn those tools because they're effective and helping paint pictures in the minds of other people,

but it's also a really effective tool to try and interpret what people are telling you. You know, sometimes people's words explain a lot, right? Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's what's, yeah, that's a great point. Because that really is that understanding, too, that the more you understand body language, the more you understand words people use if they're, you know, either well versed in this stuff or completely not, you can get little insights to people. And just like you benefit from learning, oh, someone's in France. This is their typical. This is where they're coming from in this language. And having that little translation, again, not the language, but the cultural translation.

It's fascinating to have those insights. And I just, I guess I'm one of those two. I just love having the information. in so many ways. Like, not from a, you know, gossipy, oh, I can't tell, I can't wait to tell this. You know, like, I just love having the information. Like, I've just been that person throughout my life that people will just, they come and tell me. Like, hey, so and you know, so and so, and so I love having that.

Again, not from, ooh, I can't wait to tell something. I don't have anyone to tell this information. Like, I like to know it because it's, it's allowing me. to navigate this situation. So now I know when I'm in a conversation with this other person or something's on the table that I know how to deal with it better or I know what's really going on. And that's just, it's all just staying in here. But I love having that. And I think that's the same curiosity, just knowing this stuff. I mean, when you, when you learn the formulas and the tactics or the, you know, this the languaging.

You can be in the middle of great versions of it, you know, and you're like, I know exactly what you're doing. And yet it's still working. Isn't that fascinating, you know? Like in a sales or marketing, you know, situation, I just, I think that's where it is. It's just loving. I think people are fascinating.

I think how we react to things is fascinating. and being able to navigate that better. I love having that information. Me too. There's something so wonderful about being in a meeting with someone. And you know their tactic. You just start laughing. You're like, I know, I know, you're just, it's so funny.

You just start laughing. You're like, oh, okay. Okay, how do I? Let me throw this tactic back at it when they see if they understand the tactic I'm using to combat their tactic. You know, then they start laughing and you guys both start laughing. Okay, let's just talk regular, okay? I see what you're doing. Yeah.

It's like a conversation. It's fractal in a way. It's like this conversation and a conversation. I think that's why some people like negotiations, you know, or certain people like the thrill of the chase or sometimes in dating or just in business alone. Like there is this fun factor of thinking at a different level and trying to play hide and seek with the other person on some level. You know, not in a sinister way, but more in like a touch and go way. Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, yeah, we hear that from so many people who are, you know, beyond successful don't need to keep going but they're in their particular game because it's it is the game it's fun like it's it's beyond dollars and cents at this point and it's just hey did i figured this thing out and was successful with it yeah yeah i that goes back to that humanness too i think some of us are are more wired that way than others but yeah it's it's it's that's the fun part of it all it is the fun part of it. Jason, a conversation is amazing, man. We blew through an hour, like, just like this.

I really enjoy talking to you, man. And I really, likewise. Got to get some nice insights. And I think I got to learn a lot. And I think the audience got to learn a lot. Before I let you go, man, what, what do you got coming up? Where can people find you? And what are you excited about? Yeah. So I've got, I've got a few shows going on. I'm working with coaches, consultants, like I mentioned in that way. Certainly always hanging out on LinkedIn, putting my stuff out there. It's a great way to connect. You can go to the jasoncroft.com and that'll be one of those, like links to all the shows, the company sites, all that stuff is all in one spot. That's probably the easiest. But yeah, I got strategy and action where I interview coaches and consultants for

an audience of coaches and consultants, taking my own medicine, doing what I want to teach other people to do. And that has been my first, you know, a couple of years ago starting that, this virtual version that's yeah like I mentioned open up the world and it's been a been a blast yeah you're really talented at what you do and I thank you yeah it's it's fun to talk to you and I hope that maybe we can have more conversation maybe have a panel or something like that get more people together and do some strategy and action of ourselves man it would be fantastic we love it okay well ladies and gentlemen go down to the show notes check out jason he's amazing at what he does he's fun to talk you should definitely reach out to him if you are looking for some coaching or some

or trying to learn a little bit more about how to express yourself in language. He's the guy to do it. And hang on briefly afterwards, Jason. But to everybody here, I hope we have a beautiful day. Aloha.