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Shaping Your Mindset to Succeed with Ruben Gonzalez Jul 28, 2021

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In this episode of Start With A Win, Ruben Gonzalez, a four-time luge Olympian, reveals how his experiences in the Olympics shaped his mindset to succeed in business and how he continues to thrive as an Olympic athlete.

Ruben emphasizes how performance—whether in business or sports—is strongly dependent on a person’s mental state. He breaks down how the mental foundation requires a conscious understanding of your thoughts and process. For example, consider these questions:

How does your mind prepare before a performance/deal?
What does your mind think during a meeting, performance, or other endeavors?
What do you think/feel after completing the goal/task at hand?
How do you process lessons and apply them?
How do you reinforce your habits?

Ruben discusses how internal and external fears often integrate into personal and professional endeavors, which typically prevents individuals from overcoming self-limiting beliefs and challenges. Ruben explains that fear will gradually disappear once you focus more on what you need to improve and implement one step at a time. Ruben reveals that setting intentions in all pursuits influences the subconscious mind, which is key to development, consistency, and success.

Ruben shares how he consistently strives to be better, which requires training, practice, mental strength, and trust in your abilities. As the oldest Winter Olympian in history, he hopes his story will inspire others to dismantle their self-limiting barriers, pursue their goals, and live their dreams.

Connect with Ruben:

oldestolympian.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruben-gonzalez-olympian/

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https://www.tracywalder.com/

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How Tracy Walder Went From Sorority Sister to CIA Officer & FBI Agent - Part 2 Jul 21, 2021

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The conversation continues with Tracy Walder, beginning with her recollection of her transition from the CIA to the FBI and the cultural differences she experienced between the organizations.

After leaving the FBI, Tracy began teaching in hopes of inspiring more young women to pursue careers in national security. As a teacher, Tracy quickly realized foreign policy curriculum was not available to students. This discovery inspired her to build and teach a course focused on national security and foreign policy. Tracy also carries her teachings to Girl Security, a nonprofit organization committed to changing the gender narrative of national security careers while preparing girls and women for these careers through mentorship. Tracy has contributed teachings to the organization, and she is currently on the board of directors.

Tracy finds fulfillment as a teacher by introducing young women to the issues in criminal justice and foreign affairs, as it initiates their curiosity. She discusses the impact of stereotypes and gender narratives for careers in these fields, which often discourages women from pursuing these job types. She reveals how femininity is a “disqualifying” myth and how women are often taken less seriously or regarded as less intelligent with this trait. Tracy hopes to instill open-mindedness and realistic expectations for everyone who wishes to pursue a career in the CIA or FBI, hoping this mindset will contribute to finding their paths to success within the organizations.

Connect with Tracy:

https://www.amazon.com/Unexpected-Spy-Secret-Notorious-Terrorists/dp/1250230985

https://twitter.com/tracy_walder
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-schandler-walder-026547130/

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https://www.remax.pt/agente/joanna-koltan/120741259

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Setting and Reaching High Goals with Joanna Koltan Mar 31, 2021

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On this episode of the Start With A Win podcast, our guest is Joanna Koltan, an elite broker-owner with RE/MAX Portugal. Originally from Poland, Joanna moved to Portugal for love in a very spontaneous decision despite not knowing the language or having a job. She didn’t let that stop her from getting immersed in the culture and jumping into the real estate industry.

Joanna is consistently motivated to be around people who are smarter than her—in hopes of learning from them and becoming a better person every day. She sets high goals for herself and puts in the work to get where she wants to go. After receiving her real estate certification in Portugal, Joanna began working in the posh area of the city where other agents said there was no business. She became very successful by door knocking and being accessible to the homeowners in the community. She began making a name for herself and received recognition by agents near and far for her prolific accomplishments. In 2008, Joanna joined the RE/MAX Portugal team—spotlighted as a Top 30 European RE/MAX office.

One of Joanna’s other passions is women’s empowerment and providing leadership opportunities to women, particularly women in Europe who are generally not encouraged in this way. Over the past couple of years, RE/MAX Empowering Ambitious Ladies (REAL) has come together, and Joanna, Michelle, and a few others set the course for the group during an event in Porto. Joanna hopes this community will provide a safe space for women to discuss their struggles and successes and spur each other onto greater things.

