The Startup Sessions with Michael Knouse

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There was a time in my life when working as a successful software sales executive looked good from the outside but I felt like something was missing. This set me on a journey of discovering more meaningful work &#8211; the path that led me to where I am today.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In this reflective episode, I break down the 5 turning points that brought me to where I am today &#8211; happily working in my</span><a href="https://www.michaelknouse.com/blog/are-you-living-in-your-zone-of-genius/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <strong>Zone of Genius</strong></a>.</p> <h2><strong>HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS EPISODE: </strong></h2> <ul> <li><b>What to ask yourself in order to be great. (6:00)</b></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why did I leave it all behind? (9:00)</span></li> <li><b>How coaching changed my life. (10:25)</b></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Understanding The Four Zones and where you stand. (13:55)</span></li> <li><b>What is the Zone of Genius? (15:25)</b></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">The “accidental” weekend conference that changed everything. (17:17)</span></li> <li><b>Thank God I got laid off! (23:40)</b></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">The embodiment of my new identity as a coach. (26:40)</span></li> </ul> <h2><em>“What could it look like to be getting paid for the innate skills you have? That’s what life is really about.”</em></h2> <h2><em>– MICHAEL KNOUSE</em></h2> <h2>MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:</h2> <ul> <li><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Big-Leap-Conquer-Hidden-Level/dp/0061735361/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&amp;keywords=gay+hendricks&amp;qid=1627427864&amp;sr=8-3/?&amp;tag=startupsessions-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="https://worlddominationsummit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">World Domination Summit</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="https://www.michaelknouse.com/blog/how-i-made-the-leap-from-corporate-employee-to-full-time-coach/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How I Made The Leap From Corporate Employee To Full Time Coach</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="https://www.michaelknouse.com/blog/how-i-built-a-profitable-coaching-business/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How I Started and Built a Rewarding and Profitable Coaching Business</a></strong></li> </ul> <h2>ABOUT <strong>MICHAEL KNOUSE</strong>:</h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Michael Knouse is a business coach and purpose builder. He helps emerging entrepreneurs build potent, purposeful businesses that allow them to contribute their greatest gifts to humanity.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After a 14 year career as a software sales executive and 8 years as a coach, Michael blends his unique wisdom, experience and skill to help visionary business builders craft a life and business that feeds their soul.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When he’s not rooting for the success of his clients, Michael can be found on the trails of the Pacfic Northwest, shredding steeps on powder days, or adventuring with his incredible wife Jill and their two mischievous dogs (Dug and Addiebelle).</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2><em>“To make the leap into your Zone of Genius requires us to do some deeper soul work.”</em></h2> <h2><em>– MICHAEL KNOUSE</em></h2>The post <a href="https://www.michaelknouse.com/episodes/episode-199-are-you-living-in-your-zone-of-genius/">Episode 199: Are You Living In Your Zone of Genius?</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.michaelknouse.com">Michael Knouse</a>.

