Franklin Taggart's Blog

  I enjoyed visiting with my friends, Daphne Jones and Roberta Ravella on their podcast, Grown Women Growing Wealth.  We covered a lot of ground - concerns about the economy, changing plans in the middle of crises, creating a business centered on creative gifts and talents, and much more. When you listen, be sure to take a few minutes to leave a review and let them know how you enjoy the show. Roberta and Daphne have both been recent guests on Your Own Best Company so if you'd like to hear their stories, here are the links: Daphne: https://www.franklintaggart.com/2022/07/money-smarts-daphne-jones.html Roberta: https://www.franklintaggart.com/2022/07/enjoying-marketing-and-selling-with.html To listen to the audio version, click here:  https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-68z5n-12770eb Thanks for watching!

Talking to my friend Teresa Funke today and was inspired by her fun idea for celebrating her birthday. Buy one lottery ticket for every year of her life and give those tickets to anyone she meets. Celebration is a central part of our life together as humans. It's a central aspect of living in community and we are unique as a species in that we look for reasons to celebrate - milestones, rites of passage, getting up in the morning - celebration is a human thing. As I've gotten older, celebration has become a much more important thing to remember. I haven't always been good at it, and it still feels awkward, but it matters. More in the Coffee Break about that. A great way to celebrate Teresa would be to buy her book, Bursts of Brilliance for a Creative Life here: https://www.teresafunke.com/product/bursts-of-brilliance/ #creativity #community #celebration  

Where do you get ideas? Is it difficult to find subjects for your creativity? Today's Coffee Break answers a client's question about where I get ideas to talk about in these videos. My ideas come from whatever I'm thinking about. Sometimes they're interesting, other times not so much. Putting my thoughts in a video gives me a process of making my internal world more external. Similar to Seth Godin's daily blogs, my ideas come from my thought in that moment and I just make a record of them. If you're looking for something to create from, start there. I think more often than not, we judge our ideas as unworthy before we ever give voice to them. That is a mistake. I never know if I like the idea until it's been made into something. And sometimes I really like them. Many times...meh. Creativity is messy and predictably unpredictable. We never stop thinking. There's always a fish to catch in that pond; some are worth keeping. #creativity #thinking #creativeth

The frequency of calls from people concerned about jobs and economic changes is increasing, so I'll talk a bit in this Coffee Break about what I'm seeing.  We are hearing seemingly mixed messages about jobs and worker shortages. Some companies are starting early rounds of layoffs as they anticipate an economic slowdown, so there are more corporate and professional workers re-entering the job market. At the same time, service industries like food and beverage, construction, and hospitality scramble to rehire or replace workers who were let go during the pandemic. The air travel industry is included in this last mix, reporting service disruptions as the demand for flights exceeds their personnel capacity. Several people have asked if this is a good time to start a new business. Like any other time, you need to answer some basic questions. Do you have something valuable to offer, and do people need it and have the ability to pay? I'm seeing an upswing for people in freelance c

▼Watch and Listen Below!▼ Some of the most challenging times for self-employed people are those when we both need to attend to personal crises and change while continuing to do what our businesses require. In this episode of Your Own Best Company, Audrey Holst returns and offers some keen insights into her own process and experience that will help us all navigate times like these. Audrey has been my guest a couple of times before, and I love the quality of our conversations. She's candid and articulate, and she openly shares the real stories that offer deep empathy and hopeful suggestions. You can find her work at https://fortitudeandflow.com . Some highlights: **Getting through times of grief and high emotion. **My insight about the distinction between gifts and talents. **Seeing our human limitations in a positive light and challenging the myth of limitlessness. **Understanding will, resistance, and commitment as almost magical human tools. Subscribers to this channel can easily

Noticing how the state of mind I'm in when I'm creating is a consciousness that allows me to see possibilities and opportunities that weren't able to be on my screen even a few weeks ago. It's more than just a flow state. It's a level of inspiration that keeps revealing more and more potential. Seeing so many ways I can use the quiz and course software and design tools I've been learning, and how many opportunities to help others with those skills and that knowledge there are. If you're feeling stuck in any area, find a creative activity to immerse yourself in for a little while and see if that activity allows your mind to shift into a greater expansion of awareness, allowing you to see the possibilities you're waiting and looking for. #onlinecourse #quizzes #teachable 

Some encouragement for a friend who moved her whole life to a new country only to find it wasn't a good fit for right now. Coming back to a familiar place for a while isn't a bad idea.  Regroup, take stock of what you've learned and discern what's next. You may not know why this happened, in fact, you may never fully understand, but there is another way coming that you're ready for. We can only make decisions with the best information we have at the time, and we can never know ahead of time exactly how things are going to turn out. Sometimes the journey has dead ends and 180° turns. You're doing fine. Thanks to my friend, Kc Rossi, for the wonderful conversation this morning! I can't wait to share that podcast episode with my people! Today I learned how to make a screen recording on my phone. That was fun! #alwayslearning #cominghome #thisisnotfailing 

Josh and Francois are some of the most energetic people I've met! I hope you'll enjoy this one as much as I did!

