emotional breakdown

Bren Dubé – Thriving after an Emotional Breakdown: 3 Steps to Get You to Your Breakthrough (AoL 109)

/by

We live in a negative world. Society forces most of us to see things in a certain light and make us believe we have no power to change it. However, as creatives, we have the power to actually do something – because we’re creating!

Sometimes though, as creators we get lost along the path. We’re still doing our own work, but we’re doing it in a way that’s dictated to us in how we should be doing it.

Case in point, you have today’s guest, Bren Dubé. Bren is a successful musician. However, he realized that the lifestyle he was living while he was with his band Letterbomb wasn’t one he really wanted.

Once he realized that, he set out on a quest to find the life he wanted.

His secret was that he had a breakthrough. And what’s great is what he learned through his breakthrough is helping others achieve their own!

If you’re living a numb life and waiting to get to that next level, perhaps this chat will help you find more fulfillment in your life and work.

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • How did Bren’s background influence his start in music? 8:38
  • How did his band Letterbomb actually get off the ground and what lead to it’s failure? 16:44
  • With all their “success” – why did Bren’s brother decide to call him and let him know that he couldn’t be in the band any longer? 20:58
  • Where does he think he would be in life had his brother NOT quit the band? Does he feel he’s fulfilling his role as part of the Hero
  • Generation? 34:24
  • How do you help people that are going through a breakdown in their life? 41:17
  • What are Bren’s 3 Foundations of Change? 48:28
  • What’s next on the horizon for Bren? 56:27
  • Top books he recommends to others? 59:58
  • What’s one thing all high school students must know? 1:02:36
  • What’s it mean to live a life of abundance? 1:03:21
  • … and MUCH more!

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

 

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Bren – Let Go:

Bren – HONEST:

Cover of Razor by Foo Fighters (Acoustic):

Bren on TEDx:

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

how to get rid of malware

How to Get Rid of Malware on Your WordPress Website

/by

A website can make or break people’s perspective of whether or not you’re credible. When someone is legit, not only do they have a website but it’s one that is functional and findable. When you have that going for you, you can win their attention.

But what do you do if Google isn’t playing nice? What if you think you have Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools working for you but in reality, they’re not?

In today’s post, I’m going to not only share with you how I was able to fix my standing with Google search results, but also help you hopefully prevent future hacks.

 

My Introduction to Malware (the Hard Way)

So, here’s the deal. The New Inceptions site has been around since 2010. And for a long time, while I wanted to follow in the footsteps of the people I was learning from, for one reason or another, I wasn’t able to fully commit.

I’d write a post here or there – but never really had the time to actually put time into it.

And many times, what isn’t a habit, simply gets ignored.

Well, that’s what happened to the site. I wasn’t using it and because I wasn’t, the WordPress install files (including themes and plugins) all fell behind in updates.

The problem is that many of these updates are for security. And, truth is, if you fall behind, you’re leaving yourself prone to attack.

I didn’t know that at the time – and that’s when someone decided to upload malware on my site.

The way I found out was that I simply tried to hop on one time and I was given this warning instead of my site:

how to get rid of malware

Needless to say, I started to panic a bit.

Well after a few days of trying to figure the thing out, I basically decided that I was going to have to dump my site and start over.


And so I did.

 

But apparently, even after doing that, I hadn’t gotten rid of the problem.

 

I’d find out shortly after I relaunched New Inceptions in 2015, that I still hadn’t figured it out. But my solution at the time seemed to fix the problem…

 

2016 – A Chance of Intermittent Head Scratchers

So, there I am, moving along in 2016 with the AoL podcast and my regular scheduled blog posts.

 

I was about a year in and I was realizing I still hadn’t really gained much new traffic. Part of that, I figured, was simply because I didn’t know what I was doing with SEO. So I started following some advice that I was picking up from Bryan Harris and Brian Dean about how to structure posts so that they attract more people AND start ranking for SEO organically.

 

In the end, none of it seemed to work. I was still getting all this traffic from Indonesia and other asian countries – but not much from the US.

 

So weird. But my host couldn’t tell me why, nor could anyone in Google.

 

So I kept plugging away believing that like anything in life, success comes with time.

2017 – A New Host

Skip ahead to a few weeks ago – Houston got hit by Hurricane Harvey. As a result, Hostgator had all kinds of issues. From what I can gather, their primary server farm for the US is/was based there as well as their North American support staff.

