Franklin Taggart's Blog

When I was 46 I thought I was going to die. My organs were failing. My right lung was compressed and scarred by fluid. I had congestive heart failure, and I wasn't sure I'd live much longer. In the midst of that time, my experience of hope shifted dramatically. Up until then I always had a sense that I had plenty of time to do the things I wanted, and pursue my dreams. But when I started to get seriously ill, life took on a much more urgent quality. Hope after that was much more centered in the moment, and any consideration about results or long-term benefits were now focused on what will be left after I'm gone for others to benefit from. This video experiment has been a realization of that hope. I expect these videos to outlive me, and to be found by people who may have never known me. I've found it impossible to make even short-term plans. It's hard to see much past this present moment, and I think I'm OK with that. Being future-focused actually removes my att

A few weeks ago I interviewed Michael Roderick, an impresario and media maker who I've grown to admire and appreciate. He sends out almost daily emails featuring his thinking on certain topics, and one of his recent messages really struck me. The title was Why a Lot of "Hits" Miss. While we creators like to think we're making something everyone in the world will need and appreciate, the decision is not ours to make. Micheal correctly points out that the market is the decider about what will gain widespread attention, acceptance, and acclaim.  His encouragement is for the creators to engage in the hard work of iteration instead of toiling to determine what the market wants and then create for that. Sadly, that formula rarely produces anything except what has already been popular. My encouragement is to pay more attention to your own resonance as a creator. Make the things that make you tingle, and then share them. I think the only aspect of the hitmaking process the cr

I was asked today about my greatest concerns for the future. Climate change is obvious and urgent, but there's another future concern I have that is equally urgent. Artificial Intelligence. In recent weeks, we've all seen some of the new capabilities of artificial intelligence to both create interesting images (Lensa), and to respond accurately in conversations with humans to answer increasingly complex questions ( ChatGPT ). More applications like these come to market every day, and the greatest concern I have about this is the long-term impact tools like this will have on economies as more and more human labor is replaced by machines. This isn't a new concern, but the urgency surrounding this technological revolution is one that will affect more sectors of labor than any other, including creative industries, medicine, law, and business. Human labor is one of the fundamental ways we participate in the economy. If this ability to participate is removed from even as much as

It feels like the level of burnout around webinars, summits, courses, workshops, funnels, and many other popular marketing tactics is only increasing. Now the workshops are all coming with titles like, A Workshop for People Who Hate Workshops. In this Coffee Break, Franklin Taggart makes the suggestion that there may be room for a return to more informal gatherings in which conversations can go deep, sharing is encouraged, and the emphasis is on being together before anything else. Instead of putting hundreds of hours into organizing a summit or a workshop where attendance isn't guaranteed, why don't we just invite some people over for dinner and share what we're up to. Get to know each other on a deep and meaningful human level before we start making pitches. My experience is that these gatherings actually create the circumstances in which these pitches are more likely to appeal. Informal gatherings will be central to my intention for 2023. #networking #gathering #tribes 

  I create a new business model every year. In most years, it shows up well before now. This year it's late.= Your business isn't set in stone. It's a live organism that adjusts to different circumstances and developments. That's normal. If you're looking for a sounding board for your next year in business, consider scheduling a Best Next Step coaching session at https://bit.ly/BestNextStepCall #planning #2023goals #businessmodel 

We all have beliefs and behaviors we carry through our lives that can become saboteurs in certain situations. These internal saboteurs can be problematic when they keep people from reaching important goals and outcomes, and they can infect teams with defensiveness and mistrust, eroding relationships as they go. Our favorite organizational psychologist, Dr. Joanie Connell is back to give us some insight about these saboteurs, and she's offering a program that helps individuals and teams recognize their saboteurs and the stress that triggers them, and allow people to have more freedom to choose their responses instead of habitually reacting. If you're interested in identifying your saboteurs, there is an assessment available at https://positiveintelligence.com Joanie can be reached at https://flexibleworksolutions.com and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanieconnell/ #positiveintelligence #organizationalpsychology #selfsabotage 

I drive vehicles until they can no longer be driven. I've had a 2000 Ford van in my driveway that hasn't been started in over a year. I could sell it for parts, but finding a buyer takes time and energy I don't have right now, so what to do? Vehicles for Charity makes that a no-brainer. I filled out an online form, received a confirmation call the next morning, scheduled the tow, and had the title and let's ready for the driver. With less than an hour of my time invested, my favorite community radio station will now be getting the proceeds from the auction of my old wheels. If you're in Northern Colorado and want to donate your vehicle, learn more at https://vehiclesforcharity.org . #charitablegiving #donate #taxdeductions 