Thinking about Agatha Christie and how complex her plots became as she went further in her career. How did she keep track of all the twists and turns and false flags? Coming back to the idea that if we're feeling stuck in our careers or businesses, we may be making it far more complicated than it needs to be, and maybe the solution we're looking for is so obvious we've overlooked it. Maybe that ideal client avatar worksheet you've been toiling away at for months is actually distracting you from the people who have been in your sphere all along and who need what you offer. Maybe starting with the simplest possible description could get you on the right track. I can't count the times I've gotten myself backed into a corner with a problem, trying to understand every nuance and detail, only to find I've had the answer all along but didn't think it could really be that simple.  When you're stuck, try starting with the most straightforward idea first and s

Last week I released the new course, Fridgeworthy Freebies. I'm still adding examples to the course, but everything you need to plan, design, and create your own is already there. A client asked me the other day where I would go if I didn't have enough time or money to pay for a high-value freebie for networking events and other business purposes. My first answer didn't take long. Canva.com. I've talked about how much I use Canva, and they already have templates for many of the most common kinds of giveaway promotions - checklists, guidebooks, PDFs, infographics, and so many more. In this Coffee Break, I show how to find these resources and a few examples of my own freebies that I've designed on Canva. If you haven't tried Canva Pro yet, please use my affiliate link to sign up. I only offer affiliate marketing to those tools and products I regularly use and enjoy. Canva is at the top of my list. My link is: https://partner.canva.com/c/1245006/647168/10068 If you

Offering a ride to our son's friend that was immediately refused is the fodder for this morning's Coffee Break. I became immediately aware that I've habitually done this in my life - turning down generosity.  Then I was flooded with the idea of how many different ways I block people from flowing into my life. Keeping my needs and desires to myself, Pointing out other people who need things more than I do, and just outright refusing without really considering the offer or if I want it.  I also became aware of how it felt to have our generosity refused. We want to flow into our son and his friends' lives. We want to be generous with them; when it's refused, it doesn't feel good. More about the unclosed circle in the Coffee Break. #generosity #flow #abundance  

In a conversation with a client earlier this week, we talked about her being an influencer. She was surprised I would use that word to describe her because she tends to shun the spotlight, and she's not someone who feels much like anyone pays attention to her.  I told her that every human has some ability to influence others. We all have ways of being persuasive, and not only that, we all have ways of being influential without being the one on stage, behind the microphone, or pushing the pen. Those who show up and serve behind the scenes without notoriety or recognition are just as influential as those onstage getting paid the big bucks. Those in front of the audience would have nothing without those behind the service doors. I have more to say in the Coffee Break, but I think behind-the-scenes strategies can work well, if not better, than the plans that have us seeking the spotlight. Get in touch if you'd like to know more. #influencer #persuasion #service  

▼Watch and Listen Below!▼   After an illness interrupted her post-active-duty work as a cable internet technician, Daphne Jones began an extensive study of finances and wealth. Finding herself drawn to a career in life insurance, she continued to learn all the ways she could make her money make more money. In the past few years, Daphne has turned her career path to teaching other Gen X women how they can build wealth - from simple investment strategies to side hustles to the emerging world of bitcoin. To join her Bitcoin Made Easy class on July 19th, 2022, check out: https://thesmartmoneychick.com/landing-page/ You may also find Daphne on Facebook: https://facebook.com/tsmchick And be sure to check out her live and recorded podcasts either on your favorite podcasting platforms or on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF39QwqATvqJUhgxFNJKiYg #wealth #GenXmom #bitcoin 

The last week or two have seen a handful of unforeseen technical difficulties visiting my home and studio.  Ever notice that when you update Zoom, they reset your settings and choose defaults that you don't want? I didn't know until this morning that I recorded three separate Zoom meetings thinking that My regular super duper studio microphone was working, when in fact, Zoom had changed my mic selection to the dysfunctional microphone on my otherwise useful webcam. Bummer. You may notice some of my upcoming releases aren't up to my usual bar. I used to let things like this stop me completely and ask the Universe why tech hated me so much. I have stopped doing that, and now I just burrow down and start digging for roots.  More to say about it in the Coffee Break. Thanks as always for listening! #zoomupdates #changedsettings #technicaldifficulties 