 

Well, New Inceptions, along with my clients websites, were having all kinds of reliability problems.

 

So I decided that we’d have to move to another host. And luckily, Jake at America Multi-Sport had already tested another host for our Viking Trail Run series.

 

He was having good success with it (wasn’t slow, didn’t limit bandwidth, etc.) and I soon realized that I was going to move my account as well as client accounts over to the new host.

 

It was around this time that I had chosen to simply google NI and the result that I got simply blew me away:

how to get rid of malware

What in the world?!?

 

So I had the folks who were migrating NI to the new host could check for malware.

Unfortunately – they didn’t find any.

For about 3 weeks, I was left in this state as I couldn’t get ahold of anyone at Google that could help.

And during this time Google thinks my site is Japanese.

Wonderful.

 

The “Current” Solution

So, recently, I’ve been networking with different leaders of various groups using Arne’s FB Growth Course, I ran across one group called Blogging for Entrepreneurs hosted by Tori Reid.

Well, I posted the above image and asked if anyone might have ideas in how to fix it.

The response that got me going in the right direction: “Check your plugins to see if any of them haven’t been updated in awhile.”

That made me go back into my WordPress Dashboard and check out what hasn’t been updated for 6 months or more. I got rid of all of those that fit the criteria.

That didn’t do it.

But as soon as I did trash my last plugin, I get a notice from Wordfence saying that I might have some bad files in my installation of WordPress.

So I get over to see what it’s talking about…

AND THERE WAS STILL MALWARE!

Not only was this malware red flagged but it apparently it was installed from 2010 and 2011 – exactly when I first started having problems!

I couldn’t press the delete button quick enough! Lol.

After which, I update my Yoast SEO sitemap (an XML file you upload) on Google Webmaster Tools – and later that day, my the result looked like this:

how to get rid of malware

Hey, it’s not Japanese anymore!!

 

Final Result

As time has gone on since implementing this fix, my results have started to look better and better.

 

Today, I ended up with this as my results for NI:

how to get rid of malware

I think it might be finally fixed!

 

Action Steps

Alright – so guys, I hope you learned a couple of things in this one. First, don’t give up on problems you might not have the solution for right now. Just know that eventually it’ll work itself out.

Secondly, if you have WordPress installed – GET WORDFENCE for your site. Not only did it see these malware files, but it’s also limited tons of people from getting in and causing more mischief – including banning their IPs!!

Have any recent successes yourself with something you’ve been struggling with for awhile? Let me know. I’d love to hear about your win!!

music education

Edwin Culver – Finding Meaning in Music – How Music Education Goes Beyond the Classroom (AoL 107)

/by

Lots of people want to change the world – but, unfortunately, they think that only government can do that.

So how do you help them change that belief? To one where they think anything is possible?

I personally believe that anyone can make change – it’s just a matter of finding your own personal Truth and then applying that knowledge to the world around you. Helping people in a way that is uniquely you.

Today’s guest is a great example of that.

Having been trained as a classical musician, Edwin Culver first started his career as a teacher. However, he soon realized that this wasn’t his calling. His students were not nearly as fascinated about the arts as much as he first hoped they’d be.

He wanted to change this – but he wasn’t going to do so from the inside.

Today, he has transitioned to performing more regularly and training those that want to actually learn. But, like any good educator knows, it’s important to know the background of what you’re teaching so that you can give your students can understand the full context of what they’re learning.

In today’s chat, you’ll find out how he ended up with this perspective and also what he’s done to further his own education. We also discuss how someone can become a musician like him AND how he applies some of the things that he learned during a short internship with Wallbuilders and Mercury One.

Enjoy!

 

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • How did Edwin go from being a music teacher to becoming an actual performing musician? 14:16
  • Is playing other people’s music as fulfilling as playing his own? 29:15
  • Why did Edwin apply for the Wallbuilders’ leadership internship this past summer at TheBlaze studios? 42:05
  • What kind of specific experiences did he have during his internship that were memorable? 51:59
  • Were there any lessons he had that he now applies directly to his work as a musician? 58:14
  • How can someone pursue a career in music? 1:07:37
  • What is he currently working on that he’s excited about? 1:11:30
  • 3 Influencers or teachers which helped him to where he’s at today? 1:14:57
  • What’s a gift Edwin likes giving others? 1:18:39
  • What was the smallest decision he’s made that had the largest impact on his life? 1:20:18
  • What’s a skill that he’s often surprised people lack today? 1:22:06
  • What is the secret to achieving personal freedom? 1:25:33
  • … and MUCH more!

