Voice Of Influence

Danny Williamson is a communicator, humorist, Navy veteran, and poet who’s absolutely passionate about joy. He has more than sixteen years of leadership and ministry experience serving in the U.S. Navy, as a co-founder of a non-profit mission organization, as a church planning missionary in Argentina, and as an associate pastor in California. Danny has a bachelor’s degree in Religion and a master’s degree in Executive Leadership. He is also the author of the recently released book called Where’s the Joy? In this episode, Danny discusses the three main professional activities he’s currently involved in, how he manages his time to allow room for all the things he does, how he became interested in the topic of joy, the importance of understanding that we have a choice to be joyful and to bring joy to those around us, the four main choices we make that impact our joy and the joy of others, how we can choose to be more grateful, the value of bringing joy into our leadership style, how a nun taught him one of the g

I'm not one of those people who believe everything happens for a reason. However, I do believe we can choose how we respond to obstacles in life and that every obstacle opens the door to an opportunity. In this episode, I go deeper into this topic by telling a story about how my dog made the best of a bad situation because she didn't know any other way to respond. I also talk about how this lesson can help you find the opportunity in any obstacle.

Johnathan Grzybowski is the Chief Marketing Officer and Co-Founder of Penji, an on-demand graphic design service that is fast, simple, and affordable. Penji was named “Top Start-Up to Watch” by Philadelphia Magazine and has been mentioned in major publications like Success Magazine, Huffington Post, Forbes, and INC. Prior to Penji, Johnathan founded multiple marketing-related start-ups and worked for Apple. He is also the host of the Blind Entrepreneurship podcast. In this episode, Johnathan discusses why he started a graphic design service he says he’s the “least qualified” person to do graphic design work, what he believes helped Penji take off so quickly, what it’s been like to grow his company to nearly 50 team members in such a short period of time, how he helps his team members adopt the company culture, how he came to realize he needed to keep his ego in check, the two questions he always asks during the hiring process, and more! Learn about how our Team Performance System and Personal Brand Strategy c

When you carry influence, there will be opportunities for you to speaking into the lives and others and others might see this and you being critical of them. As people of influence, we need to find ways to turn feedback into a situation that actually builds people up instead of making everyone as if they need to defend themselves. In this episode, I provide three tips for making a feedback culture normal and natural in your organization. Learn about how our Team Performance System and Personal Brand Strategy can Help You Serve Well and Sell More at  www.voiceofinfluence.net   Read the transcript here:   https://www.voiceofinfluence.net/94 Give and receive feedback that makes a difference! Register for our 20 minute Deep Impact Method video course here:  www.voiceofinfluence.net/deepimpact

Kathy Bourque is the author of Conquering Busyness: A definitive guide to stop the overwhelm, get intentional and accomplish great things. In this episode, Kathy discusses the inspiration behind the book, the difference between being productive and being effective, the roles your mindset and values play in being an effective leader, why we shouldn’t be people-pleasing perfectionists, her tips for owning your processes and priorities while still maintaining the responsibilities required of you and your position, what an “excuse clause” is, the a-ha moment about the story she was telling herself that changed her life, the importance of getting your fears out in the open, how decision fatigue impacts our daily lives, and more! Learn about how our Team Performance System and Personal Brand Strategy can Help You Serve Well and Sell More at  www.voiceofinfluence.net   Read the transcript here:   https://www.voiceofinfluence.net/93 Give and receive feedback that makes a difference! Register for our 20 minute Deep

This week’s topic of bragging is a subject I see come up quite frequently when I speak with people about who they are, their identity, and how they show up in the world. In this episode, I talk about what bragging really is, why it comes up so often in my conversations, why being self-deprecating isn’t ideal either, why we should strive to project humility instead of bragging or self-deprecation, the different between bragging and honestly sharing your excitement about something that is important to you, how we need to change the way we generally handle compliments, the importance of valuing the gifts of others as much as you value your own, and more! Learn about how our Team Performance System and Personal Brand Strategy can Help You Serve Well and Sell More at  www.voiceofinfluence.net   Read the transcript here:   https://www.voiceofinfluence.net/92 Give and receive feedback that makes a difference! Register for our 20 minute Deep Impact Method video course here:  www.voiceofinfluence.net/deepimpact

Daniel Kimble is an executive coach, keynote speaker, motorcycle road race winner, and a 30+ year veteran of Silicon Valley. He is also the author of Unshakeable Influence: Mastering the Inner Game of Leadership and the CEO of Resonance Executive Coaching; a global executive coaching firm. In this episode, Daniel talks about the importance of mastering the “inner game” as an executive or leader, the difference between having a short-term mindset and a long-term mindset as a leader, the common symptoms leaders might experience if they’re not focusing on the inner game, why he believes we need to slow down so we can go faster, how a mindset focused on the wrong things limits our performance and the performance of those around us, the importance of the language we use when we speak to ourselves, his advice for helping leaders navigate the lonely road of leadership, and more! Learn about how our Team Performance System and Personal Brand Strategy can Help You Serve Well and Sell More at  www.voiceofinfluence.net