A few weeks ago, I rearranged my office space to accommodate more musical recording. I'm in a pretty small room, so anything I can do to utilize space more efficiently is a tremendous help. I also have a difficult time sorting and giving things away or selling them. I have a 2000 Ford van sitting in the driveway that hasn't run in over a year and it's been waiting for me to just decide where it goes and make arrangements to take it there. Yesterday, I donated it to a locela charity through Vehicles for Charity. I don't think my donation will amount to much, but I don't have to pay to have it towed away, and one of my favorite organizations might get a few hundred bucks out of the deal. I can also write off the contribution.  Just that one bit of movement has gotten me more energized to let go of stuff. Music and recording equipment I no longer use or need? Gone! My dad's remaining book collection that I have no interest in reading? Gone! Every piece of paper I&#

 Many years ago, I was working with a spiritual teacher who challenged pretty much everything I said.  All the beliefs I grew up with and my biases were fair game. This deconstruction didn't happen in a violent or abusive way; in fact, there was a gentleness in how it was carried out that I appreciate to this day. This morning's inspiring conversation brought that situation to mind again. Our psychological conditioning is a powerful psychological mechanism that insures our survival, but there also seems to be an evolutionary imperative to grow beyond the life we were conditioned to have. While the conversation this morning was primarily centered on deconstructing prejudice and biases, my reflections afterward threw many more sacred cows under the bus.  Beliefs about who I am and how life is, and how the world is supposed to work all can be called into question and brought to greater scrutiny in the light of awareness.  For me, the value of coaching has been a safe place in whic

One of the recent books I've read with my book pal is The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters, by Priya Parker. This beautifully written book guides the reader through some insights and suggestions for elevating our common custom of gathering together to the level of art. I'm adding it to my list of recommended reading. https://amzn.to/3Uzn5sG (affiliate link) I also wanted to mention a few online networking mixers I enjoy: The Generous Entrepreneurs in Media mixers hosted by Jason Van Orden and Michael Roderick - http://generousentrepreneursinmedia.com/ The Lead Boss Mixer hosted by Cat Stancik - https://leadbossmixer.com And all the resources offered by Robbie Samuels - https://robbiesamuels.com/videos I hope to see you there! #networking #mixer #onlinenetworking 

I always enjoy my conversations with my good friend Dr. Joanie Connell. If you haven't heard the Reinventing nerds podcast, this is a good time to check it out. We had a fun chat about the pros and cons of working alone. Listen, subscribe, and if you like it, review!

In the past few years, my participation on Facebook and other social media platforms has shifted from content creation and sharing to more group participation and looking for opportunities for discussion, service, and meaningful interaction. This has been liberating. In the old model, I'd spend hours creating content to share, hoping it would reach enough people and stimulate enough likes and shares to be picked up by the algorithm for more people to see. I did social media this way for many years until I went through a period of burnout. Looking back on all that activity, I learned some important lessons. First, the content creation didn't amount to much more than busy work when I looked at the overall return I received from my time investment. Playing the algorithm and going viral was a losing proposition in gaining business. The one area that had a high payoff was Facebook groups. I tried hosting my own for a while, but that didn't get off the ground, mostly because I di

One week after the 9/11 attacks, I released my first and only music CD, Falling All The Way. I had hoped that would launch some of my best musical years. Life had other plans. Today, we're remembering our daughter Sarah Grace who was born 19 years ago. After ten miraculous days with us, she departed for the great beyond and we were left to pick up the pieces. That was just the beginning. This year, I've had friends face illness, deaths of loved ones, loss of jobs and businesses, and other major life events. In the midst of these hard times, I've seen them rally and dig to new depths within themselves to make it through to the next scene. Resilience is built into our mechanisms. We need to take care of ourselves and each other. #lifeevents #loss #planning 

As a solopreneur consultant, Reuben Swartz found that the learning curve and the frustration he experienced trying to adapt off-the-shelf enterprise customer relationship management software made his marketing and selling experience much less than enjoyable. As he started to put together tools of his own to track and manage his customer relationships, he started to look forward to his sales calls, and the friction he'd experienced with the larger software packages dissolved. As he showed people his new systems, he discovered there was a product opportunity there, and Mimiran was born. Mimiran is the "Anti-CRM" designed specifically for solopreneurs that will help you track your sales process and make your customer contacts easier to manage and much more enjoyable. It also allows relationship-based solopreneurs to prioritize conversations that lead to long-term connections and opportunities. In this episode, we talk about: ** The foundation of any relationship-based busine