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

 

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Choros No. 1 by Heitor Villa-Lobosh:

Beginning of Edwin Culver’s performance (8/2/17):

Edwin Discussing Dissonance (pt1):

Edwin Discussing Dissonance (pt2):

Edwin’s intern group at the Leadership Training Program:

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

how to overcome insecurity

How to Overcome Insecurity when You’re Starting Something New

/by

Do you feel insecure?

Maybe about your passions? That they’re not shared by anyone else?

Maybe you’re insecure about social situations. Perhaps you’re wondering what people are thinking about you?

Or, are you simply worried about putting your art into the world? Again, thinking that someone might compare it to some great artist? Or they’ll make fun of it – or you’re afraid of the feedback you might get?

 

These are all insecurities that most of us face from time to time. If you weren’t then you’re not human.

There’s a trick, though, to not letting them stop you from putting yourself out into the world in a meaningful way.

Actually, there’s 4 ideas that you can use on yourself to psych yourself into doing things for the first time.

 

Competence Means Confidence

For me, I hated the way I sounded on the AoL Podcast when I was first starting. However, as I grew into the craft of making the show, my brain just grew accustomed to that voice. And what I would hear in my mind after a while, wasn’t so much me, but it was more of the talent that was the host of the AoL Podcast.

I had the opportunity to make that person sound good.

2 years into the podcast, I get compliments by guests that I actually sound like I know what I’m doing.

Today, I’m facing the same thing when starting this new group thing. A part of it is doing Facebook lives. While I’m not posting every day, I have already done a couple of them. Still not completely used to my face yet, but I’m sure I’ll get over that as well.

So, the first thing you need to do is just start.

You’re not going to master the rest of your life in one day. Just relax. Master the day. Then just keep doing that every day.

You’ll see that that action will yield results which then yields new beliefs.

Then repeat the process!

overcome insecurity

Feedback Yields Power

Don’t tie your work or feelings to anyone’s approval. Even to this day, there are people out there who don’t like Harry Potter, Star Wars, Star Trek – you name it. If it exists, there’s more than likely going to be people who don’t like something.

However, those who do like your stuff, when they let you know that they like it – it means you’re going in the right direction.

If they have constructive criticism, that’s even better. Not only is someone showing you that they care enough to let you know what they thought about your work, but they’re giving you feedback in a way that matters.

As an entrepreneur and leader, that’s what you want from your followers. To have feedback so you can know how you can help them!

Don’t search for the attitude with them or even yourself – use it as a way to get better in you craft.

And finally, you can’t perfect something if you don’t have other’s input about it.

 

Rejection Doesn’t Happen that Often

Here’s the thing, you’ve probably already interacted with plenty of people in your life. Hundreds, if not thousands of people. From all of those people, how often have you really dealt with rejection?

In fact, what life actually tells us is that people are going to be indifferent about what you’re doing more than they’ll actually reject it.

The main reason that I think people reject something is that it starts out being seeing as one thing and then, for whatever reason, it changes.

For example – New Coke.

How many New Coke situations have you heard of in your life? Not many! (I’m still not too thrilled about them changing Coke Zero to Coke Zero Calorie. It’s not the same thing!)

If you’re newly putting yourself out into the world, people are going to give you the benefit of the doubt that you’re new.

Plus, there’s a heck of alot more supportive people in the world than trolls.

 

Your Soul Won’t Settle

Take it from me. Ever since I heard from Pat Flynn about the online business world in 2009, I’ve been wanting to follow in his footsteps.

Here it is, 2017, and I’m still not to the level I’d like to be. BUT I will mention that things are going better than i would have expected a year ago at this time.

I now have a plan for the future.

But I wouldn’t have had that plan if I hadn’t have taken action.

I would be still wondering “Can I? Will I? Should I?”

And frankly, that wasn’t going to cut it… for the rest of my life.

So, if you already have that aching suspicion that you’re supposed to be doing something else than you’re already doing – and you continue to put it off, then you’re always going to have to fight those demons.

Do yourself a favor and get started as soon as you can in doing the work that you’re meant to do.

Your mission is waiting for you.

Action Steps

If you’re in that place right now, whether you’re an experienced entrepreneur or not and you’re not sure if you’re ready for the next big thing…

Ask yourself this one question.

What does my gut tell me I need to do next?