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Becki Saltzman, Chief Curiosity Seeker and founder of </span><a href="https://beckisaltzman.com/"><b>Applied Curiosity Lab</b></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, is on a quest to create as many good thinkers as possible. She is an expert at helping leaders tap into the art and science of curiosity and critical thinking &#8211; to capture hidden insights, spot decision traps, and avoid being blindsided by cognitive biases &amp; unexamined assumptions. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you’re curious about how to make wiser decisions in business and life, then this episode will have you leaning in and taking lots of notes. Becky brings her witty and no-nonsense approach to the show and demonstrates how critical thinking can make better decision-makers of us all.</span></p> <h2><strong>HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS EPISODE: </strong></h2> <ul> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">How to use critical thinking to bust assumptions and make wiser decisions. (4:47)</span></li> <li><b>How this one little-known technique (asking for disconfirming evidence) can save you from making a dangerous decision. (10:50)</b></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why it’s important to know the downside of what you’re selling. (13:18)</span></li> <li><b>Learn how to capture insights that most will miss. (18:10)</b></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why measuring outcomes is NOT the best way to evaluate success. (20:30)</span></li> <li><b>Why you don’t have to become a specialist to be a good thinker. (24:07)</b></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">How good coaching can help you interrogate your ideas and make them even better. (28:51)</span></li> <li><b>How disconfirming evidence can play an important role in coaching. (35:24)</b></li> </ul> <h2><em>“ONCE YOU KNOW HOW TO THINK, WHAT TO THINK BECOMES AGNOSTIC.”</em></h2> <h2><em>– BECKI SALTZMAN</em></h2> <h2>MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:</h2> <ul> <li><strong><a href="https://beckisaltzman.com/hsdm-readiness-assessment" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">FREE High Stakes Decision Making Readiness Assessment</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/learning/instructors/becki-saltzman" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Preview Becki’s courses on the LinkedIn Learning Platform</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/becki-saltzman-406a6111/detail/recent-activity/shares/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Check out Becki’s weekly show: Good Thinking LIVE</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="https://beckisaltzman.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Applied Curiosity Lab</a></strong></li> <li><strong><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/becki-saltzman-406a6111/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Connect with Becki on LinkedIn</a></strong></li> </ul> <h2>ABOUT <strong>BECKI SALTZMAN</strong>:</h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As Chief Curiosity Seeker and founder of Applied Curiosity Lab, Becki Saltzman conducts engaging online and in-person training workshops to help leaders and their teams cultivate a culture of curiosity, inspire ideation, tackle cognitive biases, and upgrade critical thinking for improved judgment and decision-making.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Becki holds a master’s degree in applied behavioral science and has spent the last two decades studying the science and art of Applied Curiosity and critical thinking. She is an international best selling course creator on the LinkedIn Learning platform as well as the author of </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Living Curiously: How to Use Curiosity to Be Remarkable and Do Good Stuff</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Arousing the Buy Curious: Real Estate Pillow Talk for Patrons and Professionals.</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">When she’s not traveling to conduct training and workshops, Becki lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband. Becki loves her two glorious sons, exciting travel adventures, speaking to inspired audiences, dancing on crowded dance floors, and sipping brown drinks.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2><em>“It is very easy to use the outcome as the single measure of the efficacy of your decision process, but between every decision and outcome is a huge amount of luck.”</em></h2> <h2><em>– BECKI SALTZMAN</em></h2>The post <a href="https://www.michaelknouse.com/episodes/episode-198-will-critical-thinking-make-you-a-better-entrepreneur/">Episode 198: Will Critical Thinking Make You A Better Entrepreneur?</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.michaelknouse.com">Michael Knouse</a>.

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coaching is a unique kind of business and this episode explores how Ben Easter grew his coaching business very quickly by keeping things simple and focusing on fine-tuning his enrollment and sales process.  </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ben brings an infectious energy to this thing we call “coaching” and I’m so excited to feature his unique story and style. You’ll hear how he went from broken to breakthrough and how he </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">helps badass entrepreneurs shift into the most authentic expressions of themselves.</span></p> <h2><strong>HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS EPISODE: </strong></h2> <ul> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">The difference between a Business Coach and a Business Mindset Coach (1:35)</span></li> <li><b>How to recognize misalignment in your business or life and what to do about it (6:51)</b></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">How golf lessons, Deepak Chopra, and a head injury led Ben to coaching (10:52)</span></li> <li><b>Why taking tiny steps is the key to achieving any big goal (20:02)</b></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ben shares his BIG shift about how to “sell” coaching (27:52)</span></li> <li><b>The audacity to do work that feels like play! (35:02)</b></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">How Ben realized 4X ROI in 3 months (44:09)</span></li> <li><b>An increase in client conversion rate from 20% to 80% (53:00)</b></li> <li><span style="font-weight: 400;">Priceless… Ben receives a $5,500 payment WHILE discussing enrollment best practices (1:01:54)</span></li> </ul> <h2><em>“THERE&#8217;S NO MAGIC INGREDIENT THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THINGS WORK. YOU JUST NEED TO BE DEDICATED TO MAKING INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS.”