Why do high-stakes conversations always feel so intense? Is it really necessary for these difficult conversations to feel like they’re really so high-stakes? In this episode, I discuss the two questions above, what makes a conversation a high-stakes one, three questions to help you be prepared and ready to create the best outcome we can, the importance of understanding how you handle stressful situations and conversations, and more. Learn about how our Team Performance System and Personal Brand Strategy can Help You Serve Well and Sell More at  www.voiceofinfluence.net   Read the transcript here:   https://www.voiceofinfluence.net/90 Give and receive feedback that makes a difference! Register for our 20 minute Deep Impact Method video course here:  www.voiceofinfluence.net/deepimpact

As you likely know by now, I’ve been focusing on customer service for the past several weeks and interviewing my fellow Smart Customer Service conference speakers. Today, I would like to give you my personal takes on customer service. In this episode, I briefly discuss three of the most important aspects to keep in mind while building a customer support team and then I go in depth about the main component that often gets overlooked when working on these three things. Learn about how our Team Performance System and Personal Brand Strategy can Help You Serve Well and Sell More at  www.voiceofinfluence.net   Read the transcript here:   https://www.voiceofinfluence.net/89 Give and receive feedback that makes a difference! Register for our 20 minute Deep Impact Method video course here:  www.voiceofinfluence.net/deepimpact

Over the past several weeks I’ve been speaking with other presenters who’ll be joining me at the Smart Customer Service conference in Washington D.C. starting on April 29th. Well, today I have a very special treat for you because I was fortunate enough to speak with the leader of the conference, Bob Fernekees. Bob is also the Publisher of CRM Magazine. In this episode, Bob discusses what led him to the customer service industry and why it means so much to him, the work he does at CRM Magazine, how the Smart Customer Service brand came to be, the changes and trends he’s noticing in the customer service field, his thoughts on A.I. and how it will impact the landscape of customer service and brand management, the details of his upcoming Smart Customer Service conference, and more! Learn about how our Team Performance System and Personal Brand Strategy can Help You Serve Well and Sell More at  www.voiceofinfluence.net   Read the transcript here:   https://www.voiceofinfluence.net/88 Give and receive feedback th

Robert Lamb is a customer interaction expert with thirty years of experience. He specializes in transformational strategies for virtualized omnichannel customer contact. He has multiple technical certifications for designing, implementing, integrating, and developing applications for various technologies. Robert has consulted for over 400 customers and designed architectures implemented for over 150 clients. He’s also a published author, an in-demand speaker, and a frequent blogger on customer contact. In this episode, Robert explains how he got involved with this field, what he means when he says he “makes the complex simple” and helps businesses do the best for them and their customers, how his work specifically applies to call centers, the other contact options a company can utilize besides a typical call center, the things a business needs to consider when evaluating feedback and analytics for their customer interactions, his tips for businesses that are looking to have their customer service representati

Jeff Toister has written three customer service books; including his new book, Getting Service Right: Overcoming the Hidden Obstacles to Outstanding Customer Service. Jeff has been recognized as a top customer service thought-leader by Global Gurus, ICMI, and COM100. More than 140,000 people on six continents have taken his video-based training courses on Linda.com. His training videos include Customer Service Foundations and Leading a Customer-Centric Culture. In this episode, Jeff discusses his new book, how he got into the customer service field, why he firmly believes providing great customer service isn’t just a matter of using common sense, why customer service leaders shouldn’t be dismissive of angry customers, how customers sabotage the service they receive, a breakdown of the “Zone of Hospitality,” and more! Learn about how our Team Performance System and Personal Brand Strategy can Help You Serve Well and Sell More at  www.voiceofinfluence.net   Read the transcript here:   https://www.voiceofinflu

Tisa Sinclair’s work experience has given her the opportunity to engage in several areas of communications from public relations to social media and digital marketing.  She currently leads a D.C. based team that forges the ongoing social care strategies, processes, and official responses to members and nonmembers as they interact with AARP’s digital content. This program is a key feedback component to the AARP customer experience strategy. In this episode, Tisa talks about her role at AARP, how having a clear company vision and a centralized communication hub for all branches of the company allows AARP to keep their communication and messaging consistent across the board, how they were able to get their employees and representatives in 53 different states to buy into their communication strategy, how customers usually provide feedback to AARP and what she’s found surprising in all the feedback, how having company values and purposes are valuable to the service teams, what it was like building loyalty and trus

Chris Malone is the Founder and Managing Partner of the research-based consulting firm, Fidelum Partners, and has previously held senior marketing positions at leading organizations such as Choice Hotels, ARAMARK, Coca- Cola, the National Basketball Association, and Procter & Gamble and has consulted to a broad range of Fortune 500 companies. Chris is co-author of the award-winning book, The HUMAN Brand: How We Relate to People, Products & Companies.  He is also a frequent guest and contributor to CNBC, FOX Business, Bloomberg TV, Wall Street Journal Live, Forbes and Businessweek. In this episode, Chris talks about the work he does with his current company, what the warmth and competence human perception model is, what led Chris to study this model and write his book, what we can do to ensure others perceive warmth in us, the role confidence plays in both warmth and competence, how his work relates to customer service, and more! Learn about how our Team Performance System and Personal Brand Strategy c