Connect with Joanna:

https://www.facebook.com/joannakoltan

https://pt.linkedin.com/in/joannakoltan

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https://www.marneyandes.com/

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Start with the Give-Me Shots with Marney Andes Mar 24, 2021

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Our guest on this episode of the Start With A Win podcast is Marney Andes, a learning and development executive coach, consultant, and author. She attributes her success to her humble beginnings and the lessons she learned from her father on a rural Nebraska farm. In her new book, “Start with the Give-Me Shots,” Marney outlines eight of the core lessons that her father taught her, which she has found herself recalling and sharing with others throughout her life. Her father passed away in 2012. Marney was motivated to write this book to allow his legacy to live on while sharing his message of intentionality and simplicity in relationships and community.

Marney discusses two of the lessons from the book on this episode of the podcast. Lesson 2 is “start with the give-me shots,” which underlines the importance of focusing on the basics and practicing them every day. This kind of intentional practice will make those things come naturally, so they are always ready when you need to call on them. This practice is much more impactful than wasting time on the things that don’t matter. Lesson 8 is “what have you done for the good of the community today?” Marney’s father used this question as a conversation starter because he loved connecting with people on more than just a surface level. As Marney has become an adult herself, she has come to appreciate the power of that question and the self-reflection it encourages. Marney says it is helpful to ask these questions as a part of this reflection: What happened today? What do I think and feel about it? What do I want to do about it?

“Start with the Give-Me Shots” will be available on Amazon starting March 23, 2021, so check it out there to learn the other six core lessons.

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Investing in Long-Term Success with Maggie Contos Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

Our special guest on this episode of the Start With A Win podcast is Adam’s daughter, Maggie Contos. She is a freshman at Oklahoma University majoring in psychology on a pre-law track. Her long-term goal is to move to New York City, go to law school, and then work for the FBI. Anyone who knows Maggie would say that she is well on her way to reaching that goal, and after this episode, you will likely see why.

Unlike most college freshmen, Maggie hits the gym almost every morning at 5:00 am, time blocks her day, and has a running list of tasks she wants to get done when she has free time. She is intentional about priorities—getting her schoolwork and studying done before hanging out with her friends and seeing things through completion. She is very aware of her big goals and the smaller goals she needs to achieve on the way to the bigger ones. This type of thinking helps her make necessary changes and marginal gains along the way and consistently seeing progress. In conjunction with her commitment to getting enough sleep every night and drinking plenty of water, her routines and habits reduce her stress and help her take on more responsibilities while maintaining a healthy balance.

Adam points out that the way Maggie approaches every day demonstrates emotional maturity and an internal locus of control. Maggie shares how her mindset of choosing the pain of discipline over the pain of regret helps her make those daily decisions. This mindset sets her apart from most 18-year-olds and gives her the margin to enjoy the small things while experiencing the realization of her goals. To those who may be listening who tend to get overwhelmed or burned out, Maggie says that the key is to remain focused on the goal and block out the time you need to get there every day.

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https://www.convinceandconvert.com/

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Creating a Coveted Customer Experience with Jay Baer Jan 13, 2021

Show notes

We are almost a year into the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Some businesses still haven’t adapted to the new needs of their customers. Jay Baer—a thought leader, keynote speaker, and advisor to many notable clients—shares his perspective with Start With A Win listeners that COVID-19 has provided an unprecedented opportunity for business growth if business owners are willing to take it. Right now, every business is a start-up because every business is having to reinvent themselves to accommodate the restrictions, changes, new expectations, and new needs of the business environment and consumers. People have adopted new ways of making purchasing decisions. Only the businesses that have kept up with their customers and the market are going to grow.

Jay and his team have come up with a framework for achieving the coveted customer experience, which means that when you consistently exceed expectations, price and perfection don’t matter any longer. Instead, customers will be won or lost based on these three qualities: quick, clear, and kind. That framework is what people care about right now, and it is the best way for businesses to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Almost every interaction they have had with anyone in 2020 has lacked those specific qualities. Even if you think you are doing a great job of practicing these qualities, you may be astounded to see the positive changes that would result from intentionally focusing on providing customers with a quick, clear, and kind experience. Consumers will be so pleasantly surprised that they will become unofficial brand ambassadors for you and help bring new business in the door.