</em></h2> <h2><em>– BEN EASTER</em></h2> <h2>MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:</h2> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><b>Ben’s </b><a href="http://lucidshiftcoaching.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>website</b></a></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><b>Connect with Ben on </b><a href="https://www.instagram.com/lucid_shift/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Instagram</b></a></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://tim.blog/2015/12/14/derek-sivers-on-developing-confidence-finding-happiness-and-saying-no-to-millions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Tim Ferriss podcast with Derek Sivers</b></a></li> </ul> <h2>ABOUT <strong>BEN EASTER</strong>:</h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ben Easter is a Business Mindset Coach that helps emerging entrepreneurs overcome their mental gremlins and build better businesses. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After a decade of deliberate study and practice in the fields of personal development, social dynamics, cognitive neuroscience, and the art of learning (not to mention a lot of painful trial and error), </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ben came to realize that he had transformed. And now Ben loves helping other people transform too.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ben brings a fresh perspective and a playful approach to his work and in this episode you’re going to hear his unique journey to coaching and how he’s growing his coaching business, serving his clients deeply, and establishing himself as a coach that blends a unique combination of strategic planning, practical examination, and focused, playful curiosity. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2><em>“IF YOU REALLY WANT TO TAKE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL, THERE&#8217;S NO BETTER WAY THAN HAVING SOMEONE THERE TO SUPPORT YOU. YOU WILL NEVER REGRET IT.&#8221;</em></h2> <h2><em>– BEN EASTER</em></h2>The post <a href="https://www.michaelknouse.com/episodes/episode-197-from-broken-to-breakthrough-with-ben-easter/">Episode 197: From Broken To Breakthrough</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.michaelknouse.com">Michael Knouse</a>.

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Entrepreneurship is alive and well and Michael Riscica is here to prove it! Michael </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">completely bootstrapped his business from scratch, starting it as a side-hustle while working full time as a licensed architect. Today Michael has the fastest growing coaching community for young architects.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In this episode, you’ll learn the 4 main elements of Michael’s thriving business, the importance of community, and offering value before asking for money.</span></p> <h2><strong>HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS EPISODE: </strong></h2> <ul> <li>Building a strong community through speaking and webinars 8:34</li> <li><strong>Getting scrappy and making money in the early days of entrepreneurship 14:01</strong></li> <li>The value of building your business around one core offer 20:15</li> <li><strong>Using a podcast to strengthen your community 29:15</strong></li> <li>Why Michael is adding business coaching to his model 34:29</li> <li><strong>How adding team members lifted Young Architect to the next level 36:57</strong></li> <li>Bouncing back from COVID-19 and pivoting to a virtual conference 41:15</li> <li><strong>The true ROI of hiring a coach… even when it feels like you can’t afford one 47:18</strong></li> <li>The value of hiring a coach that’s already accomplished what you want to accomplish 50:37</li> </ul> <h2><em>“I DON&#8217;T REALLY ACKNOWLEDGE MY COMPETITORS AS MY COMPETITORS BECAUSE WE HAVE A SHARED VISION AND A SHARED GOAL.”</em></h2> <h2><em>– MICHAEL RISCICA</em></h2> <h2>MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:</h2> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://youngarchitect.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Young Architect</b></a></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://youngarchitect.com/category/podcast/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Young Architect Podcast</b></a></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://youngarchitect.com/arebootcamp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>ARE Boot Camp</b></a></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://worlddominationsummit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>World Domination Summit</b></a></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://intuitivespeaking.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Michael’s public speaking coach</b></a></li> </ul> <h2>ABOUT <strong>MICHAEL RISCICA</strong>:</h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Michael Riscica is a Licensed Architect, keynote speaker, internationally-recognized blogger, and creator of Young Architect.com, a platform that helps Future Architects succeed in school, work, and exams.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Michael completely bootstrapped his business from scratch, starting it as a side-hustle while working for the City of Portland. Over time, Michael continued to invest in the growth of his business and grew it to where it is today &#8211; the premier mentorship, learning, and coaching community serving the next generation of architects.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2><em>“BE WILLING TO BE STRETCHED AND PUSHED OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE. BE WILLING TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE AND WORK THROUGH IT AND BE OPEN TO THE POSSIBILITIES.”</em></h2> <h2><em>– MICHAEL RISCICA</em></h2>The post <a href="https://www.michaelknouse.com/episodes/episode-196-when-your-community-becomes-your-strongest-asset/">Episode 196: When Your Community Becomes Your Strongest Asset</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.michaelknouse.com">Michael Knouse</a>.

