It's a Good Life

If you want greater client engagement, better internal collaboration and more profits, you need to be an Activator! In this episode, author Matt Dixon shares his extensive research on the traits of today’s rainmakers and explains how top performers drive consistent growth in their businesses by winning, retaining and developing loyal client relationships. YOU WILL LEARN:·     The five types of business developers.·     How Activators deliver business and personal value for clients.·     The importance of building and leveraging professional networks. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: “The Activator Advantage,” by Matthew Dixon “Made to Stick,” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath NOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE: “Activators don't rest on their laurels. They activate their expertise.” – Matt Dixon “Activators think of it very differently. The relationship happens first and then paid work is just the natural evolution of that relationship.” – Matt Dixon “Activators bring their colleagues in.” – Matt Dixon “Activators focus on a third dimension of value, something we call personal value.” – Matt Dixon “Being thoughtful and helpful at a personal level creates real stickiness for activators in the client relationship.” – Matt Dixonitsagoodlife.com

Click here to listen to the full episodeFailure is never fun, but it is an essential prerequisite for success. In this episode, Brian explains why failure is an inescapable part of life and teaches how you can recover from it to come back better than ever.  YOU WILL LEARN:·     Why failure stinks.·     How successful people handle failure.·     How to be the comeback kid.Free Business Consultation INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE:“I believe the good life is not so much a destination, but the journey to get there.” – Brian Buffini “A failure is like fertilizer. It stinks to be sure, but it makes things grow faster in the future.” – Denis Waitley “The key ingredient for growth is humility.” – Brian Buffini “The bottom line is we have to have optimism rooted in realism. And the realism is that, in every book of success, there are chapters of failure.” – Brian Buffini “You can be a great comeback story; your best days are still yet to happen.” – Brian Buffini “Your comeback story can be the inspiration to others.” – Brian Buffini “The pursuit of happiness is the happiness itself.” – Brian Buffiniitsagoodlife.com

AI can feel scary and overwhelming, but you can easily learn how to make it work for you to get real results. In this episode, AI expert Michael Thorne tells Brian how Buffini & Company's new AI Bootcamp will give you everything you need to leverage AI to work smarter, faster and better in your real estate business – no PhD in data science required! YOU WILL LEARN:·     Misconceptions about AI.·     Practical applications of AI.·     The future of AI and real estate. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:AI Bootcamp The Peak Experience CFSP NOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE: “You can be high-tech and super high-touch.” – Brian Buffini “AI can make small businesses operate as big businesses with smaller commitment.” – Brian Buffini “We're giving you the skill to build out exactly what you need for your business to take it to the next level.” – Michael Thorne “If you don't know how to use AI, you’re out of luck.” –  Brian Buffini “We want to use AI to help people reach their goals, grow their business and change their life for the better.” – Brian Buffiniitsagoodlife.com

Click here to listen to the full episodeIn today’s increasingly disconnected world, a great workplace culture is vital to the success of any business. In this episode, author and consultant Matt Mayberry shares how leaders can build a culture that drives organizational excellence and unleashes the full potential of every employee.  YOU WILL LEARN:·     How to define workplace culture.·     Why a company’s culture impacts its bottom line.·     How a mission statement differs from a cultural purpose statement. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:mattmayberryonline.com cultureistheway.com NOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE: “Culture is how your people feel on Sunday night before getting ready to start a new work week.” – Matt Mayberry “Culture is truly behavior at scale.” – Matt Mayberry “A culture has to be able to now breed out beyond boundaries, physical space and being in connection with one another.” – Brian Buffini “Culture and strategy are connected.” – Matt Mayberry “You can never let your small business have you be small-minded.” – Matt Mayberryitsagoodlife.com

Do you want to bring out the best in your people while also maximizing your bottom line? In this episode, former WD-40 Company CEO Garry Ridge explains how leaders can build dedicated teams and drive phenomenal success by following Aristotle’s principle, “Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” YOU WILL LEARN:·     The ‘dumbass’ leadership philosophy.·     The 4 pillars of a fearless tribe.·     The impact of values on organizational success.   MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: thelearningmoment.net “Any Dumbass Can Do It,” by Garry Ridge “Helping People Win at Work,” by Ken Blanchard and Garry Ridge “To Be Honest,” by Ron A. Carucci “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten,” by Robert FulghumNOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE: “Anything of value comes from learning.” – Garry Ridge    “People are happy when they know they're making a difference and they're respected for doing that.” – Garry Ridge   “Dumbassery is a superpower, and the dumbassery really is you as the leader deflating your ego and making sure your role is to bring out the best of everybody else.” – Garry Ridge   “Let's get rid of the word failure, and let's talk about ‘We don't make mistakes in our organization. We have learning moments.’” – Garry Ridge   “It's not about you; it's about the people you have the privilege to lead.” – Garry Ridge  itsagoodlife.com

