Franklin Taggart's Unconventional Life Blog

Today my being came to an almost full stop. Despite the list of things I wanted to accomplish and the regular things I would do on a Sunday, today was a day made for silence. Not just quiet - silence. There is a depth of silence that isn't always easy to reach, but it's always here, and it is the silence that restores, replenishes, and nourishes. It doesn't manifest as more energy but rather as deep peace and calm. I've had recent conversations with a couple of people who need a full reset, but it's nearly impossible for them to stop long enough for it to happen. It's almost as if they are frightened they'll be unable to return to their normal hustle and bustle if they allow themselves even a few hours of this nourishment. Some of the most well-known spiritual masters invite people to stop. Today I understand why. #silence #mindset #reset  

 I've loved ZZ Top's music since I bought the 8-Track tape of their Fandango album when I was a freshman in high school. I even loved them when they added the fake drums and synthesizers. Last year, when Dusty Hill died, I felt like I'd lost a personal best friend. So I've watched the Netflix documentary, ZZ Top: Just a Little Ol' Band From Texas, three and a half times, and I'll finish the fourth tonight. One of the things they talked about in the film was their first gig. This part of the story has stuck with me because it's one thing I have in common with them - I had a first gig, too. And my first gig had the same number of attendees - one. They bought the guy at their show a coke when they took a break so he'd stay for the second half.  Sometimes, our first run at something gets a minimal response even with our best marketing efforts. It's easy to get discouraged when this happens, but it isn't a commentary on the work you're doing or ha

 ▼ Watch and Listen Below! ▼ For coaches, consultants, and other experts, reaching new audiences with your messages, experience, and offers is one of the biggest business challenges. You'll be given a litany of options that will include blogging, YouTube, social media strategy, public speaking, podcasting, and whatever marketing soup of the day everyone is raving about. Erica Holthausen has a better idea. Share your expertise with the masses by publishing articles in major publications like Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur, and professional journals. The digital realm has opened many doors for experts to share their writing that weren't available even a few years ago. Erica's coaching programs help professionals plan, write, pitch, and place their articles in publications that will expose thousands of new people to their work. From here, you'll want to join her for her free Q and A session, Pitched to Published here: https://www.catchlinecommunications.com/p2p.html While you

Many years ago, a good friend of mine spent over five thousand dollars on a digital recording system featuring ProTools's latest and greatest technology. My friend had never had any experience with digital recording, although he'd had decades of experience with analog. His sole reason for purchasing the system he did was that the salesman told him it was the industry standard, which was a true statement. He set out to learn how to use his new system and ran into obstacle after obstacle. Months after purchasing it, he had yet to have recorded even a few seconds of audio. He was beyond frustrated. Yes, this system was industry standard, but it was intended to be used by professional level technicians, not novices. He never was able to make the system work. We need to treat claims of industry standard with an eye of caution and suspicion as DIY entrepreneurs. Just because professionals within an industry can make something work doesn't mean it's your best option as a new u

I had a realization the last few days that doesn't come as much of a surprise, but it is liberating to finally see. Several people wondered why I had a small mailing list after being perceived as a marketing expert. It felt good to finally articulate that I don't really want to be found, and I don't think I'm the expert that others see. I do love marketing because it's the most human thing about business, but I still don't believe that there is an honest-to-God marketing expert anywhere in the world. It's too fluid to be mastered. All that said, when I saw and admitted that at the root of it all I don't want to be discovered, located, found, or noticed, I breathed a huge sigh of relief at having made the statement.  Visibility may or may not have helped my situation. At some point, people did find out about me, but more often than not, I found them first. If I meet someone and discover I can help them, I will be relentless in my pursuit. But I don't

This morning started out with a thud. Listen for more details. I love walking my dog. I think he knew he was about to go to the groomer, so he tried to throw a kink in the works. I had her cut his hair extra short this time. I am OK, but I've had a lot on my mind since then.  Circumstances happen quickly, but our lasting experiences don't appear to be caused by the events themselves but rather by the thinking afterward. I've had a hundred different experiences of the same event today, but the event only really happened once. #impagination #mindset #reality  