If it’s telling you to get up and do something different, then do whatever it is.

If you think it might help, make a mission statement. Let the world know that this is who you and who you see yourself becoming. Not tomorrow, but eventually.

If you need help figuring out what your mission is, check out this interview with David Anderson. It’s quickly becoming one of my go to episodes as I answer this insecurity issue from time to time.

sales skills

Mark Boersma – Developing your Sales Skills: Why Business Systems are Huge in Making Predictable Revenue (AoL 106)

/by

You always hear about people “systematizing” their work. However, so many of us, especially us solopreneurs, don’t take the time to do that. Sure, we might write an SOP if we hire a virtual assistant (if we’re smart), but when it comes down to our creative work we never take the time to think about what might be easier if we actually detail out what gets results.

As you’ll find out in the interview of Mark Boersma, he started systemizing early on. Having an analytical mind, he out thought his problem and now teaches others how to turn sales, which can seem like an intangible skill, into something that’s very step by step.

In today’s chat, Mark discusses with me why he had to figure this system out, what the results of it gave him, and how knowing personalities plays into the success of this system.

Enjoy!

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • Why did Mark get three bachelor degrees? 10:41
  • Did he feel that going to college was a detour of what he should be doing in his career? 13:22
  • When he got out of school, why did he immediately go for a 100% commission paid position? 15:02
  • What was the first tool that he made which systematized his sales? 20:35
  • How does knowing about personalities useful in making sales? 23:44
  • What’s the accuracy percentage of the personality assessment he uses with people? 30:54
  • What are some of the things Mark is looking forward to in the future with Synergy Solutions? 35:51
  • Who are 3 influencers who have helped him get to where he is today? 41:38
  • What is a scientific fact that he knows his true but still blows him away? 42:49
  • What’s an unwritten rule that should actually be written today? 43:55
  • What’s something that he belives all high school students must know? 45:18
  • What does it mean to live a life of abundance? 46:39
  • … and MUCH more!

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

 

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Mark and Tom interviewed by the Milwaukee’s Morning Blend:

Mark on Thinkers vs Doers:

ClickFunnels Viral Ad 2017:

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!

knowing when to quit

Knowing When to Quit: Sometimes you have to Slow Down to Speed Up

/by

I’ve been struggling with a question that has been making me think recently. Last week during my 9/12 rememberance, one of the things that I realized was that “things change”.

This has always been the case, obviously, with just about anything – but it’s especially true with online business and marketing.

When I first ran across the online entrepreneurial community, there weren’t nearly as many players as they are today. Facebook and Twitter were still becoming mainstream for businesses to use (I mean, I remember when the Twitter Marketing for Dummies came out. It was the first of its kind!)

Back then, blogs were still popular on the web and the good blogs had their own YouTube channel and podcasts.

In fact, at the time, Pat Flynn said the strategy that worked for him to get noticed was one he dubbed “Be Everywhere”.

And for the longest time, it seems that this strategy has worked for plenty of other folks out there – people who have had success building their popularity on the web.

But, as I said, things change.

 

Using the Web in 2017

When you think about how people use the web in 2017, how is it different than say someone using it in 2013 or even 2011?

For me, I know that more than half of consumers who used to use laptops and desktops have opted for something a little smaller – especially in their time off.

They’re using their phone.

Even more, they’re probably checking Facebook and other social media apps much more regularly than going to someone’s web page or simply checking what’s trending on Google.

Why?

Just like you want to make it easier for people to take as few left turns as possible to get to a drive-thru, Facebook has made it so that everything can be found under one roof. Much easier than navigating on a browser to a webpage… and then another.

Why leave Facebook?

So, it’s pretty easy to see why people are making a killing building sales funnels through Facebook. The eyeballs are on it all the time.

Sure, you can spend a ton of time becoming a thought leader and developing your own external brand, but why?

Things have changed. What worked 5 or even a couple years ago, might not necessarily work today.

 

Knowing when to Quit

So, here’s the plan, guys. As you might have heard on the podcast last week, I’m going to be more available on Facebook throughout the week as well as taking a few courses that I’ve been meaning to take.

After my initial posting of the Facebook Mega Group post, I’ve been thinking – why aren’t I building one of these groups myself?

What occurred to me was that I’m getting lost in the details of the work I’m doing. It seriously takes me like 2 and a half days of working time to produce a podcast episode based on my personal tastes. That’s half the week! Not to mention the time I put into finding and talking with guests, and then marketing the new episode.