Click here to listen to the full episodeEveryone has a unique communication style. In some interactions, you feel like you’re on the same page; in others, nothing clicks and you feel totally misunderstood. In this episode, REALStrengths expert Rachael Yeaman explores why so many people struggle to connect and reveals the secrets to high-level communication in business and in life. YOU WILL LEARN:·     How most people communicate. ·     Why miscommunications can happen so easily.·     How you can identify and use your natural communication style. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: REALStrengths Assessmentitsagoodlife.com NOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE: “The only way to have deep connection is to actually show someone who you are, which means you need to open yourself up.” – Rachael Yeaman “Our connection with others is only as strong and as deep as our connection with ourselves and the strengths that we have.” – Rachael Yeaman “Be mindful that who you are is not how the entire world is programmed.” – Rachael Yeaman “Be aware that not everybody is wired the exact same way. Ask questions to determine how they’re wired, and then adjust your style accordingly.” – Rachael Yeaman “Relationships are a two-way street. We don't need to have every problem solved in our heads before we open our mouth to actually speak. Allow it to be a reciprocal dynamic.” – Rachael Yeamanitsagoodlife.com

In today’s technological world, people feel less connected and more divided than ever before. In this episode, Celeste Headlee shares why real conversations matter so much and why we need to start talking to one another if we want to survive as a species. YOU WILL LEARN:·     The difference between communicating and conversing.·     The importance of listening.·     Actionable steps to improve conversation. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: celesteheadlee.com TED Talk headwaytraining.org “We Need to Talk,” by Celeste Headlee “The Pickwick Papers,” by Charles Dickens 12 Angry Men movie NOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE: “The more you do it, the more you realize how pleasurable it is to listen.” – Celeste Headlee   “Our species has only survived because of our conversational skills.” – Celeste Headlee   “We have to stop working against our own biology and neurology, understand how we work best and give ourselves the environment that's best suited to make us successful.” – Celeste Headlee   “There's a real connection to be made when someone feels heard.” – Celeste Headlee    “Learn how to say, ‘I don't know.’” – Celeste Headlee  itsagoodlife.com

Click here to listen to the full episodeConsumers today are inundated with so much promotional messaging and content in the marketplace that they often don’t know where to look or who to trust. In this episode, Brian interviews author, speaker and entrepreneur Ron Tite about his new book and learns what organizations must do to seize the attention of and build trust with customers in this busy world.    YOU WILL LEARN:·     The importance of authentic brand belief. ·     The steps a small business can take to stand out.·     The five questions every business narrative should answer. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: “Think Do Say,” by Ron Tite MasterMindNOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE: “A brand belief is really - what do you fundamentally believe in? And what do you believe in that goes beyond the thing you sell but that is strategically aligned to the thing you sell?” – Ron Tite “The way you can evaluate whether your brand belief is strategically linked to the thing you sell is to connect the two with the word ‘so’.” – Ron Tite “It should never be about just winning the battle for time. It should be about both standing out and capturing attention while building trust.” – Ron Tite “You are defined by the actions you take, not by the supposed philosophies you fundamentally believe.” – Ron Tite “What is the one thing you do that connects your purpose to where you make money?” – Ron Titeitsagoodlife.com

No matter what the market's doing, it's never a bad time for a good idea! In this episode, Tom Patterson shares his incredible entrepreneurial journey, from his small-town upbringing, to co-founding Tommy John during the 2008 recession and going on to achieve phenomenal success. YOU WILL LEARN:·     The value of mentorship and personal growth.·     The benefit of identifying opportunity in challenging times.  ·     The importance of a courageous mindset when others are fearful. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: tommyjohn.com The Shawshank Redemption “Die With Zero,” by Bill Perkins NOTEWORTHY QUOTES FROM THIS EPISODE: “Perfection is the enemy of good enough.” – Tom Patterson   “I don't believe that people are self-made. I think there's people that make you along the way in different seasons or periods of your life.” – Tom Patterson   “Great companies find ways to win and to build momentum in tough times.” – Tom Patterson   “Be courageous when everybody's fearful.” – Tom Patterson   “Once you stop growing and learning, you start dying.” – Tom Patterson