Franklin Taggart's Blog

In part 1 of this episode, Andrew Rogers of Human Design Solutions told his own story of journey and discovery. In part 2, he will explain the Human Design body graph chart using Franklin's as an example. Part 1 is available here: https://youtu.be/YAvC6NLY02I If you'd like to get your free Human Design Report, visit: https://www.humandesignsolutions.com/free-reports/ Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-rogers-hds/ #humandesign #manifestinggenerator #business 

Andrew Rogers started his career as a management accountant, where his analytical skills were put to good use. Five years into that path, he realized that he wanted something different that would allow him to travel. A random conversation with a housemate led to a decision to see Australia. Serendipitous events have opened doors for him ever since and ultimately led him to explore meditation and, later, Human Design, a profound understanding of how humans operate in the world. His interest in Human Design has motivated him to be trained in its methods and interpretations, which has led to his recent decision to open a consultancy to help businesses and organizations benefit from understanding how team members are born to operate. In part 1 of this episode, Andy tells his own story of journey and discovery. In part 2, he will explain the body graph chart using Franklin's as an example. Part 2 of this episode is here: https://youtu.be/aSFoHOPrcw8 If you'd like to get your free Hu

The topic of a morning discussion was on becoming remarkable. Referenced in the conversation was the Seth Godin book, Purple Cow, and it later brought to my mind the book, So Good They Can't Ignore You by Cal Newport. Newport is the author of another of my favorites, Deep Work. I was struck in the discussion by a paradox I've experienced in which I do work that I think is remarkable, but it doesn't land that way for others. I've experienced that with many areas of creation, from songs to books to workshops to coaching. If I attempt to orchestrate the remarkability, the outcome tends to not be remarkable at all. The handful of moments in my life I can point at as remarkable were such due to many factors that were outside my control - the mood of the audience, the energy level of the crowd, the anticipation of the event - these were not factors that I had any influence upon. Just like every other night, I showed up and played. It's just on those nights, something deep

I wasn't deeply involved in the election this week except for the voting part, and today I feel like I've been run over by a truck. I limit my intake of news and media as much as possible around election time because the heightened stress and vigilance are way past too much, and there is no resolution gained through our traditional process. There is no period of relief after the elections now. The 24-hour news cycle assures that. I've talked about how marketing is having a long-term negative effect on our collective nervous system, and I have to include political advertising in the  list of offenders. Even with the sound off, I can still read the onscreen text that intentionally triggers fear and paints opponents in the worst possible light.  I'm not even hopeful that this can change, but the real question I have is what will it take for us to want the change badly enough? In the midst of all my angst and weariness I still have hope. I have hope because creative, deep-t

I mentioned the Clients Everywhere workshop the other day, and one of the activities that tend to be most surprising - Communicating Your Specialty. There were some questions floating around about that today, so I wanted to say a bit more. Talking about what we do can be confusing and frustrating because of a few inherent challenges and a persistent belief. Starting with the belief - many of us assume that people aren't really interested in what we do. And we may have some experiences that seemingly back up that assumption. But I've come to challenge it. I believe we can make our descriptions of what we do both compelling and interesting if we take the time to think more deeply about how we talk about it, and then practice telling our own story. Building a StoryBrand, by Donald Miller is one of the best resources I've found for this and he helps people construct memorable stories about their business in a variety of sizes for a wide range of contexts. As we gain comfort and

Two unexpected changes in the schedule today tanked my original creative plans but turned into welcome but unexpected opportunities.  Landing on your feet is a good skill to have.  Things never go exactly as planned. That's not up to you.  Learn to see the possibilities in front of you. #flexibility #specialty #marketing 

The holiday shopping season is starting in earnest now that Halloween has passed. Before you spend a ton of money on Black Friday deals and e-commerce that takes your money well outside the local area, consider making significant purchases from creative people you know. There are many reasons to consider, but these are my tops: ** It's validating for the person you buy from and helps them feel valued. ** More of your money stays in the local economy, supporting more than just one business. ** It's an investment in your local culture. Without your investment, your hometown loses it's character and soul. Make a list of creative people you know and prioritize buying from them. Do this before Black Friday and make it a bigger priority every year. If you don't know any creative people, please change that. Start hanging out at galleries, museums, concerts, readings, and anywhere else creative people show up where you live. We all thank you! #holidayshopping #buyart #localcult