Stan Phelps is a Forbes contributor, TEDx speaker, and IBM Futurist who focuses on customer experience and employee engagement that can drive differentiation, increase loyalty, and create word of mouth in business. He holds a JD/MBA from Villanova University and a certificate for Achieving Breakthrough Service from Harvard Business School. In this episode, we discuss how Stan became interested in the field of customer service, how he believes marketing should focus more on the customer’s experience with your company or product, why he feels you either exceed someone’s expectations or you fall short, why he wrote his “Goldfish” book series and what they cover, the two sides of the customer experience coin, what he hopes those attending his presentation at the Smart Customer Service Conference will walk away with, and more! Learn about how our Team Performance System and Personal Brand Strategy can Help You Serve Well and Sell More at  www.voiceofinfluence.net   Read the transcript here:   https://www.voiceof

Derrick Ricca is a 25+ year veteran of the hospitality industry who has been the Senior Sales Manager for Greenleaf Hospitality Group for the past 17 years. His true passions are customer service, mentoring, coaching, and food. In this episode, Derrick discusses how he got into the hospitality field, why he believes you have to drop your ego to provide good customer service, what he feels makes the biggest difference in getting a group of people to implement and adapt to changes, how he gets a transient workforce to embrace the “environment” of the business, why he strives for a blend of work and life instead of balancing the two, and more! Learn about how our Team Performance System and Personal Brand Strategy can Help You Serve Well and Sell More at  www.voiceofinfluence.net   Read the transcript here:   https://www.voiceofinfluence.net/82 Give and receive feedback that makes a difference! Register for our 20 minute Deep Impact Method video course here:  www.voiceofinfluence.net/deepimpact

As Founder of E-WRITE, Leslie O'Flahavan, is a problem solver for work-related writing challenges who has helped thousands of people learn how to write well. She helps customer service agents write on-brand email, chat, and social media posts. In this episode, Leslie discusses what led her to create her business back in 1996, why she’s so passionate about helping customer services representatives, the top skills she helped several major airlines incorporate into their customer service writings, how personal connections with your customers offset repeat complaints about the same issue, what a “brand voice” is and how she helps customer service agents write in that voice, and more! Learn about how our Team Performance System and Personal Brand Strategy can Help You Serve Well and Sell More at  www.voiceofinfluence.net   Read the transcript here:   https://www.voiceofinfluence.net/81 Give and receive feedback that makes a difference! Register for our 20 minute Deep Impact Method video course here:  www.voiceo

Kristie Rogers is an Assistant Professor of Management at Marquette University. Her research focuses on how people define themselves and experience respect at work. Kristie’s research has been published in top-tier management journals such as Administrative Science Quarterly and Harvard Business Review. In episode 75 of the Voice of Influence podcast, I talked about an article Kristie wrote in the Harvard Business review and I’m delighted to have her on the show today so can take a deeper dive into her work. In this episode, Kristie talks about how she conducts her research in a qualitative way and what that means, why she’s passionate about sharing the work experiences of people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to do so, the personal reason for why she chose to focus her research on the topic of respect in the workplace, her thoughts the definitions of owed and earned respect, how an employee feeling both types of respects benefits the employer as well as the employee, the detrimental effects to violations of

Recently, my children came home from school and they were telling me about a girl who was "bossy" and it was clearly a negative thing to them. This made me think about how children, especially ones who're sensitive to the feedback of others, struggle to know when it's appropriate to assert their voice and when they should hold back.  In this episode, I speak about how to find that balance and read an excerpt from my book, Unfrozen: Stop Holding Back and Release the Real You, of a story from my own life that perfectly represents this struggle. Learn about how our Team Performance System and Personal Brand Strategy can Help You Serve Well and Sell More at  www.voiceofinfluence.net   Read the transcript here:   https://www.voiceofinfluence.net/79 Give and receive feedback that makes a difference! Register for our 20 minute Deep Impact Method video course here:  www.voiceofinfluence.net/deepimpact

Kim Gravel is a veteran tv host, entrepreneur, public speaker, and life coach who’s appeared on The Steve Harvey Show and was regularly featured on SiriusXM’s Dirty Pop with Lance Bass. Through her own hit show, Kim of Queens, she was able to entertain audiences with her quick wit and vivacious storytelling. In just two years, Kim was able to build her business from nothing to a $60 million success. In this episode, Kim shares the core purpose of her message, how her voice was always as strong and confident as it is today, the value of communication, why helping others with self-expression is a large part of what Kim does in her work, why you need to quit preparing and start doing, the importance of being passionate about what you do, and so much more! Learn about how our Team Performance System and Personal Brand Strategy can Help You Serve Well and Sell More at  www.voiceofinfluence.net   Read the transcript here:   https://www.voiceofinfluence.net/78 Give and receive feedback that makes a difference! Reg