I guest-hosted a songwriters in the round event tonight in Fort Collins that reminded me of how deeply I can be affected by music and some of the reasons I'm changing my direction. I loved music from a very young age and I played records and tapes and the radio constantly when I was growing up. Songs have always gone straight to my soul and that's one of the factors in my decision to be a musician. Tonight, I shared the stage with Andy Sydow, Megan Rice, and Brian David Collins, and each one of them brought their beautiful, unique talents to the stage and delivered a touching and memorable show. I won't be playing in public as frequently from now on, but nights like tonight remind me how holy the experience of a well-written and performed song is to me. My soul still hears sometimes. #songwriting #musicians #soulfeeding 

When I was working on the Elevator Pitches That Don't Suck course, one of the lessons was about the things we give away to promote our business - the freebies! I did a lot of looking to find some of the coolest freebie ideas and made a presentation for Fort Collins Comic Con vendors about making freebies people won't throw away. That turned into another mini-course in my school - Fridgeworthy Freebies. The things I noticed about the freebies that had the most value in the eyes of the receivers were that they met a relevant need, they were easy to understand, they were easy to access, and they were intended to be used repeatedly. Listen to the podcast for more about what I learned, and if you're interested in having your own freebie strategy and help to create it, take the course: https://bit.ly/FridgeworthyFreebies #creativity #promotion #freebies 

In the Clients Everywhere! Workshop today we talked about barriers that we unconsciously put between ourselves and people who could become customers. For me, the two that are most familiar are timidity and self-consciousness. Timidity is something I've defaulted to for as long as I remember. I usually wait for others to speak before I feel comfortable saying anything and often if they don't start the conversation, there won't be a conversation. When I started to intentionally initiate conversations a lot of things changed for the better. Being invited to talk to someone often has a meaning attached to me that they accept me and I belong - two human needs that have been central to my MO. What I found in starting to initiate conversations was that I no longer felt the need for acceptance and belonging as acutely as I had before. Acceptance and belonging can be had by initiating conversations. Strange, but true. The second barrier - self-consciousness - showed up as me being i

Learning is central to living. We are learning the whole time we're here. The bulk of learning is practicing. I have a number of clients and friends who are starting things for the first time and they're frustrated that they weren't born doing these things perfectly. I've been there, too. Every time I've learned something new. In this Coffee Break, I share some insights I've learned about the art of practicing that I hope will help you get where you want to go sooner and without as many mistakes. It all starts by taking and mastering smaller steps before you take big leaps. It's also about learning how to recover and move forward when you make mistakes. And finally, it's an encouragement to realize that we will never reach the final level of mastery. There's always more to learn and explore. #creativity #mastery #practice  

I have an artist friend who had a realization in one of my workshops that many people she had known for years had no idea she was an artist. For reasons unknown, she never revealed her creative work to people, even those in some of her closest circles. And her chief concern about being an artist was that people weren't buying her art. People won't buy what they don't know about. Another friend has been working with a lot of anxiety and persistence on clarifying the niche for his business and in doing so, his business has come to a standstill. He's so concerned about getting his niche right that he's become isolated and is not reaching anyone. I'm not here to diss ideal client avatar niching exercises. They can be truly helpful, but I am concerned if your stuckness on the exercise is keeping you from meeting people and having conversations that could lead to business opportunities. I'll be offering a new version of an old workshop on Monday afternoon called C

▼Watch and Listen Below!▼ Early in her mortgage business career, a co-worker suggested that Roberta Ravella was well suited for sales. Over the next twenty years, Roberta discovered ways of marketing and selling that were aligned with her own personality, skills, and values instead of the traditional methods that were being taught. In 2019, Roberta stepped into the role of coach and trainer, showing realtors how to discover their own distinct ways of marketing and selling that leverage their strengths and honor their values. For many, this offers a welcome alternative to techniques like cold calling and buying leads. She is also a co-host of the podcast, Grown Women Growing Wealth, interviewing compelling and knowledgeable guests who show women ways to become financially aware and independent. Learn more about the podcast here: https://www.grownwomengrowingwealth.com/ Roberta will be offering a referral generation workshop on July 14th to help realtors build their referral networks thr

Willpower has always been an interesting phenomenon for me. Mainly because mine seems low. Most of the time. Some close to me know I can be very stubborn but when it comes to setting goals that motivate me and that have any real drive attached to them, I don't have much. While I can't say that willpower is something I have a lot of, I do have a deep appreciation for my will, and I see it as a different thing from willpower. My true will is a self-care feature of this being I inhabit. Willpower to me is most often a requirement to override my true will. The will I'm talking about serves as a monitor and manager of energy. It stays aware of the level of energy in my reservoir and it then directs the flow of that energy where I need it to go. It's a remarkable feature of being human. I have more to say about it in the Coffee Break. Thanks for listening. If you haven't subscribed yet, would you? Thanks! #will #energymanagement #creativity