Paradigms are established beliefs upon which people make decisions. Leaders shift the paradigm to create new possibilities. As someone leading transformation, being able to identify limiting paradigms and influence your community or team members in changing them is a key skill for success.

I define strategy as determining the optimal way to reach an identified target. Strategy has to consider what’s not working or available and may push the edges of a person’s comfort zone at first glance. Good strategy is invisible to the public eye because it seems so natural but it takes planning, creativity, long-range vision and articulation to put it together. It is rare that people can create a good strategy on their own, especially when their gift or mission is around leading transformation. It helps to have an experienced guide, a sounding board, a Life Maximizer to help.

It depends on your unique situation and community; however, resistance to change is one of the most significant. People want something different but they don’t want to change. People want change but do not want to be changed. Resistance can be subtle, like being late to meetings, or overt, like a public showdown. Resistance protects the status quo. Whatever the form, resistance has to be addressed to create progress.

Another challenge is finding the balance between personal evolution and leading your community. It typically takes time for groups to catch up to where you are and you may find yourself wanting to evolve before they’ve all reached a certain point. This is also part of self-care and leadership… how do you take care of yourself while being responsible to your community and the outcomes you’ve put in motion? That’s where having a strategic roadmap can help.

Additionally, I would add self-care along with trusting yourself. When your vision is so big, you genuinely want to see the success of your team or community – you aren’t always able to see the changes happening on your behalf so it becomes easy to question yourself — your abilities, your vision, your decisions. At some point, you may feel the urge or need to stop (which can induce a sense of guilt or letting people down). The truth is that, sometimes, that is your indicator to rest, reflect and/or reset. 

Marketing is the positioning of a solution (or brand) to the point where the sale becomes a formality; it is the conceptual part of the relationship from attraction through education, consideration, evaluation by a potential customer. Sales is the art of personalizing the solution to meet the needs or solve the problem of a particular customer; it is the transactional part of the buying journey. While the relationship is forged in the continuum of marketing and sales, the pivot point of the relationship begins post-sale because it is then the relationship begins in earnest. That customer has placed their trust in your solution (or brand); it is up to you to continue to earn it.

When you understand that marketing and sales are a facet of every aspect of your life, and that it is the mechanism by which you can grow your brand, your community, your business revenues, your thought leadership – whether or not money is exchanged, you will likely find you naturally have a more positive relationship with the process. My role is to foster your perceptions to support that process.

There are times when my clients have gained value simply by talking through their current sticking points. Other times, it becomes necessary to go deeper – to write out a plan, to give personal feedback on presentation style, to distill their brand message, as examples. My work is highly personalized; each of my clients gets the results they need in that moment. The testimonials and stories of my clients can be seen throughout my site; their words are the most powerful in conveying their results.

One of my gifts is making concepts relatable to the audience. In doing so, I ask questions and create fresh perspective which results in people relating those concepts to their own experience. That is where it gets provocative because their possibilities expand, new ideas emerge and audience members are motivated to go further, try more, do something new in their lives and businesses. While I like to call my speaking a ‘Maximizing’ experience, others have defined it as provocative in shifting their mindset and activating their potential.

My clients come from a variety of experiences, industries and stages of business development. In some cases, my clients need to digitize their materials into online courses and videos. For others, it’s about using online means to promote a product or service. For others, it’s about expanding their digital brand footprint. I help my clients determine what they need from a go-to-market (community) perspective so they can put it in place to attract new audience members, reinforce their value to current clients, become more visible as a thought leader and much more, depending on their business targets. 

The short answer – no. And I don’t think you want it to because that means you’re 6 feet under the ground! You are here to live your best life, to fulfill your unique potential, to contribute meaningfully and live your Maximized Life. As you get to your next best level, you will discover another one… and then another one. However, you may learn how to take action on your own and not need the support of a Life Maximizer. My intention is to work myself out of a job! But I consider us partners in you achieving your Maximized Life and legacy once we begin a working relationship.

Yes, with the understanding that you are responsible for your results. For example, if we work together and you don’t take action as agreed, there’s not much I can do about that. I know the power of focus and clarity in creating transformation; my role is to bring that about through compassionate communication and practical action guidance. Your role is to follow through and do what’s needed to Maximize your life, lead your community and amplify your success. If you are unsatisfied at any time, we need to work together to understand why and come up with a resolution together.

We are in unprecedented times of change, disruption, growth and opportunity. I believe we’re really moving into a space of “I don’t know”, which means questioning everything we’ve been taught or conditioned to believe as a matter of course. Paradigm-shifting leaders (visionaries, thought leaders, change-makers, spiritual activists) are now at the forefront of this movement (and are needed) because they – you – are going to help their communities rebuild and step into their next new world.