In this "Best of " clip from Your Own Best Company, Jason Van Orden shares how he and Michael Roderick came up with the idea for an online mixer that makes other online experiences pale by comparison. Now called the Generous Entrepreneurs in Media mixer, Jason tells the origin story and the ongoing vision for these monthly events that bring together media producers, potential guests, and collaborators. In the original full episode of this interview, Jason also gave a tremendous presentation on building your first online course. This detailed outline will help you find a great idea and make a practical plan of action as you create your first course. See the full interview with Jason here: https://youtu.be/uqnqBrxTjHY If you're interested in joining an upcoming online mixer, register here: http://generousentrepreneursinmedia.com/ If you'd like to learn more about building online courses and Jason's other services, please visit https://jasonvanorden.com . #networking

Michael Roderick is a connector, masterfully bringing the right people together and facilitating the relationship-building that needs to happen. He teaches others how to show up more powerfully in meetings and gatherings and become more referable - becoming someone who gets other people talking about them without being in the same room. In this episode, Michael tells the story of getting started as a high school English teacher with a two-year stint as the Dean of Discipline for the summer school until a Seth Godin book inspired a move from education to becoming a Broadway producer. In a miraculously short time, Michael again created new and unique systems to bring money and people together by creating opportunities for them to gather. His company, Small Pond Enterprises, provides consulting and education to people ready to accelerate their business growth through relationship strategy. Learn more at https://smallpondenterprises.com . Michael also hosts the podcast, Access to Anyone, b

Some of the people in my life have been talking to me recently about not knowing what they want. They're transitioning out of situations they've been in for a long time and don't have a clear idea of what they want to do next. I also hear from kids who are getting ready for graduation, and they feel a lot of pressure to choose a track for their life, and they aren't ready to do that yet.  One of the few soapboxes I have is the removal of exploration and experimentation from permissible human experiences. There is pressure from within and without to know way ahead of time what we're going to do and how we're going to be before we can have even a reasonable chance to know. And there isn't a way to know without exploring and experimenting. A lot of my fellow coaches and consultants push clients in the direction of strategy and planning before people even have a clear idea of what they want. And then they think there's something wrong with them when those pl

Every time I've tried to write a song based on what I think audiences will like, I've ended up hating the song. And the songs I'm surprised and delighted to have written tend to be the ones audiences like best.  Trying to determine what a group of people will like or respond to has been mostly a fool's errand. If I've tried to create a song, an event, or a presentation from the assumptions I make about what people want, it usually is a recipe for failure. In this Coffee Break, I remember the time I lived in Nashville and attended writers' nights almost every night that I lived there. I was always amazed at how many writers tried to take radio hits and turn them into success formulas. At that time, popular country songs were about tractors, trucks, and line dancing. So, many writers would try to latch onto those trends and themes  in their songs every night. Of all of the writers I met, only one had any success with one of these themes, and the reason his song go

In recent months, I've had several conversations about artificial intelligence and the future of human labor. Most of these have had a central concern about being replaced by a computer or a machine. I'm not going to pretend like that won't or can't happen. It's the most likely scenario; humans have been evolving technology to replace our labor since the first tools were invented. Every technological advance has had an impact on human labor, and we've had to adapt, learn, and find new ways to deliver value to each other as we've been equipped with better and more pervasive technology. Why should this new technological age be any different? It is happening much more quickly than past advances, and the interconnectedness of the tech is more complex than any we've had before, but the stages we'll go through will be similar to ones we've had in the past. An initial stage of resistance and grief at the losses that happen. The next stage is taking stoc

A few years ago, on Halloween night, I was touched by the kindness of a little kid in my neighborhood who ran out of his way to put a Snickers bar in my hand. There's still a bog somewhere to remember that small act that continues to move me all these years later. Fast forward to tonight. The same kid a few years older sees that I have Hershey bars in the candy mix in my bowl, and he asks if he could have one of those instead. Of course, you can! He ran to the sidewalk where his parents were waiting, and he put the Hershey bar in his mom's hand and says, here, I got this for you. I know it's your favorite. Who is this small ninja of love? This guy shows us all that including someone doesn't have to be difficult, and it shouldn't be a big show. It's as simple as sharing something from your own bag of treats. I hope the harshness of the world never takes this quality away from him. Happy Halloween! #kindness #generosity #sharing 

After I found the Interact Quiz Builder, I joined the Quiz Collective, Interact's member community. I started attending some training and support events offered there and was introduced to Dawn Petrin and Chant Zak. Dawn offers support for copywriting and email quiz promotion, and Chanti is recognized as the brand evangelist for Interact Quizzes. They have a list of enviable experiences to back up their authority and appeal. Writing quizzes for people like Amy Porterfield, Jenna Kutcher, Joanna Weibe, and many others is just a start. Their intuitive feel for communicating with prospective customers and their energy and enthusiasm come across in all the ways they present their ideas. But wait, there's more! Dawn and Chanti host one of my favorite podcasts, The Entrepreneur's Ecosystem. Yes, this is a business podcast, but it isn't like any other business podcast you've heard. This one feels like a gathering in a rustic living room, with a cup of tea, a glass of wine,