By the time all is said and done, I easily have 3 days in each episode. The other two days are shot with meetings and/or researching and writing these posts.

Frankly, I don’t have much time, if any, to actually go through new courses or spend time engaging with you all!

So, last week, as per what Lisa recommended, I have to spend my energy more appropriately. I have to get higher. I can’t stay down in the weeds all the time.

Plus, I have to make sure I follow the recent advise that Brendon said. It went something like “If your current work isn’t going to get you to a place where you’re happy – then why continue the work?”.

Here’s the video of Brendon on when to quit.

 

Coming to a Solution – Slow Down to Speed Up

Here’s the thing, though. I don’t want to quit the podcast outright. It’s been my way of meeting great people on Facebook and at the same time, giving them a way to get their message out there. Personally, since I listen to podcasts as often as I do, I’d just feel weird if I wasn’t producing them all of a sudden.

So, that’s where the two a month solution came from. While it might not be new content each week – I get the chance to actually study other’s content again and apply new findings to my business and help you guys with yours as well.

Plus, I figure this might give some folks a bit of time to hear all the old episodes. Heck, it might even give me some time to remaster some of those old interviews!

 

Action Steps

So there’s my take guys. This why I need to change things up a bit. Hopefully it gives you guys some permission to change things up in your own business as well.

Ask yourself – is what you’re doing right now, the way you’re doing it, going to get you to happiness any quicker? Is there something else you could try to get there?

For Arne and JR – making a Facebook Group was the option they took to achieve the results they have today. Maybe it’s time for you to consider the same thing?

That said, stay tuned for specifics on the new group! I hope to have info out about it at the end of the week!!

 

Bonus: 

Also, since we’re on the topic of slowing down to speed up. Check out this footage of a Bugatti Veron having problems with a speed bump:

reading body language

Lisa Mitchell – Becoming Aware of Your Body Posture: Why Reading Body Language and Giving the Right First Impression are Vital to Success (AoL 105)

/by

Whether you’re on a phone, in person, or standing on stage – communication is king. In general, when you think about the word communication, your first thought probably is a vision of someone talking.

I know that’s the case for me.

However, during the time when we’re talking or simply standing still, our body is actually speaking for us as well. In fact, non-verbal communication is often what truly conveys our message more so than our actual words!

In today’s chat with Lisa Mitchell, we find out more about non-verbal communication and how it affects our daily lives as well as our businesses. We also get into why authenticity is so important in today’s world, and we even get into why body language needs to be part of the next generation of online dating.

 

SPECIFICALLY, YOU’LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT:

  • Why did Lisa leave behind a career as a coffee house owner to pursue her current career? 10:03
  • Why was the underlying reason she struggled with her first business? 14:47
  • What was her “aha moment” when she realized that she wanted to help people communicate better? 18:56
  • What are some ways that a person can manage their first impression a bit more? 26:41
  • What are the three parts of nonverbal communication? 31:31
  • Why does Lisa believe that the market demands authenticity from their experts? 36:32
  • When it comes to body language, how does being aware of your decoding process help? 39:36
  • What are some of the common conflicts and trends Lisa has seen between Millennials and Corporate? 46:41
  • What got her started helping people in romantic relationships as well? 51:17
  • How are some common problems that young professionals have when it comes to dating? 57:08
  • What does Lisa think the next big thing in online dating is? 1:01:13
  • How can someone plan for a good first impression? 1:04:06
  • What does Lisa have coming up to look forward to? 1:06:07
  • Who are three influencers that has helped her get to where she is today? 1:07:53
  • What’s here least favorite social custom? 1:12:12
  • What kind of advice does she hear parents giving kids that she’d call BS on? 1:14:25
  • How can someone be a difference maker in their community? 1:18:01
  • … and MUCH more!

Right click here and save-as to download this episode to your computer.

ITEMS and PEOPLE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SHOW NOTE EXTRAS:

Be a human lie detector:

Own the Room (pt1):

Own the Room (pt2):

Avoid the Question Inflection (Don’t be a valley girl!):

What does LeBron’s post-shot behavior mean?:

Thanks for Listening!

Thanks so much for joining us again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for The AoL Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and we read each and every one of them.

If you have any questions feel free to email them over via the email mentioned in the show or by our contact form.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, and/or Google Play Music. It’s absolutely free to do so.

A huge thank-you to you guys for joining us!

Cheers!