Connect with Jay:

https://www.jaybaer.com/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/social-pros-podcast/id499844469

https://twitter.com/jaybaer

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaybaer

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Merry Christmas 2020 Dec 23, 2020

Show notes

Adam and Mark are in the Christmas spirit and want to talk all things sentimental on this episode of Start with a Win. They both tend to be last-minute shoppers, and their wives are known to be very specific about what they want, so it usually isn’t too difficult. Adam is particularly fond of Frank Sinatra and big band versions of traditional Christmas carols, perhaps because they bring back memories of his family listening to them on their record player on Christmas Eve under the light of the Christmas tree. Adam and Mark both love “It’s a Wonderful Life” and the stage versions of “A Christmas Carol” over any of the more modern movies. Mark’s most memorable gift was a B.B. gun when he was ten years old, which his dad pretended that Santa had forgotten before pointing Mark to its hidden location.

All of us here at Start with a Win want to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas!

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Being Proactive with Your 2021 Business Planning Dec 16, 2020

Show notes

This episode of Start With A Win provides listeners with a framework for planning for 2021 while evaluating the crazy year that was 2020 and regrouping to start next year with a win. Your goal after this episode should be to write out a business plan for Q1 of 2021 that can replicate for the remaining quarters. Take the time to write it down now so you can be intentional with your goals and actions. Your 2021 plan should include these four aspects:

Business plan – Walk through these three questions: “Who do you serve?”, “What is their biggest challenge?”, and “Does your product or service solve it?” Consider what business functions are working and which are not, evaluating what you might need to stop, start, or continue. Remember to spend time working on your business rather than only working in your business.
People plan – Whether you are a sole proprietor or you have a team around you, sit down and go through each position to gauge results and come up with a plan for what you need to stop, start, or continue. Perhaps like many businesses, you have had to pivot to a different model or structure due to COVID-19. Consider what changes may be needed long-term or short-term to accommodate safety protocols.
Customer plan – Your customers' needs have most likely changed since your last business planning session. Listen to what they are saying through the feedback they are giving you directly or indirectly, and put together a plan for things you need to stop, start, or continue.
Profit plan – There is no ROI in a goal, only ROI in action. Evaluate what adjustment you may need to make next year to fill in the gaps or make up some lost margins in 2020.

If you need help to structure your thoughts regarding where you are now and where you need to go, head over to StartWithAWin.com to download our business plan format!

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https://www.instagram.com/apoloohno/

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Prioritizing the Process Over the Prize with Apolo Ohno Nov 04, 2020

Show notes

Welcome to the second half of this Start With A Win interview with Apolo Ohno, renowned short track speed skater who has become an author, speaker, and philanthropist in his retirement. Apolo has been talking about reinvention, pushing past self-doubt to be able to thrive rather than just survive. Humans, he says, are incredibly adaptable and can reconfigure themselves by mental shifts. Life won’t be easy, but by having the right mindset and being prepared for obstacles, you can experience gratitude and happiness by focusing on the present moment. Apolo’s five principles for navigating any circumstances are gratitude, gift-giving, grit, gearing up personal expectations, and getting into action.

Apolo also encourages listeners to remember that you are not alone – you do not have to be alone – and your current situation is temporary – you do not have to live in the what-ifs. He has a few mottos that he consistently reminds himself of: “Don’t think you are – know you are.” And “Process over the prize.” A big part of being intentional with these mottos is setting up micro-routines that will help you track what you need to do to get to the goal. When it comes to limiting beliefs based on your self-doubts or your perceptions of the judgments of others, know that those things will probably happen at some point, so rather than dreading them, create an environment that lifts you. Society is gravitating towards radical authenticity, and you do not need to be afraid to fail. Know that your life is a gift and be conscious of how you are spending it with confidence that you can, and you will accomplish what you want to.

Connect with Apolo:

https://twitter.com/ApoloOhno

https://www.facebook.com/ApoloOhnoOfficial

https://apoloohno.com/

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