  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  

Hi All! For the Coffee Break today, I'm featuring this live stream I did with my friend, Jess Kotzer from SelfPubHub . We had a fun chat about some creative possibilities for authors in podcasting. You should be following her channel! https://www.youtube.com/user/youngyessington I'll be back with another Coffee Break tomorrow. See you then! Jess writes: We've only just begun to learn how podcasting can be used to build and nurture communities. We need to think beyond our traditional purposes of just selling books and products to see new and creative ways we can create experiences that are memorable and valuable, and that still make the sales.  My friend and now go-to marketing advisor Franklin Taggart is the coach people turn to when they're ready for big creative ideas in their careers, business, and marketing. Tune in, if only to hear his sultry voice. To schedule a free microphone placement Zoom call, please visit https://bit.ly/MicrophonePlacement . #podcasting #aut

Good morning on July 5th, where the neighborhood fireworks ended around midnight and the birds started chirping a little before 4 AM and the dog started sighing in my ear and the neighbors started lighting fireworks at 8 AM and I can hear my wife on her phone call from the other room. Such is life. Today I have to cultivate my own solitude and find some inner quiet in spite of my surroundings. In this Coffee Break, I have a few of my go-to ideas in store for you. Being hyper-tuned to other people's voices and noises can be my biggest distraction. I don't know why that is but I've had that sensitivity my whole life. It's almost like vigilance when other people are nearby to make sure they are taken care of. It makes it hard to get my own work done. Listen to learn more... #solitude #introvert #creativity  

Today I'm thinking about all the personal Independence Days I can celebrate - the days when I declared my freedom and autonomy and vowed to call my own shots. The day I left my last full-time job and a few part-time jobs, too. The day a relationship ended and I was given a sense of relief and freedom that had been missing for a while. The day I finally stopped grieving the loss of a person or relationship that I thought I couldn't live without and started out on my own again. Those of us in self-employed, artistic, entrepreneurial paths tend to be people who don't easily fit into traditional employment structures. We need the challenge, the stimulation, and the autonomy that comes only from this declaration of personal independence. Listen to the Coffee Break for a little more of my own story of freedom and learning how to make it work for me. When you're ready for this same kind of personal declaration, let's have a chat. Find me at the contact form below. #selfemp

Continuing the theme from yesterday about hearing different things from different teachers, this morning I was struck by the number of people I know who actually followed their young dreams through to actualize them. It isn't a large number. Most of the people I know, like me, have figured out ways to bloom where they've been planted, learning as they go. You'll hear so many things you should do to follow other people's recipes for success, but ultimately, every decision for your path rests on your shoulders, even the decision to go along with anyone else's plan. Most of us have not ended up where we expected, so there will naturally be a learning curve. Teachers, mentors, and coaches can be extremely helpful, but we need to be aware that their prescriptions may not be suited to our circumstances. That doesn't mean they are wrong, it means that they weren't working with the necessary information to be accurate. Making our own way can be messy. As we figure t

The family road trip to Boulder today with our son at the wheel became fodder for tonight's Coffee Break.  It's interesting to me how many times I've fallen for the fallacy that there is only one right way to do things. Seems this is a common one for other people in my circles, too. I noticed today that there were two teachers in the car and growing frustration on the part of the driver at having to listen to either or both of us. I realized then that I was seeing a truth that applies in so many areas of my life. In my career, business path, and life in general, I've had a lot of voices of experience to listen to. I'm sure we all have. But ultimately the decisions we make don't belong to the teachers, they are ours alone. Watching Bodhi navigate new roads with these disparate voices of experience talking into both ears was a stark lesson. He made the decisions he thought best, no matter what the voices of authority said. I think there's a lesson there for al

Here's July 1st and it's time to look back on the year so far and see what's been happening. Reporting on the video-a-day commitment, the production/consumption ratio, the lessons learned so far, and the things I've done to stay sane. Also included is the encouragement to do the best you can with what you've got for even a few minutes every day. Build a body of work that will make a positive difference during and after your lifetime. I know there's a lot happening, but we don't just have to lie down and take it. We can continue to show up, commit to making things better through making better things, and staying moored to each other through whatever waves the ocean of life throws our way. Much love and many thanks for watching, listening, subscribing, reviewing, and sharing! Until tomorrow... #franklinanalytics #2022sofar #progress