One of the most popular episodes of Your Own Best Company in 2021 featured an energized and inspiring conversation with The Lead Boss, Cat Stancik. In this "Best Of" clip, Cat shares her social media content strategy, the 4 Ps: Popcorn Positioning Prospecting and Pitching Cat uses and recommends this conversational content framework as a part of her lead generation strategy that centers on building strong relationships and finding leads among the people you're already connected with. Find the entire episode here: https://youtu.be/BIYdUP2ZNlw To learn more about Cat, visit https://actionincubator.com #socialmedia #leadgeneration #contentstrategy 

Author of Quiet Marketing, Danielle Gardner is back to talk about some recent insights on the impact of our business practices on our nervous systems. This episode was inspired by a recent interview Dani had with an astrologer in which she talked about ways that the business and marketing techniques she's been taught caused deregulation of her nervous system, leading to heightened stress and unease in her work. In this conversation, we look beyond the surface of the topic and explore questions like: ** How does nontransparent pricing shock our systems? ** How can we release social media compulsions? ** Challenging the "everywhere, all the time" mindset. ** Learning to listen to the oracle of your body. and more! Dani's Social Hermit program will be starting the first week of November. For more information, visit https://danigardner.com If you haven't read Quiet Marketing yet, you'll find it at this handy Amazon Associate's link: https://amzn.to/3TUlRIC (R

Did you see The Incredibles? Remember when Frozone couldn't find his supersuit after he got the long-awaited call from Mr. Incredible that their superservices were needed? The suit was the key to his powers. This Coffee Break is inspired by a question that came up in a conversation this morning about favorite Halloween costumes from growing up years. You'll find out my favorite and the impact it had on a timid four-year-old who wanted desperately to feel like a more powerful person. Share your favorite costume in the comments. And if you're ready to move out of feeling stuck, dissatisfied, and uncertain, schedule your free coaching session at https://bit.ly/BestNextStepCall #superpower #mindset #selfdiscovery 

Thanks to Brandon Soltwisch and the Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship classes at the University of Northern Colorado for the invitation to speak today. I enjoyed our discussion of target markets and customer avatars, and I hope you found it both fun and helpful. Every time I've presented for college classes I remember the visit to my high school guidance counselor when I was told I wasn't college material and that I should change my focus to the vocational track and learn how to work with my hands. And the career tests I took didn't really know what to do with me so they suggested things like bus driver, police dispatcher, and telephone technician. I knew immediately they didn't have my number. And I've never known exactly the future path I've wanted to take. I've followed my curiosity from one opportunity to another and I've collected a long, strange set of capabilities that has been as weird as the trip I've been on. I just want you to know that tho

Between meeting a potential client and inviting them to purchase a service, my client had four stages of free offers. Most people didn't get past the first one, and no one had the patience for all four. The only people who paid her were those who had been referred by other clients. Find out how we changed her strategy in today's Coffee Break. Hints: ** Limit stages between meet and purchase to no more than three. ** Use the freebie to help them make an educated buying decision. ** Don't call it a newsletter or invite people to join your list. ** Don't feel like you have to give things away to thank people. Let's see how this turns out. #marketing #freebies #leadmagnet 

I've been revisiting Instagram and learning about TikTok in recent weeks. When I joined Instagram, it could only be accessed by phone, and I think I may have been using a flip phone. You took pictures of whatever you were doing, wrote a brief message, and posted. The people who followed you saw it. Simple. I've become a fast fan of TikTok, with the exception of the potential human rights and privacy violations, in large part because their algorithm is really paying attention to my viewing preferences and adding more of what I'm watching to my timeline. All the other channels? Not so much. It is probably because I've only been active on TikTok for a short time, but I don't have any idea how the other platforms choose what to show me. It has made me wonder how I decide what to share. There doesn't seem to be a way to predict what the algorithm or audience will favor, so I'm left to my most reliable guide - my hunch. I believe that our intuition is connected to

My promotions often read like puzzles when I was new to my business. I would make lists of things I did and then let the reader fill in the blanks. All to often, they didn't want to do that and they'd just move along to something else. I later learned that what I was doing was using a passive approach to my messages and offers. A passive approach features messages and offers that are incomplete or unstructured, and they depend on the reader to finish them and act on them. This isn't some kind of moral problem, but it probably isn't getting the kinds of results you want. My old way of trying to get bookings was to make a list of the kinds of places and events I'd played for and then present an offer to play for any events my audience might have coming up. This kind of messaging didn't work. When I started to tailor shows to the needs of each venue owner or booking rep, I started to get more gigs. One example was the show I put together that was Three Johns and a