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Patrick Galvin is the master of building strong relationships and cultivating trust, or as I like to call it, building social capital. Patrick is the co-founder of </span><a href="https://www.theconnectorsway.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Galvanizing Group</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> which he founded with his wife in 2002. Since that time, he’s transitioned his business from a speaking company to a learning company. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In this episode, you’ll learn how Patrick navigated a substantial pivot that’s given him the ability to deliver more impact while creating more opportunity for growth. </span></p> <h2><strong>HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS EPISODE: </strong></h2> <ul> <li>The reality of public speaking in today’s environment</li> <li><strong>Using coaching to deepen the impact of your work </strong></li> <li>How group cohort coaching can complement existing services</li> <li><strong>How to strategically use social media without overwhelm</strong></li> <li>Why our business is surviving (and thriving) during a pandemic</li> <li><strong>The role of coaching in designing a better business </strong></li> <li>Overcoming the fear of investing in a coach</li> </ul> <h2><em>“IF I DELIVER A GOOD PRODUCT AND A GOOD EXPERIENCE, WHERE WE CAN DELIVER THE MOST VALUE WILL FIGURE ITSELF OUT.&#8221;</em></h2> <h2><em>– PATRICK GALVIN</em></h2> <h2>MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:</h2> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Connectors-Way-Building-Business-Relationship/dp/0982868081" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>The Connector’s Way Book</b></a></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.theconnectorsway.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>The Connector’s Way Website</b></a></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickgalvin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>Connect with Patrick on LinkedIn</b></a></li> </ul> <h2>ABOUT <strong>PATRICK GALVIN</strong>:</h2> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since 2002, Patrick and The Galvanizing Group have operated on the philosophy that great relationships are the key to personal and professional success. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Applying the principles of his best-selling book </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Connectors-Way-Building-Business-Relationship/dp/0982868081" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b><i>The Connector’s Way</i></b></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Patrick offers high-performance companies and teams coaching, training, and online learning programs that deliver a systematic and measurable approach to business relationship building.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chief Galvanizer and co-founder Patrick Galvin is an accomplished presenter, TEDx speaker, and the author and creator of </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Connectors-Way-Building-Business-Relationship/dp/0982868081" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b><i>The Connector&#8217;s Way</i></b></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. He and co-founder Ellen Galvin have over 40 years of combined business management experience that they bring to programs whose clients include diverse companies from small businesses to </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fortune</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> 100 companies selling products and services B2B and B2C.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2><em>“IF I WAS IN MY MODE OF BEING A SPEAKER ONLY&#8230; MY GOOSE WOULD BE COOKED RIGHT NOW!”</em></h2> <h2><em>– PATRICK GALVIN</em></h2>The post <a href="https://www.michaelknouse.com/episodes/episode-195-how-a-key-pivot-supercharged-the-impact-opportunity-and-growth-for-this-mission-driven-entrepreneur/">Episode 195: How a key pivot supercharged the impact, opportunity, and growth for this mission-driven entrepreneur</a> first appeared on <a href="https://www.michaelknouse.com">Michael Knouse</a>.