I had an email exchange with a good friend today on the topic of "enough." She wondered if the concept of enough could be applied to things like to-do lists, marketing activities, networking, and other aspects of career and business.  While we may feel overwhelmed by these things, I have started to view these as evidence of abundance instead of as a nuisance or obstacle. Honestly, if they weren't tending this garden, there wouldn't be this much growth.  I grew up with a grandmother who canned vegetables and fruit every year. I remember some years seeing hundreds of jars of beets, tomatoes, green beans, apricots, peaches, cherries, and more in the canning kitchen in the basement of my Great Aunt's hotel. We would go around to all of our farming relative's places and pick up bushel after bushel of produce and take back to Granny in the canning kitchen. Over the course of the next several weeks, she would methodically prepare and can hundreds of jars. After all t

Sometimes I review copy and messaging for people's social media, email campaigns, and sales pages to see where they make strong connections and where they don't. One place I see them struggle sometimes is when they're offering a program to people who have already surpassed the place where the offering was necessary, and they have a new set of needs and challenges. As a result of this, the messaging isn't appropriate or appealing to the audience in their new circumstances. Another place I see this phenomenon is when a creative artist like a musician starts to reach a new level of expression that no longer appeals to the venues where they've experienced their initial opportunities and success. Those of us who've been around the block a few times may recognize the cycles of learning and growing as we've been through it enough to notice. But for some people it the early stages of their work and business, it may be a pretty scary circumstance. The things that the

Interact Quizzes has an incredible staff. It's small but mighty, and they're making a big dent in the burgeoning demand for great quiz software. I interviewed Jessmyn Solana a few months back and totally enjoyed the conversation and her energy and insights. This morning Jessmyn and the other interact folks released a podcast interview with yours truly. It was fun to share part of my story and be in the guest chair. I'd love for you to listen here. It's one of the best versions of my backstory that I've shared. Thanks, Jessmyn, for the excellent interview!

I've interviewed over 150 podcast guests and been a guest on a few dozen. Most of the people I've interviewed have been stellar, but occasionally I have people on the show who don't turn out so great. This episode answers the FAQ - How can I be a great podcast guest? I keep forgetting that common sense isn't common, so some of these things will seem like 'duh' moments for some of you. If that's the case, you are probably already a good guest. Here are some nugs: ** Do your research and make it thorough. ** Present yourself in the best, most positive way. No slackers. ** Don't waste the host's time. ** Follow the submission guidelines to the letter. More in the video. Thanks to Interact Quizzes, Jessmyn Solana and the Creator Stories Podcast for the opportunity to be your guest! Want to watch? Go here: https://youtu.be/NFGb7WuD1IE Want to join Cat Stancik's Lead Boss Mixer? Podcast host and guest speed networking coming up the second Friday in Dec

Several years ago, I offered a workshop called Why People Don't Buy. I may resurrect it because I'm hearing that question quite a bit from some people I know. Some reasons are obvious - not the right time, not enough money, someone else sells it for less - but the reasons I really wanted to explore were the ones from people who had engaged with the message long enough to get to the point of sale but then bailed. Ten minutes isn't enough to give a comprehensive answer to the question, but I was able to pull a few of the top reasons people don't buy once they reach the sales page and share them here.  The biggest reason for a low number of purchases is that the page isn't reaching the right people. For many people, the front-end marketing was non-existent or thrown together as the last-minute detail they should have put more time and thought into. They skipped the SEO, didn't post on social, or didn't give people enough of a reason to go any further. Other rea

If you want to save a ton of money as an entrepreneur, I have one suggestion. Learn how to sell. Don't just read the book. Practice selling. Practice until you feel as natural in a sales role as when you're having a casual conversation with a friend. Why? Because many of the people I've coached have spent tens of thousands of dollars on things they think will do the selling for them, but those things don't do the job. In essence, they've paid to avoid the thing they're intimidated by or afraid of. These wastes of money could have been avoided by confronting their fear and learning how to feel confident in selling. If you're struggling with telling people about the things you are offering and why they need to buy them, let's have a session. It's easy to set up. Click https://bit.ly/BestNextStepCall and schedule your free one-hour coaching session now. It will make and save you a ton of cash. #marketing #sales #confidence 

Anyone who's followed me for a long time knows I teach people how to market their business by delivering valuable and memorable experiences. Last week, I welcomed Cat Stancik back to Your Own Best Company for a discussion of something she's been developing called Fireworks Experiences. After our interview, I attended her Fireworks Experience Workshop. This two-hour crash course will help you identify the kind of Firework Experience that fits your strengths and your client's focus. In one part of the workshop, Cat helped me clarify a new front-end marketing strategy I've been working on that made my idea many times better than it had originally been. I've already seen some exciting results. Here are some of our talking points: ** What is a Fireworks Experience? ** How Fireworks Experiences make better buyers. ** How Cat creates safe spaces where sales can happen more easily. ** Five types of buyers. ** Gaining the confidence to go off-script. We also shared our mutua